1.1 Introduction
Service is one of the oldest traditions in society - for as long as there have been houses, there has been a need for cleaners.
The cleaning service sector is a booming industry due to tightening of health and safety regulations and current focus on an aesthetically clean look. Cleaners, therefore, have the opportunity to own their own businesses and build exclusive client lists. It is a satisfying job with plenty of room for growth and innovation.
In this module, you will learn about working in the cleaning industry, finding your niche market and how you can progress your career within the field.
1.2 Cleaning Is Always in Demand
While many businesses have become perishable over the years, cleaners are still in high demand across every industry.
Even with automation, there is nothing to replace the sharp eye of a dedicated and meticulous cleaning person.
Today, cleaners are not only required in households and offices. Small businesses, hospitals, and other commercial properties also enlist the use of cleaning services. Cleaning services help keep their buildings safe, secure and regulation compliant. It is also cost-effective for businesses because they can pay a cleaner when needed, instead of paying someone a full-time salary to clean.
Many households are now finding a new need for household cleaning services. As families benefit from more disposable income they have extra money to spend on cleaning services. As a cleaner helps boost productivity for the family, many households across Britain appreciate the ability to schedule someone to clean their house, so that they can get on with their own busy lives. A strong demand for this service has led to a boom in self-employed cleaners.
Many cleaners begin as sole proprietors with small operations. However, larger contracts are allowing sole traders to expand their business and their teams.
The highest standard of services, with exceptional customer satisfaction, allows the most proficient cleaners to gain even more work through referrals. This separates them from other businesses because the result of their hard work is tangible. Ultimately, customers are loyal to cleaners who perform an exceptional job.
FACT
One in three British households hire domestic help.
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1.3 Finding Your Niche
Today's business market is all about specialisation.
Thus, today's cleaning service is not simply a cleaning service. Cleaning is not just about mopping, dusting or wiping windows, and though these services are performed, they are often performed within a niche of the cleaning sector. Niche markets might sound limiting, however, they are anything but. Remember, when you specialise in a certain area, you can charge more for specialty services. Thus, niche cleaners are able to make more money while focusing on a specific area of cleaning instead of having to offer an exhausting range of services.
There are several niche areas available for new and established cleaners to specialise in:
Eco-Friendly Cleaning
Eco-friendly specialisations are very attractive in today's market. As more people begin to consider their impact on the environment, more are becoming interested in using non-harmful cleaning products and methods. Eco-friendly cleaning is also popular with families that have small children as eco-friendly products are free of harsh chemicals; they are safer for children to be around. The main benefit of being an eco-friendly cleaner is that it helps build your reputation as a business that cares about your community. Another benefit is that people are often willing to pay more for eco-friendly services, to ensure they get the most benefits from it.
Steam Cleaning
Steam cleaning is intensive and provides high-end hygiene standards for healthcare, food, and scientific industries. Steam cleaning helps remove stains and kill bacteria. Steam cleaning can be used on upholstery, fabrics, carpets and elsewhere in the house or office. It can also be used in automobiles, thus providing you with an opportunity to branch out into a further niche area. Steam cleaning is so intense that it does not need to be done regularly. However, if you form a partnership with letting agents or solicitors, you can attract business from landlords or homeowners looking to let or sell their homes.
Ironing
Running an ironing business is particularly beneficial for those who need to work from home in flexible conditions. With more households now having two parents working, ironing services are increasingly in demand. People are also more likely to use a personal ironing service if it is difficult to get to a dry cleaner during the store's opening hours. An ironing service that picks up and delivers is likely to steal business from a traditional store.
End of Tenancy/Home Removal Services
If you have rented a property as a tenant, you may know how difficult it is to get back your full deposit back. To protect their deposit, most renters now hire professional cleaning companies to service the property before they move. People rely on these cleaning services to minimise stress at the time of moving, because they often do not want the added strain of cleaning their property from top to bottom.
Cleaning services can take advantage of this by creating a specialist package that caters to these clients who want a professional top-to-bottom clean.
