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Business Plan for a Cleaning Business: Complete Guide

• January 30, 2023

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Whether you’re looking to raise funding from private investors or to get a loan from a bank (like a SBA loan) for your cleaning business, you will need to prepare a solid business plan.

In this article we go through, step-by-step, all the different sections you need in the business plan of your cleaning business. Use this template to create a complete, clear and solid business plan that get you funded.

1. Executive Summary

The executive summary of a business plan gives a sneak peek of the information about your business plan to lenders and/or investors.

If the information you provide here is not concise, informative, and scannable, potential lenders and investors may lose interest.

Why do you need a business plan for a cleaning business?

The purpose of a business plan is to secure funding through one of the following channels:

• Obtain bank financing or secure a loan from other lenders (such as a SBA loan )
• Obtain private investments from investment funds, angel investors, etc.
• Obtain a public or private grant

How to write an executive summary for a cleaning business?

Provide a precise and high-level summary of every section that you have included in the business plan for your cleaning business. The information and the data you include in this segment should grab the attention of potential investors and lenders immediately. Ensure that the executive summary doesn’t exceed 2 pages in total.

The executive summary usually consists of the five major sub-sections that include:

• Business overview : introduce what services your cleaning business offers (commercial vs. residential cleaning), what type of customers you focus on (individuals, businesses, factories, etc.), any specific cleaning service you focus on (e.g. carpet cleaning), your company structure and, more importantly, how and why you want to start such a business today
• Market overview : the market overview section will contain an overview of the expected market size and growth of the cleaning industry in your area as well as your target customers. Another important part of any market overview is a clear and thorough analysis of your competitors
• People : introduce your company’s management and employee structure. Provide a brief (no more than a couple of sentences each) of the experience of the team. Also, speak about your hiring plans: who will you hire and who will report to whom?
• Financial plan : how much profit and revenue do you expect in the next 5 years? When will you reach break-even point and start making profits? Include here your key financials such as revenue, gross profits, and net profit
• Funding ask : what loan/investment/grant are you seeking? How much do you need? How long will this last?

Cleaning Financial Model

Download an expert-built 5-year Excel financial model for your business plan

2. Business Overview

The business overview section is sometimes called the company description and is one of the most important parts of the cleaning business plan.

Here, you will want to provide crucial information about your cleaning business, including your services, pricing structure , customers, and company structure.

a) History of the Project

This is a brief description of your business, outlining its origin and your reasons for venturing into this field. As one would put it, it answers a major question about business; why a cleaning company? 

When starting a cleaning business, you want to use all your best tools to show the lenders and investors that your passion is deeply built around the need to fill an existing market gap. For example, you would argue that many customers in your area need eco-friendly cleaning, tile and grout cleaning, or commercial kitchen cleaning services.

b) Business Model

You should be clear if you are opening an independent cleaning company or partnering. Also, make it clear if you are buying an existing franchise.

Franchising has an added advantage of simplicity, given an already established market base. However, every model has its risks and benefits. So, choose what’s best for your target market and long-term goals. 

c) Services

Don’t get it twisted. Cleaning companies offer a range of services to their consumers depending on the business location and demand. So, an important aspect of laying a solid foundation is to explain to your customers what they should expect from your business. In other words, what type of cleaning services do you intend to offer? 

The 2 main categories of cleaning services are: residential and commercial cleaning.

Residential cleaning targets private residences and homes. If you choose this option, you can specialize in home maintenance, move-in and move-out cleaning, deep cleaning, green cleaning, and residential event cleanups. 

On the other hand, commercial cleaning suits businesses and requires significant manpower, more space, and sophisticated equipment. You can’t run this business in some regions without enough vehicles to transport your equipment. 

If you plan to specialize in commercial cleaning, you can focus on general office cleaning tasks, large-scale specialized cleaning, construction cleanups, commercial kitchen cleaning, and hazardous waste cleaning.

d) Pricing Strategy

Another important part of the business overview section is your pricing structure. It should be as clear as possible because investors will rely on it when assessing your financial need.

Most cleaning companies in the US set their rates per square foot, per room, per hour, or as a flat fee. And the standard national hourly cost of house cleaning services in the US ranges from $50 to $90 per hour per cleaner.  

e) Target Customers

Who is your ideal customer? And which cleaning services do they need? You might have already identified your target market if you can answer these questions correctly. 

For instance, if private residences and apartments dominate the region, many individuals will probably need residential cleaning services. Make sure you offer that.

Similarly, a busy city center with many offices and commercial properties will probably benefit from commercial cleaning services as mentioned above. Identifying your target market is one of the fastest ways to increase revenue potential after assessing the competition. 

f) Legal Structure

Finally, your business overview section should specify what type of business structure you want. Is this a corporation or a partnership (LLC)? Who are the investors? How much equity percentage do they own? Is there a Board of Directors? If so, whom? Do they have experience in the industry?

3. Market Overview

To run a successful business, you need all the facts that back your decision to start a cleaning company in the region at that time. Market analysis will help you identify the level of competition in the region and whether the investment is worth it. 

For example, offering commercial cleaning services in a residential setup would make little sense. Similarly, overpricing your services when the dominant population is low to middle-income earners won’t fast-track business growth. 

a) Cleaning Business Industry Status Quo

This section should answer two obvious questions about your cleaning business;

• What is the market size of the cleaning industry in your area? 
• How fast is the cleaning industry growing? 

Both questions will help you set realistic expectations when getting into this field, having analyzed the market trends and size. 

How big is the cleaning industry in the US?

It’s always good to start any market overview by assessing the market size at a national level.

Of course, the figures may not represent the actual status of the cleaning business in your region, but they offer a solid foundation for building a thriving business. According to the latest statistics, the cleaning service industry in the US had a value of $97.6 billion in 2022 . 

The staggering need for cleaning services means that the commercial cleaning sector will likely grow at a steady rate of 5.4% up to 2025 . Although this may be a good sign for setting up your cleaning business, you should also assess market growth in your area (see below).

How big is the cleaning industry in your area?

Getting the market data at the city level gives you a clearer picture of what to expect from the market. It may complicated, but you only need the total number of cleaning companies in your region and their services to assess your area’s market size.

For example, let’s assume you want to get into the carpet cleaning business. With close to 32,000 carpet cleaning businesses in the US, and a total market value of $4 billion (carpet cleaning US market), we can safely assume each carpet cleaning business generates $125,000 in sales per year on average.

Now, assuming there are 25 competitors in your area, the estimated market size of the carpet cleaning industry in your area is $3.1 million.

How fast is the cleaning industry growing in your area?

You may need to analyze multiple factors to determine the growth rate of the cleaning industry in your region. Sometimes, this involves a few calculations to get an actual figure when drawing your conclusion. 

For example, if the region had 120 cleaning companies in 2020, which increased to 150 in 2022, you can assume that the industry is growing at a steady rate of 12% per year. 

Pay attention to all factors that may directly impact the growth rate, including a population influx, increased demand, and increased income potential. 

However, don’t be shocked if you notice a successive drop in the demand for cleaning services in the region. This is possible even when the national statistics show otherwise. Its part and parcel of the business and could indicate that this isn’t the right time to launch a cleaning company. 

b) Cleaning Business Competitor Analysis

Another crucial step in the business plan of your cleaning company is to assess the existing competition. There are a couple of questions to guide you here, including;

• How many cleaning companies are there in your region?
• What services do they offer (residential, commercial cleaning, or both)?
• What’s the average price of hiring a cleaning company in the region?
• What’s the total number of individuals employed by a typical cleaning company in the region? 
• How many customers do they serve per week/month? 

Why do you need a competitive analysis in the business plan of your cleaning business?

Assessing the competition in the area where you plan to start your cleaning business will allow to better understand whether there is sufficient demand, and whether you are well positioned to take market share from competitors.

For example, starting a new business would make perfect sense under the following circumstances;

• There’s a clear market gap that you can fill in the region (For example, offering a service that other companies might have missed, like eco-friendly/green cleaning) 
• There are no or inadequate cleaning companies in the region. This would present the perfect opportunity to tap into the market potential and grow a thriving business. 

c) Cleaning Business Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section is almost similar to your target audience. However, this is your chance to prove to the lenders that your target market is real and available. You can use the following questions to analyze your client base; 

• Which individuals need cleaning services in the region? 
• What’s the average income of the individuals in the region? (This is also important when determining your pricing structure)
• Which cleaning services are they interested in?
• How often do they need cleaning services? (daily, weekly, monthly)
• Are they more likely to benefit from commercial or residential cleaning services?

Usually, the level of competition in the region also influences your customer analysis. So, that should be clear to help you determine the market demand or predict the success of your cleaning business.

4. Sales & Marketing

The sales and marketing strategy sums up your plans for acquiring new clients. Here are a few helpful questions to guide you:

• Which marketing channels are best suited to your business (online vs. offline marketing)?
• Do you have a unique selling point? If so, what is it?
• What is your marketing budget for the first months / year?
• How can you track the success of your marketing strategy?
• Do you plan to offer any promotions to attract new customers? 

Cleaning Business Marketing Channels

You can use the following channels for marketing your cleaning business locally;

• Pay-per-click campaigns (e.g. Google ads)
• Email, SMS marketing
• Social media content & ads 
• Word-of-mouth advertising
• TV and radio advertisement

What are your Unique Selling Points (USPs)?

A unique selling point is what puts you ahead of the rest. It’s no secret that you will face stiff competition from established cleaning companies in the field. So, how you set yourself apart matters. Some factors to consider include;

• Price : Cheaper services than your competitors
• Location : Your proximity to the target market gives you a slight edge over the rest
• Quality : Stellar cleaning services with modern equipment will attract more clients

5. Management & People

You must address 2 things here:

• The management team and their experience/track record
• The organizational structure: different team members and who reports to whom?

a) Management

Small businesses often fail because of managerial weaknesses . Thus, having a strong management team is vital. Highlight the experience and education of senior managers that you intend to hire to oversee your commercial cleaning business.

Describe their duties, responsibilities, and roles. Also, highlight their previous experience and explain how they succeeded in their previous roles.

It is also important that you explain how their experiences and qualifications help you in offering the services you are proposing. If they have specialized training and education (such as carpet cleaning, industrial cleaning, etc.), add that information too.

b) Organizational Structure

Even if you haven’t already hired a senior manager and any other relevant staff members, you must provide a flowchart of the organizational structure defining the hierarchy of reporting as shown below.

6. Financial Plan

The financial plan is perhaps, with the executive summary, the most important section of any business plan for a cleaning company.

Indeed, a solid financial plan tells lenders that your business is viable and can repay the loan you need from them. If you’re looking to raise equity from private investors, a solid financial plan will prove them your cleaning business is an attractive investment.

There should be 3 sections to your financial plan section:

• Your historical financials (only if you already operate the business and have financial accounts to show)
• The startup costs of your project (if you plan to start a new cleaning business, purchase new equipment, etc.)
• The 5-year financial projections

a) Historical Financials (if any)

In the scenario where you already have some historical financials (a few quarters or a few years), include them. A summary of your financial statements in the form of charts e.g. revenue, gross profit and net profit is enough, save the rest for the appendix.

If you don’t have any, don’t worry, most new businesses don’t have any historical financials and that’s ok. If so, jump to Startup Costs instead.

b) Startup Costs

Before we expand on 5-year financial projections in the following section, it’s always best practice to start with listing the startup costs of your project.

For a cleaning business, startup costs are all the expenses you incur before you start making sales. Luckily, these expenses are rather low for cleaning companies and mostly include the cost to purchase equipment and the vehicle you will use to transport them.

As an example, it costs on average $73,500 – $167,500 to start a small commercial cleaning business with 2 vans and 4 employees. We have laid out below estimates for the key startup costs you can expect for a cleaning business.

Note that these costs are for illustrative purposes and may not be fully relevant for your business. For more information on how much it costs to start and run a cleaning business, read our article here .

c) Financial Projections

In addition to startup costs, you will now need to build a solid 5-year financial model for your cleaning business.

Your financial projections should be built using a spreadsheet (e.g. Excel or Google Sheets) and presented in the form of tables and charts in the business plan of your cleaning business.

As usual, keep it concise here and save details (for example detailed financial statements, financial metrics, key assumptions used for the projections) for the appendix instead.

Your financial projections should answer at least the following questions:

• How much revenue do you expect to generate over the next 5 years?
• When do you expect to break even?
• How much cash will you burn until you get there?
• What’s the impact of a change in pricing (say 20%) on your margins?
• What is your average customer acquisition cost?

