sample of a cleaning business plan

Cleaning Business Plan Template [Updated 2023]

Cleaning Business Plan Template

If you want to start a Cleaning business or expand your current Cleaning service, you need a business plan.

The following Cleaning business plan template gives you the key elements to include in a winning cleaning service business plan.

You can download our Business Plan Template (including a full, customizable financial model) to your computer here.

Cleaning Company Business Plan Sample

I. executive summary, business overview.

[Company Name], located at [insert location here] is a new home cleaning service providing home and apartment cleaning services to its clients. [Company Name] is headed by [Founder’s Name], an experienced home cleaner and cleaning services manager.

[Company Name] will focus on providing weekly home cleaning services to upper class residents as well as specialty cleaning services to other clients. These specialty services will include exterior cleaning services (porches, patios, building exteriors) and deep cleaning of homes that have heavy build up of debris and garbage (preparation for moving or estate sales).

The founder, [Founder’s Name], will also develop proposals for cleaning services specific to the needs of the client and the amount of space to clean. [Founder’s Name] will write newsletters to clients describing the best practices in home cleaning, reviewing new products, and answering frequently asked client questions.

Customer Focus

[Company Name] will primarily serve the residents within a 10 mile radius of our location. The demographics of these customers are as follows:

• 27,827 residents
• Average income of $74,700
• 58.9% married
• 49.6% in Mgt./Professional occupations
• 75% of residents are homeowners
• Median age: 38 years

In addition to this relatively wealthy adult demographic for a cleaning service business, there are five large apartment buildings in the area. The management companies of these apartment buildings may require cleaning services to prepare for new tenants to move in.

Management Team

[Company Name]’s most valuable asset is the expertise and experience of its founder, [Founder’s Name]. [First name] has been a cleaning services manager for the past 15 years. He has spent much of his career working with Regal Hotel Management, where he oversaw housekeeping operations for fifteen hotels. He spent the more recent portion of his career at a smaller firm, King’s Cleaning, where he sold cleaning services worth over $1 million to homes and businesses.

[Company name] will also employ an experienced assistant manager to manage cleaning operations. This will be an experienced operations manager who will be trained in cleaning services operations by [Founder’s Name].

Success Factors

[Company Name] is uniquely qualified to succeed due to the following reasons:

• [Company Name] will fill a specific market niche in the growing community we are entering. In addition, we have surveyed the local population and received extremely positive feedback saying that they explicitly want to make use of our services when launched.
• Our location is in a high-wealth area where customers are in need of house cleaning services.
• The management team has a track record of success in the cleaning services business.
• The local area is currently under served and residents rely on independent and often illegal house cleaners.

Financial Highlights

[Company Name] is seeking a total funding of $92,000 of debt capital to open its cleaning service. The capital will be used for funding capital expenditures and location build-out, hiring initial employees, marketing expenses and working capital.

Specifically, these funds will be used as follows:

• Headquarters design/build: $46,000
• Working capital: $46,000 to pay for marketing, salaries, and lease costs until [Company Name] reaches break-even

Top line projections over the next five years are as follows:

II. Company Overview

Who is [company name].

[Company Name], located at [insert location here] is a new home cleaning service providing home and apartment cleaning to its clients. [Company Name] is headed by [Founder’s Name], an experienced home cleaner and cleaning services manager.

While [Founder’s Name] has been in the cleaning services sector for some time, it was in [month, year] that he decided to launch [Company Name]. Specifically, during this time, [Founder] met with a former friend and fellow independent cleaning services provider in Fort Lauderdale, FL who has had tremendous success. After discussing the business at length, [Founder’s Name] clearly understood that a similar business would enjoy significant success in his hometown.

Specifically, the customer demographics and competitive situations in the Fort Lauderdale location and in his hometown were so similar that he knew the business would work. After surveying the local population, [Founder’s name] went ahead and founded [Company Name].

[Company Name]’s History

Upon returning from Fort Lauderdale, surveying the local customer base, and finding a potential retail office, [Founder’s Name] incorporated [Company Name] as an S-Corporation on [date of incorporation].

The business is currently being run out of [Founder’s Name] home office, but once the lease on [Company Name]’s office location is finalized, all operations will be run from there.

Since incorporation, the Company has achieved the following milestones:

• Found office space and signed Letter of Intent to lease it
• Developed the company’s name, logo and website located at [website]
• Determined equipment and fixture requirements
• Began recruiting key employees

[Company Name]’s Services

[Founder’s Name] will be able to provide clients with the following services:

• Weekly Residential Cleaning: regular, general residential cleaning services, customized to the needs of each client, for apartments, small homes, and large homes.
• Exterior Cleaning: cleaning of exterior walls, patios, porches, driveways, etc
• Deep Cleaning: garbage removal, carpet cleaning and deep cleaning of walls and floors for tenants who are moving, home sales, and landlords of apartment buildings
• [Company Name] Newsletter: frequently asked questions, cleaning tips, and product reviews for clients

As [Founder’s Name] understands, the key to a successful cleaning service is being responsive to the particular needs of clients. [Founder’s Name] will have a full-time assistant manager who will, among other things, manage operations including scheduling, supply procurement, inventory, and bookkeeping. This will free up the time of [Founder’s Name] to work on sales and customer service.

III. Industry Analysis

The cleaning industry is generally strongly correlated with the strength of the real estate market. However, last year, according to Freedonia, the commercial and residential contract cleaning services market was $48.4 billion in the U.S. The market will grow at 5.3 % annually for the next three years and that “gains will be driven by the shift toward “”do-it-for-me”” cleaning services in the residential market and by the outsourcing of noncore functions in the nonresidential market.”

The cleaning industry includes nonresidential interior building, residential interior, swimming pool, street and parking lot, exterior building, chimney, transportation equipment, window, and more. Within the residential interior segment, some providers specialize in areas such as carpets, kitchens, walls, and floors.

Trends in the cleaning industry include the following:

• Customer interest in companies that clean with all-natural or environmentally-friendly products only.
• Customer interest in companies that clean with non-toxic products.
• Market downturn leads to growth in residential customers hosting dinners and events at their homes to save money, leading to increase in cleaning services before and after such events.
• Customer interest in expert advice as to how they clean and maintain their homes better.

IV. Customer Analysis

Demographic profile of target market.

[Company Name] will serve the residents of [company location] and the immediately surrounding areas in a 10 mile radius.

The area we serve is populated mostly by the middle and upper class and lead busy lifestyles; as a result, they have both the need for cleaning services and the means to pay for it.

Customer Segmentation

The Company will primarily target the following three customer segments:

• Middle and Upper Class Homeowners: The area in which the Company will operate has a significant population of homeowners. Many homes have two working parents with limited time to keep up with housekeeping and cleaning. Even homes with one parent staying at home can have a need for regular cleaning services or specialty services from time to time, especially when there are three or more children to care for.
• Wealthy Renters: Many wealthy singles and couples chose to rent apartments and homes rather than to buy because of a temporary living situation in [company location]. These renters tend to work long hours at consulting companies, banks, and financial services and do not have the time or interest in cleaning their apartments regularly.
• Apartment Management Companies: There are five apartment buildings in the vicinity which may be interested in outsourcing their cleaning services for apartment units when they are vacated.

V. Competitive Analysis

Direct & indirect competitors.

The following two cleaning services firms are estimated to serve 50% of the house cleaning services customers within a 10 mile radius of [Company Name], as determined by a survey of 100 homes. Independent housekeepers are used by many more, although the exact number is difficult to determine.

King’s Cleaning

King’s Cleaning is an established local business and residential cleaning service that has been in operation for ten years. The company earns approximately half of its revenue through residential cleaning and half through business and office cleaning. [Founder’s Name] is very familiar with this competitor, having served as its sales manager for the past five years.

King’s customer reviews are often mixed. There are often reports of cleanings being incomplete. While King’s does send crews back to redo any shoddy work, their reputation has been damaged by these incidents over time.

[Company Name] will create a brand built around the specific cleaning needs of homeowners and renters rather than serving both home and business owners.

Merry Maids

Merry Maids is a nationally franchised brand that cleans more than 300,000 homes, apartments, and condos in North America every month. Founded in 1979, the company has more than 300 locations and calls itself the largest home cleaning franchise network in the world.

Merry Maids operates on a similar model to [Company Name], providing customized proposals to clients based on an estimate of their specific needs. They encourage weekly service, but can provide service on any schedule chosen by a customer or one-time cleanings.

However, Merry Maids does not offer any rates on their website, insisting that a home inspection must take place before any cleaning rates can be discussed. [Company Name] will offer basic rate ranges (competitive with Merry Maids) on their website, helping customers to come to a decision faster. Furthermore, [Company Name] will build its brand as a cleaning expert through its intelligent weekly newsletter.

Independent Housekeepers

Dozens of independent housekeepers operate their own businesses, generally illegally, for area residents. These housekeepers advertise their services through word-of-mouth and flyers in supermarkets and local stores. They offer low rates (as low as $10 per hour) to clean homes and require payment in cash.

While many customers seek out these “off-the-books” workers to clean their homes, others are wary of hiring illegal workers who avoid taxes and don’t hold insurance or business licenses. Those who are legal to work in this country can potentially become employees of [Company Name], effectively buying them out as competition.

Competitive Pricing

Competitive advantage.

