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How to Get Clients for a Cleaning Business With Any Budget

June 23, 2023 4 min. read
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Running a cleaning business can be hugely profitable if you have enough clients. But how do you find these clients? And when you do, how do you convince them that your services are the right fit for their needs?

Getting more clients for your cleaning business can be simple, and you don’t have to break the bank to do it. Whether your budget is big, small, or nonexistent, there are ways to reach potential clients and get them in the door. Here’s how.

How to get your first cleaning client

When you’re just starting a cleaning business, there’s a lot to think about—including how to get your first cleaning client. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Identify your ideal clients. Figure out who your best clients will be. Get specific, including age, sex, family status, neighborhood, type of home, and online browsing habits. This will tell you who you’re speaking to and where you can advertise to them.
  2. Choose a service niche. Stand out from competitors by choosing a service niche. Yours could be the types of cleaning services you offer, your status as a licensed and bonded cleaning business, or the cleaning supplies you use (especially if they’re green cleaning products).
  3. Get cleaning clients. Promote your cleaning business by contacting local people who could use your cleaning services. Talk to friends and family, post on Nextdoor or Facebook community groups, and pass out business cards at your local grocery store.
  4. Send detailed estimates. Once a potential client contacts you, set up a walkthrough of their home. During this visit, ask questions to understand their needs, expectations, and budget. Then assemble an estimate with your house cleaning prices and send the estimate no more than 24–48 hours after your walkthrough.
  5. Provide amazing service. Keep clients happy and grow your cleaning business by giving them great customer service. Send on-my-way texts before visits, use house cleaning checklists to help you do a thorough job, and use a cleaning CRM to organize client files and let clients pay invoices online.

How to get clients for a cleaning business for free

  • Create an online presence with a free Google My Business listing.
  • Set up social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Post useful content like cleaning tips, blog posts, and before-and-after photos.
  • Send emails to your client list containing valuable content and special promotions.
  • Introduce yourself to other small businesses and promote each other to your clients.
  • Encourage clients to leave reviews on review sites and search engines like Google.
  • Advertise on Nextdoor or use free cleaning lead generation sites like Pro Referral, ServiceWhale, or Angi.

READ MORE: Stay on top of the latest cleaning industry trends

How to get clients for a cleaning business: Google My Business listings

Pro Tip: Already have clients? Look through your client list and pick out the ones you like working with. Then see what they have in common and how you first got in contact with them. This will help you find ways to reach more of your ideal clients in ways that are proven to work.

READ MORE: Is it worth starting a cleaning business?

Low-budget ideas to help you get more cleaning clients

  • Pass out business cards with your contact information at your local grocery store.
  • Build a professional-looking cleaning website and optimize it for search engines.
  • Join pay-per-lead online marketplaces like Porch or Thumbtack.
  • Start a customer referral program and reward clients for spreading the word about your business.
  • Sponsor, support, or volunteer at a community event.
How to get clients for a cleaning business: business cards

Pro Tip: Make business cards like this yourself using a logo maker tool like Looka.

Big-budget ways to get clients for your cleaning business

How to get clients for a cleaning business: GLSA listings

Starting a janitorial service, office cleaning company, or commercial cleaning business? Find out how to get cleaning contracts.

READ MORE: Successful cleaning business stories

Getting new clients might take time, but be patient and keep at it. Before you know it, you won’t just have a client list—you’ll have a waitlist of people wanting to work with you.

Want more tips for landing your first cleaning clients? Watch this quick video to hear expert cleaning business owners share how they got their client lists growing:

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