Working with Letting Agencies
Despite a tenant's best efforts, most letting agents will still use a professional cleaner in between tenants. Get in touch with letting agents, become their preferred cleaner and you will be guaranteed plenty of regular work. This list of niche areas you can specialise in is not exhaustive. The sky's the limit in cleaning and as innovation in cleaning continues, there will be plenty more opportunities to find specialist areas. Also, there is no reason that you cannot focus on more than one specialisation, especially if you intend to expand
your cleaning business to hire other employees. When you are first starting out you may want to consider multiple services, and establish which are most in demand in your area. You will find that when you offer simple services, and you do them well, your customers will
be happy to switch all of their services over to your business. Before you know it, you will be the person that everyone in your area depends on to keep their lives in order.
1.4 Flexible Working Conditions
The beauty of running a cleaning services business is that it allows you to be self-employed.
This means that you can fit your work around the hours that suit you best. You can also turn down work if it does not suit your obligations.
Of course, this does not mean that you are in the business of turning down jobs just because you feel like it. Being self-employed does not mean that you can sleep until noon and make big demands of your clients. However, it does mean that you can choose to work with clients you like and it means that there is no one to force you to do things you do not want to. These flexible working conditions are a huge benefit of being self-employed. However, this flexibility also comes with a lot of responsibility.
For example:
Some clients may wish their homes to be cleaned while they are out at work. They can provide you with a key to access their home and you work without supervision. However, this means that you need to care for their home as if it were your home. Cleaning someone else's home
is a big responsibility because they are trusting you to do a good job. When you are alone in the house, it is your job to make sure that their house is taken care of and remains secure. Of course, some clients will be more hands-on with their contracts, and not every homeowner will prefer such loose terms. This is often the case when you have just started working together and that bond of trust has not yet been developed. In these cases, you may be required to work earlier, later, or on the weekends, until a bond of trust is developed allowing you to work unsupervised.
As you can see, flexibility is not something you automatically receive. It is something you earn.
1.5 Client Facing Role
If you are self-employed you will always be in a client facing role.
Your service will always revolve around your client requirements, so you must be adaptable to their needs. There is no company or manager to hide behind if you make a mistake. You need to be responsible for everything you do. People skills are essential in this role. You need to be able to negotiate your working conditions while still meeting your clients' needs. People skills become even more important if you begin to manage a team of cleaners. In this case, you will be directly responsible for clients even when you are not in their homes or offices. Thus, management and leadership skills benefit anyone who works directly with clients. Of course, being self-employed means that you are never under obligation to meet the demands of your client. They are not your employer and thus they cannot make unreasonable demands of you, especially if they are not included in your service agreement. If this happens, you can simply let them know that the hours do not fit into your schedule, and advise they find a more suitable service. It is also important to remember in these cases that all self
employed contractors are legally obliged to have a right of substitution; otherwise, you may run the risk of being classed as an employee, breaching IR35 regulations.
Before starting your own business, you should always seek the advice of a professional to ascertain your legal obligations and the best way to proceed. Generally, your options are to proceed either as a sole trader, partnership, or a Limited company.
1.6 The Opportunity to Develop a Business
Choosing to move from a sole self-employed individual to becoming a business owner is both scary and exciting.
However, if you follow the rules you will encounter more success than turmoil during your transition. The opportunity to develop a business is important for mobility in your career. When you create a business, you can gradually expand your business to take on more clients and hire more cleaners. If you would like to eventually run the business-side of things rather than cleaning, there are opportunities to do this from the beginning of your business operations. Alternatively, you can gradually move from life as a cleaner to life as a business
owner. However, the simplest route to start your own cleaning business is to begin as a sole trader. This way, there are no directors or shareholders to report to. You also do not need to worry about ensuring your accounts are filed with Companies House, and your annual tax return is simpler when you are a sole trader. As a sole trader you are still in charge of the business operations, but not on a director level.
However, operating as a sole trader limits your business potential. As your revenue grows it is often a good idea to transition into becoming a business entity. Doing so protects your finances and your business. Should you consider incorporating your business you must seek professional advice from a solicitor and an accountant, as this process involves complicated paperwork and there are tax implications also.
