From Richard Marshall of Sleephaven:
After 14 years in the industry, I know how tough it can be to grow a business and fill the diary alongside the stresses and strains of multi-tasking with quotes, marketing, invoicing and emails all while squeezing in a home life!
I started with carpet cleaning. Yes, it was tough but I loved being my own boss and the flexibility it provided. I got job satisfaction and the thrill of seeing my business grow, adding other services and employing staff…including my son! It’s tough in the early stages, but if you stick at it, work hard and increase your skills it will pay dividends!
A return on my investment in a week!
One of the things I learned early on was that all aspects of cleaning can be seasonal, even carpet cleaning! So, to make sure I kept the diary full and my business grew I wanted to add other services to my existing mattress, carpet and upholstery cleaning. After some research, I settled on gutter cleaning and bought a Mighty Atom. I already had a health client list clients so started out offering my brand new gutter cleaning services to them. Amazingly, I saw a return on my investment in just a week!
My gutter cleaning services became popular with letting agent clients, homeowners and commercial customers so it filled my diary in Autumn when carpet cleaning tended to go quiet it was a great way of moving my business forward. In time I grew my business even more by adding other services to fill any gaps. From UPVC and roof cleaning to driveways and patios… I was now offering a one-stop shop for cleaning services across my area.
And I was attracting even more new customers… a win-win situation as revenue grew.
Gutter cleaning makes an ideal add-on to your business and I’ve found that pest controllers are now adding gutter and roof cleaning to their business as customers ask them to clean the gutters and mess once nests have been removed.
Not ready to invest yet?
If you’re not quite ready to spend the money, you could always rent the machinery in the short term, or on a regular basis until you’re ready to take the plunge. Much of our equipment is available to rent and if you’re not yet sure which gutter cleaning equipment is right for you and your business, hiring is a great way to help you figure it out!
If you’re a startup and new to the cleaning industry take heart, the first 12 months are the hardest and if you can survive that then pat yourself on the back and push on. Find training courses relevant to your services; the industry provides great technical courses. You’ll also find some great support via online forums where industry experts are incredibly helpful.
At Spinaclean we provide 1-2-1 and group training courses to help you move forward and develop your business. For many, being self-employed can be daunting as well as lonely but keep the faith… you will reap the rewards!
I appreciate money can be tight initially but once you have established a customer base consider branching out and adding other cleaning services to your business. Remember, from little acorns grow oak trees… And don’t forget, we’re here to help.