How to get customers for a small, home based business?

[aracko]

Mods - if this needs to be deleted, feel free.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get a commercial client or a consistant customer base for a cleaning business?

 

I have been very successful with computers but its just not what I want to do. Many years ago I was in college and it didnt work out. So I got a job where I work now. Well its 11 years later and I am still here, have advanced really pretty well and now make a pretty decent living and carry alot of responsibility. The problem is, I hate sitting all day. I literally cannot stand it. I want my own business.

 

Last year my wife and I tried starting a cleaning business which I would LOVE to start again. Problem is we never got any stable customers(luckily only one of us quit our jobs). We targeted the elderly and a few apartment complexes, thinking that they would call us to do their cleaning, yardwork, shopping, small repairs, etc. We spent so much on flyers and business cards. Well that was a disaster. Nobody was calling us. The few who did call us, came back to us to do a 2nd or 3rd job, but we had to stop the business because it wasnt paying the bills. My wife needed to go back to work.

 

We dont need a huge commercial contract. Small business are just fine with us. We would be glad to clean houses also but we just do not understand how to get the consistant customers. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[bigredrobbo]

I have 3 words for you, bud.

 

Network

 

Network

 

Network

 

 

There are a gajillion free (and some non-free) networking groups in the Milwaukee area. Consider joining a few and get yourself in front of people. You let potential customers get to know and trust you, they learn more about what you do than any ad ever could, and they'll help you find clients.

Think of it as having a sales force that you don't employ working on your behalf. If you do the same for their business, you'll soon find the clients.

 

Send me a PM if you want me to elaborate a little more. I don't have a huge amount of time at the moment to do your question justice.

[Brian the Automator]

Mods - if this needs to be deleted, feel free.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get a commercial client or a consistant customer base for a cleaning business?

 

I have been very successful with computers but its just not what I want to do. Many years ago I was in college and it didnt work out. So I got a job where I work now. Well its 11 years later and I am still here, have advanced really pretty well and now make a pretty decent living and carry alot of responsibility. The problem is, I hate sitting all day. I literally cannot stand it. I want my own business.

 

Last year my wife and I tried starting a cleaning business which I would LOVE to start again. Problem is we never got any stable customers(luckily only one of us quit our jobs). We targeted the elderly and a few apartment complexes, thinking that they would call us to do their cleaning, yardwork, shopping, small repairs, etc. We spent so much on flyers and business cards. Well that was a disaster. Nobody was calling us. The few who did call us, came back to us to do a 2nd or 3rd job, but we had to stop the business because it wasnt paying the bills. My wife needed to go back to work.

 

We dont need a huge commercial contract. Small business are just fine with us. We would be glad to clean houses also but we just do not understand how to get the consistant customers. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Try getting your name out there on Craigslist. Not so much that elderly people are hip on the site, but their kids or grandkids sure might be.

 

[PaulRigdon]

If you have a little bit of extra cash, those val pak mailing are a pretty good bargin. I dont remember the specifics on pricing but I know it was relatively inexpensive for the number of homes it goes to.

 

But yes networking is the best. MMAC has some good groups as well as the Milwaukee Breakfast Club.

 

PM me if you want more info.

[jwill535]

send flyers wtih your card to buisneses, since you are starting out you are probably going to have to come in lower then more established. Try the Yellow pages. When you see a new office building going in, talk to the people that are going in there or when they just open up.

[homer]

Yeah, you need to be on the web. I live in a condo building filled with young single professionals and there was an email sent out a few weeks ago asking about cleaning companies and five different people all said they wanted one. Craig's List is a terrific idea. And you might want to create a website - they can be done very cheaply nowadays. I think that lends some credibility.

[aracko]

Awesome guys. Too Cool. I am going to do some networking research on my lunch hour and then expect a PM later this afternoon if I feel the need to bother you even more. I really appreciate this.

