How to Start a Cleaning Business and Promote It Effectively

After you have learned how to start a cleaning business, you need to know how you can promote it effectively to ensure a steady stream of customers.  Here are three simple, low-cost yet very effective advertisements for a cleaning business:

·         Word-of-mouth - This type of advertising is free yet very effective. Word-of-mouth about a new business is not likely to spread on its own.  You need to trigger it with something that will be exciting and interesting enough for your target market to talk about.  Start with a powerful message that tells everyone that you are out to give the best service around.  Of course, do not give empty promises.  You cannot simply say that you are the best without proof. 

Convince people to give your services a try with a limited offer of cleaning 3 rooms for the price of 2, for instance.  Or throw in a free room cleaning when a customer books a cleaning job for 5 rooms.  Think of something extraordinary that none of your competitors are currently doing.  Wear a costume while you clean or add a welcome fruit or flower basket as a treat when your customer enters his newly cleaned room.  These extra touches will get the customers talking about your services.

 

·         Business Cards and Signboards – Although modern marketers might find these outdated, business cards and signboards could still give you the kind of exposure that you need in your locality.  You are working on your local market and it will be easy enough for you customers to be exposed to your signboards on their way to work, while walking around with the family, or while enjoying the cityscape at night.  Business cards, on the other hand, will be a good way to add some personal touch to your advertising.  Hand them out at a local home decorating store or the home depot.  You can personally introduce yourself to your potential customers and answer queries on-the-spot.  

·         Mobile advertising – This is another inexpensive way to reach out to your local customers.  You can send out advertising messages to your contacts through their mobile phones.  You have to be careful in crafting your messages.  They have to be simple, direct-to-the-point, and convincing.  Spare your customers from the trouble of having to scroll down several times to read your message.  Excite them with an offer and then tell them where or how to avail of it.  You also have to be careful not to send too many mobile messages.  Overboard mobile messaging can be considered as spamming and will gain you a frown instead of a smile.

There is no need to have a lot of marketing and advertising dollars to promote a cleaning business.  It takes creativity in attracting customers to try out the services of any new business in the market.