[Company Name] enjoys several advantages over its competitors. These advantages include:

• Client-oriented service: [Company Name] will have a full-time sales manager to keep in contact with clients and answer their everyday questions. [Founder’s Name] realizes the importance of accessibility to his clients, and will further keep in touch with his clients through weekly newsletters about cleaning.
• Management: [Founder’s Name] has been extremely successful working in the cleaning services business and will be able to use his previous experience to assure clients of the care that [Company Name] will take to do the job right. His unique qualifications will serve customers in a much more sophisticated manner than [Company Name’s] competitors.
• Relationships: Having lived in the community for 25 years, [Founder’s Name] knows many of the local leaders, newspapers and other influences. Furthermore, he will be able to draw from his ties to homeowners from his work at King’s Cleaning to develop an initial client base.

VI. Marketing Plan

[Company Name] will use several strategies to promote its name, develop its brand and reach its target customers. By using an integrated marketing strategy, [Company Name] will win clients and develop consistent revenue streams.

The [Company name] Brand

The [Company name] brand will focus on the Company’s unique value proposition:

• Client-focused home cleaning services, that treat each home individually and get the job done right the first time
• Service built on long-term relationships
• Big-firm expertise in a small-firm environment

Promotions Strategy

Targeted Cold Calls

[Company Name] will initially invest significant time and energy into contacting potential clients via telephone. In order to improve the effectiveness of this phase of the marketing strategy, a highly-focused call list will be used; targeting individuals in homes are most likely to demand the services of a cleaning company. As this is a very time-consuming process, it will primarily be used during the startup phase to build an initial client base.

[Company Name] understands that the best promotion comes from satisfied customers. The Company will encourage its clients to refer their friends and neighbors by providing discounts for new client produced. This strategy will increase in effectiveness after the business has already been established.

Additionally, [Company Name] will aggressively network with local area hardware and cleaning supply stores that sell products used by [Company Name]. This network will generate referral leads and give out flyers to customers at no charge in exchange for the steady purchase of cleaning supplies. In return, clients who seek to use the high-quality products that [Company Name] uses will be directed to these stores.

[Company Name] will invest resources in two forms of geographically-focused internet promotion—organic search engine optimization and pay-per-click advertising. The Company will develop its website in such a manner as to direct as much traffic from search engines as possible. Additionally, it will use highly-focused, specific keywords to draw traffic to its website, where potential clients will find a content-rich site that presents [Company Name] as the trustworthy, well-qualified home cleaning firm that it is.

Publications

[Company name] will place print advertisements in key local publications, including newspapers, area magazines, and local sport programs. Additionally, the Company will print brochures and place them in specific locations frequented by target individuals, such as supermarkets and real estate offices.

Pricing Strategy

[Company Name]’s pricing will be competitive compared with Merry Maids and lower than King’s Cleaning, although higher than illegal independent housekeepers. For regular, weekly clients, pricing will be based on the average labor needed for a job and a steady fee will be set. For one-time clients, or clients who are trying out the firm’s services, a competitive hourly rate will be charged.

VII. Operations

[Company Name] will carry out its sales operations through phone calls and home visits/consultations. House cleanings will be scheduled within time ranges (i.e. 10 am – 4 pm Wednesday) rather than at exact times to allow leeway for jobs that may be longer or shorter than expected. After clients are served a number of times, appointments will be scheduled more tightly together based on the average service time for each home.

The headquarters will not be used for client meetings, allowing savings on the renovation costs needed for this space. This space will house the three full-time, non-cleaning staff as well as cleaning supplies for the cleaning staff. Cleaning staff will be required to travel to client homes in their own vehicles and will be reimbursed for travel expenses.

[Founder’s Name] will work as the primary salesperson for the company’s services, although the assistant manager and administrative assistant may be trained in sales activities over time. The assistant manager will manage company operations, under [Founder’s Name]’s supervision. The administrative assistant will handle basic scheduling work for the assistant manager, as well as light bookkeeping, answering phones, and organizing human resources.

[Company Name]’s long term goal is to become the highest quality provider of consistent home cleaning services in the [city] area. We seek to do this by ensuring customer satisfaction and developing a loyal and successful clientele.

The following are a series of steps that will lead to this long-term success. [Company Name] expects to achieve the following milestones in the following [xyz] months:

VIII. Management Team

[Company Name]’s most valuable asset is the expertise and experience of its founder, [Founder’s Name]. [First name] has been a cleaning services manager for the past 15 years. He has spent much of his career working with Regal Hotel Management, where he oversaw housekeeping operations for fifteen hotels. At Regal, [First name] learned the requirements for detailed cleaning from both a technical and customer service perspective.

[First name] spent the more recent portion of his career at a smaller firm, King’s Cleaning, where he sold cleaning services worth over $1 million to homes and businesses over the past five years. During this time he witnessed firsthand successes and failures in service operations and service quality, while developing deep expertise as a customer service representative.

[Company name] will also employ an experienced assistant manager to manage cleaning operations. This will be an experienced operations manager who will be trained in cleaning services operations by [Founder’s Name]. The desired individual with have an undergraduate business degree or years of small business operations management experience.

Hiring Plan

In order to launch the business we will hire the following employees:

• Cleaning Staff: 9 full-time, experienced home cleaners. Must be read and speak English in order to take directions directly from clients, as needed. Cleaning staff will be added consistently to fill the growing need for [Company Name] services.
• Administrative Assistant: Must be organized, with good phone skills, facility with numbers for bookkeeping, and good writing skills.

IX. Financial Plan

Revenue & pricing.

[Company Name]’s revenues will come primarily from cleaning fees to residential clients.

[Company Name]’s main revenue streams will be:

Key Cost Drivers

As with most services, labor expenses are the key cost drivers. Cleaning staff will earn a competitive salary, allowing [Company Name] to hire workers who previously operated independent businesses. Furthermore, the costs of supplies and travel to client sites are expected to be roughly 20% of revenue.

The major cost drivers for the company’s operation will consist of:

• Cost of cleaning (supplies and travel to homes)
• Lease on company headquarters

Moreover, ongoing marketing expenditures are also notable cost drivers for [Company Name].

Capital Requirements and Use of Funds

[Company Name] is seeking a total funding of $92,000 of debt capital to open its cleaning business. The capital will be used for funding capital expenditures and location build-out, hiring initial employees, marketing expenses and working capital.

Key Assumptions & Forecasts

The following table reflects the key revenue and cost assumptions made in the financial projections model.

5 Year Annual Income Statement

5 Year Annual Balance Sheet

5 Year Annual Cash Flow Statement

Summary Crafting a cleaning services business plan is an essential part of the business planning process. The cleaning company business plan template above provides you with the a solid foundation to get started on your own cleaning services business plan.

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Starting a cleaning business? A good business plan will give you a leg up on the competition. To get an idea of what your business plan should look like, check out these sample business plans for cleaning services, janitorial services, carpet and upholstery cleaning services, and other related businesses.

If you’re looking to develop a more modern business plan, we recommend you try LivePlan . It contains the same templates and information you see here, but with additional guidance to help you develop the perfect plan.

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Cleaning Company Business Plan

Cleaning might be a chore for someone but to some people, it is no less than passion.

And why not, who doesn’t like a nicely organized and spick and span place? Although all of us can accept that some of us are better at it than others.

If you are planning to start a new cleaning services business, the first thing you will need is a business plan. Use our sample Cleaning Company Business Plan created using Upmetrics – Business Plan Software to start writing your business plan in no time.

Before you start writing your business plan for your new cleaning company, spend as much time as you can reading through some samples of cleaning and maintenance-related business plans.

Industry Overview

The cleaning industry stood at a whopping value of 61 billion dollars and isn’t going to slow down any time soon.

Also, with the recent pandemic, the importance of cleaning has grown. And if you know how to organize spaces too there’s no stopping you from building a thriving business.

So, while a bunch of us satisfy ourselves by watching the oddly satisfying cleaning videos on YouTube you could be out there building a profitable business out of it.

But before you go, we have a few tips and business planning hacks compiled for you.

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Things to Consider Before Writing Your Cleaning Company Business Plan

Pick a specialisation.

Pick what kind of spaces you want to clean. It helps you hire people who are the best at a certain job. After all, cleaning different spaces requires a different set of skills and precision.

You can go for anything from cleaning outdoor spaces, hotels, offices, schools, etc.

Decide what additional services you can provide

Sometimes business is all about going that extra mile. Decide what additional services you can provide apart from the primary ones.

This would also largely depend upon the sector of the cleaning industry you are in.

Know your target audience like the back of your hand

Knowing your target audience helps you provide better services and change as their preferences change.

The cleaning industry is a lot about putting technology to maximum use.

Know your competitors

Knowing your competitors is crucial. It helps you stay ahead of them and have a foresight of what’s going to happen in the industry.

Write Your Business Plan

If you have been mocked for cleaning a little too much, don’t take it to heart. Make a business out of it. And here’s a little bit of data to give you the required motivation.

Reading sample business plans will give you a good idea of what you’re aiming for. It will also show you the different sections that different entrepreneurs include and the language they use to write about themselves and their business plans.

We have created this sample cleaning company business plan for you to get a good idea about how a perfect cleaning company business plan should look like and what details you will need to include in your stunning business plan.

Cleaning Company Business Plan Outline

This is the standard cleaning company business plan outline which will cover all important sections that you should include in your business plan.

