Carpet Cleaning business Cards
The success of office cleaning companies depends in part on the quality of their marketing.
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Home and office cleaning accounts for 90 percent of the $35 billion janitorial services industry in the United States, according to a 2012 report by the Small Business Development Center network. Approximately 59, 000 companies provide janitorial and carpet cleaning services across the nation. The operations consisted mainly of workers cleaning by hand or using basic equipment such as floor polishers. The report found that small companies competed effectively in local market, and that their success depended on the quality of their marketing efforts.
Attract Office Clients
1. Create a website that outlines the services you offer, your contact information and testimonials from other office clients. Print flyers for distribution at business parks. Print business cards to leave with prospective clients.
2. Choose the geographical area you plan to operate. Base your selection on locations you can reach without a long commute, and that fit into the transportation needs of your staff, such as near a transit stop.
3. Conduct online research on companies that might have a need for your services. Find out how many workers they have and what size their premises are. Contact the person responsible for office cleaning. If possible, find out whether they currently employ their own cleaning staff or use a cleaning company. You will also want to get this information that contact you directly after seeing your website or flyers.
4. Write or email the manager in each company who is responsible for office cleaning. Explain the services you provide and offer to conduct a free, no-obligation assessment of their current cleaning operations. Make an appointment to view the premises. Ask the manager for details of all the cleaning activities that take place in the company.
5. Prepare a detailed report on your inspection, highlighting areas where the premises were clean as well as those where you could offer improvements. Compile an estimate for providing services to fulfill all the company’s cleaning requirements. Add in your recommendations for improving the condition of their premises. Focus on the benefits of using your services.
6. Make a follow-up appointment with your contact person. Prepare a presentation outlining your recommendations for improvements, and your costs. Provide a printed copy of your report and price quote for the potential client to retain. Include a draft service agreement for him to review, with your terms and conditions of contract.
7. Follow up after a week and ask your contact person for his feedback on your proposal. Answer any questions he has. Offer to take him on an inspection of office premises that belong to an existing client. Maintain contact with him on a regular basis until you are able to extract a firm response and close the sale.
Attract Residential Clients
1. Distribute your marketing materials to homes in the area you have selected to provide services. Offer special discounts and promotions to win new clients. For example, offer a Spring special offer to new clients who sign up with you during a specific period. Alternatively, link your special offers to holidays and occasions, such as Easter or Thanksgiving.
2. Advertise in the classified ad section of your local newspaper and in online ad venues such as Craigslist. Put posters up in grocery stores and on community notice boards. Take your flyers and business cards to your local pharmacy, veterinarian and library, and ask the managers to display them on their counters for you. Write blog posts for your website to keep your content fresh and relevant, and to ensure your site comes up on the results pages when a prospective client uses a search engine to find a residential cleaning company in your area.
3. Set up profiles for your business on social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Link to your website and blog, and publish regular comments and special deals on your pages. Ask your family, friends and satisfied clients to share your profile with their contacts, and offer referral incentives to those who send new clients to you.