[Thurston Fluff]

I agree with the web listings but that isn't enough. You need to be in the phone book both in the yellow pages and the business directory. It also helps to have a physical location that is not a residence. Our shop acts as a billboard as well as a place people feel comfortable stopping by. Labelling your car is also a good idea. I had a yellow festiva in the 90's that was labeled and people still tell me they remember that cartoon car 6 years after I stopped using it. There are some other creative ideas that you might want to try. The best bang for our buck, advertisement wise, is to have someone stand outside in a gorilla suit with a sign. Anything to make people see your signs or shop is a good thing. Another thing we've done in the past is to list ourselves in the classified ads section instead of where the paper noramlly wants business ads to go. When people are looking for a used bike or where the rummage sales are it doesn't hurt if they see someone who will clean their house for them. I hope you can succeed in your quest to run your own business. I love mom and pops local businesses and try to use them whenever possible.

p.s. if you look for a physical location for your business remember location is the sinlge most important factor. Half of a physical location is the fact that it is a 24/7 advertisement for your business. It will cost more but think of it as a billboard along with a place to do business. You wouldn't buy a billboard on a deadend road simply because it was cheaper. The same applies to shop location.

[ajgodson]

Best of luck with this Aracko... a few things I might try --

 

1) Website -- you can get a domain and a simple site for about 10 bucks a year --- (I use GoDaddy, but if someone has recommendations....)

2) Develop some marketing materials --- a good brochure and an e-mail brochure that could spread through referrals. You want someone to say, "oh, I heard of someone and pass it along"

3) Find a target -- don't turn any business away, but find a target to focus on. Perhaps Young Professionals might be a try. Get in with the Milwaukee Young Professionals network and spread some brochures around. Call condo/apartment managers and ask about sending an e-mail to his/her residents while trying to get the "building's" business. Offer discounts to get your foot in the door. You might target small businesses, and attack that by looking at stripmalls, etc.

4) Cold call -- it's not fun, but people do it because it works.

5) Ask current customers for referrals.

6) Provide exceptional customer service.

7) Post Craigslist and everywhere else that's free, don't be shy about asking for referrals or clients. Your attitude has to be that you're doing them a favor because your cleaning service is so exceptional.

 

Just a few thoughts....good luck

[splitterpfj]

I have no idea what sort of funds you have available to market yourself, but if money is tight in this regard, you just can't beat the web. List yourself everywhere you can online. I also like the idea of having something on your vehicle, you may find a great new account just by leaving your car in the parking lot while you shop for groceries.

 

If you specifically want to target the elderly, etc, go to the management of their apartment complexes, etc, and make your pitch there. Be ready to provide references, these places are understandably protective of their communities. You may be able to secure a contract for the entire building, or at least they may agree to post your message on a bulletin board, or allow you to leave business cards in their office, etc. Perhaps some of these places hand out information to new residents, suggesting reputable businesses for one need or another.....if they do, get your card or brochure in the mix!

 

Never, ever, ever wait for someone to call you back, don't hound people, but if someone shows interest in what you do, politely get their contact information, and offer to check back with them. You'd be surprised how many people just get busy and never pick up the phone for the follow-up they promised you...the call matters more to you than it does to them, so make sure you're the one who's in control of it.

 

Nothing you can ever buy will do you more good than word of mouth, which also means nothing can undermine your efforts faster than word of mouth. Do what you said you would, and be fair with people, a huge tree in my yard was hit by lightning in the summer of '06, I chose the guys who cut it and hauled it for me because a friend had used them and told me they were great - I never looked at an ad, his word sold me.

[bjkrautk]

As someone who works for a small business owner, the key is to be competitive on price (which is to say, cheaper than the status quo).

 

You have to give the business owner a reason to hire you, since chances are they already have a cleaner they can retain with minimal effort. It has to seem worth their time / effort to bring in someone new.

(It wouldn't hurt to know a few potential clients, either.)

[Invader3K]

If you have a little bit of extra cash, those val pak mailing are a pretty good bargin. I dont remember the specifics on pricing but I know it was relatively inexpensive for the number of homes it goes to.

I actually use Valpak with the business I run, and they are fairly effective, and economical. PM me if you want the name of a rep to get in touch with. I can elaborate on our experience with them a little more if needed, too.

[bigredrobbo]

I have a few extra comments.

 

1. I disagree that you need a Yellow Pages listing. Fewer and fewer people are getting services from the book, more are going online, so I'd divert my dollars more to getting a good website, as some have said.