• Market Validation
• Short-Term (1 -3 Years)
• Long Term (3-5 years)
• Mission Statement
• Keys to Success
• Units Sold v/s Revenue Chart
• Company Ownership / Legal Entity
• Interior Operating Facilities
• Hours of Operation
• Start-up Summary
• Garden Maintenance
• Grounds Maintenance
• General Cleaning
• Disinfecting
• Customer Service
• Residential Cleaning
• Commercial Cleaning
• Specialty Cleaning
• Market Trends
• CMS Market Distribution
• Competitive Advantage
• SWOT analysis
• Distribution Strategy
• Marketing and Promotion Program
• Positioning Statement
• Marketing Channels
• Pricing Strategy
• Organization chart
• Management Team
• Hiring plan
• Important Assumptions
• Brake-even Analysis
• Profit Yearly
• Gross Margin Yearly
• Projected Cash Flow
• Projected Balance Sheet
• Business Ratios

After getting started with upmetrics , you can copy this Cleaning Company Business Plan into your business plan and modify the required information and download your cleaning company business plan pdf or doc file.

It’s the fastest and easiest way to start writing your business plan.

The Quickest Way to turn a Business Idea into a Business Plan

Fill-in-the-blanks and automatic financials make it easy.

Download a sample cleaning company business plan

Need help writing your business plan from scratch? Here you go;  download our free cleaning company business plan pdf  to start.

It’s a modern business plan template specifically designed for your cleaning company business. Use the example business plan as a guide for writing your own.

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About the Author

Vinay Kevadiya

Vinay Kevadiya is the founder and CEO of Upmetrics, the #1 business planning software. His ultimate goal with Upmetrics is to revolutionize how entrepreneurs create, manage, and execute their business plans. He enjoys sharing his insights on business planning and other relevant topics through his articles and blog posts. Read more

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Sample Janitorial and Commercial Cleaning Business Plan

Example commercial cleaning & janitorial service business plan.

This is a comprehensive tutorial on putting together a sample janitorial & commercial cleaning service business plan. This template can be used by cleaning services, janitorial service, commercial cleaning specialty and carpet cleaning businesses.

The goal was to write out a custom business plan using practical information and cover the main topics.

Some of the topics were too big and we had to use an introduction and then provide a link to the full resource. Every section has a link to view details of specific sections.

The plan divided into 6 sections:

• Business Description

Table of Contents

Commercial Cleaning- Janitorial, Carpet Cleaning, VCT, Tile, Office Cleaning

In the executive summary we list all the main sections and then give a brief description of the topic.

• Business Description – Next Door commercial cleaning service located in Toledo Ohio and was incorporated as an S Corp July 2020. We are currently in the start up stage with August 1st 2020 as our first day of business. We currently have 3 employees, one marketing person and 2 cleaning technicians. ND currently leases 5 000 sqr feet of office and warehouse space out of Toledo. Our current target market is employers with 50- 100 plus employees, primarily professional offices with cleanable office space of 10,000 sqr feet minimum.
• Services – Next Door will provide daily cleaning services to local businesses including an emphasis on specialty cleaning services such as : Carpet cleaning, hard tile cleaning, VCT waxing, furniture and general disinfecting. Most businesses don’t have the time to recruit, hire and especially training cleaning staff. It can take 3-6 months to train a good cleaner, this is time, money most businesses would rather devote to their specialty and their clients and not on maintaining a clean building.
• Marketing – The company is going to use Account Based Marketing, what this means is weighting our budget to best payoffs. The strategy is to shift our resources to the biggest payoff and not market to every business equally. Some businesses will spend $1200 year, while others might spend $50k. We want our marketing plan to reflect that . This can really hit home – if we apply 80% of our effort to just 20% of our leads (our Key Accounts) we will receive 80% of the  rewards.
• Management – As we grow especially in commercial services where its common for businesses to have 10, 20 and even hundreds of employees. We want to avoid this first slide of every employee, every customer, invoice, equipment question coming to you directly. This is guaranteed to fail eventually and create lots of stress in the process.
• Operations – Commercial cleaning employee manual or handbook, this can be used for janitorial, carpet cleaning and commercial cleaning services. The purpose of this sample is to share some topics and general information to include in an employee manual.
• Financial – The financial part is the final part of the business plan and here we will use charts, graphs and spreadsheets mainly to map out a long term successful future.

1.Business Plan- Summary

Next Door commercial cleaning service located in Toledo Ohio and was incorporated as an S Corp July 2020. We are currently in the start up stage with August 1 st 2020 as our first day of business. We currently have 3 employees, one marketing person and 2 cleaning technicians. ND currently leases 5 000 sqr feet of office and warehouse space out of Toledo.

Our current target market is employers with 50- 100 plus employees, primarily professional offices with cleanable office space of 10,000 sqr feet minimum.

Client sustainability is going to be the main variable to consider when deciding which business to market to. We want to be thinking of industries that will be in business for the next 20 years.

Medical, clinics, doctor, technology, professional services like architect, law, financial. We see these as basic services that will survive the ups and downs of the macro economy. The main threat long term is the use of remote workers but we feel this is still a long ways out in large numbers.

Next Door plans to be diverse offering daily building cleaning services and also high margin specialty services. We believe this mix will balance our revenue/profits out over long term macro changes.

1.1 Industry Overview

Currently the retail sector of the industry is a mess and very difficult to make work. As more people continue to buy online retail stores continue to close stores and significantly cut back on cleaning budgets.

Right this second hospitality is also in shambles with pandemic and government ordered shutdowns or limitations on capacity. This includes restaurants, hotels, leisure, etc. We believe there will be permanent damage to this sector and will stay away for the first couple years. Even when they do get back on their feet they will be keeping budgets tight.

Industrial businesses are hit and miss, really depends on the specific product they make. This will be a sector ND will keep in the marketing mix

Medical, including hospitals clinics and doctor services are always needed and with an aging population only will be needed more. The only risk long term is more doctors using online tools to speak with patients but they will always need to see patients face to face somewhat.

Professional services including technology, lawyers, engineers, management, etc is one of the safest in our opinion long term. These are services that can’t be replaced easily by future robots. These services require thinking and not just repeating tasks. The risk is remote staffing but we feel in large numbers there will always be enough office space needed.

Commercial Property Management is currently experiencing a lot of financial problems with 20-30% of tenants not paying leases. We will be avoiding this sector over the short term.

1.2 Company Description

Next Door is an S Corporation formed in the state of Georgia with 2 shareholders Jason & Lisa Jones. The state or city does not require any special permits or licenses. The company will provide building cleaning services to other businesses.

The office/shop is located in between 2 main thruways giving access to all areas throughout the metro area within 30 minutes. This was a major reason for choosing this location, it is centrally located. Also with commercial cleaning businesses we needed warehouse space to hold various equipment and store misc cleaning products.

 Office is currently leased for 5 years.

Most cleaning staff will report directly to the buildings they service and not come to the office often. The office will be staffed with marketing, management and human resources. Supervisors will share workspace in the office but mainly work in the field at client buildings.

Because of this we only needed 3000 sqr feet of office space and 2000 sqr ft of warehouse.

Mission Statement Our goal is to provide a clean and healthy environment for our customers through state of the art cleaning technology and a commitment to customer service Method Clean Biz

Safety is a priority for our customers and employees, while in your facility we follow a detailed health & safety program, This insures quality service, happy employees and competitive prices.

One of the things Next Door wants to be about is safety, this is as a value proposition for marketing but also be aggressive in training, supervising employees through monthly safety meetings. We feel this is a topic that will be important in the forseeable future.

Also the large employers we target are generally the ones that care about safety. Under 50 employees you will start to see the topic be less and less important.

1.3 History and Current Status

The company is a start a up and we don’t have any history to share. Jason and partner Lisa Jones started the company August 1 st 2020. Jason has worked in the commercial cleaning industry for 20 years as a former franchise owner, operations manager and salesperson for 2 different businesses in the industry.

Lisa is a former office manager and salesperson for a landscaping service for 7 years with an MBA from Georgia University.

Jason feels after 20 years in the industry with practical real life experience in various management roles that the industry is changing and one variable is to focus more on high margin project work to combine with lower margin cleaning contracts.

Lisa has an MBA and can add the business structure needed to grow and sustain long term growth.

Both have experience in sales specifically in the service industry and know how to market, sell contracts.

1.4 Goals and Objectives

The goal is to build the business to about $1.5 million in sales with an owner benefit of about 20% which equals about $300k in benefits, wages and profit for the shareholders. The timeline is 5 years with a slower rate in the first 2 years while they are building the core infrastructure and then dramatically scale that up in years 3-5 after the core is solid.

One of the experiences Jason has had is small businesses growing too fast too early and then crashing because they don’t have enough management in place. Often owners try to do everything themselves and burn out.

1.5 Critical Success Factors

The key to success in the cleaning industry is human resources, people. Recruiting, hiring, training and supervising staff and also developing management, supervision talent in house. We feel the best way to grow and sustain it long term is by developing our cleaners into supervisors.

Each lead person is creating the next lead person. Trying to hire supervisor’s from other cleaning businesses comes with a lot of challenges, some have bad habits to begin with that are difficult to change. Also run the risk they quit after a short time and have information about the internal workings of the business and client lists, training material etc.

Training and supervision will be key success factors. The challenge In the cleaning business is employees are working at the customers location, mainly unsupervised on an hour by hour basis. This is why hiring the right people in the first place is so critical and then getting them in a routine through training.

We will create a culture of everyone sticking together and supporting each other. With 90% of the workforce working remotely it becomes important we communicate with each other on a regular basis and trust each other.

There will be a big emphasis on communicating nightly through email, text, phone so employees are tuned in.

1.6 Company Ownership and Exit

The company has 2 shareholders with Lisa owning 40% of the shares and Jason 60%. Each has the option to buy the other out at an agreed upon price after 5 years. Shares cannot be sold to a third party unless agreed to by both.

Jason will hold the title of CEO and have direct authority over Operations dept. Lisa will have the title of President with administrative and Sales/Marketing directly reporting to her.

