Start Your Own House Cleaning Business

One of the biggest fears people have about starting a small business is the fear of having no real security.

But for natural entrepreneurs, security comes from designing your own life. My partner Richa and I discovered that we could create security when we put forth the effort to call our own shots and make key business decisions that made sense for our lives. Starting a house cleaning business helped us achieve real security.

We started our cleaning business over nine years ago. Our schedules now burst with other, more creative commitments, but we continue to clean houses and offices. Why? Because the work is steady, the pay is excellent, and we love getting the free time we want in order to pursue our personal goals.

When I first joined Richa as he started a house cleaning business I relished the idea of working for myself but I had no idea what I was getting into. Two things were bothering me a little. First, I was concerned with job security. Second, I secretly doubted my basic cleaning skills. Cleaning had always seemed like drudgery and I wondered if my skills were up to par with the pros. Richa reassured me that my basic skills were good enough. He guaranteed that the short working hours would give me time to spend the way I wanted. I was ready to take a leap of faith, so I decided to try it.

I made three discoveries:

Cleaning is not drudgery when you're getting paid well to do it.
Leaving behind neat, clean rooms is quite satisfying.
Not having a boss is fantastic.

I also found a new use for my research skills. Because I was determined to rank up there with the best of the professionals, I began to research cleaning tips and as a result, learned how to clean just about anything. Best of all, our diligence and excellent service has provided genuine job security all along.

Why do we think starting a house cleaning business is a great idea? Here are 11- reasons:

1. Unlimited income potential

You can grow your house cleaning business as big as you want. Many recent entrepreneurs have built up their house cleaning businesses up to 100k a year within one year. Try that with a JOB (just over broke). Cleaning franchises are booming nationwide, but franchises are a bad deal for the want-to-be professional cleaner. You sink into debt before you even get started. Franchises, while highly appropriate for oil lube shops and Internet cafes, are not a good idea for an entrepreneur who simply wants to start a cleaning business. Oil change shops and cafes are expensive and complicated businesses, cleaning is not.

2. Start bringing in money within two weeks.

You can discover interested clients within days. You can be giving quotes within a week. You can have jobs by week two. You can have a full-force house cleaning business within a few months.

3. Start on a shoestring budget

You can start a house cleaning business for well under $100. This business is one of the best for inexpensive start-ups. Believe it or not you can even start without a vacuum or a car. We did!

4. Be your own boss.

It is absolutely my favorite reason for starting a house cleaning business. My inner compass indicates that when I’m my own boss I’m going in the right direction. I'm sure you can relate. Nothing quite compares to the pride and excitement of calling the shots and being in charge of your own destiny. This is what America is all about, right? What is stopping you? Sure, you'll make mistakes, we all make them. But no one is going to scold you and you'll learn from your mistakes. Besides, as another entrepreneur once said, we have the most sympathetic boss in the world - ourselves!

5. Set your own hours.

We love this aspect of starting a house cleaning business even more than being our own boss. We take days off when we want and as often as we can get away with. We find that we each work smarter instead of harder because both of us are able to tap into our natural sense of responsibility. When you're empowered to take charge of your own schedule you take more pride in the work you do.

6. Get paid Everyday.

This is my second favorite benefit. every day we get at least one check if not several. You won't stress out about paying your bills on time. No waiting two weeks or a month to get paid. This makes your personal accounting system less stressful and a whole lot more enjoyable.

7. Cleaning is easy work, not technical or complicated.

If you prefer to use your brainpower on genuinely creative, significant pursuits, or even if you don't, starting a house cleaning business won't drain your brain. In fact, a lot of people find the gentle, repetitive tasks involved in cleaning to be meditative.

8. Professional cleaning is not emotionally or mentally exhausting.

This is Richa's favorite part of starting a house cleaning business. Richa initially started his business because he was frustrated with how emotionally draining his JOB was, making it very difficult for him to pursue his creative endeavors. He was tired a lot of the time and just couldn't get motivated. Within weeks of starting his first house cleaning business he was realizing a lifelong desire to compose music. He now has seven CDs of music published. Richa and I built a house ourselves with the free time and free mental space afforded by our part time house cleaning business.

