Few people like to clean their own carpets and upholstery. Firstly, it is quite time-consuming. Secondly, there is no guarantee of a good result without proper equipment and dedication. Carpet and upholstery cleaning services continue to thrive despite economic difficulties especially in the corporate sector where it is unacceptable to have dirty carpets or upholstery, even the residential business, property managers often have carpets cleaned before a new tenant moves in.
Getting Started
A carpet and upholstery cleaning business is no different from other cleaning services: it is about building a customer base. That’s because both ordinary people and business owners order carpet and upholstery services often, some a few times a year, this means recurring revenue.
Services
There are a few different types of services you can offer:
- carpet steam cleaning;
- dry cleaning;
- shampooing;
- hot water extraction;
- chemical cleaning.
There is an easy way to start a cleaning business. You can start a one-person company and work as a self-employed entrepreneur. You will need to buy only one device. Watch the following video to get inspired:
Equipment
Running a business like this requires a few materials and equipment:
- workers (nice-looking, well-dressed presentable);
- materials (soaps, clothes, etc);
- tools (vacuum cleaners, brushes, microfiber towels);
- Phone, laptop or computer where people can reach you, an office is preferable (Even a garage office) but not essential.
Pricing
Pricing is important. You have to decide whether to price service per room or size. It’s a common tradition to price per size. In South Africa, you can charge Rxx amount per square meter.
Tips
Instead of competing with other cleaning services, you can establish your company in a narrow segment of a business that is, for example, cleaning restaurants or Persian carpets. Needless to say that in this case, your “luxury” clients will bring you some “luxury” money.
