Housekeeping duties involve laundry service, home
cleaning and maintenance. Other functions are cooking, shopping and manual
tasks. The job entails effective management of domestic household.
Housekeeping is serious business that involves hard labor
and toil. The business is highly lucrative and works as a company or one man
service. Before we go into setting up your venture lets see the functions and
activities a housekeeper undertakes.
Disposal
of Rubbish
Rubbish disposal is an integral aspect of house cleaning
business. They use lots of plastic bags, bins, waste baskets and waste bins.
Their duties involve cleaning the seating area, bedrooms,
toilets, kitchen and even sweeping the garden. Some buy groceries, cook and do
minor repairs.
Housecleaning
The major job of house cleaners is dusting surfaces. They
apply vacuuming, detergent and waste disposal. Other duties involve washing,
sweeping, clearing gutters and clearing gardens.
The duty of a Housekeeper is to create a clean and
orderly environment for the customers. Other functions are disinfecting
toilets, ironing and folding.
A summary of house cleaning duties your company can offer
are house chores, washing dishes and disposing trash. Others are yard cleaning,
dusting, dirt removal and disposal of rubbish.
Now that you have a basic idea of what the job entails
here are a few things you need to start your business
How
to Start a Housekeeping Business
Business
Name
Choose an interesting business name for your company. Register
your company and get appropriate licensing.
Before you decide on a company structure you need to know
what is obtainable. There are different types of incorporation such as sole
proprietorship and partnership.
While choosing a company makeup you need to identify the
company structure. The structure of your business provides details on
ownership, tax and liabilities.
Others are limited liability company structure or a
corporation. Make it a limited liability company or sole proprietorship. You
can run the enterprise as a one man show or hire cleaning staff.
Funding
You don’t need too much investment to start a
housekeeping service. Tailor your company to your startup capital. You can
always expand your operation and buy more equipment as the business grows.
If you need certain equipment you can always hire them. Get
small loans from micro finance banks, cooperatives or through target savings.
Get
some Insurance.
You need to take insurance to safeguard your business
from litigation. There are different kinds of insurance so find out the policy
that complements your business.
Develop
Policies and Procedures
Your policy highlights your working hours and scope of
work. Clearly stating what your agency is about and kind of service reduces
misunderstanding and litigation.
Other things your policies and procedure covers are
conditions of employment. For example the use of company products in the
execution of the work attracts more fees.
The client might choose to use their own product to
reduce costs. Major cleaning items like vacuum cleaners, detergent, mowers and
rubbish disposal items.
Decide
on Charges.
How much are you willing to collect as charges? The
pricing could be calculated per hour, type of service and other parameters. It
is good to have set prices or a general price for service rendered.
Office
To operate your cleaning business you need a corporate
office. The interesting part is your location does not impact on your customer
base or profitability.
However, locate your enterprise in a residential area
close to your potential customers. If your business profile is related to
office cleaning then set it up in financial districts.
Your business success has more to do with your services,
professionalism and brand name.
Equipment
A good housekeeping company needs lots of equipment to
successfully execute work orders. General equipment needed is a bus, laundry
detergents and cleaning equipment.
You can stock brooms, hand towels, vacuum cleaners,
sheers and waste bins. Write an inventory of items needed and stock them. It is
better to own your own working tools however you can also rent tools.
Create
an Information Package
Your agency would need an information package. The
package is needed to inform your clients on what they expect from your company.
The product should cover your policy and procedures,
pricing and scope of work. Other things to add is insurance policy, previous
work and references.
You should include a simple work order for housekeeping
jobs. The work order catalogs the exact work your agency will carry out in the
house.
Marketing
and Promotions
Housekeeping business is competitive and your company
needs lots of exposure. To get noticed you have to promote your company.
Promoting your work is an effective way to attract
customers. There are many ways to promote your enterprise and get new clients.
Use advertisements in national newspapers or home
improvement magazines. Create glossy handbills, posters and complementary
cards.
Use targeted online advertisements and social media
adverts. Create awareness of your products and service.
Satisfied clients would likely recommend your services to
friends and family. Another effective tool is television advertisement and
radio jingles.
Recap
on Starting a Housekeeping Business
You can run your housekeeping business full- time or
part-time. The business format accommodates both home based or office
Structure. .Here is a list of things to setup your enterprise.
1. Get a
business license to start your operation
2. Get
a business name and register your business
3. Find
a commercial location for your company
4. Create
a list of services you offer by creating an information product
5. Get
liability insurance to cover work place accidents and liability.
6. Develop
an effective pricing system
7. Write
an inventory of equipment and supplies including services on offer
8. Promote
your business through electronic and print media
Conclusion
The housekeeping business provides an essential service
to clients. It is lucrative but involves lots of manual labor.
Register your company, get an office and buy equipment.
Hire staff, get insurance and do lots of promotion. As your client increase
create a good portfolio to present to future customers.
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