The long term plan is operate the business for approximately 15 years and sell to the general public splitting the sale price 60/40.

2. Services

Next Door will provide daily cleaning services to local businesses including an emphasis on specialty cleaning services such as : Carpet cleaning, hard tile cleaning, VCT waxing, furniture and general disinfecting.

Most businesses don’t have the time to recruit, hire and especially training cleaning staff. It can take 3-6 months to train a good cleaner, this is time, money most businesses would rather devote to their specialty and their clients and not on maintaining a clean building.

The 2 nd part is specialty work. Most businesses do not want to invest $10ks of dollars of capital into cleaning equipment that is used 1x month or maybe even only a couple times a year. Also the training of employees required, again for a task that might only need to be done a couple times a year.

Businesses would rather spend that capital on areas where there is a much bigger payoff.

2.1 Service Description

• Daily janitorial and office cleaning
• Carpet steam cleaning truckmount
• Carpet cleaning low moisture
• Hard surface steam cleaning including ceramic, porcelain and quarry tile
• VCT floor waxing, polishing
• Office furniture steam cleaning
• Disinfecting services

Daily Janitorial and office cleaning

The company feels the key to success in daily cleaning is one initial training and two communication. Often cleaning businesses are small and lack management talent, understaffed and overall desperate for bodies on any given day.

We feel the competitive advantage is in training cleaners not only the technical skills but also the importance of service skills. Often clients will like a cleaner and think they are the greatest in the world even if their technical skills are average.

NEXT DOOR wants to make this a key part of training cleaning staff. Some of the training elements will be uniform, appearance, communication with the client, body language, how to address complaints, safety equipment like wet floor signs, tone to use when speaking with clients, etc.

Training will take approximately 3-6 months with technical training only taking 30% of the time. The company feels not only will we have happier clients but cut down on employee turnover by reducing the stress. We feel by training employee’s customer service skills they will also feel like we care about them and want to see them succeed in life in general.

More than anything clients want to know you care and we want to focus on training staff to be proactive in relaying that message. Most clients understand people are human and will make technical mistakes. BUT it is unacceptable to not care about a client building or the staff that works in that building when they are paying you.

2 nd Key element is communication. Most cleaning employees work remotely and does not interact with management on a daily basis. This more than anything can lead to cleaners feeling like nobody is watching and worse nobody cares.

The company is going to be very aggressive in creating a communication system so we interact with every cleaner, every day in some way. Either by a supervisor stopping by, calling, texting or maybe even email in some situations. Our thinking currently is daily text alerts mixed with phone calls.

Carpet Steam Cleaning- Truckmount

The company will invest almost $40k in a van based carpet cleaning system. This system will allow us to steam clean carpets at a very high level of quality and production. With advanced systems we can have a 10 on quality and a 10 in production. This system can also clean up to 300 feet away from the van, targeting large employers we will need to work at great distances on a regular basis.

Carpet Cleaning- Low Moisture

An emerging and often overlooked service is using low moisture technology to clean carpets. With this service the company can sell high margin services at an affordable price. Often in larger buildings access can be a problem or they need the area turned over quickly, low moisture provides a quick 30 minute dry time.

Hard Tile Steam Cleaning

Using the van based carpet cleaning system we can quickly change tools and offer steam cleaning of various tools. This is another high margin service to offer and it makes the daily office cleaning a lot easier and quicker.

Often these areas are the toughest areas to clean: restrooms, lobbies, cafeterias and also the areas that receive the most complaints.

The long term goal is create a route just cleaning hard tile surfaces, the benefit is it’s a high margin service and also can help get our foot in the door to sell big monthly cleaning contracts.

VCT Floor waxing, Polishing

VCT flooring is usually located in high traffic areas like hallways, cafeterias and restrooms. We have found the overall appearance of a building can be greatly impacted by having shiny, clean looking floors. This can be accomplished by stripping old finish off and applying new or high speed polishing.

How clients “feel” about a cleaning service overall can come from how well a cafeteria floor looks. This is medium profit margin service in most cases because how labor intensive it can be. But can help greatly in the overall satisfaction of clients.

Office Furniture Cleaning

Office furniture is another high margin but niche service. The company will use the van based truckmount system in most cases to keep production high. This can include partitions, chairs and small sofas

2.2 Competitive Advantage

In section 2.1 we covered what we believe our competitive advantage is for janitorial and daily office cleaning.

Specialty cleaning services: carpet cleaning, upholstery, office furniture, VCT, hard surface cleaning has some of the same focus but there are two key points to make.

Two things we have found true with specialty services is most janitorial businesses are not very good at them. The main reasons are lack of training in staff and equipment. We believe in buying the highest production equipment available and spending considerable resources in training of technicians.

These two variables can give NEXT DOOR a significant advantage over competitors and get our foot in the door for janitorial services at client buildings of competitors.

#1 Using van based truckmounted system and also current low moisture carpet cleaning systems.

#2 Using dedicated technicians that have been through specialized training at certified organizations like the IICRC.

Often janitorial services will send general cleaners out to complete these tasks with limited training and modest equipment.

3. Marketing Plan

Marketing is a huge subject in itself, we already have a large section with a specific marketing plan. In this section we will give a brief overview and then the link to the full marketing plan.

3.1 Marketing Research

Toldeo Ohio metro area is the designated service area. Toledo has a total of 18,000 businesses but we need to narrow that number down to a manageable number.

Key Accounts – businesses with 100+ employees = 328

Businesses with 50 + = 659

Key Account total = 987 businesses

These represent where we will dedicate 75% of our budget and resources

Growth Accounts- businesses with 10 -50 employees = 4300

These are growing businesses that we will dedicate roughly 15% of our budget too. Remember some of them will grow to 50 employees over the long term.

Advertising – misc. advertsing will receive the smallest piece of the pie of 10%. This will include google, adwords, social media etc. The reason is we can’t control always who calls from a big advertising campaign, some will be big and most small but its still an opportunity for PR/Marketing and fill in gaps. 

3.2 Competitors- High Barriers To Entry

Part of our marketing strategy is coming up with areas that are difficult for our competitors to easily repeat. If there is one thing we know about human behavior its if something is easy everyone will do it. So we want to look for tactics that are very difficult for our competitors to do.

Difficult to do: targeting businesses with 50 plus employees is a key part of this strategy. Most commercial cleaning services will find it very hard to do consistently over long periods of time. One of the biggest reasons is patience, larger jobs take a lot more patience and lets face it most cleaners are not very patient and our current society is built for on demand.

EASY To Do:

• Lead generation service
• Google search adwords
• Facebook marketing

HARD To Do:

• Telemarketing
• Door to Door sales
• Highly Targeted Google display ads
• Direct Mail

3.3 Sales Plan

6 Simple Steps To Creating a Commercial Cleaning Sales Plan

How to create a commercial cleaning sales plan, this can apply to commercial cleaning, carpet cleaning and janitorial services. We are going to cover 6 steps to creating a dedicated sales plan we can follow every day, month and year. A sales plan is meant to be a living document that as we learn will be updated and improved over time.

Step 1 What is our objective or financial goal?

Step 2 What Resources are available, what is your commitment level?

Step 3 Targeting, who are the types of businesses you will focus on?

Step 4 Services, what services will you focus on?

Step 5 Activity Log- What physical actions will you take on a daily/weekly/monthly rotation

Step 6 Training- What Training do you need to accomplish your goals?

3.4 Pricing Strategy

Pricing Strategy- After deciding on a goal we then can create a pricing strategy.

Cost Plus – we figure our costs for a job and then add our gross margin. Our gross margin goals will be as follows

• Specialty cleaning  jobs including carpet, tile, furniture and VCT- gross profit- 70%
• Small cleaning jobs less than $10k per year- 60% profit
• Medium jobs- $10k – $30k per year – 50% profit
• Large Jobs- $30k plus- 40% profit

The reason is smaller jobs require much more office support in fill in staff, supervision, training, supplies, etc.

Larger jobs are self contained with a team leader working on site at a client building to provide all those tasks.Supervisor will inspect 1x week.

Square foot – sqr ft or unit pricing is best when you have experience with a specific service and type of client. Sqr ft pricing will be used using the above gross profit goals.

Time and Materials – or another way to use this is hours X hourly rate. This is often used when you are unfamiliar with a service or type of client building. This strategy will be used when we are unfamiliar with a job, misc tasks, obscure requests and 1x jobs.

3.5 Sales Strategy

Strategy section: objective is increase cashflow, measure by percentage increase, goal is 30%. How do I increase our cash flow? How does this change our sales strategy?

 In commercial cleaning, carpet cleaning or janitorial cashflow is extremely important, maybe the most important challenge we face. What happens whenever taking on a new project is we have costs of labor, chemicals, equipment, gas but might not see a payment for 30, 60 or even 90 days. First is the data or analytical part, we currently are at 22% and in previous months hovered around 24% but now need to greatly increase that.

How to: look at the current client list, is there a pattern with accounts that fall below our goals? Reduce invoice terms, is there a pattern of industries, sizes or areas that are paying in terms greater than 30 days net? Change our terms to 15 days net for all one time jobs, these are usually specialty cleaning services carpet cleaning, windows, small construction projects.

Over time I think most of us find certain industries have industry logic built in that it is commonplace to pay in certain invoice cycles. This is fine but something we have to think about as we grow.

