8 months after starting a house cleaning business: a detailed list

Starting with zero customers in September 2022, I now have approximately 25 customers.

Here is what drives customers to call us, best to worst: Senior Sampler newspaper, mailing letters, hand delivering flyers, EDDM, Referrals

Customers added per month:

• 2 customers in September 2022
• Zero customers in October or November 2022
• 2 new customers in December 2022
• 4 new customers in January 2023
• 6 new customers in February 2023
• 3 new customers in March 2023
• 7+ new customers up to April 15th of 2023

I charge seven cents per S.F. to clean a home. Example: a 2000 S.F. home would cost the customer $140 to clean.

Average weekly gross income: $1,000

Average profit per home: 34%

This past week’s profit: $300.

I have three employees who I pay $19.25 per hour to clean.

I use Zenmaid to schedule the cleanings.

I use Gusto to do my payroll and take care of state and federal forms.

Current goal is to net $1,000/week before taxes, then $1,000/week after taxes.

If I kept growing like I am, I would need about 75 customers to reach my goal.

For now, I am going to be advertising to home owners with homes larger than 4,000 S.F. By doing this, I will only need about 37 new customers to reach my goal.

Apparently, vacation rental cleaning is very under supplied with cleaners. I mailed out 110 letters and got 4 calls, 2 appointments and 2 clients (so far). If this held true, that means that I could mail out 1,000 letters and get at least 20 new clients.

I charge vacation rental owners eight cents per S.F. and $12 per bed made. Example a 1500 S.F. vacation rental ($120) with four beds needing to be made ($48) would cost the owner $168 to clean.

Additional information: How To Start A Cleaning Business (2023 Guide) Forbes Magazine.

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