How much money do I need to start a cleaning business?

Starting a cleaning business is one of the best ways to break out of the 9-to-5 grind and become your own boss. It offers you a lot of flexibility in terms of the time and locations where you’ll work, the different types of clients you’ll serve and you’ll be able to enjoy your earnings all by yourself. What’s even better is that you can start with low start-up costs and enjoy low overheads. It’s also easy and quick to get off the ground and even easier to run. But the best part is that these types of businesses are generally recession-proof and are always in demand. So, how much will it cost you to start your cleaning business? Take a look below.

How to start your own cleaning business in the UK

In general, there are two main options you have for starting your cleaning business: you can figure out how to start a cleaning business from scratch or you might consider an existing cleaning business for sale. The latter option refers to franchising opportunities that you might wish to pursue as these are proven to be reliable, stable and profitable even during recessions. So, how much will a cleaning business cost you? Here’s a breakdown of some of the costs involved:

• Equipment and materials: these could include equipment trolleys (£250-£400 each), an industrial vacuum cleaner (£300+), a sweeping machine (£200-£2,000), and other materials (such as mops, cloths, etc.) (£500-£1,500).

• Transportation: ideally, you’ll want to have a van to transport your materials and equipment as well as your staff. Keep in mind that the costs of a van can go above £4,000.

• Marketing: marketing is essential to ensuring your business is discovered online and for this reason, you’ll need a website, hosting services, and then there are social media paid advertising costs, the costs of printed materials, branded materials and more. Overall, expect to set aside over £1,000 for this purpose.

• Uniforms: although not essential, uniforms do provide a sense of uniformity and help promote your brand better. When your team is in uniform, you present the best face of your business to your customers.

• Wages and salaries: this factor will tie in with how you choose to price your services – whether by square metre, by job, by location, per hour, per day, etc. It will also depend on how many staff members you choose to hire at your business and also how frequently you’ll pay them.

• Insurance: as an industry norm, you’ll need to invest some money in professional liability insurance and other forms of cover. The cost of this will depend on your insurance provider and the type of cover you opt for.   

• Premises: although it’s not necessary for you to have premises from the outset, especially if you’re considering a franchising opportunity, the chances are that your business will expand and grow over time and you’ll need storage for your equipment, a place where your bookkeeping can be done, somewhere you can do your marketing from and more. Expect this to set you back a few thousand pounds per month. 

Cleaning franchise opportunities

Ultimately, if you choose a cleaning franchise as a business that you’d like to pursue and you’ve made up your mind that you want to partner up with a proven brand in the industry, you’ll need to make a choice between a domestic cleaning franchise and a commercial cleaning franchise. Both options enable you to really benefit from the franchising model, which is proven, profitable and pain-free. After all, you’ll get help and support with your marketing, you’ll be able to rely on a well-known industry brand, you’ll get continued and ongoing training and support, you’ll be able to start working immediately with a given database of clients and so much more!

Is it worth investing in a cleaning franchise in the UK ?

A cleaning franchise in the UK is worth it, especially if you have the wherewithal and stamina to see your business to success. With a Fantastic Services cleaning franchise, you’ll dive straight into the world of franchising as you provide top-quality cleaning services to your clients with a database that is already there and waiting for you to tap into. 

The opportunities that come with franchising are endless all while enjoying the low-risk that comes with the package you choose when compared with starting a business from scratch. You’ll also be able to benefit from full operational training, an integrated computer system to make your life and work much easier, take advantage of an easy to use schedule management system through the bFantastic app, enjoy marketing and sales support at no extra cost and business development support from industry professionals. 

What are you waiting for? Get in touch with us today! We’re ready to give you all the information you need to help you kick-start your journey to success.

Posted in Advice Hub