For example you are currently cleaning a lot of property managers and they are all paying 60 days plus, that might be a situation where its time to stop marketing to that group and find a new target

3.6 Sales Forecasting

This is a quick video on using forecasting to determine when it is time to hire a new technician. Often us contractors wait until the last minute to hire new staff and that usually doesnt work out too well. Regardless if hiring a part, full time or casual employee its always best to plant the seed and start the process months before we actually need someone.

The easiest way is to create a table in word or spreadsheet in excel or just take a piece of paper and a pencil. This is an example of a sales forecasting table separate by 3 columns. Customer, estimate amount and probability or forecast.

In the first column list name of the customer or bid, examples medical building, restaurant and property management account. Second column list the gross amount of the bid, in this example we put $1000 dollars for medical, $12000 restaurant and $3000 for property management company. The total comes to $16,000.

To forecast list low,medium and high of 25 percent%, 50 percent % and 75 percent %. Now this is subjective, sometimes we win low % bids and lose bids we think we have nailed down, it happens.

At this point its time to start placing ads, time to collect and read resumes, interview the best applicants. You want to have all this pre-planned and set up 2 weeks, 2months and 4 months in advanced so when the work does come in you have a list of contacts to put in place.

4. Management

4.1 company organization.

As we grow especially in commercial services where its common for businesses to have 10, 20 and even hundreds of employees. We want to avoid this first slide of every employee, every customer, invoice, equipment question coming to you directly. This is guaranteed to fail eventually and create lots of stress in the process.

This second example is more of a traditional organizational chart for a commercial cleaning service, janitorial service. In this slide we show 3 departments: operations, sales and administration. You can see a big difference right away in this structure, instead of every employee reporting directly to you, now they report to the managers and the manager’s report to you.

The Operations Manager will have all the supervisors, team leaders, technicians, specialty cleaners and cleaning staff reporting directly to them.

Sales Person might have 1-2 assistants working for them setting appointments, sending out direct mail, emails etc. Often these can be part-time staff that either work inside sales setting appointments over the phone or outside sales/networker going door to door and attending events.

Office Manager or Administration might have the bookkeeper and 1-2 office assistants helping with employee interviews, HR, fact checking resumes etc. Note, some owners prefer to have the bookkeeper/financial staff next to them and report directly to owner and not under admin.

4.2 Professional Support

The company needs to make a list of various vendors, suppliers and professional services. Below is a starting list of vendors will need to hire.

• Accountant/ Tax
• Financial advisor
• Equipment supplier
• Day to day cleaning solutions supplier Main
• Back up supplier
• Payroll service
• Credit card
• Credit card processing
• Website hosting
• Digital marketing
• Design marketing
• CRM provider
• Technical consultants – IICRC or ISSA
• Business specialty consultants
• Phone service
• Van mechanic- tires, inspection, etc.

4.3 Management Structure

In this section we will show some examples of organizational charts to structure a commercial cleaning, janitorial or commercial carpet cleaning service.

5. Operations

5.1 employee handbook.

Commercial cleaning employee manual or handbook, this can be used for janitorial, carpet cleaning and commercial cleaning services. The purpose of this sample is to share some topics and general information to include in an employee manual.

** Note this is not a legal document and any employee manual should be customized and verified with a local consultant or lawyer based on your specific state laws.

Welcome to Commercial Cleaning Service!

On behalf of our big family of fellow associates, owner, vendors, customers and management we want to welcome you to our team.

At Commercial Cleaning Service, we believe that every associate contributes to our growth and are also rewarded equally. We want every team member to take pride in driving our van, wearing our uniform and serving our customers to the best of your ability.

This employee handbook is a simple way to describe the expectations of our team members and outline the policy and procedures we follow to provide the absolute best service experience possible.

All associates are expected to become familiar with the contents of this handbook in the first 30 days of employment and share all questions they may have with management.

Topics to be covered:

• Timekeeping
• Direct deposit
• Termination
• Phone usage
• Equipment usage

5.2 Recruiting, Hiring and Interview Process

How to hire employees for your commercial cleaning service. The goal is to create a flow chart to map out the hiring process, I find it very helpful to be able to see processes and map out the different steps involved. I feel it helps a lot in understanding and the actual follow through.

The 10 Essential Steps To Hiring Amazing Employees For Your Commercial Cleaning Service

• Job opening

Job Description

• Create Database

Find Recruits

Phone Interview

Onsite Interview

The first step is determining we have a job opening or several job openings and writing a job description. A job description has the basic tasks involved, hours/days, full time or part time, any certification or education requirements.

Identify the type of person we would like to hire. Some positions require a detail minded person while others need a lot of physical labor. It is our job to find good matches of the recruits with the position.

Before running ads we want to create a database to hold all of this information and make it easily searchable in the future. Often we will have several qualified candidates but only one opening currently and want to find the other candidates later on.

Run Advertisements

Decide where we will run advertisements on, for how long and what is our total budget. The best place to start is referrals of course by sharing on social media and through email blasts of our current database and reaching out to former candidates. Some options for advertising are indeed, monster, local newspaper.

Go over the resumes and score the best qualified candidates for contact.

I personally like the phone interview first to reach out and get a feel for the candidate, ask a couple basic questions and make sure they understand the job description.

This will depend on the position of course, next an onsite face to face interview. Also can meet in a coffee shop, some people prefer a relaxed setting so candidates are more comfortable.

Go over all the information and make a final decision.

This is where we have the new employee fill out required paperwork, insurance, sign off on employee manual’s and layout the next steps.

5.3 Safety Meetings

The goal of this template is to create a 12 step safety manual with meetings on a monthly basis covering different topics. Cleaning businesses encounter several situations at clients building’s, company shop, office and driving to commercial carpet & tile cleaning jobs.

12 Month Health & Safety

Month 1 Introduction

The purpose of this health and safety program is to establish company standards for working in client buildings, driving in company vehicles and working in company office/shop.

The company has identified 12 key topics to be covered in monthly safety meetings that all employees must attend. It is intended that this manual is a “living” document to be upgraded and added to with input from employees, owners and managers.

• Introduction
• PPE- personal protective wear
• Electrical Cords
• Work area signs, tape
• Vans/Equipment maintenance
• SDS Sheets, Chemical storage, mixing

5.4 Employee Compensation

Often, we try to reward employee behavior through bonus programs and focus on one specific performance at a time, for example an attendance bonus.

In this example instead, we are going to create a Balanced Scorecard using a point system. The difference is we will have 5 different performances instead of focusing on only one.

The points vary from poor to satisfactory to excellent and at the end of the review we will add the points up give a financial bonus based on the number of points.

The five variables we will be using in this bonus evaluation are

• Inspections
• Customer Survey or Review

The Top 5 Performance Evaluations

Attendance- Attendance will depend on if the employee is full time or part time. I think we definitely have to weight this somehow. We could deduct a point for every day missed but honestly anymore than 1 is too many and even 1 is not good.

On Time- I understand some cleaning jobs when they clock in doesn’t matter a lot but for project work like carpet cleaning, floor work, etc. often clients are waiting for us, so it is critical.

Inspections- This can be a weekly or monthly inspection you would normally have. To make this easier I would just use a 5 point system or grades A,B, C,D,F and then transfer that to the scorecard.

Equipment- will depend on the type of service, for office cleaners we will be mainly looking at floor machines and maintaining vacuums.

For project work though like carpet cleaning, tile cleaning the equipment is critical and cost upwards of $50k plus. In that case I would weight it much higher than an office cleaning position.

Customer Survey or Review- This will break down between residential and commercial cleaning services. With residential nowadays reviews have become very important in digital advertising.

5.5 Inventory

The company will use an inventory control system made with excel spreadsheets managed by the operations manager. Inventory will be made on a 30 day cycle and 14 day cycle when cashflow is tighter in the first 2 years.

• On site inventory will be delivered and maintained by the building supervisor on a weekly basis. Cleaners and team leaders are to submit to supervisor supply needs and supervisor hands in worksheet to operations manager.
• Specialty Cleaners working out of shop will complete an inventory checklist daily and hand in to operations manager.

5.6 Credit Policy and Cashflow

The company will extend terms to clients following the sales strategy explained above.

Standard 30 days net

Exceptions 60 day net

60 day plus only authorized by CEO

Specialty cleaning jobs recurring 15-30 day net

1x Specialty jobs due on receipt to 7 day net maximum.

The company will follow this policy regarding tracking accounts receivable and payable

Complete an aging receivable at least monthly to track how much of your money is tied up in credit given to customers, and to alert you to slow payment problems.

Also tracking accounts payable using the same format.

Current- 30 day- 60 Day- 60 day + – Charge offs

6. Financials

The financial part is the final part of the business plan and here we will use charts, graphs and spreadsheets mainly to map out a long term successful future.

The main topics we will cover are:

• Start up funds and 1 st year
• Income statement
• Break even point
• Balance Sheet

6.1 Start up and 1st Year

In this section we think about all the money we will need to start up including 1x cost and monthly cost.

GENERAL/ADMIN                           

BANKING FEES  $200.00                $15.00

CONSULT FEES   $500.00                $95.00

OFFICE SUPPLIES              $200.00                $60.00

LICENSE FEES      $150.00                $15.00

BUSINESS INSURANCE   $500.00                $380.00

TOTAL GENERAL/ADMIN              $1,550.00            $565.00

SUBSCRIPTIONS                $237.00

TOTAL OPERATIONS       $-            $237.00

MARKETING/PROMO                    

ADVERTISING    $1,500.00            $1,800.00

PROMO $300.00                $50.00

TOTAL MARKETING/PROMO       $1,800.00            $1,850.00

WEBSITE/MOBILE APP                  

DOMAIN              $1,000.00            $30.00

HOSTING             $-            $30.00

TOTAL WEBSITE/MOBILE APP     $1,000.00            $60.00

RENT/LEASE       $-            $750.00

PHONE $-            $137.00

ELECTRIC              $-            $237.00

GAS       $-            $150.00

WATER/SEWAGE              $-            $50.00

WASTE REMOVAL            $-            $40.00

REPAIR/MAINTENANCE $-            $200.00

SECURITY             $-            $25.00

Then Estimate what the first year will look like.