9. Choose who you work with.

This is Second favorite on Richa's list. There has always been that one person who made life at work less than enjoyable if not a complete drag. If we discover we don't exactly click with a client, we have a system for replacing them within one week, sometimes sooner. You'll never feel trapped with an unwanted associate again.

10. Work close to home.

No long commute, no commute at all if you prefer. There is plenty of work near you, we drive maybe ten miles a day, and we do 80% of our work in one neighborhood. When Richa started his first house cleaning business he rode his bike and took public transportation to his clients' homes and offices. With a little foresight and planning, you can clean with no supplies of your own. We have met several other cleaners who get to work by bike and on foot as well.

11. Start additional cleaning services.

Maximize your profits by adding any of a dozen additional cleaning services. Carpet cleaning, steam cleaning, house sitting, pet sitting and plantscaping are all natural outgrowths of starting a cleaning business. You can mix house cleaning with office cleaning, or window cleaning with house cleaning, or for variety do all three.

Summary:

Starting a house cleaning business may not be glamorous, but because we did it, Richa and I have gained free time to do what we want to do, lower our stress levels, become more productive and happier, and we make a good living. For people with a sense of independence and a creative spirit, starting a house cleaning business is a wonderful way to provide you with genuine security.

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Data Entry Jobs

Legitimate Work for Legitimate Pay

When someone starts a home based business, expectations can best be described as skeptical. Most people starting any work at home endeavor have heard the word "scam" so often that even though they are willing to put their money into promises, they have no idea what these promises will entail. They either don't know or forget to read the fine print. It is putting the cart before the horse.

Let me take for example Data Entry or Type at Home. What is the job description? Have you read all of the sales page, or only the part where it says you can succeed? What are you going to be doing? What are they giving you to succeed in this type of business? Do they have a money back guarantee? How long is this guarantee for?

There have been many articles written about Data Entry or Type At Home, which are essentially the same for most companies, so the first thing you should be doing before signing up with any one is reading some of these articles. When starting any home business find out what it is you are going to be doing. Do your research. You would not go and buy a car, or appliance, or home, without doing some research on the product. Why would you put money into a home based business without researching?

Data Entry or Type At Home on the internet is most time nothing like what you would be doing if you worked this type of job in the real world. They are totally different. Data Entry or Type At Home on the Internet is simply typing the company’s ads and putting them into online forms at various advertising sites. You get paid by the number of "sales" your ads bring in to the company. You will get your own "ID" number with each company and that is the website address you put into the ad.

It is legitimate work, for legitimate pay. It is not a "scam". Why is this legitimate you should be asking. Because once you pay the fee to the Data Entry or Type at Home company you will receive training on how and where to place these ads, a list of hundred of companies wanting you to do this for them, and you will get complete support.

The pay varies from company to company, and on sales you make for that company. Sometimes you are paid through the Data Entry Company, sometimes from the companies you are advertising. But it should all be up front for you in the beginning. Most companies pay every two weeks, some pay once a month. You can set your pay up to be paid through PayPal with most companies, that way you don't have the inconvenience of waiting for a check to arrive and then having to cash it.

There are a few companies on cyberspace that do hire customer service, data entry, and other types of traditional office work. One such company is Ignotius. It is a newer company, although the owners have been in Internet Marketing for some time. It does come with a money back guarantee and it is worth looking into.

Remember not all Data Entry, Type at Home are "scams". They all take work and determination, but you can succeed with the right company.

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Affiliate Commissions

Affiliate Commissions

The ideal world of affiliate marketing does not require having your own website, dealing with customers, refunds, product development and maintenance. This is one of the easiest ways of launching into an online business and earning more profits.

Assuming you are already into an affiliate program, what would be the next thing you would want to do? Double, or even triple, your commissions, right? How do you do that?

Here are some powerful tips on how to boost your affiliate program commissions overnight.

1. Know the best program and products to promote. Obviously, you would want to promote a program that will enable you to achieve the greatest profits in the shortest possible time.

