"Please help with my market research"

Hi there, I have just had an interview with a business advisor via the Business Link. He has told me to do some market research to see how much need there is for a domestic and commercial cleaning business.

1) If you have used a cleaner or would use a cleaner could you let me know.

2) Also if you have had any problems with cleaners/cleaning companies could you let me know that too.

:idea: Even if you know of someone else who has mentioned the above.

I would be very grateful for any information.

Regards

Lisa :wink:

 

[Black sheep]

the only problems that i know is people not turning up and so the customer is never happy and some times gets rid of cleaning company and they find it easier to just empoly a cleaner them selfs, so you have the job of letting them know how good and profeshional you are ,for you to keep the contract

 

Thanks for that Black Sheep.

I saw an earlier post by you asking about pricing. It varies in different areas. You could ring round your local cleaning companies to see what they are charging but if you sign up to cleanitup.co.uk (its another free forum specifically for cleaning contractors) you will find some really valuable information.

They are a lot more responsive to any questions too.

Good luck

Lisa

 

[Black sheep]

thanks for that info micsampip , i did ring around and nobody will give prices over phone or post to competition

 

[profitxchange]

Hi re your cleaning business and research.

What sort of cleaning service are you offering? Whats special about yours?

The market is overcrowded with cleaning co's which means the customer can buy on price and always find someone else quickly.

Try something unusual - cleaning up crime scenes. cleaning up council prop[erty after a death. etc

Yopu need to be absolutely honest and trustworthy

 

Thanks for that profitxchange,

I intend to offer a high quality clean using Eco Friendly products with a friendly customer service ethos.

I will be aiming for the domestic and commercial clients. Many have complained about poor quality, unreliability and lack of supervision with the cleaners they have used in the past.

If I give them the service they want, I think I will have it cracked.

The problem I will have is instilling this ethos into my employees. I will try to do this with bonus incentives, training and promotion.

Any feedback to the above is very welcome

Regards

Lisa

 

PS

I don't think I'd have the stomach for crime scenes after I read a post which said they had to dig a mans skull out of the ceiling of a room where he had shot himself in the head...yuk. Sorry if that's too graphic!!

 

[profitxchange]

Hi just a follow up

Be wary of incentives they eventually loose their effectiveness and you have to re -invent them with more and more incentive.

Ideally try and recruit people that have the same ethos as you - not easy
but if you don't you will just become the same as everyone else.

Periodic recognition, thank you's - particularly from clients.

Maybe the oddd extra cash in their pay packet

But you are up against lots of others that are trying to do the same - can you really make a worthwhile business doing this - I would suggest there may be otherways of making an easier living.

 

[barry.hynd]

Profitxchange,

I dont know if i'm picking this up wrong but are you trying to dissuade lisa with your negative comments.

I dont know how much research you have done on this but the market is certainly not overcrowded, it just happens to be made up of a vast number of smaller companies.

Lisa i'm right behind you and contrary to what people have said on here most companies dont treat their employees that great and this is the reason their staff turnover rate is so high and morale so low.

My company has over a 90% customer and staff retention rate and I can only put this down to treating my staff well which then feeds back to you through their efforts. We arrange social events and take people out regularly.We also offer profit sharing as a way of rewarding our staff. This is something very new in this industry and companies are slowly adopting to this approach and like to employ comapnies who treat their staff in such a way.

Staff is the key Lisa believe me because without them you have nothing.

 

Thanks for the encouragement Barry.

I have also done a lot of research and I have had many friends saying how they can't get reliable cleaners. One man wouldn't let me leave the gym the other day without taking his number.

Posing as a potential customer I found four local businesses have long client waiting lists and one even gave me the number of a competitor.

I believe that they don't have enough staff because they aren't paying them enough or treating them well - hence high turnover.

Barry I would be grateful if you would give me some more advice on employee retention, as you said this is where the cleaning business often fails and you seem to have it sussed.

Regards

Lisa

 

[Deleted member 2816]

Lisa - I think your Eco Products are a strong point. There are a lot of people who don't want nasty chemicals all over their homes (I'm one of them!) and would be attracted by this. Joining environmental forums may be a good way of getting your message across.

 

Thanks Thais, I will have a look for some.

Regards

Lisa :wink:

 

[barry.hynd]

Hi Lisa,

I tend to disagree here. Most people really dont care what you use so long as you get the job done. I like most see the merits of eco friendly products but i'm sorry to say that they are more expensive and people just wont pay more money to allow you to use these types of products.

Re employee retention, there really isnt any secret Lisa you've just got to treat them how you'd like to be treated, this may sound simple but I can tell you most companies in this industry dont. They pay minimum wage to people who need jobs and i'll be honest it really hacks me off that they continue in this way. You just got to keep believing that your approach will come good in the end, it's a long term game afterall

 

[Deleted member 2816]

I tend to disagree here. Most people really dont care what you use so long as you get the job done. I like most see the merits of eco friendly products but i'm sorry to say that they are more expensive and people just wont pay more money to allow you to use these types of products.

Barry - you may be surprised at how many folks would be pleased to pay more for eco friendly products!! The same argument used to be used for organic foods, and it is now a hugely thriving business. Keep up the good work, Lisa.

 

[barry.hynd]

Maybe I would be but it's still a huge minority and many people when you say eco friendly or organic etc automatically think more expensive. I'm not saying it's right and if Lisa does decide to use them good on her but I'd certainly not be making it the centre of my marketing pitch.

 

Thanks for your comments both.

This is the sort of information I was hoping for,

Regards

Lisa :wink: