Relatively recently, a rather new line of business appeared in Russia, which has been dynamically developing in the West for more than a decade and has received recognition from numerous customers. These are companies that provide cleaning services. An example of such activity is a cleaning service for private and corporate premises. Gradually, in our country, cleaning services are becoming more and more in demand. After all, the cleanliness of an office or apartment is a prerequisite for the normal conduct of business or residence.
The concept of cleaning
The first high-quality cleaning companies appeared in the markets of America and Europe. They quickly took the place of unprofessional services.
In plain language? The word itself, denoting this service, appeared with us relatively recently. It comes from the English word cleaning, which in a broad translation means the adoption of a set of measures that ensure the cleanliness of shopping malls and offices, hotels and apartments, cottages, etc. This action means work, the result of which is the absence of any pollution, stains , debris and unpleasant odors on both horizontal and vertical surfaces of the premises.
Why is cleanliness necessary? The answer to this question is clear to everyone without any further explanation. First of all, it is the health of the people in the room. However, if we take, for example, office cleaning, then cleanliness here has another, image side.
Often, the appearance of an office cleaned to a shine can play an important role in making the decision necessary for the company, as it will gradually be associated with purity of intentions.
What is included in cleaning?
Professional cleaning is not just washing. This is a rather complicated process, which is the adoption of comprehensive measures that contribute to the cleanliness of the premises. Of course, washing windows, as well as other glass objects, is done with water. But at the same time, the cleaning company provides its service using a fairly wide range of equipment and devices. This includes both special equipment that allows you to clean surfaces under pressure, and special tools needed to eliminate specific stains.
For example, chewing gum from pile covers can only be removed by freezing. Cleaning companies use a temperature-reducing spray for this purpose. And there are many such solutions.
Main list of services
What does a cleaning company do? If we are talking about cleaning residential premises, then the owners of private houses and apartments can count on the following:
- rooms. This professional job includes washing floors and furniture, bathrooms and kitchens, armchairs, carpets, etc.
- General cleaning. In this case, moving away cabinets and other furniture, washing windows, and cleaning baseboards is added to the standard list of services.
- Cleaning of premises after repair work. Cleaning companies take on a lot. This is not only a complete cleaning of an apartment or house. They provide services for the removal of construction waste, as well as for cleaning up contamination formed during the work with plaster and paint.
- Cleaning up after a fire. These are cleaning services from burning and soot. After the work performed by the cleaning company, the premises will completely get rid of the consequences of this disaster.
In addition to apartments and private houses, offices need professional cleaning. In such cases, the cleaning company can provide their daily cleaning services. It should be borne in mind that all employees of such a company are previously instructed on how to properly care for the office equipment located in the premises.
In addition, the cleaning company offers the following services:
- Washing front windows. If these are stained-glass windows of multi-storey buildings, then industrial climbers who have sufficient experience and skills in working in such conditions are working on the task.
- Care of the external area outside the building. This refers to the washing of facades, as well as the care of landscaping and storm drains.
- Cleaning of warehouses, which implies the complete cleaning of premises from pollution.
Idea for business
Many people who work in conventional organizations are often dissatisfied with the feeling of the very stability that is impossible without the daily performance of the same duties. This routine does not lead to financial satisfaction either. There is no particular change in living conditions even during those periods when the employer slightly raises wages. Those who are not satisfied with their lives sometimes decide to open their own business. From the implementation of the planned project, a novice entrepreneur can receive 3-4 thousand dollars a month, depending on the direction he has chosen. And here it is worth considering the question of how to open a cleaning company, since this event is quite promising, not complicated and does not require large financial costs.
Such an entrepreneurial idea is quite simple. The cleaning company takes money from companies and individuals for services that they themselves are not able to perform.
Choice of locality
Many aspiring entrepreneurs invariably face the question of how to open a cleaning company from scratch. And for this, you will need to develop a project for this event, which is a business plan for the future company. It should begin with a description of the industry and the situation that has developed in the locality chosen for work.
To date, the cleaning direction is not yet fully mastered. That is why the level of competition here is not too high. However, everything will depend on the city. And in this case, it is worth considering the rating of cleaning companies offering their services in this locality.
So, in megacities, the competition rate sometimes rises to 80%. And if we turn to the consideration of the question of how to open a cleaning company in a small town, then there are no such problems here. However, other obstacles can stand in the way of an entrepreneur. After all, in a small town there is hardly a mass demand for such services. And it will also deprive the company of profits, even in the absence of competitors.
Making a case
How to open a cleaning company from scratch? To do this, you will need to go through some stages of organizing your own business. First of all, the company must register with the INFS. When choosing an organizational form, the best options are USN or JSC. True, in this case it will be necessary to check the observance of certain conditions. So, when attracting investors, the share of capital invested by them should not exceed 25%. In addition, you will need to plan the annual amount of total revenue within 60 million rubles. The staff should not exceed one hundred employees.