TOTAL START-UP COSTS $4,850.00

TOTAL RECURRING MONTHLY COSTS               (1 YR = 12 MO)        $87,612.00

TOTAL BUSINESS EXPENSES         $92,462.00

ESTIMATED FIRST-YEAR BUSINESS INCOME          $112,000.00

BUSINESS FIRST-YEAR PROFIT/LOSS         $19,538.00

AVAILABLE CASH/ SAVINGS/OTHER          $30,000.00

BUSINESS BALANCE        $49,538.00

6.2 Break Even Point

In this section we look at how much revenue we need to generate to break even every month. This can be tricky sometimes for beginners, we want to calculate using a fixed monthly cost like rent and also a percentage of cogs or cost of service.

Fixed Cost            $4,300

Cost of goods sold            $3,000

Number of Jobs 1

Average Job Price             $9,300

6.3 Income Statement

Our income statement is a profit and loss statement, looking at net income and then minus taxes to see net, net.

6.4 Cashflow

Cashflow statement is one of the most important financial metrics to follow for a commercial cleaning business. Just because we have invoiced a client doesn’t mean we physically have the money in the bank.

Often what can happen is cleaning services fall behind and then have to start borrowing large sums of money to stay alive each month.

6.5 Balance Sheet

Lastly is the balance sheet what do we own and what do we owe. Including intangible assets like intellectual property which is difficult to judge so be very conservative.

Cleaning Company Business Plan Sample

This business plan sample will provide insight on how to establish a cleaning company in today’s digital reality.   If coordinated properly you can hire cleaning contractors to compete for work, and make a profit without ever leaving your office!  Read this business plan example carefully, and ask yourself how YOU can create a cleaning company that thrives in this space.

Are you wondering how to create a cleaning company? Starting a cleaning business can be a lucrative and rewarding venture, but it requires careful planning and a well-written business plan. In this blog post, we’ll cover everything you need to know about creating a successful business plan for your cleaning company or service.

Let’s start with the basics. A business plan is a written document that outlines the goals, strategies, and financial projections for your business. It’s an essential tool for securing funding, attracting investors, and guiding your business’s growth and development.

When writing your cleaning business plan, there are several key components you should include:

Executive Summary: This provides an overview of your business and should include a brief description of your cleaning services, target market, and financial goals.

Company Description: In this section, you’ll provide a detailed description of your cleaning business, including your cleaning company mission statement, legal structure, and ownership information. When crafting your cleaning business mission statement, be sure to focus on your core values and the unique aspects of your cleaning services. Your mission statement should convey your commitment to providing high-quality cleaning services to your customers while also highlighting your company’s overall goals and objectives.

Market Analysis: This includes information about your target market, competition, and industry trends.

Service or Product Line: Here, you’ll describe the cleaning services you offer, including pricing, packages, and any add-ons or specialized services.

Marketing and Sales: This section outlines your marketing and sales strategies, including advertising, promotions, and customer retention plans.

Financial Projections: This includes financial projections, such as revenue and expense forecasts, cash flow statements, and break-even analysis.

Remember to review and revise your cleaning business plan regularly to reflect any changes in the market or your business. Your plan should be a living document that guides your business decisions and helps you stay on track toward achieving your goals.

In addition to writing a strong business plan, there are several other steps you can take to ensure the success of your cleaning business:

Define your niche: Consider specializing in a particular type of cleaning service, such as commercial, residential, or window cleaning. This can help you stand out from your competition and attract more clients.

Determine your pricing: Research your competition and set your prices competitively. Consider offering discounts or promotions to attract new clients.

Invest in quality equipment and supplies: High-quality equipment and cleaning supplies can help you provide better service and increase client satisfaction.

Develop a strong online presence: Create a website for your small business cleaning service and social media accounts to promote your business and the type of cleaning services available, and connect with potential clients.

Hire the right staff: Hire reliable, trustworthy employees and invest in their training and development to ensure the quality of your cleaning services.

There are many successful cleaning businesses, from small residential cleaning companies to large commercial cleaning services. Each successful cleaning business has a unique business plan tailored to their services and target market.

One example of a successful cleaning business is My Clean Company. This company provides commercial and residential cleaning services, including carpet cleaning, window cleaning, and janitorial services. My Clean Company’s business plan includes a detailed analysis of their target market, a breakdown of their services and pricing, marketing strategies, and financial projections.

Another example of a successful cleaning business is Major Cleaning Services. This company specializes in commercial cleaning, including office cleaning, medical facility cleaning, and industrial cleaning. Major Cleaning Services’ business plan includes an analysis of their target market, a list of their services and pricing, marketing strategies, and financial projections.

Starting a cleaning business, whether it’s a housekeeping business, home cleaning, commercial cleaning, or janitorial service business, can be challenging. However, creating a well-crafted business plan can help increase your chances of success. A cleaning business plan will help you identify your target audience, services, pricing strategies, marketing strategies, and financial projections. By developing a comprehensive business plan, you can launch and grow a successful cleaning business that provides valuable services to your customers.

1.0 Executive Summary

“Baseline Cleaning Inc.” operating as “Baseline Cleaning” (the company) was incorporated in the Province of Nova Scotia on January 10, 2020 by Mike Walton.  The company provides both residential and commercial cleaning services for customers in the Halifax metropolitan region. The business will be based on an online cleaning business model developed by “Cleanco Training Company” This model allows for easy and quick business scaling while building the business remotely with the help of virtual assistants and subcontracted cleaners, rather than part- or full-time staff.

A unique factor of this business model is that there will be no employees. All cleaners will be hired as subcontractors, and any admin/sales work will be done by the owner Mr. Mike Walton. As the business grows and systems and automation are established, the owner plans to minimize his day-to-day responsibilities in the business.

Using Cleanco Training Company’s online cleaning business model, they plan to launch within a 28-day window and be profitable after 1-2 months. By their sixth month of business, projections indicate that the company will earn at least $10,000 in revenue each month. They’ll build on the business model with their own online marketing initiatives through paid Google ads and maintain an active social media presence.

Now is the ideal time to start a business in this industry. The cleaning industry took a significant loss in 2020 due to the pandemic. In 2021 we’re starting to see residents’ disposable income increase, as is their budget for professional cleaning for their homes. As businesses begin to recover from pandemic-related losses, their budgets for outsourced cleaning services will be restored, opening a vast potential market for Baseline Cleaning   to tap into.

The company is seeking a $40,000 bank loan from SBA through their Startup Program to cover the costs of launching this business.

2.0 Business Overview

Baseline Cleaning provides residential and commercial cleaning services for customers in the Halifax area and will be structured based on the proven online cleaning business model developed by Cleanco Training Company. Establishing Baseline Cleaning business on this model will enable faster growth and profit potential.

Baseline Cleaning will be an online business with no brick-and-mortar locations. All work will be done by the owner Mr. Mike Walton, contracted virtual assistants, and subcontracted cleaning staff.

All subcontracted cleaners will have to meet strict requirements and supply their own equipment and eco-friendly cleaning products. Baseline Cleaning will keep a portion of the profits from every cleaning job. At launch, bookings and admin will be handled by Mr. Walton, but as the business grows, the Company will implement systems and automation so he can minimize his day-to-day responsibilities in the business.

At launch, the business will operate six days a week from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. As demand increases, the company expects to be running 24/7 cleaning availability within the first year.

2.1 Industry Overview

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, cleaning and sanitization have been top of mind for many families and businesses. Even after the pandemic is declared over, the need for professional cleaning of residences and businesses will continue to be a greatly in-demand service across Canada and in the Halifax area.

In Canada, the janitorial services industry is a $5.6 billion industry with over 30,000 cleaning businesses today. Even with the decline in 2020 revenues, due to the pandemic, the sector is poised for five years of rapid growth.

These new businesses will benefit from low barriers to entry ─ the capital investment to start a cleaning business is much lower than in other industries as you only need basic cleaning supplies to get started at a small scale.

2.2 Mission & Vision Statement

Mission: We believe all people deserve to live in healthy homes and workplaces, so we are on a mission to bring eco-friendly cleaning services into their homes, offices, and commercial spaces. No one should ever worry about the cleanliness of their homes or workplaces.

Vision: We will be the premier 24-7 professional cleaning business of choice in the Halifax Metropolitan Region, providing high-quality cleaning services for homes and businesses in every community we serve. Our clients can go about their day while our team of trained professionals ensures their homes and workplaces are immaculate.

2.3 Goals and Objectives

Baseline Cleaning has the following goals and objectives:

• To earn at least $10,000 of revenue by month six of operation
• See 20-40% annual growth between years one and two
• See 10-40% annual growth between years two and three
• To consistently earn 10-30% EBITDA in the business

The company’s five-year goals include:

• Legal Structure: The company is an incorporated business to reduce personal liability of Founder and President, Mike Walton (100 shares)
• Successful implementation of business operations automation wherever possible
• Over 50 loyal cleaners hired as subcontractors
• Over $50,000 monthly gross revenue

2.4 Key Success Factors

Baseline Cleaning is building its business through the coaching and support from Cleanco Training Company and their proven Online Cleaning Business Opportunity program. This program provides entrepreneurs with a 28-day program to launch their online cleaning business, including business research, branding, development, and training/support.

