Starting up a business

With the national employment rate hovering around ten percent, many Americans are turning to self employment. If you are one of these entrepreneurial Americans and you have an eye for detail and a knack for cleaning, then starting up a cleaning service may be the best business for you. When thinking about starting up a business in today's economy, job growth is a necessary factor. According to the reports of American statistics, jobs in the janitorial services are expected to grow faster than the average growth of all other occupations from now until the year 2016. Cleaning services differ from household cleaning to office cleaning in several ways. While maid services usually attend to condos, hotels, and private homes; cleaning companies cater to serve offices, hospitals, schools, apartments, factories, stores, and shopping centers. The cost to start up a cleaning service varies according to your goals. Some services start with little more than a few basic pieces of equipment and cleaning supplies and travel to jobs in a car or small van, while others will start out with floor buffer machines, special cleaning agents, and power equipment. A van or truck is needed for hauling these items. Beginners should have at least some experience with any types of cleaning jobs. At minimum, you should be able to clean and polish floors, cleanse carpets, sweep and dust, wash windows, and remove garbage. If you plan to do outside cleaning, you may include painting, power washing, clearing debris, basic repair, landscaping and even pest extermination. For those in the colder climates, having a snow plow can quickly add extra dollars to your income. To start this type business it is helpful to have previous experience in the industry. You need to know how to operate and maintain the equipment, the safety procedures for the chemicals you will be using, and the health and safety regulations you need to follow. If you opt for extra services, you will also need to know proper operation for any special equipment such as leaf blowers, power washers, snow plows, and lawn mowers. Most jobs in the industry are done on a contract basis, and you will have to be savvy in bidding for these contracts, so a business course can be helpful. Successful owners have good customer service skills and are able to plan out each individual job as well as weekly and monthly schedules. Jobs are often scheduled after business hours so you should be willing to work nights and weekends.