Starting a business is tough. Yet more than five million people in America are trying to do it anyways.

Many will fail, and some will find success. And even though it requires blood, sweat, and tears for many years, the payoff is almost always worth it.

Are you looking for a business idea you can start today that requires little startup capital? Starting a garage cleaning service is one of the best options.

But how do take this idea and turn it into a thriving company? Keep reading below to develop your garage and house cleaning business roadmap.

Benefits of Starting a Garage Cleaning Service

Starting a home cleaning company doesn’t sound like the most glamorous path to entrepreneurship. And it’s not. But it’s one of the most stable ideas, with a proven business model, that can make you a lot of money.

Not only can you generate a lot of revenue per month, but you can build a business that you can sell later down the line. Cleaning houses and garages is a service that will always be in high demand, so this is an industry with a bright future.

And a garage cleaning company doesn’t require a ton of specialized equipment. Nor does it require a physical office, so no need to pay rent. It’s a low overhead business model, so you can get started without taking out a massive loan.

This will ensure you can generate profits rather quickly, if not immediately.

And the best part? Once you’re up and running, you can bring on employees or contractors to go out and do the cleaning for you while you focus on building up the business and finding new clients.

How to Start a Garage Cleaning Business

So how do you actually start a garage cleaning service within the next few days or weeks? Here is your garage cleaning business plan.

Research

Starting a business always starts with research. And there are a few things you’re going to want to study up on.

First, understand how cleaning companies work. This is a home-based service business. All of the work happens at your customers’ houses. You don’t need any real estate of your own.

Check out this YouTube video for information and inspiration on starting a home cleaning company with less than $10,000 in startup capital; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otH23Q_lJR0.

Then, research your local market. How many people live in your immediate area? How many people own a house versus rent? What’s the education level in your area, and how much disposable income do people have?

Which neighborhoods in your area are more likely to pay for this service? Hint, it’s probably the same neighborhoods that hire lawn care services, window cleaning services, and grocery delivery. Focus on these places first.

Establish Your Brand

Time for the fun part; building your brand. You’ll want to choose a business name that is short, easy to remember, and conveys what your company does.

Cleaning company names don’t have to be super cool to be effective. Naming your company “Tim’s Garage Cleaning” might be all it takes. However, using your name in the business name could make it harder to sell the company later on.

Of course, you can try to be more creative. If you have some extra money, you can hire a branding expert to help you do this.

Once you have a name, you’ll want a logo. There are many free logo makers online that will let you create something simple yet professional. Make sure it’s readable and will resonate with your target customer.

You’ll also want to choose the main brand color with a supporting secondary color. And you’ll want to choose a primary font you’ll use for marketing materials and a secondary font.

The key to good branding is being consistent everywhere, from your website to flyers you pass out.

Register Your Business

Once you have a business name, you can register it with your state. Once you’ve registered your business name, you can apply for a FEIN or federal employer identification number.

This is essentially the social security number for your business, and that’s how your company will pay taxes.

Now, check your state and city requirements to see if any business licenses are required in your area for the type of work you will be performing.

Lastly, buy the domain name for your website. You can also set up one or two social media profiles with your business name.

Get Legal and Insured

It’s a good idea to set up a legal structure for your company. Forming an LLC rather than operating as a sole proprietorship increases professionalism.

It can also add a layer of protection should you ever face a lawsuit, which is definitely possible when working on a customer’s private property.

It’s best to speak with an attorney who can recommend the best legal structure for your company.

Next up, you need business insurance. At the very least, you’ll want general liability insurance. If you buy a separate vehicle for your garage cleaning service, you’ll need commercial auto insurance.

And there might be other policies that are relevant to your company as well. Working with an independent insurance agent can help you save by bundling multiple policies together.

Buy Supplies

While you don’t need a ton of equipment to start cleaning garages, you will need some supplies. This includes things like brooms, mops, rags, cleaning chemicals, buckets, heavy-duty trash bags, and so forth.

If heavy equipment is required, you can always rent it initially until you have enough money to purchase your own units.

Market Your Company

You’ll need to have a professional website that clearly outlines your services. You need a way that customers can contact you so that you can set up an appointment and provide quotes.

If you have a weekend to spare, you can use various website builders to create a professional website on your own.

Then, you just need to figure out which marketing strategies you want to start out with. This might be doing work for free for a few customers, hoping to get some positive reviews. Or it might mean passing out flyers or running paid advertisements.

Build Your Cleaning Empire

Starting a garage cleaning service is a similar process to starting many other types of businesses. What is unique is how you will actually provide your service to customers and how you will go about finding new customers.

It won’t be easy, but you aren’t on your own. Millions of people have already started similar businesses, so resources are always available to help you move forward.

Looking for more tips on starting a home or business cleaning service? Check out our blog now to find other helpful articles.