[easycleanwindows]

Hi all well ive been on the window cleaning forum now for almost 12 months and all of my posts when i first started have been answered and have had a lot of help when i didnt know it  existed.We have been in the window cleaning business for 12 months and have a great reputation,have 500 residential customers a month clean a house owned by a f1 race team director,the second largest food manufacturer in the worlds offices and research centre,shops,dentists,doctors.Have been enterd into business awards by our business accounts manager,been used by business link as a case study and still building rapidly.What i would like to know is if anybody could please give my wife any help whatsoever with the post she put here last week with starting her own domestic cleaning business i would be much grateful as i told her that this forum was the best better than the rest and im starting to wonder if i should have done because i cant beleive after not one post even to say "sorry love we dont do domestic we cant help you" no one can advise her?

Thanks very much
Steve Freeman

Easyclean Windows
member of th nfmw&gc

[replacement]

Steve i have no idea. But try this site its very good for information. http://build-a-business.com hope that can help you.

Justin

[Fox]

Hi Steve

Point taken!

I no longer do domestic - got out of it a couple of years ago in favour of commercial.

What does your wife need to know?  I will help with what I can.

Fox

[easycleanwindows]

Hi fox thankyou for your reply i new all was not lost.She helps at the moment with the accounts side of the window cleaning obviously she would like to start her own cleaning business and being so different to window cleaning needs a little advise on the folowing:

Best insurance/insurers
Best way to approach potential clients(With window cleaning i just done some really good leaflets and face on approach then it was word of mouth all the way)
Cleaning suppliers.
Any cleaning federations

and any other good advise you can help with really

I can introduce her so alot of my big clients but most allready have a cleaner and we live in the country side in oxfordshire with a lot of large pottential houses.
She dosent want to be a millionare thats my job   just to start a good respectible domestic cleaning service.

Cleaning commercial is probbaly like window cleaning where you can get bigger contracts for larger income maybe im wrong but i started with domestic and will keep those customers forever hopefully.Anyway again thanks for your reply she was starting to think ive numptybled you all into not giving out your trade secrets.

Steve

[Fox]

Ok

Insurance - best to shop around, she probably won't need a specialist insurer to start, try AXA - don't know if you will have to be a broker but I know Lloyds TSB use them.  I use Darwin Clayton at the moment but they are more for commercial. Plus AXA will be more flexible with their policy and allow you to change it as you grow so it keeps the initial costs down.
Advertising - An eye catching ad in your local free paper will work wonders - if possible try to get a space on the weekend television page as this is the most looked at section.  Flyers and leaflet drops work for this industry too.
Suppliers - I take it she is planning on providing her own cleaning chemicals etc - I used to use whatever the client had in the house - this helped when selling the service I used to use the line 'we like to use your products as each person and household is different, you know what works for you so we adapt to your tastes'  this kept my outlay down, however if she wants to supply I suggest contacting Seldon Research or Clover and ask them who your nearest distributers are.
Being a member of the Chamber of Commerce is always useful for information and their logo looks good on paperwork.  She could also join the British Institue of Cleaning Science, however they require certain experience to join.

Hope all of this helps - if she needs to know anything else just ask.
Fox

[domestic.diva]

Ok

Insurance - best to shop around, she probably won't need a specialist insurer to start, try AXA - don't know if you will have to be a broker but I know Lloyds TSB use them.  I use Darwin Clayton at the moment but they are more for commercial. Plus AXA will be more flexible with their policy and allow you to change it as you grow so it keeps the initial costs down.
Advertising - An eye catching ad in your local free paper will work wonders - if possible try to get a space on the weekend television page as this is the most looked at section.  Flyers and leaflet drops work for this industry too.
Suppliers - I take it she is planning on providing her own cleaning chemicals etc - I used to use whatever the client had in the house - this helped when selling the service I used to use the line 'we like to use your products as each person and household is different, you know what works for you so we adapt to your tastes'  this kept my outlay down, however if she wants to supply I suggest contacting Seldon Research or Clover and ask them who your nearest distributers are.
Being a member of the Chamber of Commerce is always useful for information and their logo looks good on paperwork.  She could also join the British Institue of Cleaning Science, however they require certain experience to join.

Hope all of this helps - if she needs to know anything else just ask.
Fox

Hi Fox

I know this was way back but I have been checking out old posts, the using of the clients materials, do you need a material data sheet for each product you use? I have been told conflicting on thisone.  Also, did you use their equipment, e.g. vac cleaner? If you did, are you covered, that is on a health & safety ground?

Advice really appreciated.

Best regards
DD