by: David Andrew Smith
If you are considering moving into the contract cleaning or commercial cleaning services market you are entering an extremely competitive arena of business. Not only are you in competition with the 150
UK wide cleaning companies, there will also be several small to medium size cleaning companies operating in your area and then a myriad of one man band outfits.
You will have to attempt to break into this market, gain a foothold and expand. So how do you do it? Office cleaning is the most competitive and therefore the most difficult to break into. Perhaps best avoided? You will be told that to be successful you have to have a unique selling point. What will be unique about your services? If you are going into general cleaning then I think you will find it quite difficult to come up with a unique selling point for your services. Excellent quality? Totally reliable? Have a look around at your competitors, they all say the same things.
The only way to come up with an edge over any possible competition is to find a niche market that has not been exploited yet and market yourself on that. There are many areas of the market that have not yet been saturated with cleaners. However it is unlikely that your immediate area could provide sufficient work in your niche market to provide you with adequate income you would therefore have to be prepared to travel.
What niche markets are there? Computer cleaning, indoor plant cleaning, yacht cleaning (external and internal), natural stone cleaning, gravestone cleaning to name but a few. Research the market well before taking the plunge in one of those directions however. You may think there is a need for that particular specialism but your potential customers may not see the need. You could of course attempt to convince them of their need.
If you are fortunate enough to find a niche market then you must promote it from the point of fulfilling the needs of your clients or solving a problem for them. If they do not see a problem or a need then you have no hope.
You could of course take a lot of the hard work out of it and become a franchisee of a large company. This too has its pitfalls and in some cases it hardly feels as if you are self-employed and your own boss. You are doing all the work and they are reaping the dividends of that work. So if you decide to go that route then choose your franchising company with the utmost caution and only after you have conducted a wealth of research into them.
About The Author
David Andrew Smith has been working for many years in the cleaning industry and is the owner of http://www.wesparkle.co.uk general cleaners and specialists in the cleaning and polishing of natural stone.
|
Contract Cleaners ? A Guide For Businesses. Part 3
Contract Cleaners ? A Guide For Businesses. Part 3
by: David Andrew Smith
In this third part I will be looking at the remaining questions you should be asking of the commercial cleaning companies tendering for your cleaning contract.
Will the cleaning be supervised and how often?
If the contract only requires 1 ? 2 cleaners then inspections should be carried out weekly. Once the contract has been up and running for some time and the cleaners have settled into a good routine then it may be possible to visit only monthly. Contact between the supervising individual and you the client is entirely dependant upon your wishes If the clean is going well then the majority of clients do not want to be bothered with even courtesy calls to see if they are satisfied. Decisions on this are entirely up to you the client.
If the clean requires 3 or more cleaners then a supervisor should be on site at all times cleaning is taking place. If it is 3...
Contract Cleaners ? A Guide For Businesses. Part 3
Six Carpet Care Tips
by: Steve Gillman
Which is the most important of my carpet care tips? You'll find it at the top of the list below. Use the five other tips as well, and you'll get years more use from your carpet.
Top Carpet Care Tips
1. Keep your carpet clean. Sand and dirt act like thousands of little razor blades that cut carpet fibers. Damaged carpet stains more easily, and it's harder to remove the stains from it as well. Vacuum often to remove dirt, and your carpet will last longer.
2. Use rugs. Put rugs outside and inside the front door, and any other entrances. They can catch much of the dirt that people bring in on their feet. That means less vacuuming and longer carpet life.
3. Remove shoes. This is a sure way to make carpet last longer. If you have a nice home with nice carpet, people usually aren't offended by this policy.
4. Clean stains quickly and properly. If using a cleaning solvent other than water,...
Six Carpet Care Tips
Cleaning Your Computer Will Help It Last Longer And Work Better
by: Scott Dary
To clean your mouse ? The trackball can pick up dirt and dust from your desk and mouse pad. Also, the wheels that the trackball come in contact with get dirty and need to be cleaned. If you notice your mouse "doesn't work right", it may be time to clean it. First, turn your PC off. Turn your mouse over and you will see the ball sticking out of a cover. Look at the arrows on the cover and turn it in the indicated direction to open it up. Don?t worry about anything falling out. The only thing that comes out is the ball, and maybe a little dust, and you want to take that out anyway.
You can clean the ball with alcohol if it needs it, but usually just wiping it off will work. A cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol works well for cleaning the wheels. When you?re done, drop the ball back in and put the cover back on. If cleaning it doesn?t help, it may be time to replace...
The Types of Vacuum Cleaners
by: Chris Vorelli
If you want to really clean your home, car, camper, business or job site, you will want to check out all of the many types of vacuum cleaners! There are many out there and they all offer special uses and features. The best thing to do is to make a list of your price range and what your vacuum will need to do. Then, you can start browsing and narrow down your list until you find the vacuum that you think will be best for you!
There are many vacuum cleaning machines on the market today. You can easily find one that will complete the tasks at hand with ease and durability. Vacuums are available in many colors, sizes and prices. There are basically two types of vacuums; the wet and the dry vacs. There are companies that have found a way to combine both features! There are cordless, handheld and even bagless models to choose from! And if you're really lazy you can even buy a robot vacuuum cleaner, that...
The Types of Vacuum Cleaners