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Before you take on clients for your new commercial cleaning business you will need capital for supplies, equipment, basic start-up expenses, marketing, etc.  There are several financial resources that new business’ use to get their financing on start up – some have savings, some lend from friends or relatives and some acquire a bank loan.  Smart business owners learn the technique of doing more with less!

Learning to do more with less means carefully watching where your cash is coming from and where it is going to.  You can learn to pinch pennies and cut corners without negatively affecting your business or your clients.  We only need to look at several successful businesses to know that this technique works for growing your business.  Domino’s Pizza, Hallmark Cards and Black & Decker are large successful businesses that started with less than one thousand dollars and learnt the value of learning to do more with less in order to grow and become successful.

There are a few techniques set out below that have helped businesses grow and expand by learning to do more with less.

1. Find the right customers.   Customers who pay immediately and on time are vital to keep cash flowing into your business.  You don’t want customers who repeatedly pay late holding onto invoices as long as possible. Maintaining good relationships with your clients will help in ensuring timely payments.
2. Be economical, but not cheap!   Honestly ask yourself what are the necessary costs to run your business and which ones can you do without?  Can you operate your business from home or do you need to rent office space?  Is second hand cleaning equipment a viable option?  Thoroughly research and shop around for the best suppliers.  Ask their professional opinion about equipment and chemicals – is there a lower priced item that works just as well as the more expensive one.  Building a good relationship with your suppliers will see your business reaping the rewards (discounts etc).
3. Simply put, the less cash going out of your business the better.  Until you are firmly established, keep your salary as low as possible and cut back on your personal expenses while the business is growing.  In time you will be able to buy that new car or go on the overseas holiday but for the mean time you need to focus on the cash flow of your cleaning business.
4. Referrals!  Word of mouth is one of the most effective advertising tools and best of all it won’t cost you a cent.  Set up a referral reward program offering cash bonuses and prizes for anyone who refers a new client to your business.  Ask customers, friends and neighbours for referrals and ask them to mention your name if they know of anyone who is looking for commercial cleaning services.
5. Your record keeping must be organised and well kept.  If you don’t keep efficient records of where your money is going or coming from, how will you know if there are any expenses your business can cut?  Avoid offering preferential treatment or discounts to special customers particularly while starting your business.  This won’t help your income.
6. There are countless advantages (combined resources, skills etc) of joining with a partner in business so consider finding another business owner to share equipment, office space or even employees.
7. Trade your services as payment with another company instead of cash.   Your lawyer, accountant or shop keeper may be happy to exchange their services with yours.  It is worth asking around because there may be individuals or businesses that are willing to have you clean their offices for part or all of their payment?
8. Consider hiring a virtual assistant to do your bookkeeping or marketing instead of a full-time employee.  You can hire a virtual assistant for a set number of hours per week/month.  Additionally, a virtual assistant will have their own equipment so this will save you further expenses.
9. Consider how much inventory you practically need at this time? Don’t waste money on supplies and equipment that are just going to sit on the shelf.
10. Until a business is financially stable, most business owners will continue to work in their current jobs.  If possible, work nights and weekends while your business is growing.

Being money-wise at the start of your business will pay off in the long run. Learning to do more with less will prove instrumental when it comes to the cash flow of your cleaning business.

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