Cleaning With Steam – There’s a Lot of Potential in This Niche Business
Steam cleaning is one home-based venture that can quickly put you in the black. This niche business is not as mainstream as many of the other cleaning services, but the demand and potential for an above average profit certainly makes it something for the small business entrepreneur to consider.
Not to be confused with carpet cleaning (in fact, there really is no such thing as steam cleaning when it comes to cleaning carpets), real steam cleaning involves custom cleaning of floors, walls, ceilings, restaurant equipment, industrial equipment, machinery, and so on.
One advantage that steam cleaning has over other cleaning methods is that it can cut through almost any type of grease and grime. When used for applications like this, it leaves other cleaning methods in the dust. All this, without using any chemicals or cleaning agents.
Starting a steam cleaning service requires an initial investment in heavy-duty, commercial steam cleaning machines. These are similar to what consumers can buy in a department store, except that they are capable of much more capacity and are of commercial quality. Don’t even consider starting this business using those small consumer steamers. They are not meant for large jobs and it will take you forever to complete your work. Also, they aren’t meant to withstand that kind of abuse and will likely fail after a few jobs.
Expect to pay close to $1000 for a commercial grade steam machine. For this price, you can be sure that you have a reliable unit that is made to withstand the rigors of commercial and industrial use. Of course, you can pay more for higher capacity machines, but if you’re just starting out, this is more than enough.
Marketing your services should be fairly straightforward. The first thing you want to decide is whether you will be doing commercial/residential work, or industrial. Will you be concentrating on cleaning floors and walls, or will you be degreasing engines?
If you decide to concentrate on residential and light commercial cleaning, the smartest move you can make is to try to team up with a housecleaning service or janitorial company. Because steam cleaning is so specific, it might be hard to sell your services “as is.” You are unlikely to have homeowners call you to simply clean their grout walls and floors. Similarly, maid services and janitorial companies are not likely to have the capacity to steam clean floors and walls.
Of course, once you get into the commercial side of things (restaurants, public washrooms), you can easily market your business as a stand-alone service.
Get some flyers and business cards printed – go around to several restaurants and commercial establishments in your neighborhood offering your services. Offer to do a free demo on some of their dirtiest floors or walls.
It should be noted that commercial kitchen exhaust cleaning is, pretty much, a standalone trade. You need to take classes to learn how to properly clean a restaurant hood exhaust system. In fact, there’s even a certification for this trade. Don’t even consider starting a job like this without the proper training.
If you opt for the industrial cleaning side of things, most of your money will be made by cleaning heavy equipment, engines, and other miscellaneous machinery. This side of the steam cleaning business can be very dirty. Make sure that you factor in the cost of things like overalls and protective clothing.
You should be able to make at least $30 per hour, or more, while you are working. Much of your business will come through referrals and you should eventually be solidly booked – although this isn’t an excuse to cut back on your marketing efforts.
It’s entirely possible that you can build a multi-crew business over time – particularly, if you live in a large city.
Don’t be intimidated by the recent influx of cheap, household steam machines. Commercial grade equipment is still required to do a professional job. Look at it this way: Carpet cleaners didn’t go out of business when they introduced the Bissell machine to consumers.