 

2. Do everything you provide 1% better than anyone else. Offer services that most other companies don't. Take pride in doing the best job you can. Believe me, there are many many companies in your industry that just go through the motions. Don't be that guy and people will notice.

 

3. Contact the Apartment Association of SE Wisconsin (AASEW). They are the organization that provides help and networking opportunities for Milwaukee's Landlords. Sure, they will have cleaning services they already use, but, like I said, not everyone is necessarily good at what they do.

 

4. Contact other cleaning services. Build relationships with them. Sometimes the big boys are only interested in corporate, contract clients and will let the "little fish" get away. Be their "go-to" guy for the business they don't want.

 

5. Consider donating your services FREE as a door prize for one of the dozens of charity auctions there are every year. Yes, it's unpaid, but (a) It's tax deductable (b) You are giving something back to a cause or community © Someone who has never used you gets a chance to see you shine (literally!), and then in turn will tell others (d) It gives your business a degree of legitimacy - many of the people who attend charity auctions are movers and shakers.

 

6. If you do one of these events, often you'll have access to the database of attendees names. Follow up after the event with a flyer, money off coupon, or simply thank them for helping a worthy cause. People are loyal to others who have the same values as they do.

 

7. One of the keys to being successful in a small business is twofold: Make your customer's lives easier, or make them look good. You don't have to be the cheapest guy on the block if you go the extra mile to make your client's life easier. Develop friendships with other vendors in similar fields to you (carpet cleaners etc.) so that you can make suggestions about their needs and provide a solution at the same time.

 

8. Take your corporate image seriously, but don't take yourself seriously. There's an old saying - "fake it till you make it", basically give the impression of success and reliability in all your materials. Consider inexpensive embroidered polo shirts with your business name rather than a band tee. Spend just a fraction more (usually around $40 - $70) to get quality business cards done rather than the ones you make yourself with the perforated edges. Have invoices printed off rather than scribbled on a legal pad.

 

9. Consider joining a barter network, such as IMS (ask for Tom Schlindwein, tell him Alan sent ya!). Again, it might seem as if you are giving business away, but you can recover your costs by getting back goods and services you actually need. And, again, more people who see what you can do = more word of mouth advertising.

 

10.Find a classified ad location and advertise there EVERY WEEK. It does no good to have an ad here or there - potential customers need to see your name repeatedly before they buy. A really good option is the back page of the Shepherd Express. For about $5 per line you can have a presence in a paper read by over 200,000 people each week. Can you afford, say, $25 a week for that. If not, Craigslist

[Thurston Fluff]

As someone who works for a small business owner, the key is to be competitive on price (which is to say, cheaper than the status quo).

 

You have to give the business owner a reason to hire you, since chances are they already have a cleaner they can retain with minimal effort. It has to seem worth their time / effort to bring in someone new.

(It wouldn't hurt to know a few potential clients, either.)

 

This is true to a point however there are a couple things to remember when setting prices. Simply undercutting a competitors prices means you will make less on every job you do than your competiter's. That translates into needing more custumers and doing more work for the same money. Another thing to keep in mind is every time you quote a price, barring coupons or advertised specials, be prepared to do that job for the price everytime. It's hard to get them to pay more after establishing that presidence. You need to be competetive but simply being the cheapest is setting yourself up for financial hardship, countless hours of work or both. We've had literally dozens of people try to undercut us in the last 25 years. Not a single one of them are still around. There is a correlation. Competetive prices with better service is both fiscally responsible and customer freindly. You have to be worth the money but a job well done is worth the money to a customer.

Man that last line sounds like Zig Ziggler or something. Sorry for the canned motivational speaker jargon.

 

One thing I forgot is if there are those coupon books where you get one free cleaning or 1/2 off the first visit it isn't a bad idea to get people to try you. As long as the person understands it's a one time/annual deal. Anyone using those type of things know that already.

[Thurston Fluff]

I agree with all your points Bigred but this one

 

1. I disagree that you need a Yellow Pages listing. Fewer and fewer people are getting services from the book, more are going online, so I'd divert my dollars more to getting a good website, as some have said.