For example
Developing and expanding the business to operate under a corporate identity requires you to have company information filed with Companies House, where you register your trading name. Filing this paperwork correctly is essential to early success and avoiding problems. Once you have registered you are legally obliged to file annual returns to both the HMRC and to Companies House, thus increasing paperwork and your level of responsibility.
If you plan on growing your business to the point where the majority of your workload is carried out by members of your staff then you might consider expanding your business to a corporate level. You may even choose to explore opportunities to implement a franchise.
The possibilities are endless, however, only once you have built a solid foundation for your business can you begin to focus on expansion. As you expand you can even spread your territories from nearby neighbourhoods into nearby cities.
1.7 Transferable Skills
Cleaning is something everyone is acquainted with.
However, the ability to tidy up your own house does not mean that you will be successful in the cleaning service.
Only the very best in the professional cleaning industry are able to succeed and make a living.
Fortunately, cleaning skills can be picked up by anyone. People who continually acquire new cleaning skills to
achieve the most hygienic and pristine result for their clients will be the ones who succeed. However, it takes
time, dedication and care to transform from an average cleaner to a great cleaner.
Yet, the ability to clean to a professional standard is a skill that anyone can acquire. Practice makes perfect and,
thankfully, you are going to be in the thick of the cleaning duties when you first start out. Thus, you will be honing
your skills continually. If you dedicate time to learning the most efficient cleaning techniques then you will learn
how to become both detail-oriented and efficient.
The more cleaning techniques you learn, the more proficient the service you deliver to your clients.
In turn, this will enhance your reputation and help you gain more work through referrals. With referrals and your
advertising initiatives, you may attract more work than you can handle on your own.
1.8 A Satisfying Industry
The cleaning industry has all the characteristics of a satisfying
industry.
There is plenty of room for growth in your skills and your business. It does not matter if you choose to acquire
several skills from the beginning, or you aim for a niche approach, you can benefit from consistent work and
attractive wages.
You will learn about the science behind cleaning. You will learn why some techniques work and why others do
not. The application of these real-world skills will make a huge difference not only in your career but in your own
home.
You will also learn about innovation within the cleaning sector and take note of the newest devices and machines
in your relevant field. Perhaps you will even contribute to the development of these new products.
Running a cleaning business does not just teach you how to clean someone's house or office building. It also
allows you to gain hands-on experience in the business world. Running a business means that you will develop
both your cleaning skills and your business skills.
Some of these business skills will include accounting and monitoring your finances. Because you will need to keep
your personal and business expenses separate, you will learn organisational and analytical skills. These skills will
help you maximise your profit by keeping your tax bill at a reasonable level.
You will also have an opportunity to advance your skills in marketing. You will learn how to create a cohesive
advertising strategy that extends beyond flyers or advertising in the local paper. You will learn about social media,
SEO, websites and word-of-mouth marketing. More importantly, you will learn how to bring all of these elements
together to make them work for you.
Expertise in your profession will enable you to know your limitations too. The more knowledge you have then the
more of an expert you can be with your clients, and they will trust your advice. When you have clients who trust
you, you have clients for life.
This business is not for everyone. It takes someone with pride in the work they do and the tenacity to stick with a
job until the desired results are achieved. If all of these things appeal to you, you might be prepared for a career
as a cleaner.
Module Summary
Due to the hectic lifestyle that many people lead today there is an increased need for people who are specialists
in the field of cleaning. This is true for both household cleaning and commercial cleaning.
There are a surprising number of benefits that come with being a cleaner. Being a cleaner allows you to live a
flexible lifestyle because you can choose to be employed or self-employed. Each option has its own benefits and
offers different opportunities to professional cleaners.
Finally, the skills required to be a cleaner are skills that can be taught to anyone. However, you are still able to
'stand out from the crowd' through both practice and training. The more dedication you have for your craft, the
more you can enhance both your cleaning and earning abilities. You will soon find that your dedication pays off
because it will shine through your work!
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