How to Scale a Cleaning Business

Scaling a cleaning business is hard. Or is it?…not if you’re strategic. Ever heard the saying failing to plan is planning to fail? The same is true when it comes to growing your cleaning company. 

In this guide, we’ll cover what it takes to attract potential cleaning clients. 

So, if you’re wondering how you can transition from serving a local area to expanding into multiple cities or states, this guide is for you. 

Let’s get to it!

Set SMART Goals

Growing your cleaning business successfully depends on your ability to set a solid foundation.

Start by setting SMART— specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused, and time-bound — goals

Let’s break down each of these elements.

Specific

Your goals need to be clear and well-defined. The more specific your goals are, the easier it is to direct your energy and resources in the right direction.

So, instead of a vague goal like “We want to grow,” specify what that growth looks like. For example, “We aim to increase our client base by 20% within six months.” This clarity helps you know exactly what you’re working towards and communicate it effectively to your team.

Measurable

You must have concrete criteria to track your progress and determine when you’ve achieved your goal. Use numbers and data to quantify your goals. For example, “We will gain 10 new clients each month” or “We will increase our monthly revenue by $5,000.” Measurable goals provide a benchmark and help you stay motivated and conquer new markets.

Achievable

Your goals should be realistic and attainable, given your current resources, capabilities, and target market.

While there’s nothing wrong with setting overly ambitious goals, doing so can lead to frustration and burnout.

Assess your business’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis) to set goals like “expand our service area to two new neighborhoods within the next quarter.” This ensures that your goals challenge you without being out of reach.

Relevant

Goals should align with your business’s mission, vision, and long-term objectives. They should matter to your business’s success and growth strategy.

For instance, if customer satisfaction is a core value, a relevant goal might be to “improve client retention by 15% through enhanced service quality and regular follow-ups.” This ensures that your efforts contribute to your business’s overall direction and priorities.

Time-bound

Setting a deadline creates a sense of urgency and helps you prioritize tasks. A time-bound goal has a clear timeframe for completion, such as “achieve a 20% increase in clients by the end of Q4.” Time-bound goals prevent procrastination and allow you to measure progress over specific periods. They also make it easier for cleaning companies to adjust strategies as needed.

Develop an Implementation Plan

After setting SMART goals for your cleaning business, outline the specific actions, resources, and timelines necessary to achieve your goals.

Here’s how to create a growth plan that’ll win you new customers.

Break Down Goals into Tasks

Start by breaking down each SMART goal into smaller, manageable tasks. For example, if your goal is to gain 10 new clients each month, tasks might include researching potential clients, crafting personalized marketing messages, and scheduling meetings.

Assign Responsibilities

Clearly define who is responsible for each task. This ensures accountability and clarifies roles within your team. For instance, assign one team member to handle client research, another to create marketing materials, and another to follow up with leads.

Allocate Resources

Identify the resources needed to complete each task, such as budget, personnel, tools, or software. For example, allocate a budget for marketing campaigns, invest in all-in-one cleaning software cleaning, or hire additional staff if necessary.

Set Deadlines

Establish specific deadlines for each task to keep the project on track. Create a timeline that outlines when each task should be started and completed. This could involve weekly check-ins or monthly progress reviews to ensure timely completion.

Monitor Progress

Implement a system to regularly monitor and report progress. You can use project management software to track tasks and milestones. In addition, you’ll want to hold regular meetings with your team to discuss progress, address challenges, and adjust your growth strategies if need be.

Hire Right

Residential and commercial cleaning services looking to grow must have the right employees. Here’s why;

You Can Offer High-Quality Cleaning Services

The quality of your cleaning service directly impacts client satisfaction and retention. Skilled, diligent, and detail-oriented employees ensure high standards of cleanliness, leading to happy clients who are more likely to recommend your services and become repeat customers.

It Helps Build Your Company’s Reputation and Trust

Your employees are the face of your business. Hiring trustworthy and professional staff nurtures a positive reputation, which is crucial in the cleaning industry, where clients often allow access to their personal or workspaces.

In addition, a good reputation attracts more clients and helps in growing your business through word-of-mouth referrals and reviews.

It Improves Efficiency and Productivity

Well-trained and competent employees work more thoroughly, completing tasks to the customer’s expectations.

Increased productivity allows you to serve more clients without compromising on quality. Besides, efficient staff can handle larger workloads, helping scale your cleaning business without needing to increase headcount proportionally.

It Reduces Turnover

High employee turnover is costly and disruptive. It leads to increased recruitment and training costs and can negatively impact service quality.

Hiring the right people from the get-go reduces turnover, creating a stable workforce that grows with your business. Long-term employees are more knowledgeable about your company’s processes and culture, leading to smoother operations.

Get the Right Software

Cleaning businesses trying to scale must invest in tools designed for streamlining operations. While the software needed varies from one cleaning business to another, the following software is a must-have.

Scheduling and Dispatching

Scheduling and dispatching software allows you to optimize job assignments, ensuring you distribute tasks to service providers effectively. As a result, you can reduce travel time, minimize scheduling conflicts, and ensure timely service.

Streamlined scheduling and dispatching means more happy customers and the ability to complete cleaning jobs on time.

Online Booking

Customers want to pay online at the convenience of their mobile devices. Small businesses hoping to grow bigger must, therefore, make the booking process hassle-free by investing in a robust online booking solution.

The convenience of online booking not only simplifies business operations but also positions your cleaning business to attract more customers.

In addition, clients appreciate the flexibility of booking at their convenience, which can lead to higher booking rates and a better bottom line.

Online Payment Processing

Cleaning business software with online payment processing makes it easier for customers to pay you. Of course, faster payment means a better cash flow to expand your business venture.

While you’re at it, look for software that can work with your favorite accounting tools.

A solution like MioCommerce, for instance, supports online payment processing and also integrates with platforms like QuickBooks and Stripe to streamline your accounting processes.

Team Management

Team management is crucial during the growth phase of your cleaning business. Whether you’re looking to onboard new employees or connect with your current staff, a solution with robust team management features makes it easy to streamline operations and ensure effective communication

Customer Communication

Customer relationship management can break or make your growth strategy. You’ll, therefore, want to invest in cleaning software that supports effective client communication to ensure personalized service and track client interactions.

The better you can meet your customers in their preferred communication channels, the easier it is to engage them and initiate conversions.

To that end, MioCommerce has a multichannel inbox (MCI), a tool that consolidates messages from various platforms such as email, SMS, social media, and live chat into a single interface.

Moreover, the multichannel inbox includes features like bulk messaging, personalized macros, and the ability to send direct booking links and review requests.

These capabilities help you effectively engage customers, promote your services, and gather valuable feedback all from one platform.

Establish a Solid Online Presence

Online visibility must be part of your digital marketing campaign when it comes to scaling your cleaning business.

The number of people buying online is projected to hit 285 million in 2025—and that’s in the United States alone. While not every online shopper is looking for cleaning services, having a digital footprint makes business sense.

When you advertise your business online, you’re likely to attract clients looking for quality cleaning service providers on the Internet.

Having a website is one thing. How you design it, however, is entirely different. Ideally, you want to create a website that’s easy to navigate. In addition, you want to have a website optimized for conversion with easy-to-see booking buttons and multiple payment support.

That said, creating a good cleaning business website can be time-consuming and expensive. However, with MioCommerce, you can get a fully optimized cleaning website with all the tools you need to start scaling.

We offer customizable websites powered by vibrant themes to help showcase your business and, by extension, increase brand awareness.

We’ll even host the website for you. Our cleaning business websites are mobile and SEO-ready to ensure you’re ready for long-term success online.

Market Your Business on The Right Channels

Social media and listing must be part of the conversation on how to scale a cleaning business.

Cleaning businesses with a presence on the right channels can effectively reach their target audience, maximize their advertising budget, and generate higher returns on investment.

Here are a few platforms and why it makes business sense to market on them in this competitive market.

Google Business Profile (GBF)

GBF is a great platform to establish your local presence. With a presence here, your cleaning service can appear in local search results and on Google Maps, making it easier for nearby customers to find you.

According to Google, businesses with complete listings are 70% more likely to attract location visits and 50% more likely to lead to a purchase.

Facebook

With over 2.8 billion monthly active users, Facebook is one of the best social media platforms for advertising your cleaning business. It offers targeted advertising options that allow you to reach specific demographics. You can engage with potential customers through posts, ads, and direct messages.

According to Facebook, 66% of users visit the page of a local business at least once a week, which underscores the platform’s potential for local engagement.

Instagram

Ideal for visually showcasing your cleaning services, Instagram has over 1 billion monthly active users. Here, you can share before-and-after photos, cleaning tips, and customer testimonials to attract and engage followers. According to Instagram, 90% of users follow at least one business, and 83% of users say they discover new products and services on the platform.

Yelp

Many customers rely on Yelp to find reliable service providers. Creating a strong profile with positive reviews can enhance your credibility and attract more clients.

According to Yelp, 97% of users make a purchase after visiting Yelp, and 85% of users are more likely to choose a business with positive reviews.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a good platform to connect with decision-makers like real estate agents and property managers. platform.

In addition, with over 1 billion members, sharing industry insights, success stories, and company updates can position your business as a professional and trustworthy service provider.

Focus on Customer Satisfaction

While quality service will attract prospects and retain existing customers, you must keep your clients happy to grow your business.

Happy clients are more likely to become repeat clients and refer your services to others, which is essential for sustainable growth.

Moreover, satisfied clients will leave positive reviews, which enhance your business’s online reputation and attract new customers.

Here’s what you can do to keep your customer base happy;

• Provide exceptional service
• Address customer feedback quickly
• Continuously improve your service offerings
• Personalize communication

Speaking of addressing customer feedback quickly, you can use our multi-channel marketing to centralize customer messages from various platforms for quick responses without switching channels. That way, you can enhance customer satisfaction and streamline communication for better relationship management.

Other strategies you can implement for business growth include:

• Attending community events to connect with prospects.
• Starting referral programs to entice people to refer your business to friends and family.
• Looking for sponsorship opportunities to increase brand visibility and credibility.

Review Your Plan Regularly

To scale your cleaning business you need to regularly review and adjust your plan.

Business environments change, and staying flexible allows you to adapt to new challenges and compete with other cleaning companies.

So, schedule periodic reviews to assess your progress toward SMART goals, evaluate your strategies’ effectiveness, and identify improvement areas. Also, involve your team in these reviews to gain diverse insights and foster a sense of ownership.

When you continuously refine your plan, you ensure that your cleaning business remains aligned with its objectives and is well-positioned for sustainable growth.

Scale Your Cleaning With MioCommerce

Scaling a cleaning business requires dedication and following proven strategies.

You can scale your cleaning business beyond your imagination with the right plan, team, well-thought-out customer acquisition plan, and robust cleaning software.

MioCommerce is an all-in-one solution with tools to help you attract customers, sell your services faster, manage jobs better, and maintain customer engagement at its best.

With MioCommerce, your journey to becoming a cleaning business of industry-leading standards and excellence is within reach.

Book a free demo to connect with one of our experts and discuss how you can scale your cleaning business with MioCommerce.