There are several factors to consider in selecting such a program. Choose the ones that have a generous commission structure. Have products that fit in with your target audience. And that has a solid track record of paying their affiliate easily and on time. If you cannot seem to increase your commissions, dump that program and keep looking for a better one.

There are thousands of affiliate programs online which gives you the opportunity to be picky. You may want to select the best to avoid losing your advertising dollars.

Write free reports or short e-books to distribute from your site. There is a great possibility that you are competing with other affiliates that are promoting the same program. If you start writing short reports related to the product you are promoting, you will be able to distinguish yourself from the other affiliates.

In the reports, provide some valuable information for free. If possible, add some recommendations about the products. With e-books, you get credibility. Customers will see that and they will be encouraged to try out what you are offering.


2. Collect and save the email addresses of those who download your free e-books. It is a known fact that people do not make a purchase on the first contact. You may have to send out your message more than six times to make a sale.

This is the simple reason why you should collect the contact information of those who downloaded your reports and e-books. You can make follow-ups on these contacts to remind them to make a purchase from you.

Get the contact information of a prospect before sending them to the vendor’s website. Keep in mind that you are providing free advertisement for the product owners. You get paid only when you make a sale. If you send prospects directly to the vendors, chances are they would be lost to you forever.

But when you get their names, you can always send other marketing messages to them to be able to earn an ongoing commission instead of a one-time sale only.

Publish an online newsletter or Ezine. It is always best to recommend a product to someone you know than to sell to a stranger. This is the purpose behind publishing your own newsletter. This also allows you to develop a relationship based on trust with your subscribers.

This strategy is a delicate balance between providing useful information and a sales pitch. If you continue to write informative editorials you will be able to build a sense of reciprocity in your readers that may lead them to support you by buying your products.


3. Ask for higher than normal commission from merchants. If you are already successful with a particular promotion, you should try and approach the merchant and negotiate a percentage commission for your sales.

If the merchant is smart, he or she will likely grant your request rather than lose a valuable asset in you. Keep in mind that you are a zero-risk investment to your merchant; so do not be shy about requesting an increase in your commissions. Just try to be reasonable about it.

Write strong pay Per Click ads. PPC search engine is the most effective means of advertising online. As an affiliate, you can make a small income just by managing PPC campaigns such as Google AdWords and Overture. Then you should try and monitor them to see which ads are more effective and which ones to dispose of.

Try out these strategies and see the difference it can make to your commission checks in a very short time.

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Freelance Home Employment

WHAT EXACTLY IS FREELANCE HOME EMPLOYMENT?

If you are looking for the ideal home employment opportunity then freelance jobs are definitely something you should consider. Freelance home employment allows you the independence of working for yourself and choosing your own hours while providing a relatively easy way to make a lot of money.

Freelance home employment enables employees to advertise positions they need freelance workers for and then find the right person with the necessary skills to complete the task. As a freelance worker you are able to apply for these freelance jobs and if you qualify for the position and you receive this freelance home employment then you will be able to complete the work in the comfort of your own home and set your own hours.

Freelance home employment enables you to use the skills you already have including writing, data entry, graphics, computer or administrative skills from the comfort of your own home and get paid great money.

The benefit of using a freelance jobs database service in finding freelance home employment is that it largely decreases your need for marketing. Marketing on the internet can be one of the most difficult aspects of running an online business. If you are able to go to a specific website and just apply, then all you need to know is how to type or perform the tasks of the job you are applying.

Freelance home employment is also much easier for people who want to work from home but do not have many computer skills to start up their own business online. The only real computer skills necessary in most cases is the ability to browse the internet, send emails, and data entry. You will browse the freelance jobs boards for positions available; either sends a message via board or via email to provide your interest for the position.

Once you have found freelance home employment you will need to agree on a freelance contract. This involves including the amount you will charge for the project, the time it will take you to deliver and your payment terms. Or just agree to the positions payment terms. You can even negotiate. If it is a long term project you may also want to set some milestones to chart your progress.

Freelance home employment involves searching freelance job boards for positions that you have the skills to fulfill, sending in a your desire to do the work and if you are chosen for the position you will set your own hours and work from the comfort of your own home to complete the freelance work. If you are looking at working from home this is definitely something you need to consider.

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Medical Transcription Service

Medical Transcription Service

If you have a strong understanding of medical terminology and procedures, you can turn that expertise into a successful career in medical transcription.

Medical transcriptionists make good money transforming physicians' dictated medical records into written copy. Our start-up guide makes getting into this rapidly growing, lucrative field easy.

You'll learn how to reach potential clients, market yourself, how to use online services to obtain medical information, and much more.

Medical Claims Billing Business

The world of medical treatment has changed dramatically in the past few years. Doctors are overwhelmed by the maze of complicated claim forms and insurance policy procedures. They need time to focus on their patients, but with complicated billing procedures from private and government-administered insurance companies, HMOs and PPOs, they're often having to worry about whether they'll ever get paid for the services they provide. And this is where you come in: There's a growing need for outside help--a need that you can easily fill, working from your home.

As a medical claims biller, you can earn a good income managing claims for doctors and other health-care specialists. There's no special training or experience needed, and start-up costs are minimal. All you really need is a computer, a printer, a modem and claims processing software.

It's an ideal "starter" business because you decide its size and scope. You can specialize in certain fields--chiropractic, pediatric or dentistry, for example--and determine exactly how many health-care professionals you want to accept as clients.

This chapter explores the burgeoning field of medical billing, or medical claims processing, from passé paper claims to progressive—and profitable—computerized billing.

Think of this chapter as an investigative report—like those TV news magazine shows but without the commercials. We will explore the phenomenal growth of the medical billing field and the secrets of America’s health-care billing industry.
The Doctor’s Key

A medical billing service is the doctor’s key to getting paid. Despite the fact that the health-care industry is alive and well in America, most doctors and other health-care providers have no idea how to get themselves paid quickly and efficiently, if at all—either by insurers or by patients who are also waiting for that check to arrive in the mail. Private and government-administered insurance companies, HMOs, PPOs and a host of other mysteriously initialed plans have conspired to make physician reimbursements as elusive as the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Doctors, once the lords of the health-care world, are fast becoming the underdogs. Not to worry—the medical billing service is on hand to save the day. A billing expert can dramatically increase the doctor’s immediate revenue.

Through the miracle of cyberspace, the biller electronically transmits insurance claims directly to the insurance company, or, in other words, into the company’s check-generating computers.

Amazingly, however, while electronic claims processing is the method for getting providers paid, most providers are still stuck in the Snail Mail Age. This makes electronic billing a thriving field with room for growth.

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Gift Basket Service Business

Gift Basket Service Business

Are you a creative person who likes to give every gift an extra-special touch? Then a gift-basket service is the perfect home based business for you. In today's fast-paced world, few people have time to find that gift that's just right. Both corporate customers and individuals have found gift baskets to be the ideal solution, creating a rapidly growing market that could mean big profits for you.

Start-up is easy. There are few equipment requirements and no need for a retail store, so starting it from home, full or part time, is ideal And you can set your own hours and workload.

Best of all, gift baskets are fun to create and practically sell themselves. Order your guide now!

Although gift baskets are one of today’s hottest businesses, with steady growth expected to continue well into the foreseeable future, they’re not at all new. In fact, gift baskets have been a traditional form of gift giving ever since humans figured out how to weave baskets. Throughout history, baskets filled with fruit, nuts, wild game and other foodstuff, flowers and other material tokens have been presented as a sign of affection or a gesture of goodwill. The contents could be consumed, and the container then used for cooking, storing and transporting food, or for some other practical or decorative purpose. It was a gift that had great value and essentially no waste.

Today, gift baskets are equally practical and infinitely more creative. They run the gamut from traditional Easter-style “goodie” baskets to baskets made especially for golfers, chocolate lovers, new homeowners and brides-to-be. Some people focus almost exclusively on the contents; others see the basket (or other container) as a very important part of the gift. In fact, a growing number of gift baskets aren’t baskets at all—they’re boxes, fruit crates, tote bags, hats, ceramic pots, mixing bowls and more, all filled with food, gifts and other collectible items designed to delight the recipient.

So who buys gift baskets and why? Just about everyone for every imaginable occasion. They buy pre-made baskets by occasion or theme, or baskets specially designed for a specific individual. They buy baskets from large chain stores, small specialty shops and home based basket makers—and they’ll buy them from you.

The market for gift baskets is great, and as long as people buy each other presents, you’ll have a steady stream of customers. You have a product that is in high demand and that people are familiar with. You don’t need to convince anyone that they should buy gift baskets—you just need to let them know that you are their best source, and that you can deliver the product they need when they need it. One thirteen-year veteran in the business told us she believes the industry is in its infancy, with the real growth yet to be experienced.

Your revenue will be limited only by how hard you want to work and how much you want your business to grow. You can easily gross $10,000 or more annually working part time from home, or $1 million and up operating a retail store or mail order business full time.

About half of your business will be holiday-based, and the majority of that will be Christmas-related. One of the fastest-growing segments of the gift basket industry is corporate holiday orders. When the Christmas rush is over, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Thanksgiving and Secretaries’ Day are the most profitable holidays. Most gift basket business owners see holidays as both a blessing and a curse. They can earn a lot of money making holiday baskets, but they have to work very hard during times of the year when they might prefer to do other things.

The bottom line on making gift baskets is that it’s a highly creative and gratifying occupation. It features all the best aspects of hands-on work, design, coordinating, and planning and customer service. Your product is something you take pleasure in making, your customers enjoy buying, and the recipients are delighted to receive.

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Handicrafts Business

Crafts Business

If you're creative and enjoy working with your hands, a crafts business could be your path to financial independence. With a minimal investment, you can start grossing up to $100,000 a year doing something you love. This guide starts with an overview of the industry, looks at some specific crafts businesses, and then through the step-by-step process of setting up and running your new venture. You’ll learn about basic requirements and start-up costs, daily operations, and what to do when things don’t go according to plan. You’ll gain a solid understanding of the sales and marketing process, as well as how to track and manage the financial side of your business. Throughout the guide, you’ll hear from crafters who have built successful operations and are eager to share what they learned in the process. This guide from Entrepreneur.com is necessary before diving into this home business venture.

Assembly lines around the world are churning out mass-produced items that are purchased almost as fast as they can be made. But consumer acceptance of low-cost look-alike goods hasn’t eliminated the demand for handcrafted items—although those items are likely to have a much different function today than in the past.

Many handcrafted items are now valued as works of art, but historically their value was primarily utilitarian. For example, baskets and pottery were essential for transporting food, water and other items. And weaving produced fabrics that could be made into clothing and blankets.

Because of the industrial revolution, the need for functional handcrafted items is not as extensive as it once was. But Americans who want quality artistic and decorative items turn to modern-day craftspeople who produce a variety of items such as jewellery, ceramics, wood carvings, furniture, crocheted and knitted goods, decorated clothing, toys and much more.

What Is A Craft?

In this book, craft refers to any handmade item that can be given as a gift or sold—and if you’ve attended a crafts fair, you may have been surprised by what craftspeople sell and what people are willing to buy. The unpredictability of the crafts market is one of the intriguing and challenging aspects of the business.

In Craft Today: Poetry of the Physical, Paul J. Smith writes, “In its broadest sense craft refers to the creation of original objects through an artist’s disciplined manipulation of material. Historically craft was identified with producing objects that were necessary to life. Modern industrialized society eliminates the need to make by hand essentials for living. The term craft now must be defined in the context of a society that focuses on greater efficiency by technological achievement.”

The question of whether crafts are art or a separate medium may never be definitively answered. In The Crafts of the Modern World, Rose Slivka writes, “Throughout their long history, crafts have produced useful objects which are later considered fine art. Time has a way of overwhelming the functional value of an object that outlives the men who made and used it, with the power of its own objective presence—that life-invest quality of being that transcends and energizes. When this happens, such objects are forever honored for their own sakes—they are art.”