You should include here your 3 financial statements (income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement). This means you must forecast:

• The number of customers over time ;
• Your expected revenue ;
• Operating costs to run the business ;
• Any other cash flow items (e.g. capex, debt repayment, etc.).

When projecting your revenue, make sure to sensitize pricing and the number of customers as a small change in these assumptions will have a big impact on your revenues.

7. Funding Ask

This is the last section of the business plan of your cleaning business. Now that we have explained what your company is about, the services you offer and to whom, what’s your strategy, where you go and how you get there, this section must answer the following questions:

• How much funding do you need?
• What financial instrument(s) do you need: is this equity or debt, or even a free-money public grant?
• How long will this funding last?
• Where else does the money come from? If you apply for a SBA loan for example, where does the other part of the investment come from (your own capital, private investors?)

If you raise debt:

• What percentage of the total funding the loan represents?
• What is the corresponding Debt Service Coverage Ratio ?

If you raise equity

• What percentage ownership are you selling as part of this funding round?
• What is the corresponding valuation of your business?

Use of Funds

Any business plan should include a clear use of funds section. This is where you explain how the money will be spent.

Will you spend most of the loan / investment in paying your employees’ salaries? Or will it cover mostly the cost for the lease deposit and the renovation?

Those are very important questions you should be able to answer in the blink of an eye. Don’t worry, this should come straight from your financial projections. If you’ve built solid projections like in our Cleaning financial model template , you won’t have any issues answering these questions.

For the use of funds, we also recommend using a pie chart like the one we have in our financial model template where we outline the main expenses categories as shown below.

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Free Cleaning Service Business Plan (Download PDF Sample)

Download Our Free Template to Get Started

A cleaning company business plan is a comprehensive document outlining your cleaning company’s objectives and explaining your marketing plan , cleaning services, and funding information. It serves as the blueprint for your cleaning business. 

• Savvy entrepreneurs create a business plan when starting a new business, and they continue to update it as their business grows. 
• A well-written business plan will guide you through your journey as a small business owner. It will help you make critical decisions as you work hard to reach your goals over the years.
• You’ll be able to glimpse the bigger picture and keep track of your progress when you’ve got it all written down.
• A business plan will significantly increase your company’s chances of success , setting a clear path to long-term growth and helping you plan efficient organizational processes. 

If you’re aiming to gain the trust of potential investors, a business plan is a must-have tool that will show them if your business is worth taking the risk.

We’ve created a downloadable cleaning services business plan PDF that you can easily edit to fit your needs. Get my sample template below:

Components of a Cleaning Services Business Plan 

Now that you understand the importance of a cleaning company business plan, the next step is to start creating your own. But there’s no need to worry! We’ve done much of the legwork to ease the process of creating a business plan for you. 

Our free downloadable cleaning services business plan PDF contains essential components to help you define your goals and make better business decisions. 

However, keep in mind that every business plan is unique. You can remove or add any section as you deem necessary to create the best business plan for your cleaning company. 

Include the following elements to get started in the right direction: 

1. Executive Summary 

The first part of a comprehensive business plan is an executive summary, which provides an overview of your company and summarizes your entire business plan.

Highlight what makes your cleaning business stand out from competitors in the cleaning industry. You can also describe the weaknesses and shortcomings of other cleaning firms and how your company aims to solve these problems. 

You can include the following information in your executive summary: 

• Owner’s experience
• Mission statement
• The leadership team and employees
• Financial and growth goals

2. Company Description 

• Why did you decide to start a cleaning services company?
• What particular problems are you trying to solve, and how do you intend to beat competitors in the cleaning industry?

Your company description is where you emphasize the strengths and competitive advantages of your cleaning business. 

3. Objectives

Set the best objectives that will help keep your cleaning business on the right track.

• Think about the key goals you want to achieve, whether to reach a certain amount of sales revenue or expand your operations to a broader service area.
• When you carefully define your main goals and objectives, you’ll be able to take the proper steps to get where you want to go. 

4. Market Analysis

Market analysis gives you an insight into your target market share, the needs and demands of your customers, and your competitors.

• Do some research about the cleaning company industry and what your competitors lack to know how your company can gain an edge over others.
• With proper market analysis, you can also analyze the need for funding from financial institutions and investors. 

5. Organizational Structure 

• Define the specific roles that need to be filled, such as cleaners, an office manager, and a project manager.
• You can also talk about hiring competent personnel as your company grows and outsourcing services for processes like digital marketing and accounting. 

6. Cleaning Services

An essential part of a cleaning company business plan is identifying the type of cleaning services you intend to provide: 

• Scope of Cleaning Services – Do you plan to focus on bidding on commercial janitorial jobs , residential cleaning, housekeeping, post-construction cleaning or all types?
• List of Specific Cleaning Services – Talk about your company’s services and prices, from interior home cleaning and damage restoration to industrial cleaning. 
• Benefits of Your Cleaning Services – How will your target market benefit from your company’s services? Think about the problems you’re trying to solve for your customers, like giving them a wide selection of cleaning services to reduce the need for hiring multiple contractors. 

7. Marketing and Sales 

To survive in a competitive industry, your cleaning business needs to employ tailored marketing strategies to help you stand out and beat competitors.

Outline your marketing and sales strategies to promote your cleaning services, gain leads, and ultimately boost sales. You should determine the number of clients you must win to achieve your cleaning company’s profit goals. 

The most effective marketing strategies for cleaning businesses include: 

• Online Marketing – Your objectives can include building an authoritative business cleaning service website design , using paid advertising like Facebook ads , leveraging social media, implementing email marketing, and maintaining an excellent reputation online. 
• Offline Advertising – Timeless strategies include direct mail, distributing pamphlets and flyers, connecting with the local community, and creating branded merchandise. 

8. Funding Requests 

• Add this section if you need additional funding for day-to-day functions and operational expenses.
• You can create a table outlining your cleaning company’s expenses, letting potential investors and lenders know precisely where their money will go. 

9. Financial Projections 

Your cleaning company business plan should have a realistic financial forecast based on your extensive market analysis and company goals.

• It should include well-researched financial projections for the future to demonstrate your targeted profits. 
• Try to include a cash flow estimate, capital expenditures, and approximate payrolls for the next few years.
• You can create an annual or quarterly target profit that your team can work to accomplish. 

Pro-Top : include a cash flow estimate, capital expenditures, and approximate payrolls for the next few years. You can create an annual or quarterly target profit that your team can work to accomplish. 

10. Appendix

Your business plan ends with an appendix where you add all relevant documents, definitions, legal notes, and other critical information.

• You can include resumes, certifications, bank statements, credit reports, charts, and other supporting documents. 
• Refer readers to this section anywhere in your business plan when necessary. For example: “See Appendix, page 5, for management team certifications.”

Example of a Cleaning Services Business Plan PDF

You can open or download our free cleaning business plan PDF below:

To get an editable version on Google Docs, enter your email below:

Why Does My Cleaning Company Need a Business Plan? 

You might think, “But making a business plan sounds like a lot of work! Do I really need it for my cleaning company?” The quick answer is: Yes, you definitely need that business plan!

As tedious as it sounds, preparing a strategic business plan is crucial to set yourself up for success and not get lost along the way. 

Take a look at the following key reasons why your business will benefit from a cleaning company business plan: 

Find Out If Your Cleaning Services Business Idea Is Viable

Creating a business plan will help you test if your business idea is feasible, saving you time, money, and energy. Many aspiring entrepreneurs believe they have outstanding ideas that could never fail.

However, around 20% of business startups fail during the first year due to a lack of planning, among other things. 

To survive the cleaning business startup phase, you must perform careful and methodical planning and create a well-developed business plan. It’s the key step between visualizing the concept for your cleaning company and turning your vision into a successful business. 

Increase Your Chances of Growth and Success 

The cleaning industry is enormous, and competitive residential and commercial cleaning businesses are everywhere. There’s always demand for cleaning services. Around 80% of households in the US are expected to use home cleaning services by 2024. 

Considering the competition you’ll be facing, it helps to create a business plan that will help you identify how your cleaning company will stand out. 

• Extensive planning will help you pinpoint your target market, determine your unique selling proposition, and develop a startup and operating expenses budget.
• This process will ultimately set your cleaning business up for long-term growth and success.

Secure Financing

Established financial institutions, lenders, and investors typically perform an extensive investigation before committing to an investment. With a solid business plan, you’ll be more likely to secure the funds you need to get your business up and running. 

Common Questions about Cleaning Company Business Plans

A business plan will help you determine if your cleaning business idea is viable, increase your chances of success, and secure financing.

An executive summary includes a mission statement, information about the leadership team, and financial goals.

Final Thoughts: Driving Your Cleaning Company’s Success With a Solid Business Plan 

Equipped with a well-researched business plan, you’ll have much higher chances of succeeding in the cleaning services industry. It’s also a valuable tool that can help you secure funding for your operational expenses as a cleaning startup. 

After downloading our free cleaning services business plan PDF, make sure to edit each section and include all essential information to create a comprehensive document.

Our free sample cleaning company business plan serves as an excellent starting point – a helpful template that you can personalize as necessary.

Written by Nelmie Jane Pardo

Nelmie Jane Pardo is a senior contributing writer who lends insight into digital marketing methods and business solutions. She regularly writes at BusinessHue to help business owners take their online marketing to the next level.

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How to write an effective cleaning services business plan

Key takeaways

• Write your executive summary last to create the most compelling start
• Include an actionable business strategy and clear financial plan to prove your growth potential
• Frame your cleaning business in a positive light—especially for lenders and others outside your team—but always be realistic

Cleaning your house—sweeping, mopping, vacuuming—are chores everyone has to do but few people love. It’s no wonder thousands of homeowners and business owners across the country outsource their cleaning every year. With a strategic cleaning services business plan , you can start a profitable new business that makes the most of this demand.

Here are six key sections you need to include in your business plan template to help you successfully start your cleaning company .

1. Executive summary

Every cleaning services business plan starts with a compelling executive summary that offers a concise overview of its contents.

First impressions are important, and the executive summary is your first chance to introduce your business and explain your purpose. If you’re sharing your business plan outside of your team—perhaps to lenders or potential business partners—it’s crucial to make your summary as enticing as possible. If not, they may not even read the rest of your plan. 

Even if you’re only sharing your business plan within your management team, a strong start gives busy managers the key facts about your business. This allows them to understand and implement your purpose and values until they have time to sift through the more detailed parts of your business plan. An executive summary also helps excite your team about the business they’re helping to build.

A solid executive summary should include:

• A brief intro to your business
• Your mission statement , which is a short, powerful phrase that defines what you do (for example, “to provide healthier, safer workspaces for professionals”)
• What makes you stand out, as compared to other cleaning services
• An overview of your business strategy and financial plan

Keep your summary brief and put the most impressive facts forward. This section should be no more than one page long, so make sure to leave out unnecessary minor details or flowery language. You can go into much greater detail with the rest of your business plan , which should be at least 30 pages long .

Some business owners find it better to write the executive summary last, which allows you to easily narrow down the best points to highlight and saves time on later revisions.

2. Business description

Your business description section is the place to talk about the details of your company and what it does best. Start off with a paragraph or two that provides details about:

• Your company’s purpose: Are you a commercial cleaning company or a residential cleaning business ?
• Your company history: Are you a startup ? If not, how long have you been in business? What experience do you bring to the table? 
• Your location: Where do you operate? What area do you serve? Do you have office space?
• Your team: How many employees do you have? How many people work in the front office? How many are on your janitorial team?
• Your objectives: What specific, measurable goals do you have? You can update your cleaning business plan over time, but choose 1–3 goals you’ll focus on for the next three years, such as “increasing net profits by 110% and reaching 75% growth within our first year .”

Target market

No cleaning business can be the perfect fit for everyone. Be specific about the clientele you want to serve, including your ideal client’s demographics and interests. Explain the problems they’re facing that may lead them to search for a cleaning company .

As an example, a house cleaning service may specifically target upper-middle-class families with children and busy work lives. They need a cleaning company so they can have more time to relax and be with their kids.

If you’re not sure what types of clients you want to focus on yet, do some research on other cleaning businesses in your area. Who are their typical clients? Are there any noticeable gaps you could fill? Are there less saturated parts of your local cleaning industry you could enter?

Value proposition

Your value proposition explains why you’re uniquely suited to serve your target market . You can use this part of your cleaning services business plan to highlight your greatest strengths—for example, if your team members are cleaning industry veterans or if you use particularly high-quality or eco-friendly products.

Cleaning services

It’s crucial for you to describe each type of cleaning service you offer. If you offer carpet cleaning , you may give some brief insight into what carpet materials you can clean and what carpet cleaning plans you offer. If you offer window cleaning services , specify whether you work with high-rises or only single-story buildings.

3. Market analysis

As the owner of a cleaning business , you need to keep an eye on trends in your industry and immediate market. The market analysis section of your cleaning services business plan shows your investors and partners both your knowledge and ability to succeed by answering questions like:

• What is the current state of the cleaning industry ? Is demand or spending projected to grow? Who is seeking services right now?
• Who are your competitors? Who are their potential customers ?
• What opportunities and challenges will you face entering the market?
• Despite the challenges, what gives you a competitive advantage? For example, you may be entering a saturated market, but you could still be the only office cleaning service in your area focused on serving small businesses .

Answer these questions as accurately as possible and back them up with thorough research and data. While you should always aim to put your cleaning business in a positive light to impress potential lenders, partners, and others, your business plan also serves as a guiding document for your company so it should be realistic. Your management team will benefit from understanding the actual challenges they’re facing and how you plan to overcome them.

4. Business strategy

Growth is essential for every company. In this portion of your cleaning services business plan , you’ll flesh out exactly the actions you’ll take to achieve that growth.

A great business strategy includes two components:

Pricing strategy

How you price your cleaning services can have a significant impact on your sales and your ability to reach your target audience. If you’re a new business , it can also affect your ability to attract new customers.

If you’re trying to attract money-conscious clients, it makes sense to offer coupons and deals on your services when you’re first launching your business. Coupons and deals can get their attention quickly, allowing you to make them loyal to your brand before you charge full price—which may still be at or below typical prices in your market. 

On the other hand, if you want to position yourself as a luxury cleaning business, your potential customers might not be seeking competitive pricing and be willing to pay more for higher-quality janitorial services .

Learn about nine pricing strategies you can implement in your business.

Sales and marketing strategy

The other essential component of your cleaning business strategy is your sales and marketing strategy , which explains how you intend to grow your cleaning company through driving business and making sales. This is where you can explain:

• How you’ll generate leads
• How you’ll engage those leads and drive them toward a purchase
• How you’ll keep engaging and retaining customers over time

This section should include all of the strategies you’ll use to promote and market your cleaning business (with details), such as running social media ads, claiming your Yelp Business Page , sending emails, or using traditional marketing like direct mail or print ads.

Most business plans will also include a sales forecast here that explains the results you expect to see based on your marketing efforts.

Learn how to reach new customers, cultivate customer loyalty, and elevate your brand with this guide on online marketing for small business .

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Promote your business to local customers.

5. Management summary

The management summary of your cleaning services business plan details how your company will operate on a day-to-day basis. A strong management summary will prove your team’s competence as a whole. Below are some subsections to consider including in this part of your plan.

Business structure

This section is relatively simple—just explain who owns your company and what business structure you have ( sole proprietorship , LLC, S corporation, etc.). If you have any other stakeholders, such as employees with equity in your business, make sure to provide this information too.

Management structure

The people behind the wheel of your business are the ones who shape its direction the most. That’s why your business plan should provide a brief biography of each member of your leadership team, as well as their relevant experience. Highlight all of their education and credentials, along with any relevant career accomplishments. For example, if you have 10 years of experience as the operations manager of a national cleaning company, highlight that.

Operations plan

Create a visual organizational chart for readers ( these free templates can help), so potential investors can easily see the hierarchy structure within your company. How do your cleaning technicians receive assignments? Do you have a customer service representative taking calls? Expand on how your cleaning service functions in individual departments and as a complete unit.

6. Financial plan

Writing a business plan doesn’t have to cost any money unless you hire a business consultant to write it for you, which usually costs at least $1,500. However, as you’re writing your plan, you do need to be aware of the costs of running your business.

Use this section to describe what expenses you’ll face as a business. Separate any startup costs (like LLC formation costs ) from ongoing operational costs (like rent, payroll, and cleaning equipment expenses) to present a clear picture of your potential.

It’s critical to be highly accurate with your financial figures in your cleaning services business plan. Overestimating expenses is better than underestimating them so that you or your team aren’t surprised by any additional expenses later on. Do your research on average prices and expenses or even chat with other cleaning business owners if you’re not sure.

Using your sales forecast as reference, present your expected financials for the next three to five years. What will your profit and loss statements, cash flow statements, and other financial documents look like? Use charts and graphs with specific numbers whenever possible. You may want to work with an accountant on this step, as they can advise on what’s realistic.

Put your cleaning services business plan into action

Once your cleaning services business plan is complete, it’s time to start putting it into action. After launching your business, enact your business strategies. Your business plan should provide guidance for at least the next three years, though it’s perfectly normal to need to make adjustments to your objectives and strategies at any time. Get more tips on how to market your cleaning business to take your cleaning services to the next level.

The information above is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice and may not be suitable for your circumstances. Unless stated otherwise, references to third-party links, services, or products do not constitute endorsement by Yelp.

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Your business is unique and will differ from any example or template you come across. So, use this example as a starting point and customize it to your needs.

2. Remember it's just an example

Our sample business plans are examples of what one business owner did. That doesn't make them perfect or require you to cram your business idea to fit the plan structure.

Use the information, financials, and formatting for inspiration. It will speed up and guide the plan writing process.

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But, if you don't plan to share your plan with anyone outside of your business—you likely don't need everything.

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How to Write a Business Plan for Investors

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How to Write a Business Plan

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10 Qualities of a Good Business Plan

Industry Business Planning Guides

How to Start a Business With No Money

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How To Write a Business Plan for Cleaning Company in 9 Steps: Checklist

By alex ryzhkov, resources on cleaning service.

• Financial Model
• Business Plan
• Value Proposition
• One-Page Business Plan
• SWOT Analysis
• Business Model
• Marketing Plan

Are you passionate about cleanliness and looking to start your own cleaning company? Well, you're in luck! The cleaning industry is booming, with an estimated market size of $74 billion in 2021 and an annual growth rate of 4.2%. With the rising demand for hygienic and clean environments, there has never been a better time to enter the industry. But how do you go about writing a business plan for your cleaning company? Don't worry, we've got you covered. In this blog post, we'll provide you with a checklist of 9 essential steps to help you create a comprehensive and effective business plan. Let's get started!

Research The Cleaning Industry And Identify The Target Market.

In order to start a successful cleaning company, it is crucial to thoroughly research the cleaning industry and identify your target market. This step will help you gain valuable insights into the industry, understand its trends and challenges, and determine the potential demand for cleaning services in your area.

Begin by conducting a comprehensive market research to gather information about the cleaning industry. Understand the scope of the industry, including the types of cleaning services that are in demand, the current market trends, and the overall growth potential. This will help you assess the viability and profitability of your cleaning business.

• Research various cleaning niches, such as residential, commercial, or specialized cleaning services, and identify which one aligns best with your skills and expertise.
• Consider the geographical location of your target market and analyze the demand for cleaning services in that area.
• Study the competition in your target market to identify gaps or areas where you can differentiate your cleaning company.

Once you have a clear understanding of the cleaning industry, it is important to identify your target market. This involves defining the specific group of customers or businesses that you will focus your marketing efforts on. Consider factors such as demographics, psychographics, and geographic location to narrow down your target market.

By identifying your target market, you can tailor your cleaning services and marketing strategies to meet their specific needs and preferences. This will enable you to position your cleaning company as the ideal choice for your target customers.

Overall, the research phase of identifying the cleaning industry and target market is a crucial step in developing a successful business plan for your cleaning company. It will provide you with the necessary insights to make informed decisions and design effective strategies that will help you stand out in a competitive industry.

Conduct Market Analysis Including Competitors And Potential Customers.

When starting a cleaning company, conducting a thorough market analysis is essential to understand the competitive landscape and identify potential customers. This analysis will provide valuable insights that can help shape your business strategy and ensure you stand out in the market.

Firstly, research your local cleaning industry to gain a clear understanding of the market size, trends, and growth potential. Identify the major players in your area, their offerings, pricing strategies, target markets, and any gaps in their services that you can capitalize on.

• Consider observing your competitors' marketing efforts, such as flyers, websites, and social media presence, to gain insights into their branding and promotional strategies.
• Explore online platforms and directories where cleaning companies are listed to understand how they present themselves to potential customers.
• Attend industry events and network with cleaning professionals to gain insights and build valuable connections.

Next, identify your potential customers and their specific cleaning needs. Determine the target market segments, such as residential customers, small businesses, or commercial spaces. Analyze their preferences, pain points, and the factors that influence their decision-making process when choosing a cleaning service.

By understanding your target customers, you can tailor your services and marketing messages to address their specific needs. For example, if your research reveals that many potential customers are concerned about the ecological impact of cleaning chemicals, you can highlight your company's commitment to using eco-friendly products and safe cleaning methods.

Additionally, analyze the demographic and geographic factors that can impact your business. Consider factors such as the population density, income levels, and the presence of competitors in specific neighborhoods or commercial districts.

• Consider conducting surveys or interviews with potential customers to gather firsthand insights into their cleaning preferences and pain points.
• Utilize online tools, such as social media analytics or keyword research, to understand the online behavior and preferences of your potential customers.
• Stay updated on industry trends and changes in consumer behavior that may influence the demand for cleaning services.

By conducting a comprehensive market analysis, you can position your cleaning company effectively, differentiate yourself from competitors, and tailor your services to meet the specific needs of your target customers. This understanding will be a valuable foundation for developing a successful business plan.

Define The Unique Selling Proposition And Positioning Of The Cleaning Company.

One of the crucial steps in writing a business plan for a cleaning company is defining its unique selling proposition (USP) and positioning in the market. The USP is what sets your cleaning company apart from the competition and gives it a competitive advantage.

To define your USP, start by understanding the needs and pain points of your target market. What are their specific requirements when it comes to cleaning services? Are they looking for eco-friendly cleaning solutions, prompt and reliable service, or exceptional attention to detail? Identifying these needs will help you build your USP around catering to them.

• Conduct thorough market research to identify gaps or unmet needs in the cleaning industry.
• Consider surveying potential customers to gather insights into their preferences and expectations.

Once you have identified your USP, it's important to highlight it in your positioning strategy. Positioning refers to how you want customers to perceive your cleaning company in relation to competitors. Do you want to be seen as the most affordable option, the most reliable, or the most eco-conscious? Choose a positioning strategy that aligns with your target market's values and preferences.

• Research your competitors' positioning strategies to differentiate your cleaning company effectively.
• Highlight your USP in your company's mission statement, tagline, and marketing materials to reinforce your positioning.

Remember, your USP and positioning strategy should guide all aspects of your business, including your marketing efforts, pricing strategy, and service offerings. By clearly defining your USP and positioning, you can attract and retain customers who value the unique benefits your cleaning company provides.

Determine The Range Of Cleaning Services To Be Offered.

When determining the range of cleaning services to offer as part of your cleaning company, it is important to consider the needs and demands of your target market. Conduct thorough market research and identify the specific cleaning services that are in high demand.

1. Identify popular cleaning services:

• Deep cleaning: Offer a comprehensive deep cleaning service that includes thorough cleaning of all areas and surfaces, ensuring a spotless and sanitized environment.
• Window cleaning: Provide professional window cleaning services for both residential and commercial properties, ensuring crystal clear and streak-free windows.
• Carpet and upholstery cleaning: Offer expert cleaning services for carpets and upholstery, effectively removing stains, dirt, and allergens.
• Office cleaning: Cater to the specific needs of businesses by offering office cleaning services, including dusting, vacuuming, and sanitizing workspaces.
• Consider conducting a customer survey or feedback to determine additional cleaning services that your target market desires.
• Stay up-to-date with the latest cleaning trends and technologies to offer innovative services that set your cleaning company apart.
• Offer customizable cleaning packages or add-on services to cater to specific client preferences and requirements.

2. Evaluate specialization:

Consider specializing in specific cleaning services, such as eco-friendly cleaning or post-construction cleaning, to differentiate your company from competitors and target specific niches within the cleaning industry.

3. Assess equipment and resources:

Ensure you have the necessary equipment, supplies, and resources to provide the selected range of cleaning services. Invest in high-quality cleaning tools and products to deliver exceptional results.

4. Training and certification:

Ensure your cleaning staff receives proper training and certification in the specific services being offered. This will instill confidence in your clients and guarantee professional and efficient service.

By determining the range of cleaning services to offer, you can tailor your business to meet the specific needs of your target market, differentiate yourself from competitors, and position your cleaning company as a reliable and trusted service provider.