 

No offense intended but the numbers completely contradict this. Granted the net has made inroads but for local businesses the number one location used is still the phone book and it's not even close. Not that I think you should not have a website but the phone book has, and will be, a better bang for you buck for the foreseeable future. We do both and have since 94 when we started our website and keep track of it pretty closely and there is no comparison. It does cost more but there is a reason for that.

[kilgore37]

I never use the phone book. If I need to find a number I google it.

[bigredrobbo]

I agree with all your points Bigred but this one

 

1. I disagree that you need a Yellow Pages listing. Fewer and fewer people are getting services from the book, more are going online, so I'd divert my dollars more to getting a good website, as some have said.

 

No offense intended but the numbers completely contradict this. Granted the net has made inroads but for local businesses the number one location used is still the phone book and it's not even close. Not that I think you should not have a website but the phone book has, and will be, a better bang for you buck for the foreseeable future. We do both and have since 94 when we started our website and keep track of it pretty closely and there is no comparison. It does cost more but there is a reason for that.

 

Agreed, for local businesses that need to generate volume of business to survive. Aracko isn't in that boat - he's a microbusiness that can't justify the hundreds, and sometimes thousands of dollars that any reasonable sized ad will cost in the Yellow Pages. I'm not saying don't have a presence with a line listing - but the necessity to have the biggest ad, or even a decent sized one is waning.

 

Focusing on the book means you are waiting for business to come to YOU. I have a DJ business, and, over the years, I had way more time-wasting tire-kickers working their way down the page, price shopping than I ever had serious enquiries. Building relationships and being proactive puts you back in control of your marketing.

[sheetswannabe]

Talk to the mafia, that always helps.

[Invader3K]

The yellow pages are a directory, they're not advertising. Just one thing to keep in mind.

[Thurston Fluff]

Agreed, for local businesses that need to generate volume of business to survive. Aracko isn't in that boat - he's a microbusiness that can't justify the hundreds, and sometimes thousands of dollars that any reasonable sized ad will cost in the Yellow Pages. I'm not saying don't have a presence with a line listing - but the necessity to have the biggest ad, or even a decent sized one is waning.

 

I see the confusion. What I meant was to get a listing in the yellow pages not one of those 1/2 page ads with the red ink ect. You almost have to be in the yellow pages but I agree the actual ads are not worth the money.

 

One other thing I forgot to mention. There is power in a name. Whatever you call your new company make sure it's descriptive of what you do. Forgive me if that sounds obvious but I've seen plenty of people make that mistake.

[radman12484]

Mods - if this needs to be deleted, feel free.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get a commercial client or a consistant customer base for a cleaning business?

 

I have been very successful with computers but its just not what I want to do. Many years ago I was in college and it didnt work out. So I got a job where I work now. Well its 11 years later and I am still here, have advanced really pretty well and now make a pretty decent living and carry alot of responsibility. The problem is, I hate sitting all day. I literally cannot stand it. I want my own business.

 

Last year my wife and I tried starting a cleaning business which I would LOVE to start again. Problem is we never got any stable customers(luckily only one of us quit our jobs). We targeted the elderly and a few apartment complexes, thinking that they would call us to do their cleaning, yardwork, shopping, small repairs, etc. We spent so much on flyers and business cards. Well that was a disaster. Nobody was calling us. The few who did call us, came back to us to do a 2nd or 3rd job, but we had to stop the business because it wasnt paying the bills. My wife needed to go back to work.

 

We dont need a huge commercial contract. Small business are just fine with us. We would be glad to clean houses also but we just do not understand how to get the consistant customers. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Try getting your name out there on Craigslist. Not so much that elderly people are hip on the site, but their kids or grandkids sure might be.

 

 

LOL you said hip.

[Shampoo4U]

Get business card magnets made up and attach them all over your car/truck when you are at a spot such as a supermarket, office building, parking lot of sporting event and such.
I also don't have much faith in the bang for buck of the yellow pages-- it is a declining source, just like newspapers.

I agree with most of bigredrobbo. I agree it is not always about cheap, it is about quality--don't give away your services with discounts and dollars off--it makes you look cheap and not worth your full price when you want to charge full price. I much prefer the doing a service for Free as the door prize or charity service. Better to be doing something that might lead to real business rather than twiddling your thumbs.

[Fatter than Joey]

I concur with backup catchers -- The man is wiser than I am fat.