Of course, for someone wanting to start a crafts business, the question of whether the products are art may not be particularly important. A more critical question is whether you can make money.

The nature of the crafts industry makes it difficult to define and quantify, but industry experts estimate that sales revenues exceed $10 billion annually, and hundreds of thousands of working artisans earn their entire income from the crafts they produce. Most professional craftspeople start making their handcrafted goods as a hobby, and begin selling items to friends and family. From there, they typically expand to selling in crafts shows and fairs several times a year. Sometimes they’re content to keep this as something they do on the side; others are eager to move from part-time to full-time status. Still other artisans tackle their work as a full-time career from the beginning, often renting studio or retail space, or both.

Start-up costs for a crafts business range from literally a few dollars to several thousand dollars, depending on what you are making, what type of equipment and raw materials you need, and whether you already own equipment when you start. Crafters earn as little as a few dollars an hour (for part-time crafters who are not particularly interested in profits) to as much as $20 or $30 an hour and sometimes more if they learn how to market and manage their businesses efficiently.

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Cleaning Service Business

Cleaning Service Business

If it can get dirty, chances are that someone will be willing to pay you to clean it. And that's why few industries can claim the variety and depth of opportunities that professional cleaning can. This in-depth guide shows you how to start three hot cleaning businesses: residential maid service, commercial janitorial and carpet/upholstery cleaning.

Most cleaning service businesses can be operated on either a part-time or full-time basis, either from home or from a commercial location, and the best part is you can build an extremely profitable business that will generate revenue very quickly.

Our easy-to-follow guide will teach you:

Who your customers and competitors will be
The ins and outs of finding clients
What equipment and supplies you'll need to get started
How to hire and train employees
Where to find start-up funds and how to set prices
And much more

The cleaning industry has two primary market groups: consumer and commercial. The consumer arena consists primarily of residential maid services, along with carpet cleaners, window cleaners and a variety of other cleaning services required on a less-frequent basis. The commercial arena is dominated by janitorial services, which typically provide a wider range of services than maid services, along with other cleaning companies, such as carpet and window cleaners, that target businesses rather than individual consumers. While it’s recommended that you decide on a niche and concentrate on building a business that will serve your chosen market, it is entirely realistic to expect to be able to serve multiple markets successfully.

With all this opportunity, what does the competition look like? Glance through your telephone directory—the number of cleaning services may make you think the market is already flooded and there’s no room for you. That’s not true.

First, anyone can get a listing in the Yellow Pages just by having a business telephone line. A mere listing doesn’t mean the company is offering quality service to the market you’re targeting.

Second, the demand for cleaning services is tremendous. Plenty of maid service companies have waiting lists for clients because they simply can’t serve the entire market. Many carpet cleaners and other types of specialized cleaning services are not full-time operations and therefore don’t offer serious competition. And a significant number of janitorial services are mom-and-pop operations run by people who want just enough work to earn a living.

Third, cleaning service customers want quality, and many operators are unable to deliver that. Ask anyone who has ever hired a company to clean something in their home or office if they’ve had any bad experiences, and chances are you’ll hear some nightmarish stories of poor-quality work, damage to property and even theft. If you offer quality service, operate with integrity and charge reasonable prices, you will be a success in a cleaning service business.

The Driving Forces

Shifting demographics and changing lifestyles are driving the surge in residential maid service businesses. Busy consumers don’t have the time or inclination to clean for themselves; they want to spend their limited leisure hours doing things they enjoy. So they’d rather have someone else do their cleaning—and they want it done well.

Linda B., president of a major residential maid franchise, says, “The major trend [in the residential cleaning industry] is tremendous growth. As leisure time continues to shrink, more and more people are searching for personal support in the form of housecleaning services, lawn maintenance, errand-running services and more. Our franchises are growing at tremendous rates, and most of them have waiting lists for customers. Our existing customers are asking for additional services, like indoor plant care, or asking us to pick up and deliver dry cleaning and handle other errands. People are strapped for time, they need help, and they are willing to pay for it. So many of our customers tell us that our service has given them the freedom to enjoy life and get rid of the stress that comes when you are overwhelmed with too much to do.” Adds Linda B., “And as the baby boomers hit their income peaks, and their children are beginning to leave home, they have more disposable income, and they’re going to demand more and more in the way of personal services. We are enjoying a time of wonderful opportunities, and that’s not going to change in the foreseeable future.”