Research And Select The Appropriate Legal Structure And Register The Business.

Researching and selecting the appropriate legal structure for your cleaning company is an important step in establishing a solid foundation for your business. The legal structure you choose will determine the level of personal liability, tax obligations, and administrative requirements you will have as a business owner.

First, you need to consider whether you want to operate as a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), or corporation. Each legal structure has its advantages and disadvantages, so it's crucial to thoroughly research and understand the implications of each option.

• A sole proprietorship is the simplest form of business structure, where you operate the business as an individual. You have complete control over decision-making and retain all profits but are personally liable for any debts or legal issues.
• A partnership involves two or more individuals who share ownership and responsibilities. Each partner contributes to the business and shares profits and losses, but also shares the liability.
• An LLC provides limited liability protection to its owners, separating their personal assets from business liabilities. It also offers flexibility in management structure and tax benefits.
• A corporation is a separate legal entity from its owners, providing limited liability protection and the ability to raise capital through the sale of stock. However, it has more complex legal and administrative requirements.

Once you have chosen a legal structure that best suits your cleaning company, you need to register your business with the appropriate government authorities. This typically involves filing necessary documents and paying any required fees. The registration process may vary depending on your location, so it's essential to consult with a legal professional or visit the relevant government websites to ensure you complete all the necessary steps.

• Consult with a business attorney or accountant to understand the legal and tax implications of each legal structure before making a decision.
• Consider the long-term goals and growth plans for your cleaning company when selecting a legal structure.
• Research the local regulations and requirements for registering a business in your area to ensure compliance.
• Keep all necessary documentation and paperwork organized to facilitate the registration process.

Develop A Comprehensive Pricing Strategy For Various Cleaning Services

When it comes to running a cleaning company, one of the most important aspects is developing a comprehensive pricing strategy for the various cleaning services offered. Setting the right prices is essential to ensure that your business remains competitive and profitable. Here are a few key considerations to keep in mind when developing your pricing strategy:

• Research the Market: Conduct thorough market research to understand the pricing trends within the cleaning industry. This will help you determine the average rates charged by competitors for similar services. Take note of any unique features or offerings of your cleaning company that could justify higher prices.
• Consider Costs: Calculate all the costs associated with providing each cleaning service, including labor, cleaning products, equipment, and overhead expenses. This will give you a clear idea of the minimum price required to cover your costs and make a profit. Remember to account for any seasonal or fluctuating expenses.
• Segmentation: Consider segmenting your pricing based on different factors, such as the type of service, the size of the space, or the frequency of cleaning. This can help you provide tailored pricing options to meet the diverse needs of your customers and optimize your revenue potential.
• Value-Based Pricing: Determine the unique value proposition that sets your cleaning company apart from competitors. If you offer specialized services, use eco-friendly products, or have highly trained staff, you can justify charging premium prices. Market the benefits of your services to emphasize the value customers will receive.
• Consider offering different pricing packages to cater to different customer budgets and needs. This can include basic, standard, and premium packages.
• Keep track of industry trends and adjust your pricing strategy accordingly. Regularly review and update your rates to ensure they remain competitive and reflective of your costs.
• Offer discounts or promotions to attract new customers or encourage repeat business. Consider loyalty programs or referral incentives to strengthen customer relationships.
• Regularly analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of your pricing strategy. Use feedback from customers and monitor financial performance to make necessary adjustments.

Developing a comprehensive pricing strategy for your cleaning services is crucial for the success of your business. By conducting thorough research, considering costs, segmenting your pricing, and emphasizing your unique value proposition, you can set prices that are both competitive and profitable. Remember to regularly evaluate and adapt your pricing strategy to remain responsive to market dynamics and customer expectations.

Create A Marketing Plan To Reach The Target Audience And Promote The Business

Once you have defined your target market and identified your unique selling proposition, it's time to create a comprehensive marketing plan to effectively reach your audience and promote your cleaning business. A well-executed marketing plan can help you generate leads, build brand awareness, and ultimately drive sales.

1. Define your marketing objectives: Start by clearly defining your marketing objectives. These could include increasing brand awareness, generating leads, or building customer loyalty. By setting specific and measurable goals, you can better evaluate the success of your marketing efforts.

2. Identify your target audience: Understand your target audience's demographics, needs, and preferences. This will help you tailor your marketing messages and choose the most effective channels to reach your potential customers.

3. Craft a compelling brand message: Develop a unique and compelling brand message that communicates the value and benefits of your cleaning services. Highlight what sets your business apart from competitors and why customers should choose you.

4. Choose your marketing channels: Determine which marketing channels are most relevant and effective for reaching your target audience. This could include online platforms such as social media, search engine marketing, and email marketing, as well as traditional channels like print advertisements and direct mail.

5. Develop a content strategy: Create relevant and engaging content that resonates with your target audience. This could include blog posts, videos, or informative guides that provide valuable cleaning tips and insights. Establish yourself as an authority in the industry and build trust with potential customers.

6. Utilize online platforms: In today's digital age, having a strong online presence is crucial. Create and optimize your website to attract organic traffic and showcase your services. Leverage social media platforms to engage with your audience, share updates and promotions, and build a community of loyal customers.

7. Leverage online reviews and testimonials: Encourage your satisfied customers to leave positive reviews and testimonials online. This will not only help build trust and credibility but also attract new customers who rely on reviews when making purchasing decisions.

• Offer special promotions or discounts to incentivize new customers to try your cleaning services.
• Collaborate with other local businesses or influencers in the industry to expand your reach and gain exposure.
• Monitor and measure the effectiveness of your marketing efforts using analytics tools to make data-driven decisions and optimize your strategies.

By creating a well-rounded marketing plan, you can effectively reach your target audience and promote your cleaning business. Remember to continuously evaluate and refine your strategies based on customer feedback and market trends to stay ahead of the competition.

Identify And Acquire Necessary Cleaning Equipment, Supplies, And Resources.

Once you have determined the range of cleaning services your company will offer, it is crucial to identify and acquire the necessary cleaning equipment, supplies, and resources to effectively carry out these services. By ensuring you have the right tools and products at your disposal, you can deliver high-quality cleaning results, establish client trust, and ultimately build a successful cleaning business.

Tip 1: Begin by making a comprehensive list of the cleaning equipment and supplies needed for each specific service you will provide. This ensures that you have a clear understanding of what is required and can avoid overlooking any essential items.

• Gather information on the best cleaning equipment brands and models available in the market that align with your business needs and budget.
• Consider the specific requirements of your target customers and the cleaning industry standards to determine the ideal equipment and supplies to invest in.
• Take into account the size and scope of your cleaning projects to determine the quantity and capacity of the equipment and supplies needed.

Tip 2: Identify reliable suppliers or vendors who can provide you with the required cleaning equipment, supplies, and resources.

• Research reputable suppliers in your area or online who offer high-quality products and competitive pricing.
• Read customer reviews and testimonials to ensure the supplier has a track record of providing reliable and efficient service.
• Establish a relationship with the supplier to ensure a consistent and ongoing supply of the necessary equipment and supplies.

Tip 3: Consider the environmental impact of the cleaning products and equipment you choose.

• Opt for eco-friendly cleaning products and equipment to align with your company's focus on using safe and sustainable cleaning methods.
• Ensure that the cleaning products and equipment you select are approved and meet industry standards for effectiveness and safety.
• Explore options for recycling or proper disposal of cleaning waste and equipment to minimize environmental harm.

By carefully identifying and acquiring the necessary cleaning equipment, supplies, and resources, you can equip your cleaning company with the tools needed to deliver exceptional cleaning services. This will not only help you stand out among competitors but also ensure customer satisfaction, fostering long-term relationships and business growth.

Develop A Financial Plan Including Budgeting, Forecasting, And Securing Financing If Needed.

Developing a comprehensive financial plan is crucial for the success and sustainability of your cleaning company. It involves budgeting, forecasting, and securing financing, if needed, to ensure smooth operations and growth. Here are some important steps to consider:

• Budgeting: Start by creating a detailed budget that outlines your anticipated expenses and projected revenues. Include costs such as equipment, supplies, employee wages, insurance, marketing, and administrative expenses. This will help you determine the amount of capital you need to start your business as well as your monthly operating costs.
• Forecasting: To forecast your financial future, analyze industry trends, competition, and the potential demand for your services. Consider factors such as the growth rate of the cleaning industry, consumer preferences, and economic conditions. Use this information to estimate your future revenues and expenses, allowing you to make informed decisions and plan for contingencies.
• Securing Financing: Assess whether you need financing to start or expand your cleaning company. Research different funding options such as small business loans, lines of credit, or grants. Prepare a solid business plan and financial projections to present to potential lenders or investors. Remember to thoroughly compare terms, interest rates, and repayment options before choosing the right financing solution for your needs.
• Consider starting with a conservative budget to ensure financial stability during the early stages of your business.
• Regularly review and update your financial plan to adapt to changing market conditions and achieve your business goals.
• Explore alternative financing options such as crowdfunding or seeking partnerships to access additional capital.
• Consult with an accountant or financial advisor to ensure accuracy and maximize the effectiveness of your financial plan.

In conclusion, writing a business plan for a cleaning company involves several essential steps. By conducting thorough research of the cleaning industry, identifying the target market, and analyzing competitors, you can position your cleaning company for success. Defining your unique selling proposition, determining the range of services, and developing a comprehensive pricing strategy will help you stand out in the market. Additionally, creating a well-crafted marketing plan, acquiring necessary resources, and developing a solid financial plan will ensure the growth and sustainability of your cleaning business. By following these nine steps, you can confidently start and run a successful cleaning company that provides top-quality services to your clients.

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Cleaning Business Plan Template (+Free PDF Download)

Read Time 8 minutes

Author Joanne Bratton

Published March 29, 2024

Download the Guide

Table of Contents

Executive summary: Setting the foundation

Industry analysis: understanding the market landscape, marketing plan: promoting your cleaning services, financial plan: estimating costs and projections, operations plan: running a thriving cleaning company, set up your commercial cleaning business for success.

A commercial cleaning business plan can kickstart a new endeavor or clear the way for growth for an existing enterprise.

Crafting a comprehensive commercial cleaning business plan is pivotal to starting a new venture or fostering significant growth in an existing service. A well-structured business plan becomes a cornerstone for:

Making informed decisions

Setting objectives

Navigating the competitive commercial cleaning market

A cleaning company business plan isn’t a one-and-done task. You should regularly review and revise your business plan to evolve as your company grows to reflect your current vision, market, and financial targets.

This template provides a sample to help create a business plan.

An executive summary is an overview of your entire business plan.

While the executive summary is the first section of a business plan, most business owners find it makes sense to write it last. The executive summary often is one to two pages, but you should keep it as short as possible.

Essential components of an executive summary include:

Mission statement: Defines your company's mission, vision, and core values.

Company overview: Write a company description of services, locations, and number of cleaning staff. Include a short history of how the business started, names of owners, and business growth milestones.

Market synopsis: Provide an overview of your market, mentioning your commercial cleaning business's size and competitive advantages.

Financial elements: Summarize your business financials, including sales, profits, and projections for one to two years.

Future objectives: Outline your company’s plans for growth, such as offering new services, adding verticals, or expanding your service area.

Your executive summary must be clear and concise. If you’re seeking funding for your small business, the executive summary should demonstrate your cleaning company’s value to potential investors.

An industry analysis identifies the potential market for your commercial cleaning or janitorial services. This involves defining and comprehending key elements such as:

Target customers

Competition

Cleaning industry trends 

Customer’s changing demands

Customer analysis

Commercial cleaning companies perform a customer analysis to understand and meet customer needs. This research-based process identifies your potential client base's demographics, values, and behaviors.

To perform a customer analysis:

Gather information about your target market through your existing customer data, industry research, online tools such as Google Analytics, and social media surveys.

Segment your customers based on similar demographics, traits, preferences, and pain points.

Create customer personas, or fictional profiles, of your target customers and their specific needs.

Leverage your customer analysis to inform business services, products, and prices.

Customer relationship management (CRM) software assists market analysis by providing invaluable information about your customers and their buying journeys.

→ Aspire commercial cleaning business software helps businesses connect the dots with real-time customer data, feedback, and analysis. 

CRM data empowers companies to retain existing customers and expand their customer base by cultivating strong relationships with prospects and customers through:

Efficient communication

Personalized offers

Proactive support to address potential issues before they escalate

Competitor analysis

A competitive analysis identifies the competitors in your market. It helps you understand market demand and gives your business a competitive edge.

For instance, if you plan to specialize in carpet cleaning or window cleaning, you’ll want to know if competitors offer these services and what they charge.

Steps to perform a competitor analysis include:

Identify and gather information about your competitors.

Evaluate competitors’ services, service areas, prices, promotions, reputation, sales tactics, marketing strategies, target audience, and online presence.

Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of your business.

Develop sales, marketing, and pricing strategies to gain a competitive advantage.

Once you know your customers and competitors, these assessments will help you develop effective marketing campaigns.

While a service business plan template provides a guideline for developing a marketing plan , it’s crucial to identify your company’s marketing goals and include methods to measure outcomes.

An effective marketing plan includes the following components:

Market research: Know your audience, their preferences, and their preferred online channels.

Marketing objectives: What do you want to accomplish? Increase cleaning contracts? Generate leads? The more specific your objectives, the better.

Marketing strategies: The marketing channels you use depend on your target audience. The most effective marketing campaigns use an omnichannel approach to share a consistent message online and offline.

Pricing strategy : A cleaning service pricing strategy should cover costs and include an appropriate profit margin. Your target market preferences and competitor pricing should also be factored into your pricing strategy.

Marketing budget: Determine the percentage of revenue for your marketing budget. Focus on the channels that deliver the best return on investment (ROI). You can adjust your budget depending on objectives, channels, and results.

Key performance indicators (KPIs): Measure marketing effectiveness with KPIs. These could include conversion rate, customer acquisition cost, cost per lead, customer lifetime value, and overall ROI. Track KPIs to make better marketing decisions and improve your ROI.

Review your marketing plan annually. Some businesses review their marketing strategy and budget quarterly to adjust as needed.

A solid financial plan ensures your commercial cleaning business doesn’t just stay afloat but thrives.

To get funding for business operations, you’ll need a realistic estimate of: 

Initial startup costs

Ongoing operational expenses

Financial projections 

A comprehensive, realistic financial plan shows potential partners and investors the value of your company and outlines business growth.

→ Include graphs and visuals in your financial plan to break down the numbers and easily communicate business information.

If you struggle with financial planning or creating budgets and forecasts, consider hiring a professional financial advisor.

The right business management software makes collecting accurate data in your initial months much easier to ensure your initial estimate and projections are sound. 

→ The earlier you can adjust operations and pricing to maintain profitability, the quicker you can set and achieve new goals.

The following sections provide more detail about key areas of a financial plan.

Calculating initial startup costs

Initial startup costs cover one-time expenses for a new cleaning or janitorial business.

While startup expenses vary based on several factors, the average cleaning service spends $3,500 on startup costs .

Startup costs may include:

Legal fees: If you seek the advice of legal professionals, you’ll need to budget for legal expenses.

Business licenses and permits: Check on local regulations because you may need to register in additional states if your business performs work or hires employees from another state.

Cleaning equipment: Equipment such as floor buffers, vacuums, brooms, mops, cleaning supplies , cleaning products, and other specialty equipment.

Office space and equipment: Property purchase or rental deposit for an office space and technology costs.

Company vehicles: Depending on the size of your company, you may use a fleet of branded company vehicles.

Operational software : Instead of implementing siloed solutions for different aspects of your business, look at comprehensive software capable of scaling with you as you build. 

You’ll also want to consider additional marketing and advertising dollars to spread the word about your business.

A clear understanding of operational expenses ensures you correctly price cleaning jobs and target realistic revenue goals.

Recurring expenses are costs you pay regularly to keep your business running. Ongoing expenditures include:

Employee payroll and benefits

Mortgage or rental payments

Office utilities

Business insurance

Vehicle insurance

Cleaning products and supplies

Equipment maintenance

Technology subscriptions

Some expenses may be fixed, such as the mortgage payment, while others may be variable, such as the cost of cleaning products. 

Follow a budget, use best-practice accounting procedures, and track expenses to make needed financial adjustments.

Aspire’s comprehensive business management software collects financials above the gross margin line and pushes them in a one-way data sync to your accounting platform so you have clean, accurate data to inform your business plan updates. 

Financial projections and realism

Financial projections predict business revenue over a certain period. Data-backed financial plans drive better business decisions and help you plan for the future.

A startup cleaning business uses projected financial statements to determine future revenue and expenses. Industry and market analysis data can provide a starting point. In the case of an established cleaning business, use your historical data to project a percentage of financial growth.

To create a financial projection, you’ll need the following financial statements:

Income statement: An income statement, or profit and loss statement (P&L), shows your income and expenses. Your income statement should cover one year.

Cash flow statement: This statement projects all incoming and outgoing expenses for one year. A break-even analysis shows you how much revenue you need to break even with your expenses.

Balance sheet: This document lists business assets and liabilities and shows a summary of a business at present. 

In financial projections, accuracy is key. You don’t want to inflate your numbers, fail to reach your goals, or underestimate and miss out on growth opportunities.

As your business continues to operate, it’s important to use the right software to capture accurate financial data to achieve financial objectives and increase the accuracy of future projections. 

Aspire commercial cleaning business software integrates purchasing, invoicing, accounting, and payroll for full financial visibility. Robust reporting allows you to drill into sales, financials, job costs, and KPIs.

With real-time data , you gain deeper insight into business performance and can develop more effective business growth strategies.

A business operations plan outlines how your company will deliver high-quality service and achieve operational goals.

As you create an operations plan, involve your management team for ideas and input. After all, your managers are the ones who provide on-the-job oversight and remain accountable for operational goals.

An operations plan includes these elements:

Determine operational goals: Set business and departmental  goals. For instance, you could set a goal to increase annual revenue by 20% or a sales goal of 10 new cleaning contracts monthly.

Create roles and job descriptions: Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of each position. This ensures accountability and the ability to measure performance.

Plan the how-tos: Detail business processes and workflows in every department so your team delivers consistent, efficient results. This includes investing in commercial cleaning business software to centralize data and streamline operations.

Track performance: Set KPIs to measure short-term goals and identify areas for improvement. Operational KPIs measure the performance of your operations, such as average contract amount, contract renewal conversion rate, closing percentage, and gross profit percentage by department. 

Aspire provides user-based dashboards so every role can see the KPIs relevant to their short- and long-term goals. Having accurate, real-time information fuels responsive management, building ongoing growth momentum.

Commercial cleaning business owners who optimize operations experience the greatest profitability and growth. Aspire commercial cleaning business software provides seamless workflows in every area of business, including:

Crew management

Job costing

Equipment and supply management

Streamlined processes reduce waste, increase efficiency, and improve performance in your operations.

Creating a thorough commercial cleaning business plan sets the stage for business growth. But successful results rely on how well you execute your plan.

Aspire commercial cleaning business software provides industry-specific management tools to empower business owners to take control of operations. From simplified scheduling to accepting customer credit card payments online, Aspire’s advanced features give cleaning contractors full visibility into business operations and finances.

To get your business plan off the ground, implement the right tools to improve business and boost year-over-year growth.

Ready to see what Aspire can do for you? Request a demo to see Aspire features in action.

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Commercial Cleaning Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Commercial Cleaning Business Plan

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their commercial cleaning companies. On this page, we will first give you some background information with regards to the importance of business planning. We will then go through a commercial cleaning business plan template step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What Is a Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your commercial cleaning company as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategy for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan

If you’re looking to start a business, or grow your existing cleaning business, you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your commercial cleaning business in order to improve your chances of success. Your business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Sources of Funding for Commercial Cleaning Companies

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for a commercial cleaning business are personal savings, credit cards, bank loans and angel investors. With regards to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to confirm that your financials are reasonable, but they will also want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business. Personal savings and bank loans are the most common funding paths for commercial cleaning companies.

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

How to write a business plan for a commercial cleaning or janitorial business.

If you want to start a commercial cleaning company or expand your current one, you need a business plan. Below we detail what should be included in each section of your business plan:

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your cleaning company business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your Executive Summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the type of business you are operating and the status. For example, are you a startup, do you have a commercial cleaning company that you would like to grow, or are you operating businesses in multiple cities?

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan. For example, give a brief overview of your industry. Discuss the type of business you are operating. Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers. Provide a snapshot of your marketing plan. Identify the key members of your team. And offer an overview of your financial plan.  

Company Analysis

In your company analysis, you will detail the type of commercial cleaning company you are operating.

For example, you might operate one of the following types of commercial cleaning companies:

• General Commercial Cleaning : this type of commercial cleaning service focuses on cleaning bathrooms, floors, kitchens, desks, tables and floors. Standard services may also include dusting, watering plants and other miscellaneous activities.
• Healthcare and Lab Cleaning: this type of business focuses on white-glove disinfection services for healthcare settings.
• Damage Restoration: this type of commercial cleaning generally encompasses water extraction, dehumidification, mold and mildew remediation, debris removal and site reconstruction.

In addition to explaining the type of business you will operate, the Company Analysis section of your business plan needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to question such as:

• When and why did you start the business?
• What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include the number of customers served, number of positive reviews, total number of contracts won, etc.
• Your legal structure. Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry analysis, you need to provide an overview of the industry.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating.

Secondly, market research can improve your strategy, particularly if your research identifies market trends.

The third reason for market research is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section:

• How big is the industry (in dollars)?
• Is the market declining or increasing?
• Who are the key competitors in the market?
• Who are the key suppliers in the market?
• What trends are affecting the industry?
• What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
• What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential market for your commercial cleaning company? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: office buildings, healthcare facilities, manufacturing facilities, and airlines.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of business you operate. Clearly, owners of office buildings would respond to different marketing promotions than owners of medical labs, for example.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, include a discussion of the ages, genders, locations and income levels of the customers you seek to serve. Because most commercial cleaning services primarily serve customers living in their same city or town, such demographic information is easy to find on government websites.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. The more you can understand and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.

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Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other commercial cleaning companies.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from that aren’t direct competitors. This includes companies who maintain in-house janitorial staff. You need to mention such competition as well.

With regards to direct competition, you want to describe the other commercial cleaning companies with which you compete. Most likely, your direct competitors will be commercial cleaners located very close to your location.

For each such competitor, provide an overview of their businesses and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as:

• What types of customers do they serve?
• What cleaning services do they offer?
• What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
• What are they good at?
• What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ customers what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

• Will you provide better cleaning or sanitation services?
• Will you provide services that your competitors don’t offer (i.e. green cleaning, or white glove cleaning)?
• Will you provide better customer service?
• Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.  

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a commercial cleaning company, your marketing plan should include the following:

Product : In the product section, you should reiterate the type of commercial cleaning company that you documented in your Company Analysis. Then, detail the specific products you will be offering. For example, in addition to general commercial cleaning, will you provide custom services, such as specialized disinfection services or high-tech cleaning options?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your marketing plan, you are presenting the products and services you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the location of your commercial cleaning company. Document your location and mention how the location will impact your success. For example, is your commercial cleaning company located within driving distance of multiple business districts, etc. Discuss how your location might be the ideal location for your customers.

Promotions : The final part of your commercial cleaning marketing plan is the promotions section. Here you will document how you will drive customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

• Advertising in local papers and magazines
• Reaching out to local websites
• Social media marketing
• Local radio advertising

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your cleaning company business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your business, including securing contracts, sourcing supplies, site supervision, cleaning activities, specialized training, etc.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to enter into your 100 th contract, or when you hope to reach $X in revenue. It could also be when you expect to expand your cleaning business to a new city.  

Management Team

To demonstrate your commercial cleaning company’s ability to succeed, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company.

Ideally you and/or your team members have direct experience in managing commercial cleaning companies. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act like mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in managing janitorial companies or successfully running small businesses.  

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statements.

Income Statement : an income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows your revenues and then subtracts your costs to show whether you turned a profit or not.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you service five properties per day, or just one specialized customer property? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets : Balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. While balance sheets can include much information, try to simplify them to the key items you need to know about. For instance, if you spend $50,000 on building out your commercial cleaning service, this will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a bank writes you a check for $50,000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Cash Flow Statement : Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and make sure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt.

In developing your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a commercial cleaning service:

• Location build-out including design fees, construction, etc.
• Cost of equipment and supplies
• Payroll or salaries paid to staff
• Business insurance
• Taxes and permits
• Legal expenses

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your office location lease or a list of special services and capabilities.  

Putting together a business plan for your commercial cleaning company is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will really understand the industry, your competition, and your customers. You will have developed a marketing plan and will really understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful commercial cleaning business.  

Commercial Cleaning Service Business Plan FAQs

What is the easiest way to complete my commercial cleaning business plan.

Growthink's Ultimate Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily complete your Commercial Cleaning Business Plan.

