What are the requirements for commercial cleaning service company?

Question

Place: San Mateo, San Francisco

Answer 1

A cleaning business-whether residential or office-is a terrific way to have a stable income. And you're smart to investigate before you try and get clients!

Here's some beginning steps:

1. Check with your city or county clerk's office to see if you need a business license or fictious name license. These are inexpensive ($25-$50) and usually last 3 or more years;

2. Then, call around to insurance companies and compare prices for liability insurance (sometimes called bond). This protects you if something breaks or gets damaged while you're on the job. And, yes, sometimes you didn't so it, but with this you can keep a client! AND, when you can say to potential clients, "I have liability insurance" it not only makes you professional, but adds confidence. It shouldn't cost more than around $100-$300/yr for $100K coverage (you don't need more than that for now);

3. Call existing cleaning companies, pretend to be a potential customer, to find out the going rates and services provided;

4. NOW, make a nice flyer and/or introductory letter about your service and start knockin' on doors, so to speak!  Dress nice, maybe have a t-shirt made up with your company name and/or logo at Cafepress.com, too.

5.  And spend less than $39 on a business cleaning kit that will give you the basic contracts, forms for estimates and book-keeping, intro letters and other valuable tips.  It will save you time and money in the long run!  

This is a general start. There is lots of information available for you below......