In addition, success of the business will be supported by:

• Raising $40,000 in start-up capital: This capital is required to purchase the business start-up coaching package from Cleanco Training Company and will be used towards business set-up, marketing, logo, website development, and other necessary start-up expenses.
• Hiring professional, trustworthy cleaning staff: Subcontractors will be acting on behalf of Outlier Clean. Their professionalism, knowledge, and skills as cleaners will reflect on the business’s reputation in the market.
• A high volume/low margin strategy : Since much of the competition is price-based, the company needs high customer volumes to accrue more profit while remaining competitive.
• Accessing niche markets : If niche markets emerge, the company can offer specialized services to these markets to increase profits while minimizing competition.

2.5 Staffing

All Baseline Cleaning staff will be subcontractors. During the first year of operations, the Company plans to hire 20 cleaning subcontractors working an average of 25 hours per week each. As demand increases, the company will add additional cleaners. In year two, Baseline Cleaning plans to subcontract up to 50 cleaners, and in year three, the company will work with 75-100 cleaning subcontractors.

All subcontractors will receive basic training from the Company. In addition, they are required to:

• have previous cleaning experiences (business or corporate cleaning preferred)
• have access to a reliable vehicle for transportation to and from customer locations
• be available at least 25 hours a week
• have the capital to invest in their own cleaning supplies and equipment if necessary (can be negotiated).

In the future, virtual assistants, marketing, and sales team members may be added to the company. This will be dependent on customer demand and what business operations can be automated.

2.6 Management Team   

At this time, the company will only have one management team member.

Mike Walton

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3.0 Products & Services

Baseline Cleaning will provide cleaning services for private residences and businesses in the Nova Scotia area. The company will offer three primary cleaning services:

Service #1: One-time Cleaning

This service is for clients who just need a one-time or short-term cleaning service. This service will be popular with realtors, for move-in/move-out cleans, and anyone who needs a small cleaning job completed. $120 + GST

Services #2: Special Cleaning

The company will offer special cleaning packages and services for those with unique or specific cleaning needs. These services may include disinfecting after COVID-19 exposures, special event cleans, or any deep cleaning needs customers may have. $200 + GST

Service #3: Recurring Cleaning

The company will be promoting regular, recurring cleaning services for consistent predictable and cash flow. Based on the customer’s needs, routine cleaning services can be booked weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. This service will be offered at a slightly lower hourly rate than a one-time clean. $150 + GST

Cleaning Pricing Packages

Depending on the cleaning service ordered, cleaning packages will range from $75-100 per hour. Discounts will be given for repeat customers and recurring bookings.

The Sales Process

Customers can book one-time, special, and recurring cleaning services via phone, email, or the company website. Once the customer places a booking, they will receive an email notification informing them of our time of arrival. They will leave their home from the time that the cleaning starts until our time of completion.  Once the clean has been completed they will receive a notification. A subcontracted cleaner will be assigned to the job based on their areas of expertise and location. Once finished, customers will receive a call or email that will ask for their review and a link to book another cleaning job.

4.0 Operations

The company will have no fixed, brick-and-mortar location and will be run as an online business. At inception, the company will be managed by Mr. Walton from his home-based office at:

250 Talon Dr, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Z2L 5P2

4.1 Equipment

The company will not maintain any equipment or supplies. Each subcontractor will be required to provide their own cleaning supplies and equipment.

4.2 Inventory

The company will not keep an inventory of products or cleaning equipment. Baseline Cleaning will have a list of preferred products for subcontractors to reference. When requested, the company can purchase recommended supplies on behalf of a subcontractor. The company will not store any products/equipment on-site, and the subcontractor will reimburse the company for any such purchases.

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5.0 market analysis.

Janitorial services in Canada is a nearly $6 billion industry with over 30,000 businesses in Canada that employ over 125,000 staff. Companies in janitorial services serve four main types of clients:

• Commercial Cleaning (71.4%)
• Residential Cleaning (8.4%)
• Damage restoration and cleaning (4.6%)
• Other bundles commercial services (15.6%)

Growth in this industry is linked to several key trends :

• The competition between “green cleaning” operators
• The expected increase of new entrants into this market in the next five years
• The ageing Canadian population will increase the need for residential cleaning services
• General Canadian business growth to increase floor space available for cleaning

After a year of uncertainty in the professional cleaning industry, the sector is finally starting to seek an uptick in business.

A large percentage of Baseline Cleaning customers will be corporations and businesses. As these businesses recover from COVID-19 restrictions, they’ll have more budget to outsource cleaning services. Consumers will also be expecting businesses to maintain clean health and safety protocols going forward, so companies will need to invest budget into cleaning and sanitization.

The cleaning industry is also closely tied to the success of several vertical markets :

• As the construction industry continues to boom, the potential client base for cleaning companies will grow with it.
• The increased need for healthcare services in the future will require special cleaning services to support them.
• As customers return to public transit and transportation again, they will demand stricter cleaning protocols.
• As manufacturers and retail businesses emerge, so too will their need for cleaning services.

Market Drivers

The industry depends on the success and growth of other businesses and the available disposable income of families. In Canada, there are four main market drivers of the janitorial services industry:

• Number of Businesses : There are currently over 1.3 million businesses in Canada (with an annualized growth rate of +0.2%, 2016-21). As the number of companies grows, the need for cleaning and janitorial services will increase.
• Value of nonresidential construction : As the country rebounds after the pandemic, the value of nonresidential construction is expected to grow 4.49% between 2021 and 2026 to $186.07 billion. This growth means more buildings that require professional cleaning and janitorial services in the near future.
• Corporate Profit : IBISWorld predicts overall corporate profits in Canada to rebound following the sharp economic declines from 2020. In 2021 it’s expected to grow 15.8% to surpass pre-pandemic highs. More profitable businesses mean more budget can be allocated to outsourced cleaning services for offices, commercial spaces, and businesses.
• Households earning $100K+ : While the number of Canadian households earning over $100K dropped 6.4% in 2020, the future is predicted to grow at a faster rate. In 2020, there were over 4.23 million households over this earning threshold. That number is expected to rise to 4.32 and 4.51 million in 2021 and 2022, respectively. By 2027 the number of households earning over $100K is expected to be 5.54 million. As household income increases, people are more likely to hire domestic help in their homes.

Janitorial services in Canada is classified as a mature industry:

“Mature industries have an array of characteristics, one of which is complete market acceptance of industry services. Furthermore, industry operators are increasingly bundling cleaning services. This practice is expected to continue over the coming years, as large operators are expected to continue expanding into Canada. However, while the bundling of services is expected to change the structure of the industry over the 10 years to 2025, it is unlikely to dramatically increase revenue, as downstream markets may replace their current janitorial service providers with an industry operator that offers additional services.”

CANADA INDUSTRY (NAICS) REPORT 56172CA

5.1 Competition

Good Lookin Cleaning Services

CS Housekeeping

Highrise Service Group

5.2 competitive advantage.

In a highly fragmented industry like professional cleaning and janitorial services, the industry is highly competitive. This means that consumers often compare based on price as the dividing factor. For cleaning businesses to succeed, they need competitive pricing and to provide some form of added value to the end customer.

To stand out in this market, Baseline Cleaning  has several primary advantages over their competitors:

Same-Day cleans available

While most cleaning services will be scheduled days or weeks in advance, Baseline Cleaning will open a select number of same-day appointments for quick cleans. Instead of customers waiting 2-3 hours or more for cleaners from other companies to arrive on-site, Baseline Cleaning   will ensure service within 1-2 hours for these same-day bookings.

Cleaning Hours

After the first year of business, Baseline Cleaning plans to promote 24/7 availability for cleaning services. As the company establishes its presence and customer loyalty, it will maintain 6-days a week availability, Monday through Saturday, from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.

Subcontractor App

Subcontracted cleaning staff will have exclusive use of a Baseline Cleaning mobile app to view job information and accept jobs.

Quality Control

To maintain a high quality of service, all subcontractors will be required to take before and after photos to ensure top-level services. Such images may be used as case studies or on social media as before/after collages.

Loyalty Discounts

To thank and encourage loyalty in customers, long-term and regular customers will be given discounts and special offers.

5.3 Risk Analysis

Risk: The COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic presents both a risk and an opportunity. Even with the economy and the course of the virus seemingly headed in a more positive direction worldwide, some are still wary of bringing in “strangers” into their homes. To mitigate this, all subcontractors are required to actively follow all public health guidance, including wearing masks while in homes as required by public health. Think Clean’s pandemic health and safety protocols will be shared with our customers so they can feel safe.

Risk: Not enough business

Without a loyal customer base, Baseline Cleaning will struggle to be profitable. To mitigate this, the business will remain agile to follow trends in the market to offer new cleaning services and technology, expand service areas, or specialize as needed to optimize profits and recurring revenue. This may include taking on more corporate clients if the demand is there.

6.0 Marketing Plan

Baseline Cleaning has two main customers profiles:

Primary Customer: Residential

Condo-dwellers will be our target client. They are often between the ages of 30-65 with healthy disposable income. They are hiring a cleaning company because they have other things they’d rather be doing with their time. They now have the budget to afford a cleaning service for their home. They are willing to pay for the convenience of coming home to a clean house at the end of the day.

Another group of residential clients includes older, retired individuals who, due to sickness, injury, or disability, cannot maintain their homes themselves. Often an adult, child or younger friend or relative would be booking their cleaning services for them.