What is the Goal of a Business Plan's Executive Summary?

The goal of your Executive Summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the type of commercial cleaning business you are operating and the status; for example, are you a startup, do you have a commercial cleaning business that you would like to grow, or are you operating a chain of commercial cleaning businesses?

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OR, Let Us Develop Your Plan For You

Since 1999, Growthink has developed business plans for thousands of companies who have gone on to achieve tremendous success.   Click here to see how Growthink’s professional business plan consulting services can create your business plan for you.

Other Helpful Business Plan Articles & Templates

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How to write a business plan for your cleaning company.

Starting a cleaning company is a great idea because it is a relatively low-cost business to start and there is always a demand for professional cleaning services.

Additionally, it can be a profitable business with repeat customers and the potential for growth.

But, before launching anything, make sure you have a business plan in place.

A business plan is essential before starting a new project, such as a cleaning company, as it will provide a roadmap for success. It should include an outline of the business's goals, a strategy for achieving those goals, and a budget for the project. Without a business plan, it is impossible to effectively plan and manage a successful business.

In short, a good business plan will help make sure your cleaning company is profitable .

What must be in the business plan for a cleaning company? What should be the main focus areas? Which performance indicators should be included in the financials? How can I develop an efficient business plan without dedicating too much time to it?

This article will provide answers to all these questions!

Moreover, bear in mind that it is up to you whether you choose to start your business plan from scratch.

You can download our business plan for a cleaning company and adapt it to suit your business needs.

Preparing a business plan for a cleaning company

Is a business plan necessary for your cleaning company.

Yes, you need to create a business plan to ensure the success of your cleaning company.

Developing a robust business plan will enable you to:

• get familiar with the cleaning company market
• stay tuned to new trends and implement them in your project
• establish what makes a cleaning company viable
• understand clients' cleaning needs and expectations to provide thorough and professional cleaning services
• find a unique value proposition for your janitorial service company
• review competitor customer satisfaction
• unearth unique strengths for your cleaning company
• find a business model that will lead to a positive bottom line
• develop and implement a winning strategy that ensures both short and long-term success
• identify and manage risks specific to a cleaning company, including employee safety, chemical handling, and customer satisfaction

Our team has drafted a business plan for a cleaning company that is designed to make it easier for you to achieve all the elements listed.

How to organize a business plan for a cleaning company?

A carefully prepared business plan offers all the necessary information, numbers, and financial details. It must be presented in a structured format, to make easy to read and digest.

When we designed our business plan for a cleaning company , we made sure it had a proper structure.

The business plan has 5 sections (Opportunity, Project, Market Research, Strategy and Finances).

1. Market Opportunity

The first section is named "Market Opportunity".

Explore this section for a comprehensive analysis of the cleaning industry, including market segmentation, service offerings, customer preferences, and growth opportunities, providing insights for entrepreneurs in establishing and managing successful cleaning companyes.

We update this section twice a year to keep the data current.

2. Project Presentation

Within the "Project" section, provide details about your cleaning company, such as the range of cleaning services, trained staff, eco-friendly practices, and emphasize the unique value proposition for clients seeking immaculate and sustainable cleaning solutions.

Also include a short description about yourself at the end of this section.

Discuss your commitment to cleanliness and hygiene, your range of cleaning services, and how you plan to provide reliable and thorough cleaning solutions to clients. Highlight your experienced team, your use of eco-friendly products, and your dedication to creating clean and healthy environments for homes and businesses through your cleaning company.

In our business plan, you'll see that we've given you pre-prepared content. Adjust it to match your idea exactly.

3. Market Research

Then, we have the "Market Research" section.

The purpose of this section is to introduce the market segments for your cleaning company.

It includes a competition study, outlining other cleaning service providers in the area. Your company's expertise in professional cleaning services and competitive advantages are also highlighted. A customized SWOT analysis is included.

4. Strategy

Within the "Strategy" section, a detailed plan spanning three years is presented, highlighting the initiatives and actions necessary to make your cleaning company highly profitable.

Furthermore, this section includes a comprehensive marketing plan for a cleaning company, a strategy to handle risks, and a filled-in Business Model Canvas.

5. Finances

In conclusion, the "Finances" section provides an in-depth analysis of the financial aspects and progress of your project.

How to elaborate an Executive Summary for a cleaning company?

The Executive Summary offers a summarized introduction to the business plan of your cleaning company.

Limit it to 2 pages, highlighting only the crucial information.

The purpose of this document is to make the reader curious about your business plan.

In the Executive Summary of your cleaning company, answer these questions: what cleaning services does your company provide? who is your target audience? are there other cleaning companies in the market? what is your budget?

How to do the market analysis for a cleaning company?

The market study of your cleaning company helps you understand external factors such as customer demands for cleaning services, competition within the cleaning industry, and emerging trends in eco-friendly cleaning practices.

By conducting an extensive market study, a cleaning company can understand customer cleaning needs, provide reliable and thorough cleaning services, optimize pricing strategies, and execute targeted marketing campaigns, ultimately leading to a loyal customer base, increased service contracts, and a prominent position in the cleaning industry.

Here's what we've incorporated into the "Market Research" section of our business plan for a cleaning company :

• fresh and updated data and statistics about cleaning companies, including cleaning service trends, eco-friendly cleaning practices, and industry growth rates
• a list of potential audiences for a cleaning company
• the competitive review
• the possible competitive advantages for a cleaning company

The key points of the business plan for a cleaning company

What's the business model of a cleaning company, business model of a cleaning company.

A cleaning company's business model revolves around providing professional cleaning services for residential or commercial spaces. Revenue is generated through service contracts, charging fees based on the size of the space, cleaning frequency, or specific cleaning tasks required.

The business model focuses on delivering high-quality cleaning services, managing a reliable and trained cleaning staff, using eco-friendly cleaning products, maintaining strong client relationships, and effective marketing strategies.

Success depends on building a reputation for thoroughness and reliability, delivering consistent cleaning results, effective scheduling and management, and establishing long-term relationships with clients or property management companies.

Business model vs Business plan

Avoid conflating "business plan" and "business model."

A business model outlines the way a company creates value, generates revenue, and operates.

In a business plan, you use a helpful tool called the Business Model Canvas to clearly show how your business operates.

Rest assured, there is a Business Model Canvas (already completed) in our business plan for a cleaning company .

How do you identify the market segments of a cleaning company?

Market segmentation for your cleaning company involves dividing your potential customers into different groups based on their cleaning needs, property types, and demographics.

These categories may include factors such as residential cleaning, commercial cleaning, specialized cleaning services (e.g., post-construction cleaning), or clients with specific requirements (e.g., eco-friendly cleaning, pet-friendly cleaning).

By segmenting your market, you can offer a range of cleaning services and packages that cater to each segment's specific requirements. For example, you might provide regular house cleaning for residential clients, offer janitorial services for commercial properties, specialize in deep cleaning for post-construction projects, or develop eco-friendly cleaning options for environmentally conscious customers.

Market segmentation allows you to target your marketing efforts effectively, deliver tailored cleaning solutions, and build a strong reputation within each customer segment by providing exceptional cleaning services.

In the business plan for a cleaning company , you will find a comprehensive market segmentation that will help you better understand your potential customers.

How to conduct a competitor analysis for a cleaning company?

It's evident that you won't be the only cleaning company in your area. There are other companies offering professional cleaning and janitorial services to residential and commercial clients.

Thoroughly analyze your competitors' strengths and weaknesses as part of your business plan to gain a competitive edge.

Address their weaknesses (such as inconsistent cleaning standards, poor customer service, or inadequate equipment).

Why is it crucial to notice these aspects? Because these weaknesses can impact customer satisfaction when utilizing cleaning services.

By focusing on these areas, you can provide thorough and efficient cleaning, offer flexible scheduling and personalized services, and deliver excellent customer support, positioning your cleaning company as a trusted and reliable partner for maintaining clean and tidy spaces.

It's what we call competitive advantages—work on developing them for a distinct business identity.

Here are some examples of competitive advantages for a cleaning company: professional and reliable cleaning services, flexible scheduling, customized cleaning packages, well-trained and trustworthy staff, eco-friendly cleaning practices, competitive pricing, positive customer testimonials and referrals.

How to draft a SWOT analysis for a cleaning service?

A SWOT analysis can help identify potential opportunities and threats to a cleaning company, allowing for informed decision-making.

As you can guess, there is indeed a completed and editable SWOT matrix in our business plan for a cleaning company

The strengths for a cleaning company

The "S" in SWOT symbolizes Strengths, highlighting the project's internal factors that give it a competitive edge.

For a cleaning company, potential strengths could include customer service, quality of work, cost-effectiveness, and availability.

The weaknesses for a cleaning company

When we use the "W," we mean Weaknesses, which are the aspects of the project that need further attention.

For a cleaning company, potential weaknesses could include a lack of resources, inadequate marketing, unreliable customer service, and a high cost of operation.

The opportunities for a cleaning company

O stands for Opportunities in SWOT, indicating the external factors that can provide beneficial opportunities for the project.

In the case of a cleaning company, potential opportunities include providing janitorial services, residential cleaning services, commercial cleaning services, and specialized cleaning services.

The threats for a cleaning company

T stands for Threats in SWOT, indicating the external factors that can undermine the project's performance or viability.

How to elaborate a marketing strategy for a cleaning service?

A marketing strategy is a key element of a business plan as it explains how a business will capture customers and achieve sales targets.

A well-crafted marketing strategy will help your cleaning company gain visibility and appeal to individuals and businesses in need of reliable and thorough cleaning services.

Clients won't hire your cleaning company without proper promotion; you need to establish trust and showcase your services.

Are you utilizing strategic marketing techniques to promote your cleaning company? Consider offering limited-time discounts or referral programs, leveraging online customer reviews and testimonials, and running targeted digital advertising campaigns to increase visibility and attract new clients.

No need to worry if you're clueless about marketing and communication – it's not a big deal.

How to make financial projections for a cleaning service?

A solid business plan must include financial data to provide an accurate assessment of the business's potential success.

When creating your business plan, you must include anticipated revenue figures for your cleaning company.

When banks or investors review your business plan, a relevant and credible revenue forecast will contribute to its overall solidity.

Our financial plan for a cleaning company is user-friendly, providing automated validations that allow you to rectify any assumptions swiftly. This guarantees the creation of credible projections with ease and assurance.

No doubt, you'll have to establish an initial budget for launching your cleaning company. Don't overlook any expense. By the way, we've listed them all in our financial plan!

The break-even analysis is central in the financial plan as it will tell you whether your cleaning company will be profitable or not.

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How To Write a Commercial Cleaning Business Plan + Template

Creating a business plan is essential for any business, but it can be especially helpful for commercial cleaning businesses that want to improve their strategy and/or raise funding.

A well-crafted business plan not only outlines the vision for your company, but also documents a step-by-step roadmap of how you are going to accomplish it. In order to create an effective business plan, you must first understand the components that are essential to its success.

This article provides an overview of the key elements that every commercial cleaning business owner should include in their business plan.

Download the Ultimate Cleaning Business Plan Template

What is a Commercial Cleaning Business Plan?

A commercial cleaning business plan is a formal written document that describes your company’s business strategy and its feasibility. It documents the reasons you will be successful, your areas of competitive advantage, and it includes information about your team members. Your business plan is a key document that will convince investors and lenders (if needed) that you are positioned to become a successful venture.

Why Write a Commercial Cleaning Business Plan?

A commercial cleaning business plan is required for banks and investors. The document is a clear and concise guide of your business idea and the steps you will take to make it profitable.

Entrepreneurs can also use this as a roadmap when starting their new company or venture, especially if they are inexperienced in starting a business.

Writing an Effective Commercial Cleaning Business Plan

The following are the key components of a successful commercial cleaning business plan:

Executive Summary

The executive summary of a commercial cleaning business plan is a one to two page overview of your entire business plan. It should summarize the main points, which will be presented in full in the rest of your business plan.

• Start with a one-line description of your commercial cleaning company
• Provide a short summary of the key points in each section of your business plan, which includes information about your company’s management team, industry analysis, competitive analysis, and financial forecast among others.

Company Description

This section should include a brief history of your company. Include a short description of how your company started, and provide a timeline of milestones your company has achieved.

If you are just starting your commercial cleaning business, you may not have a long company history. Instead, you can include information about your professional experience in this industry and how and why you conceived your new venture. If you have worked for a similar company before or have been involved in an entrepreneurial venture before starting your commercial cleaning company, mention this.