But the companies that truly thrive will be the ones with a heavy emphasis on quality and personal services. “I really think the cleaning industry is getting to the point where people don’t want just a basic cleaning,” says Nancy W., a maid service owner in Raleigh, North Carolina. “With all these new and wonderful homes being built, people are becoming more particular about what they are paying for.”

On the commercial side, the dual trends of outsourcing and niche businesses are behind the growing number of janitorial and specialty cleaning services. Businesses need to have their offices and plants cleaned, but it doesn’t always make sense for them to employ their own cleaning staff. Nor does it make sense for them to own the equipment and expertise necessary for jobs such as carpet shampooing, which are done on an infrequent basis.

“We’re not just a cleaning company,” says Mike B., whose outfit provides carpet and upholstery cleaning, odor control and water restoration in St. George, Utah. “It’s not just about pushing a wand or running a machine. It’s not just kicking the dirt out. It’s a matter of taking good care of people.”

This is good news for an entrepreneur who is more interested in building a solid, profitable business than in conquering new horizons.

Before you leap into the cleaning business, it’s important to look at it with 20/20 vision. Though technology certainly has an impact on cleaning services, this is not a high-tech business. Nor is there any glitz to it. And there will be times when you’ll have as much trouble as Rodney Dangerfield getting respect.

But the upside is that you can build an extremely profitable business that will generate revenue very quickly. Most cleaning service businesses can be operated on either a part-time or full-time basis, either from home or from a commercial location. That flexibility gives this industry a strong appeal to a wide range of people with a variety of goals.

Another positive aspect of the industry is that within each category of cleaning businesses are market niches and operating styles that vary tremendously. Salt Lake City janitorial service owner Michael R. says, “We offer a wide range of services to a very limited clientele. We have refined our customer base to a group that we feel we can best serve in a way that will allow us to maintain those customers permanently.”

This means you can build a company that suits your individual style and talents. If you like doing the work yourself, you can stay small and do so. If your skills are more administrative in nature, you can build and manage teams to do the work. For people who like working outside, the opportunities in service areas such as window cleaning and pressure washing are abundant. Residential maid services offer fairly predictable hours; disaster restoration and cleanup can mean calls at all hours of the day or night.

Few industries offer this tremendous range of choices and opportunities, and the need for general and niche cleaning is expected to increase in the future. To help you find your place in this thriving field, let’s take a look at the day-to-day operations of some typical cleaning businesses.

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Auto Detailing

Your Own Auto Detailing Business

Description of this Work at Home Job:

Clean cars inch by inch to return them to factory-new condition.

Perform some jobs on a regular basis and others on a one-time basis for resale to a new buyer.

Work closely with your client to understand all expectations. Every auto detailing job will be unique.

What is the Need for this Small Business Job?

Many people's cares are like a teenager's room, carpeted with months of magazines and fast-food packages and encompassed by a "bad" nonspecific odor. Other people like their cares to be in better than factory fresh condition.

As an owner of an auto detailing business, you will use sponges, hoses, vacuum cleaners, toothpicks and toothbrushes to pick up every crumb, polish every surface, and renew every visual feature of the car.

Your job as an auto detailing owner is to run a beauty salon, not a plastic surgeon's room. An auto detailer's job description does not include removing dents or significant interior or exterior work. Whether you go to the car, or the car comes to you, you'll need the same equipment. If you travel to the job, you'll need a vehicle to carry supplies. Your vehicle should become an example of your work and should sparkle like a showroom auto!

If the car comes to you, your setup and cleanup will be easier.

If you like cars (and working for yourself), an auto detailing service may be the business for you. It makes an ideal home based business!

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