Secondary Customer: Commercial and Businesses

The company will also offer cleaning services for commercial or business clients. These are businesses that need regular cleaning of their offices, storefronts, or commercial spaces. These clients often want cleaning services in the evening or on weekends when customers and staff are not on-site. The Company’s ideal commercial client is a business that is on the recovery after a rough year dealing with the pandemic. They are profitable again and understand the value that a clean workplace or storefront has to their business and are ready to outsource their janitorial and cleaning needs.

6.1 Key Channels

The main marketing tool for Baseline Cleaning will be their website. The website will share more detailed information about services, demonstrate knowledge of the industry, and be used as the primary way for customers to book cleaning services.

The website will be created in consultation with the Cleanco Training Company business coaching program. It will include booking forms with pricing parameters, a mobile app, online payment processing, and a customer login portal.

In addition, a marketing funnel will be created to lead prospective customers through the buying cycle to becoming paid customers. This includes the set-up of email automations.

Social media and paid ads will be the primary channels used by Baseline Cleaning to build their reputation in the community and to attract new loyal customers:

• TikTok: to post before and after pictures from cleans to show the transformations
• Facebook Ads: to promote brand awareness and promotions
• Google Ads: to build brand awareness and do hyperlocal marketing
• Other social media channels will be built up to share valuable customer content, share promotions and events, and build brand awareness for the company.

Google Ads will initially be set up by Bsbcon, a consulting business in Vancouver, BC.  The business is a specialist in this space with over 20+ Years of experience.  Set up costs will be $1,000

On a monthly basis our Google Ads expenditures will cover the cost of the ads and management fees.  For example, in month 1 our spend is $550, where Bsbcon will waive the management fee.  At the end of Year 1, we see a monthly spend of $1,200 where $950 is dedicated to Google Ads and $250 for management fees.

A major part of Bsbcon’s Google Ads management services is 24/7 assistance.  If the company encounters any challenges with their ads (extremely slow, something unusual) we can contact Bsbcon to have them review it and provide a report.  After the first 3 months there will be KPIs developed.  These will be built on the data collected in conversions, pages of interest, and submission forms completed.

6.2 SWOT Analysis  

7.0 Financial Projections

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Cleaning Business Plan Template

Business Plan Outline

• Cleaning Business Plan Home
• 1. Executive Summary
• 2. Company Overview
• 3. Industry Analysis
• 4. Customer Analysis
• 5. Competitive Analysis
• 6. Marketing Plan
• 7. Operations Plan
• 8. Management Team
• 9. Financial Plan

Cleaning Business Plan

You’ve come to the right place to create your Cleaning business plan.

We have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their Cleaning businesses.

Below are links to each section of your Cleaning service business plan template:

Next Section: Executive Summary >

Cleaning Business Plan FAQs

What is a cleaning business plan.

A cleaning company business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your cleaning business. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.

You can  easily complete your cleaning company business plan using our Cleaning Business Plan Template here .

What Are the Main Types of Cleaning Businesses?

The most common cleaning service businesses are residential and commercial cleaning businesses. There are also cleaning service businesses that offer more specific services like windows cleaning, washing, carpet cleaning, swimming pool cleaning, and car washing.

What Are the Main Sources of Revenues and Expenses for a Cleaning Business?

The primary source of revenue for a cleaning business is its cleaning fees. Most companies charge an hourly rate for their services.

The key expenses for a cleaning business are labor expenses and supplies.

How Do You Get Funding for Your Cleaning Service Business Plan?

Cleaning company business plans are often funded through small business loans. Personal savings, credit card financing and angel investors are also popular forms of funding. This is true for a cleaning service business plan and a commercial cleaning business plan.

What are the Steps To Start a Cleaning Business?

Starting a cleaning business and becoming a business owner can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a business will help you stay focused on your goals, get started faster and lead to a thriving business.

1. Develop A Cleaning Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed cleaning business plan that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include potential market size and target customers, the cleaning services or products you will offer, pricing strategies and a detailed financial forecast.  

2. Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your cleaning business. This could be a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to do research and choose wisely so that your cleaning business is in compliance with local laws.

3. Register Your Cleaning Business - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your cleaning business with the government or state where you’re operating from. This includes obtaining licenses and permits as required by federal, state, and local laws. 

4. Identify Financing Options - It’s likely that you’ll need some capital to start your cleaning business, so take some time to identify what financing options are available such as bank loans, investor funding, grants, or crowdfunding platforms. 

5. Choose a Location - Whether you plan on operating out of a physical location or not, you should always have an idea of where you’ll be based should it become necessary in the future as well as what kind of space would be suitable for your operations. 

6. Hire Employees - There are several ways to find qualified employees including job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed as well as hiring agencies if needed – depending on what type of employees you need it might also be more effective to reach out directly through networking events. 

7. Acquire Necessary Cleaning Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your cleaning business, you'll need to purchase all of the necessary equipment and supplies to run a successful operation. 

8. Market & Promote Your Business - Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it’s time to start promoting and marketing your cleaning business. This includes creating a website, utilizing social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. You should also consider traditional marketing techniques such as radio or print advertising. 

Learn more about how to start a successful cleaning business and cleaning business planning:

• How to Start a Cleaning Business

Where Can I Get a Cleaning Business Plan PDF?

You can download our free cleaning business plan template PDF here . This is a sample cleaning business plan template you can use in PDF format.

Other Business Plan Templates

Nail Salon Business Plan Template

Bakery Business Plan Template

Coffee Shop Business Plan Template

Food Truck Business Plan Template

Event Venue Business Plan Template

How to Write Your Business Plan with Free Cleaning Business Plan Template

So far in the ‘Getting Started’ module, you’ve been researching and clarifying exactly what kind of cleaning business you want to be.  In this lesson, we’ll walk you through the process of creating a cleaning Business Plan, using everything you’ve learnt so far. A Business Plan is an essential document; it can be used to secure loans and hire staff, as well as serving as a ‘roadmap’ for your business.   Before you get started, you’ll need to download our free Cleaning Business Plan template by clicking here. This is a simple template for a small business.  Once you’re ready, follow our guide to set concrete business goals that will guide you as you grow your business!

Filling in your Cleaning Business Plan Template

Replace all the text with the key information about your business. 

1. Executive Summary

You will want to write this part last, despite it being the first section of the plan. It is essentially a summary of the most important parts of your business plan.  Most people make their mind up about the business just off the Executive Summary alone. Bare this in mind If you plan on sharing this plan with anyone you are trying to get to believe in your business (be that a bank manager or new member of staff). Include: 

• 1.1 Problem : What are you solving for customers?
• 1.2 Solution : What service you will be offering to solve this problem. Who the founders of the business are, what they bring to the business. 
• 1.3 Market : Who you will be targeting  
• 1.4 Competition : Who your main competitors are and a quick explanation of how you are different to them. 
• 1.5 Financial Highlights : Sales, profits and performance to date. 

2. Business Owner

This section is all about you and what makes you able to lead this business to success. Include:

• 2.1 Background : What have you done so far that has led to this? What skills do you bring to the business?
• 2.2 Training : What plans for further development and training do you have?

3. Products and Services

• 3.1 Service Offered : What service will your cleaning business be offering? Give a basic description.
• 3.2 Service Portfolio : What different types of service will you be offering?

4. The Market

• 4.1 Market : Will you be servicing commercial or domestic customers? Why?
• 4.2 Typical Customer : What will your typical customer look like? Describe them. 
• 4.3 Location : Where will you service? Where will your most profitable areas be?
• 4.4 What prompts the purchase : What incidents, seasons, holidays etc prompt a customer to call you for your service?
• 4.5 Why they will choose [insert business name]? : Explain what you offer that solves your typical customer’s problem. How is it unique? 
• 4.6 [optional] Purchases made to date : If relevant, discuss sales you have made to date and how they prove a need for your business. 

5. Market Research

This is where the information you collected in the Market Research lesson is going to come in handy!

• 5.1 Secondary Research: Key Findings: Such as how many households are in your service area, how affluent your market is etc. 
• 5.2 Primary Research: Key Findings: Such as insights from your online surveys or from talking to your potential customers. 

6. Marketing Strategy 

• Method: Describe what marketing you will use, such as email marketing, flyers or Google Ads. 
• Reason: Why will the method be suitable for your audience? 
• Cost: How much will it cost your business to use these methods? 

7. Competitor Analysis

• 7.1 Key Competitors: Use the information you collected in your market research to fill this one out!
• 7.2 SWOT Analysis: Use the information you collected in your SWOT (Strategic Planning) template to fill this out. 

8. Operations 

• 8.1 Appointment Booking: How will your customers book your service? By calling you? By sending you a message? 
• 8.2 Equipment: What equipment do you have? What equipment do you need? How much will that cost? 
• 8.3 Payment Terms: How will customers pay you? By Direct Debit, BACS, cash or another method? How soon after the service will they pay you?
• 8.4 Transport: How will you or your staff members reach your customers? Do you have any requirements for new vehicles
• 8.5 Insurance: What are your insurance needs? What will they cost?
• 8.6 Staff Requirements: Will you need staff? Would you like to have staff in the future? What will you pay them?

9. Pricing 

Use this simple table to break down the cost of providing your service vs. the price you will charge for it. Add extra columns for extra services if needed. A more detailed table may be required for more complex services. We breakdown what that would look like in this video.  

10. Financials

This is the most challenging section of your business plan. We recommend referring to Start Up Loans resources on Cash Flow Forecasting. They have a great spreadsheet template you can download and start using here.  Filling out your business plan is a little time consuming, but will be a crucial and often referred to document as you grow your business. Take your time getting it right. 

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