Industry Analysis

The industry or market analysis is an important component of a commercial cleaning business plan. Conduct thorough market research to determine industry trends and document the size of your market. 

Questions to answer include:

• What part of the commercial cleaning industry are you targeting?
• How big is the market?
• What trends are happening in the industry right now (and if applicable, how do these trends support the success of your company)?

You should also include sources for the information you provide, such as published research reports and expert opinions.

Customer Analysis

This section should include a list of your target audience(s) with demographic and psychographic profiles (e.g., age, gender, income level, profession, job titles, interests). You will need to provide a profile of each customer segment separately, including their needs and wants.

For example, the customers of a commercial cleaning business may include owners or managers of office buildings, schools, restaurants, retail stores, and hospitals.

You can include information about how your customers make the decision to buy from you, as well as what keeps them buying from you.

Develop a strategy for targeting those customers who are most likely to buy from you, as well as those that might be influenced to buy your products or commercial cleaning services with the right marketing.

Competitive Analysis

The competitive analysis helps you determine how your product or service will be different from competitors, and what your unique selling proposition (USP) might be that will set you apart in this industry.

For each competitor, list their strengths and weaknesses. Next, determine your areas of competitive differentiation and/or advantage; that is, in what ways are you different from and ideally better than your competitors.

Marketing Plan

This part of the business plan is where you determine and document your marketing plan. . Your plan should be clearly laid out, including the following 4 Ps.

• Product/Service : Detail your product/service offerings here. Document their features and benefits.
• Price : Document your pricing strategy here. In addition to stating the prices for your products/services, mention how your pricing compares to your competition.
• Place : Where will your customers find you? What channels of distribution (e.g., partnerships) will you use to reach them if applicable?
• Promotion : How will you reach your target customers? For example, you may use social media, write blog posts, create an email marketing campaign, use pay-per-click advertising, launch a direct mail campaign. Or, you may promote your commercial cleaning business via word-of-mouth marketing or referrals from satisfied customers.

Operations Plan

This part of your commercial cleaning business plan should include the following information:

• How will you deliver your services to customers? For example, will you do it in person? 
• What infrastructure, commercial cleaning equipment , and resources are needed to operate successfully? How can you meet those requirements within budget constraints?

The operations plan is where you also need to include your company’s business policies. You will want to establish policies related to everything from customer service to pricing, to the overall brand image you are trying to present.

Finally, and most importantly, in your Operations Plan, you will lay out the milestones your company hopes to achieve within the next five years. Create a chart that shows the key milestone(s) you hope to achieve each quarter for the next four quarters, and then each year for the following four years. Examples of milestones for a commercial cleaning business include reaching $X in sales. Other examples include adding new customers, expanding to new markets, and launching new services.

Management Team

List your team members here including their names and titles, as well as their expertise and experience relevant to your specific commercial cleaning industry. Include brief biography sketches for each team member.

Particularly, if you are seeking funding, the goal of this section is to convince investors and lenders that your team has the expertise and experience to execute on your plan. If you are missing key team members, document the roles and responsibilities you plan to hire for in the future.

Financial Plan

Here you will include a summary of your complete and detailed financial plan (your full financial projections go in the Appendix). 

This includes the following three financial statements:

Income Statement

Your income statement should include:

• Revenue : how much revenue you generate.
• Cost of Goods Sold : These are your direct costs associated with generating revenue. This includes labor costs, as well as the cost of any equipment and supplies used to deliver the product/service offering.
• Net Income (or loss) : Once expenses and revenue are totaled and deducted from each other, this is the net income or loss

Sample Income Statement for a Startup Commercial Cleaning Business

Balance sheet.

Include a balance sheet that shows your assets, liabilities, and equity. Your balance sheet should include:

• Assets : All of the things you own (including cash).
• Liabilities : This is what you owe against your company’s assets, such as accounts payable or loans.
• Equity : The worth of your business after all liabilities and assets are totaled and deducted from each other.

Sample Balance Sheet for a Startup Commercial Cleaning Business

Cash flow statement.

Include a cash flow statement showing how much cash comes in, how much cash goes out and a net cash flow for each year. The cash flow statement should include:

• Cash Flow From Operations
• Cash Flow From Investments
• Cash Flow From Financing

Below is a sample of a projected cash flow statement for a startup commercial cleaning business.

Sample Cash Flow Statement for a Startup Commercial Cleaning Business

You will also want to include an appendix section which will include:

• Your complete financial projections
• A complete list of your company’s business policies and procedures related to the rest of the business plan (marketing, operations, etc.)
• Any other documentation which supports what you included in the body of your business plan.

Writing a good business plan gives you the advantage of being fully prepared to launch and/or grow your commercial cleaning company. It not only outlines your business vision but also provides a step-by-step process of how you are going to accomplish it.

A well-written business plan is an essential tool for any commercial cleaning business. If you put in the time to write a comprehensive and well-thought-out business plan, you will be setting your company up for success.  

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Cleaning company business plan template

Download this cleaning business plan template in PDF or Word format, or tailor it to your project directly in our business plan software.

Discover our cleaning company business plan template

Our cleaning business plan template gives you the structure to write a professional plan.

Not accustomed to writing business plans? Our cleaning business plan template will turn a typically challenging process into a total breeze.

Modelled on a complete business plan of a cleaning company in Normandy, our template features both the financial forecast and the written part that presents the project, its team, the local market and the business strategy implemented by the management.

Cast your eyes on this template to achieve a better understanding of what your bank and investors would like to see, so that you can create a business plan that meets their expectations.

7 day free trial. No credit card required. Cleaning business plan template available with paid plans only.

How to use this cleaning business plan template

Edit the cleaning business plan template online, or download it.

There are 3 ways to use this template:

• Edit it online: you can adapt this template to your business idea by changing the text or the financial forecast directly in our business planning software
• Download in PDF: if you're just after a little inspiration, you can download the cleaning business plan template in PDF to read over it
• Download in Word format: want to edit your plan on Word? Simply export the cleaning business plan template to Ms Word (.docx) format

Cleaning company business plan template content

This template includes a complete cleaning business plan example, with a financial forecast and the following sections:

• Executive summary: the executive summary gives the reader a clear and concise overview of your business idea
• Company: this section lays out the structure of your business, including its location, management team and legal form
• Products and services: here, you'll give an overview of the main services offered by your cleaning company (maintaining floors, window cleaning, waste disposal etc.)
• Market analysis: the market analysis is where you’ll demonstrate that there is a strong demand for your cleaning services through a thorough assessment of the industry and local market (customer profile, hot trends, regulation, competition, etc.)
• Strategy: this section highlights your cleaning company's game plan when it comes to pricing, marketing and mitigating risks along the way
• Operations: this step lays out the company's operational organisation, including the recruitment plan
• Financial plan: the financial plan includes a table of sources & uses (initial funding plan), and complete financial statements (P&L, balance sheet and cash flow statements).
• Appendices: this part provides the opportunity to include multiple financial appendices generated by our software (debt maturity profile, monthly financial statements, financial analysis, etc.).

Executive summary of the cleaning company's business plan

The executive summary gives the reader a clear and concise overview of your business idea.

Our cleaning business plan example's executive summary is formed of the following subsections:

• Business overview: in this subsection, we outline who the cleaning company founders are, what legal form they've chosen for the business, and the rationale behind the choice of their location
• Market overview: in this subsection, we summarize the conclusions of the market analysis performed by the cleaning company's owners and explain who they aim to target (SMEs, property syndicates, homeowners etc.)
• Financial highlights: in this subsection, we give an overview of the forecasted financial performance of the cleaning company over the first 3 years of operation
• Our ask: in this subsection, we outline the amount of financing required to start the cleaning company and how it's going to be funded (the founders are seeking a bank loan to start their cleaning company)

Company overview included in our cleaning company business plan sample

This section lays out the structure of your business, including its location, management team and legal form.

Our cleaning company business plan template's company section is formed of the following subsections:

• Structure & Ownership: in this subsection, we outline who the cleaning company's shareholders are and what legal form they've chosen for the business
• Location: in this subsection, we present the area surrounding the location chosen for the business and the layout and main features of the premises
• Management Team: in this subsection, we give an overview of the background of each of the cleaning company's founders, explain how they met and why they decided to start a company together

Products and services offered by the cleaning company

The products and services section is where you will present the different types of services offered by your cleaning company.

In our cleaning business plan template products and services section, we cover:

• Daily or periodic cleaning of offices, commercial areas and professional premises: includes cleaning and maintaining floors, furniture and other common areas or items
• Additional services: a selection of add-ons including replacing light bulbs, wiping down windows and preparing special meeting rooms

Market analysis for the opening of the cleaning company

The market analysis is where you’ll demonstrate that there is a strong demand for your products and services through a thorough assessment of the industry (customer profile, hot trends, regulation, competition, etc.)

Our cleaning company business plan example's market analysis section is formed of the following subsections:

• Demographics and Segmentation: in this subsection, we explore the market in depth. We look at the supply and demand sides both at the national and local level, analyse the hot trends perceived by the founders, and the key statistics that will help the founders build their positioning
• Target market: in this subsection, our founders explain who they aim to target (SMEs, property syndicates, homeowners etc.) and why they chose to target them
• Competition: in this subsection, we take a look at the direct (cleaning companies nearby) and indirect (alternative ways to keep furniture/property clean) local competition to ensure we have a differentiated positioning and that the market is large enough to accommodate the arrival of a new cleaning company
• Regulation: in this subsection, we give an overview of the main regulation applicable to our cleaning company

Setting the strategy for our cleaning company

This section highlights the company's game plan when it comes to pricing, marketing and mitigating risks along the way.

Our cleaning business plan template strategy section is formed of the following subsections:

• Pricing: in this subsection, we explain how we set the prices of our main categories of services (cleaning, maintenance, waste disposal etc.) and the rationale behind our choice
• Marketing plan: in this subsection, we explain what action we'll put in place to build awareness and loyalty among our cleaning company customers
• Milestones: in this subsection, we give an overview of the main goals we set for ourselves for the next 3 years
• Risks and Mittigants: in this subsection, we perform an assessment of the medium and long-term risks that could jeopardize the financial viability of our cleaning company and outline how we intend to mitigate them

Operations section of the cleaning business plan template

This part lays out the company's operational organisation, including the recruitment plan.

Our cleaning company business plan example's operations section is formed of the following subsections:

• Personnel plan: in this subsection, we explain what our opening hours will be and explain the responsibilities of each of staff member in our cleaning company
• Key assets and IP: in this subsection, we list the assets and intellectual property rights which are critical to our business operations and explain how we will secure and protect each of these
• Suppliers: in this subsection, we give an overview of the main suppliers we will use our what commercial terms have been negotiated with them

Financial plan included in our cleaning business plan template

This section presents the expected financial performance of the cleaning company over the next 3 years.

Our cleaning business plan example's financial plan is formed of the following subsections:

• Start-up funding: in this subsection, we list the cost of each item required to launch the cleaning company
• Important assumptions: in this subsection, we explain the methodology and the main assumptions used to build the cleaning company's financial forecast
• Sales forecast: in this subsection, we detail the expected revenues and growth rate for our cleaning company in the coming years
• Cost structure: in this subsection, we list all the expenses required for our cleaning company to operate smoothly
• Projected Profit & Loss statement: in this subsection, we analyse our forecasted P&L and comment on the expected profitability of our cleaning company over the next 3 years
• Projected cash flow statement: in this subsection, we analyse the expected cash generation of the cleaning company
• Projected balance sheet: in this section we give an analysis of the liquidity and solvability implied from our balance sheet

Appendices of the cleaning company business plan template

This part provides the opportunity to include multiple financial appendices generated by our software (debt maturity profile, monthly financial statements, financial analysis, etc.).

Our cleaning company business plan template's appendices include:

• A maturity profile chart showing the principal repayments of their loans over the next 3 years
• A monthly cash flow forecast: showing how much cash is being generated or consumed each month over the first 3 years of operations

Cleaning business plan template sample

Executive summary, business overview.

NTGE Clean will be a professional cleaning company based on the outskirts of Caen, France.

We will offer cleaning services to companies and individuals in the metropolitan area of Caen La Mer.

The company will operate from commercial premises located at 138 Rue de l'Église, 14200 Hérouville-Saint-Clair. The premises, located on the outskirts of Caen, will allow us to benefit from easy access to the ring road and thus to quickly serve all the industrial and commercial zones in the area.

