How to Start a Restroom Cleaning Service
Starting a restroom service business may not be for everyone, but there’s no denying that there is a big demand for this service – and the potential to build this business is huge.
Have you ever noticed those little decals from companies that provide restroom cleanup services? They tend to be displayed in obvious places around sinks and other fixtures. In fact, you may notice that several different establishments use the same restroom services company.
This is a big business, and there are some very big companies that provide these services. The majority of their customers are on a route and are serviced on a regular basis. Some of the larger providers may have a customer base in the thousands in any particular city.
Their customers (restaurants, gas stations, theaters, stores, professional offices) realize the value that a clean washroom can bring to the establishment. Their patrons will only tolerate a messy/dirty restroom once – and then they’ve lost that customer for good. The cleanliness of their washrooms speaks volumes about the cleanliness of the establishment in general.
Although the industry is dominated by a handful of large corporations, there is still plenty of room to start a successful restroom cleaning business of your own. However, you’re going to have to offer a level of service that is second to none – something the big corporations may not be able to compete with. Somehow, you’ve got to stand out in an exceptional way, otherwise, why wouldn’t they just go with the industry leaders?
Starting this business should be relatively straightforward. Find a local supplier of janitorial products and you should be all set. They will provide you with commercial supplies and tools to get the job done in a professional manner.
Next, you’ll want to get out there and visit several establishments in your local community. This will require a little sales ability on your part. Don’t expect that you’ll get many contracts on the spot, but definitely try to get your business card in the hands of the owner or manager. It’s quite likely that they already have a company that provides this service, but that’s not to say that they won’t be looking for someone else down the road.
Your biggest opportunity will be with new establishments that haven’t hired a service yet, and small establishments that are currently doing the job themselves. Stress the benefits of having clean restrooms for their customers and the fact that they can count on you to ensure that the restroom will always be sparkling clean.
Offer a complementary cleaning to show them the difference a clean washroom makes. This, in itself, is often enough to secure a contract.
When you start creating full time work for yourself, you’ll notice that this business does have some drawbacks. Because of the public nature of the restrooms you’ll be cleaning, some will be worse than others. In some cases, a lot worse. Thus, this business is certainly not for everyone. You need to be prepared to deal with just about anything in a professional manner. I’ll leave the rest to your imagination.
In the beginning, you will be doing all the work yourself while you build a route. Once you have enough customers to keep you busy full-time, you will want to hire some help. Eventually, your efforts should be directed towards securing new accounts, while you hire more people to do the work. The possibilities are endless in a business like this. After a while, you could find yourself employing dozens of people and running several successful routes around town.