Only if these conditions are met, registration with the tax authorities will be successful. After that, you will need to register with the Pension Fund.
Room selection
The business plan of the cleaning company should consider the issue of renting the building necessary for the operation. A novice entrepreneur should keep in mind that for such a company, the classic look of the office will be clearly inappropriate. The room should be selected in such a way that specialized equipment can be stored in it. There should also be an office for the head and accountant. There must also be a shower room in the room. An entrepreneur does not need a separate room for meeting with clients. After all, the assessment of the scope of work will be given directly at the facility.
Anyone who decides for the first time the question of how to open a cleaning company should keep in mind that the layout of the rented building should include a hall and a dressing room, a bathroom and a shower room, an office and a storage room. Based on the specifics of the work, you can ignore the location of the office. This will allow you to save on rent and choose a suitable building for yourself somewhere on the outskirts or in industrial areas. The main thing is that all the necessary communications come up to it and it is equipped with a good entrance.
What to do next in order to resolve the issue of how to open a cleaning company? For rented premises, you will need to conclude agreements with organizations involved in the maintenance of ventilation ducts and garbage disposal. The office needs a fire alarm.
It is worth remembering that all of the above procedures are a very lengthy process, so you should not delay them.
Purchase of equipment
What do you need to start a cleaning company? At the initial stage, this business is not very costly. The main financial investments go to the purchase of equipment. However, you should not purchase it until the first orders have been received. After all, cleaning is a rather specific business. Depending on the services chosen by the customer, there may be a need for a variety of tools. That is why, for starters, it is worth talking with potential customers, having decided on the range of necessary equipment and its cost.
So, washing the windows of a business center, as well as other high-altitude work, will require more than one hundred thousand rubles for the necessary devices. But to provide staff with equipment for cleaning office space and other buildings, a much smaller amount will be required, within a few tens of thousands.
The business plan of a cleaning company should consider a list of the most necessary equipment that will be needed to provide services in the first place. This list includes:
- two sets for washing windows;
- two two-bucket wringer carts;
- small implements such as mops and buckets, sponges and dustpans;
- two scrubbers;
- rotary single disc cleaner;
- polisher;
- device for industrial carpet drying.
The above list can be slightly adjusted by the entrepreneur himself. In addition, equipment can be purchased gradually. However, for those who plan to take large corporate orders without the above equipment, it will simply be impossible to provide such services.
How to start a cleaning company? To do this, you will need to remember in the business plan and some details. Thus, it is important to consider the costs required for the purchase of professional cleaning products manufactured by well-known companies. Their list should include both universal household chemicals and substances that have a narrow range of activities. In general, an entrepreneur should count on 150-200 thousand rubles. investments.
You will need to find a driver with a personal minibus. After all, for work it will be necessary to transport a floor cleaning machine and industrial vacuum cleaners, and other equipment.
When buying equipment, do not forget about office equipment. It will consist of two computers, a multifunctional printer and a mini-ATS. The list of additional equipment will need to include work tables for the accountant and director, kitchen equipment, several chairs and wardrobes for changing rooms.
Recruitment
How to open a cleaning company? The business plan of the proposed project will also need to reflect the nuances that should be taken into account when forming the staff. At the same time, it is worth considering the specifics that the work will have, as well as the format of the company's activities. So, only women can be considered among candidates for employee vacancies to perform only current and general cleaning of private housing and offices. If the company plans to carry out seasonal landscaping or cleaning the premises after repair work, then men will be needed. And there should be as many of them as there are women.
The staff of a company that will offer customers a wide range of services should include:
- two cleaners;
- two assistants;
- a foreman who simultaneously performs the work of a driver;
- accountant.
At first, the entrepreneur must take over the overall management of the company and communication with customers. Over time, it will be possible to include two managers in the staff.
Given the specifics of the company, preference should be given to people under the age of 45. The only exceptions are the foreman and accountant. Candidates must be polite, sociable and necessarily responsible. It is also important that they are able to learn quickly. This will allow the company to apply novelties that constantly appear on the cleaning services market.
Business promotion
Under what conditions can we expect the effective work of a cleaning company? In addition to accounting for all upcoming expenses, you will need to pay great attention to advertising. Only a large-scale campaign can significantly raise the rating of cleaning companies. It may include the production and distribution of flyers in transport and on city streets, as well as in business centers. Pylons and boards located on the streets of the city will contribute to attracting private individuals. Information about the company can also be placed by reference agencies. It would also be appropriate to create a website.
To attract permanent large customers will require a lot of effort. You will need to consider potential customers among megastores and large enterprises. At the same time, it will be necessary to periodically hold negotiations with each of them regarding permanent cooperation. However, it should be borne in mind that not every head of a large firm will make a decision in your favor. To do this, you need to achieve a certain fame. At first, it is worth considering cooperation with small offices. And then gradually expand the circle of customers. Good luck!