How To Start A Carpet Cleaning Business
In this guide you will discover how to start a carpet cleaning business.
One of the most exciting ventures you can undertake is opening your own business. But for anyone looking into how to start a carpet cleaning business, it can seem a little overwhelming at first. You’ll need to buy equipment and supplies and hire a qualified team if you don’t intend on doing everything yourself. It might seem like a lot, but when you break it down into smaller steps, you can be on your way to running a profitable cleaning company in no time!
Why should you start a carpet cleaning company?
To start with, there’s never a shortage of new customers. Think about all the people you know — how many of them have carpet somewhere in their home? Consider all those carpets, all the dirt and dust tracked in over the years, and you can see where the steady demand for carpet cleaning services comes from.
As you add new customers, you can also expand the variety of services you provide to grow your business.
How to start a carpet cleaning business in 8 steps:
Carpet cleaning can be a fairly easy business to start, since you can do it on your own and out of your home. Start small, then adjust as your business grows.
1. Buy a franchise or do it on your own?
The first step in how to start a carpet cleaning business is to ask: should I start my own independent business or opt for a franchise? Franchising is a popular option for those not willing to endure the trial-and-error that comes with starting a business. But if you’re looking to maintain control over all aspects of your operation and keep most of your business profits, running your own business is the best option.
2. Write a business plan
Once you’ve decided to either start your own business or step under the umbrella of an existing one, the next step is to create a business plan that answers these questions:
How will my business earn money?
Who is my customer?
How will I bring them to my business?
What are my short-term and long-term financial goals?
Keeping detailed financial records that show income and expenses will go a long way in making your business a success. If financing is necessary to get (or keep) your business up and running, a well-thought-out business plan could make the difference in a lender’s decision.
3. Choose a location
The next thing to think about is where your business will be located. Working out of your home is definitely an option when starting out, but as you grow, you might need to consider renting a warehouse to store your equipment.
4. Get the business basics
After that, you’ll want to set up a business bank account, obtain the necessary business licenses and permits specific to your state, and take out liability insurance to protect yourself and your employees
5. Get some tax and legal advice
Once you have some money coming in, hiring an accountant or CPA is is a choice you should strongly consider. Taxes are no joke, and when it comes to tax returns for businesses, they can be a whole different animal than personal returns. Having a CPA handle your business tax returns will eliminate the fear of getting a letter in the mail one day from the IRS and will make sure that you are taking full advantage of all of your deductions.
You might also want to have an attorney lined up — not just in case of emergencies, but also to make sure you’re in compliance with all state and federal regulations. Some topics to discuss with your attorney include:
General liability insurance
Worker’s compensation
Whether or not you need a surety bond
If you’re still considering whether to franchise or not, an attorney can also help you make that decision.
6. Buy you equipement
Once you have the framework of your business is ready, it’s time to start thinking about the equipment you’ll use. The options open to you will depend on your budget, but you can start small and work your way up.
If you can’t afford a truck-mounted cleaning unit right now then a portable extractor would be a good place to start.
After buying a professional-grade extractor, you’ll need to think about what chemicals and cleaning solutions to use and how you’ll transport your waste water tank. Additional accessories you might need include:
Crevice tools
Upholstery wands
Stair tools
7. Start your advertising and marketing plan
You’ll need to let people know you’re open for business. Whether you use something as simple as paper flyers you tuck under doormats or costly radio and TV ads, you’ll need to decide where you want to make your business presence known.
Having an professional looking website and advertisements can be the deciding factor in whether a customer chooses your carpet cleaning business over another, so be sure to include online and social media marketing in your plans. If you haven’t already registered a domain name for your business, it’s not as hard as you think.
Getting your own domain will ensure you have a home for your website once it is built. If you don’t have the money to pay someone to build a website for you initially, it isn’t hard to create a one-page site on your own. Companies like GoDaddy even have easy tools to assist you in setting up a site so customers can see your pricing, services, hours and phone number.
8. How to get listed online
A free Google Business Listing makes it easy for customers to find you online. Don’t forget to set up a Google Business listing so people looking for carpet cleaners in your area can find you online. It’s free and will put your business where people are looking for services like yours.
Opening accounts with Yelp, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram wouldn’t hurt either. The more places your business appears on the web, the more customers will find you.
9. Carpet cleaning business management software
The last and most important step is having the right business management software to save you time and money so you can grow your business
We have developed a unique system that works for you. This system has been tested and proven over the past 10 years to ensure our quality and your complete satisfaction. JaniBid was developed to help business owners like you streamline their processes and grow. We have helped business owners new and old, implement systems that promote fast growth. These systems are tested daily from initial walk through, proposals, sales, contracts, hiring, scheduling, check in and check outs, invoicing and more. This software has saved carpet cleaning business owners hundreds of hours and stress, allowing them to focus on what's most important, their Business.
Why you need JaniBid software to start a carpet cleaning business
Whether you’re starting a carpet cleaning business or simply trying to keep your existing one growing, finding the right carpet cleaning business software can make a measurable difference in tackling today's toughest challenges. JaniBids service system has been tested and proven over the past 10 years. Our Software system is the key to your growth and success.
Time is Money - On average our users save over 20 hours a week.
Staying Organized - JaniBid helps keep you and your staff organized from directions, schedules, payroll and more.
Peace of Mind - The average Janibid business owner has received 50% less staff phone calls. By using janibid mobile staff can log in and get directions, job requirements all in one easy place.
Stress Free - JaniBid allows staff to check in, check out, complete work audits, account visits and complete work orders. No longer do you need to wonder if the work is complete. You can simply log in to JaniBid to see all activity as it's completed.
The JaniBid Difference
The difference between a struggling carpet cleaning company and a growing one are the SYSTEMS used. Take out the guess work and rely on our proven operating, scheduling and proposal systems.
With the JaniBid system you will be able to instantly email or print out and hand deliver impressive, customized carpet cleaning proposals to your prospective clients. Easily schedule employees work, bid new jobs and personal appointments, along with a powerful Customer Relationship Management (CRM) for a one-stop-shop to view linked notes by individual prospects and customers.
Janibid Mobile
JaniBid mobile is a great resource for your carpet cleaners, managers and sales representatives.
Carpet Cleaners
Carpet cleaners can access the accounts they have to see addresses, get directions, scheduled days, task sheet for each account and to check in and check out.
Managers
Managers can access the accounts they manage to see addresses, get directions, scheduled days, task sheet for each account, complete audits and to check in and check out.
Sales Representatives
Sales Representatives can access a prospects information, prospect notes and quickly take notes and create a proposal to send the clients proposal directly from their phone, tablet, or ipad. This proposal is also saved in the crm to reference back to at any time.
Free Carpet Cleaning Bid Calculator
This calculator can be accessed quickly for a quick quote. Simply input a square footage or a time to finish the job. Then put in your employee cost and the quick calculator does the rest. You’ll be able to add your own percentage or dollar requirement for profit to arrive at how much you want to charge your client. Getting and keeping your carpet cleaning jobs profitable is the name of the game and this innovative feature is a bonus tool that can help in a practical and measurable way.
For more information about our JaniBid software please check out Our Software page. If you're ready to sign up for free click here.
That’s everything you need to know about how to start a carpet cleaning business
Starting your own business isn’t beyond your reach, use these steps to create a carpet cleaning business that will continue to increase in revenue for years to come. If you found this article helpful then check out our blog.
