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Setting up a commercial cleaning company is a great idea. In fact, it’s so good, it’s amazing more entrepreneurs aren’t doing it.
With that said, a lot of them are targeting the wrong customers. They’re going after offices and retail units instead of picking low-hanging fruit, like schools.
The purpose of this post is to explain why schools should be at the top of your list of client priorities as a commercial cleaning business. Here’s what makes them so valuable:
Recurring Contracts
The number one reason is the recurring contracts you get. Schools are highly unlikely to hire you as a one-off. Most will want you to sign a deal and then promise to keep coming back long-term.
What’s great about schools is that they get their money from the local government, not fickle customers. Because of this, they will almost never cut back on services from you (unless there’s a budget issue in the future). Consequently, all you really need to focus on is securing the contract and then providing the best service you can.
Large Square Footage
Another perk is the large square footage of most schools. Because they have to accommodate such a high number of students, their raw area is far greater, meaning you can charge more.
Furthermore, you can use the area of the premises to lock in a fair daily or weekly rate. You can also offer multiple cleaners who work daily on the premises to clean one room at a time, constantly running through their list of priorities.
On-Time Payment
Because of the fact that taxpayers are paying for the cleaning, most schools also pay on time at the quoted rate. They usually set this up to go out automatically from their account into yours, saving you so much time chasing people up and trying to figure out why someone didn’t pay you when they should.
Low Input Costs
Another benefit is low input costs. You hardly have to keep any inventory at all, even if you’re managing a large square footage. Cleaning supplies for schools are incredibly inexpensive, especially if you purchase them in bulk (which is something that industry experts highly recommend). You can keep them in a van or lockup for virtually nothing.
Regular Referrals
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You’ll also notice that once you start working for one school, many others want to follow suit. Most schools will talk to each other and make recommendations, especially when the subject of cleaning comes up. Even if students are happy with dirty environments, most staff who work there aren’t, and they want to feel like their private sector counterparts when they walk into their workplace.
Forgiving Of Mistakes
Lastly, you’ll notice that schools are usually much more forgiving of mistakes. The impact of poor cleaning for them is lower than it is for a private business, so their standards aren’t as high.
This isn’t an invitation to slack off, of course — that sort of thing will still lose you money. However, it can help with retention and lowering your overall marketing costs.
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