The legal structure chosen is that of a limited company. The company will be managed and owned by its two founders. The pair have known each other for 5 years and have very complementary skills: Mr Philippe T. (50% of the shares) will be in charge of the administration and sales, while Mr. Laurent F. (50% of the shares) will be in charge of human resources and operations.

Market Overview

French Market

In 2016, the French cleaning market generated a turnover of €13 billion. The market is comprised of 43,530 companies providing nearly 500,000 jobs.

The breakdown of the activity is given as follows:

• ¾ of the turnover of cleaning companies comes from private clients
• Cleaning for offices represents 40% of the sector's turnover

The sector is fragmented, the majority of businesses are micro and small companies. However, large companies generate 75% of the sector's turnover.

Companies in the cleaning sector are faced with new challenges that require them to adapt to the needs of their clients, particularly in terms of social responsibility, by supplying environmentally friendly products or offering additional services, such as the preparation of meeting rooms for client receptions.

Local Market

With a market of 11,160 target companies and a population of over 100,000, the city of Caen has a large pool of potential clients.

This is a real opportunity for NTGE Clean, which boasts both serious know-how in the field of cleaning services and a strong knowledge of the sector and the economic fabric of the city of Caen.

NTGE Clean's target clientele will essentially be composed of three types of customers:

• Small and medium-sized businesses: shops, offices and small craftsmen or sole traders, wishing to have regular maintenance of their offices or commercial areas
• Property associations wishing for regular maintenance in common ares of the buildings they manage
• Individuals wishing to have regular or occasional maintenance of their homes

We view the residential and professional segments as complementary because they allow us to optimally organise our teams' schedules without inconveniencing our clients. In fact, NTGE Clean can clean business premises before or after they are open, and clean lobbies and homes during office hours, thus minimising the inconvenience to our clients.

NTGE Clean aims to achieve an excellent reputation and maintain a high level of customer satisfaction.

Financial Highlights

We expect to be profitable in our second year of activity with sales of €327,300 and an EBITDA of €32,503 (with a 9.93% margin) for year 1.

We expect to be able to continue to grow our business to reach €446,650 in sales and €45,804 in EBITDA (with a 10.25% margin) by year 3.

The net operating cash flow should be positive over the duration of the plan and allow us to honour our loan repayments while retaining sufficient leeway to renew our equipment and deal with any unforeseen circumstances.

We estimate that we need a total of €30,000 to open our cleaning company.

Our partner will contribute €20,000 (67% of the total amount).

We would like to obtain a bank loan of €10,000 to complete this amount.

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Easy to get started with and well-guided throughout. Lots of business plan templates to help you and writing is easy because there are explanations at each step of the process.

Quite frankly excellent because I was able to finalize my business plan in less time than expected. This software offers a very coherent and complete approach to writing your project.

It is a very well designed software that allows you to visualise each step of your project, understand if the idea is viable or not and think about the steps needed to start your business.

The software is just impeccable. Of course, it meets the requirements of people starting a business. In addition to having a tool for putting together a proper financial forecast, there is also a tool to help write the business plan.

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Cleaning company business plan template faq.

A cleaning company business plan is a written document that sets out the commercial, operational and financial objectives of the company over the next 3 to 5 years.

It consists of two main parts:

• A written part that presents, in detail, your cleaning business, the team, your strategy, and your medium-term objectives.
• A financial forecast that highlights the expected profitability of the cleaning company and the initial funding requirements.

The lack of business planning is one of the main reasons why more than 50% of startups fail within 5 years. If you're starting a cleaning company, writing a business plan is a must-have in order to reduce the risk of failure of your project.

Business plans are also required by most lenders and investors in order to secure financing, therefore a business plan is also highly recommended if you're seeking a loan or equity investment for your cleaning company.

Writing a cleaning company business plan without The Business Plan Shop can be both error-prone and time-consuming - whether you're new to entrepreneurship or experienced:

• You'll need to research the structure of a business plan, what to include in each section, and what key elements investors and lenders expect to see
• You may encounter writer's block (especially if it's the first time you're writing a business plan for your cleaning company)
• You'll need to create a financial forecast on a spreadsheet which requires a solid understanding of accounting and financial modelling in order to be done without error
• You'll need to spend hours formatting financial data on Excel or Sheets before it's ready to integrate into your business plan
• Any updates to your cleaning company business plan or financial forecast will need to be done manually

Luckily for you, The Business Plan Shop's online platform and cleaning company business plan template guide you through every stage of writing a business plan, so that you can spend more time managing and growing your business instead.

Our editor follows a best-in-class structure for professional business plans. Each section and subsection includes examples and instructions to help you, while our business plan templates provide further inspiration if you're stuck.

Our financial forecasting software helps you create a forecast and integrate it into your business plan with ease. Anytime you update your data, your business plan automatically updates.

And with our forecasting software all the calculations are done for you, without errors.

The budget to start and run a cleaning company will depend on the exact concept and location.

Startup costs are generally lower than other business types as the concept requires a less-skilled workforce.

If you're planning to specialise in domestic cleaning (mostly homes), your startup costs will likely be a lot lower than if you're doing commercial cleaning and/or offering specialised services (guaranteed stain removal, carpet cleaning, car wash etc.)

As an example, in our cleaning company business plan template the total initial funding requirement amounted to €30,000, with the founders contributing €20,000.

In order to assess the exact budget for your cleaning company idea, you need to do a financial forecast using a financial projection tool such as the one we offer .

The package we offer at The Business Plan Shop goes way beyond a simple blank template you need to fill. With our platform you get:

• Access to one of the best business plan software on the market
• Access to our cleaning company business plan template which contains a complete example of a written business plan and financial forecast to start a cleaning company
• Access to our entire business plan templates library - giving you dozens of examples to take inspiration from
• Access to our financial planning and analysis platform so that you can track the actual performance of your business against what you had planned in your business plan and re-plan easily

But you shouldn't take our word for it: try our solution for free and make your own opinion!

The free trial enables you to try the software for free during 7 days in order to verify that it meets your requirements before buying.

Some features are limited during the free trial, the main limits are:

• You can only create one business plan
• The financials of the first year are visible, but data for other years are hidden
• You can export your plan in PDF but not in Word or CSV
• No access to our business plan templates

You can create your account and start your free trial here .

Access to our template is included with all our paid subscriptions.

Please visit our pricing page to learn about this in more detail.

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Chapter 4: How to Write a Business Plan for Your Cleaning Company

How to write a business plan for your cleaning company.

All businesses need a plan and, without one, you’re unlikely to attract clients, get your company name known and make a profit. But it’s not all bad news, as chances are you’ve already started creating your plan without realising it! If you’ve done some market research or started to look at the equipment you need to buy then you’re already beginning to put together a plan – now you just need to get it down on paper.

Your business plan is merely a short document that sets out your objectives and helps you (and other potential investors) see exactly what your aims are and how you’re going to go about achieving them. The plan will help you to keep a focus on what’s most important in order for your business to thrive.

One Page Business Plan Download

The idea of writing a business plan sounds quite daunting but it needn’t be a complicated job. In fact, one side of A4 paper should do it! Your goal is simply to get all the key information written down in a logical order.

Topics to Include in a Business Plan

The topics that you need to include in your cleaning company business plan are:

• The name, address and contact details for your business.
• Information on the management of the business; who’s in charge?
• Your company’s Mission Statement: in one sentence, simply summarise the overall aim of your cleaning business.
• Where you will operate from; where you will be based (including if it’s at home) plus information on any overhead costs associated with the business premises.
• Your start-up costs; what cleaning equipment and supplies do you need to buy? Do you need to pay anyone a wage? Have you got insurance?
• The everyday costs of the business; how much will you spend on a weekly or monthly basis? Include all overheads and outgoing costs, like top-up cleaning supplies, petrol and wages.
• Funding and financial projections; where do you plan to get the money from to start the business and what are your projected profits/losses for the next month, year, 2 years etc? How will you maintain the cash-flow?
• Will you work on the business full-time? What will your working hours be?
• Does your business have any local competition and what is the USP of your own business that will make it stand out from the crowd?
• What is your marketing strategy?
• Your pricing strategy; what are you going to charge for your service? Will you charge per job or per hour?
• How you will be paid for your service; do you plan to issue invoices, have a monthly subscription for clients or ask them to pay in cash on the day?
• Are there any other logistics you need to consider, such as transport?

Download our free, ready-made, one-page business plan template and begin writing all this information down to get you started. You’ll notice that it groups some of the questions above into six key headings but do feel free to add in your own sections to ensure that all the relevant information has been recorded.

The  Prince’s Trust website may also come in handy if you want to learn more about writing a business or financial plan and download more complex templates and tables.

One Page Business Plan Template

Company Name:

Company Address & Contact Details:

• Mission Statement: (In 1 sentence, what is your business setting out to do?)
• Business Objectives: (e.g. what you will sell, who your customers are and the features of your business that will make it successful).
• Financial Strategy: (including start-up costs, overhead costs, what you will charge for your services, how you will get paid and/or pay others, your projected profits/losses and information on how you will fund the project from the start).
• Marketing Strategy: (e.g. planned advertising, promotions, client loyalty programmes etc).
• Monitoring Success: (what will your milestones be? How will you know when the business is doing well? E.g. number of clients, total sales, net profit).
• Potential Problems & Solutions: (what are the risks and how will you overcome them?)

Should I Operate as a Sole Trader or a Franchise?

If you take a closer look at some of the other cleaning companies out there you’ll notice that they’re divided into two formats: sole traders (like Mopp) and franchises (like Molly Maid). But which is best?

Sole traders are self-employed. If you’re a sole trader then you own the company, you work for yourself and you hire your own employees. You’re also responsible for paying your own tax and sorting out your own insurance. Sole trading means that you have complete control and responsibility over how your business operates but you’ll have to work very hard in order to get yourself noticed and make money.

Franchises are part of a company owned by someone else. The idea is that you ‘buy’ your cleaning business from the larger company and then you operate using their brand name. The company will also give you all the information and training that you need to deliver your service, plus it means you can get started with a business name that’s already well-known which may help you to attract clients. However, franchises can be expensive to start (it might set you back £10,000 to ‘buy’ the company name) and it doesn’t necessarily guarantee that you’ll see more success than if you began a company from scratch.

10 Things to Consider When Creating a Budget

Budgeting is a key part of your business plan as without it you’re likely to accidentally overspend one month and find you can’t afford to pay your employees the next. It’ll help you to keep track of how much money is coming in (your income) and how much is going out (your expenses) so that you always know how much you have available to spend, to spare or to save. Consider the following tips when creating your cleaning company budget:

• Cut yourself some slack! Don’t plan to use every penny that you have and keep in mind that whilst some outgoing costs are fixed, others can vary. Always overestimate your expenses so that you don’t find yourself in the red when something was more costly than you planned.
• Delete unnecessary expenses. If your expenses are higher than your income then take a look at which of them could be removed or cut. Could you use a cheaper brand of cleaning chemicals to reduce costs, for example? Or perhaps you don’t really need to dry-clean your uniform every week?
• Review your budget every 6-12 months. Take a look at your cash flow and see whether you need to make any adjustments. This is also a good time to do a price comparison on cleaning products or insurance to ensure you’re getting the best deal.
• Have a ‘rainy day fund’. Make sure you have a contingency plan in place in case your expenses change – how will you cope if costs go up, if the minimum wage changes or something breaks?
• Plan on a month-by-month basis. Does each month in your business see the same income? Perhaps you have busy periods in the summer where you see your income rise and quieter months in the autumn where your income drops. Make sure that you plan your budget according to your predicted schedule.
• Time is money! Don’t forget that the time you spend doing the job equates to the amount you’ll earn. Set time limits for tasks so you don’t spend longer on them than necessary, thus losing essential income.
• What are you going to charge clients? This will have a huge impact on your budget as if you don’t have enough money coming in then you won’t have enough cash to spend on what you need. Think about whether you’ll charge clients per job, per hour or per month. Most domestic cleaners average around £10-15/hour.
• Don’t forget start-up costs. It’s likely that your first year may be more expensive than others as you’ll need to incorporate your business start-up costs. You may want to set aside part of the budget each month to buy something new or you may be paying off debt from a one-off start-up purchase.
• Don’t spend all your profits! When planning your budget you may find that your income is higher than your expenses and this means profit – which is great! However be careful not to plough all of this money straight back into the business. Instead, keep some aside and pop it in your rainy day fund for emergencies.
• Consult a financial adviser. If you need help with budgeting or want to create a more thorough financial plan then consulting a financial adviser can be a good investment. Don’t be afraid to ask for a helping hand if you need it!

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Her favourite article is How to Start a Food Business From Your Home