Looking to start a cleaning business!!

[Abbie Nicola]

1. Looking to start my own cleaning business and to employ staff on a sub contract basis, any advise would be much appreciated

 

[Mitch3473]

Rather than concentrate on employing staff I would suggest firstly you learn all you can about cleaning and perfecting your work schedule, learn how to run a small business profitably and how to deal with customers etc etc. Once you've done that you will be ready to take on staff. You cant really expect your staff to do things that you cant.

 

[Abbie Nicola]

Sorry didn't word that well, have currently got 10 houses that I look after on a regular basis on my own but finding the demand and workload to much for myself so looking to expand but clueless where to start when it comes to employing etc

 

[Ashley_Price]

You cant really expect your staff to do things that you cant.

Isn't that the whole point of taking on staff? They either do the jobs you don't have time to do, or they do the things you cannot (accounts, PAYE, HR...).

I could start a cleaning business tomorrow, employ cleaners, etc., without ever having picked up a dustpan and brush. I would concentrate on getting the business in for the cleaners.

To take it to extremes, I wonder if the senior management of most supermarkets would know how to stack the shelves properly, work the tills, do customer service...

 

[Ashley_Price]

looking to expand but clueless where to start when it comes to employing etc

In the first instance you should really speak to your accountant, as s/he can give you a lot of advice on things like PAYE, sub-contracting, tax, national insurance...

Also have a look at THIS ARTICLE on the .gov site

 

[Mitch3473]

Isn't that the whole point of taking on staff? They either do the jobs you don't have time to do, or they do the things you cannot (accounts, PAYE, HR...).

I could start a cleaning business tomorrow, employ cleaners, etc., without ever having picked up a dustpan and brush. I would concentrate on getting the business in for the cleaners.

To take it to extremes, I wonder if the senior management of most supermarkets would know how to stack the shelves properly, work the tills, do customer service...

Quite agree, but when there are problems, and there will be, how can you expect respect from your staff if you yourself hasn't a clue about dealing with that problem or situation. How can you train your staff to your standards if you haven't got any standards to show them. How do you keep your good staff and set and lead by example. Getting business in in the cleaning game is just one part of it, the easy part.


Most of the good ones probably will.

 

[ChrisRM]

This series of posts will help you Abbie.
Good luck

 

[Brennerz]

By the sounds of it, you aren't looking to start a business.... you already have a cleaning business? but don't find you are coping on your own / want to expand.

First of all, look at the money you are earning, can that afford to pay you and someone else? Is there enough business in your area?

I don't have experience in the market, but I don't think it is typically that hard of a business to run - with that said I would think again about the sub-contract - someone who is willing to sub-contract might have the mind set eventually that 'I can do all of this myself' and then undercut you to steal your customers? Of course someone you employ could do the same, but possibly less likely. Also, is a sub-contractor likely to want to earn more money than someone you employ?

 

[The Cleaning Business Guy]

I have set up 5 cleaning businesses, taken on over 500 cleaners and possibly 3500 customers over 13 years, I have never cleaned a house. I bet the owners of an airline can't fix a jet engine and I am fairly sure Richard Branson cannot fly a 747.

People who build real businesses i.e. ones that run even if you don't go to work for a few days, hire good people, who know and have experience in their line of work, they then don't need to be micro managed.

People who start a cleaning business by cleaning houses throttle the growth of their businesses by using their time badly, time that should be used interviewing cleaners and getting back to the customer enquiries that came in that day.

Lastly all cleaners should be sub contractors if the are working in a domestic environment, I will put all the info on the web in a month or so, helping people I know atm.