| Oct 30, 2008 @ 10:21 PM |
Has anyone had a home based office cleaning business?
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luneib
Posts: 732
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My bf and I want to start a business, but we have no idea what rates to charge, how much per each square foot? Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanx!
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| Oct 30, 2008 @ 10:23 PM |
Has anyone had a home based office cleaning business? |
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home_nuff_alrdy
Posts: 772
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Nope sorry. My cleaning is home based and no one ever pays me... 
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| Oct 30, 2008 @ 10:23 PM |
Has anyone had a home based office cleaning business?
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robodad
Posts: 7,823
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Call the competition...see what they charge 
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| Oct 30, 2008 @ 10:47 PM |
Has anyone had a home based office cleaning business? |
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poniepower
Posts: 1,733
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Around here, they pay by the hour or by the size of the house, like a set price..not by square foot.
My niece had her own cleaning business this last summer and charged by the day, and sometimes a set price. Like if she had to do the whole house, she's charge more as in $200 for that day. If she only had to vaccum a place and dust, she'd charge by the hour, at $9.00 an hour or something like that.
My son in laws Mom pays $10.00 an hour for someone to clean her front apartment in her house while she's away in Chicago working. She offered me the job several times because she knows I'm a clean freak.
I guess it's what you and your b/f choose to do, I've just never heard of charging "by the square foot".
Hope it all works well for you 
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| Oct 31, 2008 @ 9:23 AM |
Has anyone had a home based office cleaning business?
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luneib
Posts: 732
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Thanx everyone!
Well...we are considering doing office cleaning, why charging by the square footage would be the way to go.
Thank you for the the info on what to charge for houses/apartments, we may have to start out that way just to get references before we can do the office cleaning.
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| Oct 31, 2008 @ 10:40 AM |
Has anyone had a home based office cleaning business? |
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Heaveninawildflower
Posts: 18,607
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Just call some local companies who are going to be your direct competition. You'll need to know the local rates anyway - what people are paying in other parts of the country is pretty much irrelevant to you.
Oops sorry Robo, didn't see your post. Great advice!
p.s. Don't forget insurance and bonding.
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| Oct 31, 2008 @ 12:16 PM |
Has anyone had a home based office cleaning business?
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MuskogeeBill
Posts: 599
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Called my exe cause this is what she does here. Her fees run from 1 to 5 a square foot. Depending on the type of business. Lawyere,doctors and the like pay less as they have less messy places. The metal scrap yard,feed houses, and others are more because of the messes they have. She also reccomended that you get a 6 month contract. You'd be suprised at how much people will cheat you and fail to pay. ( Guess they are waiitng for the bail out for all chamber of commerce businesses. )
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| Oct 31, 2008 @ 2:57 PM |
Has anyone had a home based office cleaning business? |
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drs297
Posts: 4,862
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I believe everybody has pretty much covered the whole rate thing, this is something which varies from town to town, especially now with the economy being the way it is and people under bidding for jobs.
A few words of advice which might pertain or not but just based on experience from owning several businesses and also from when I was a facility manager.
First, I would focus on residential first and stay away from commercial properties until you have really gotten a grasp on all that is involved. Build up slowly to better equipment, knowledge and contacts that YOU will need to grow and move onto bigger and more profitable areas in the field. With residential you will not run into all the problems that a commercial property will throw at you, not to mention the time involved and spent at one place.
It was mentioned about insurance/ bonded, also will need a license and depending on your state that might include a state license and also a separate license by each county/city you plan on working in, this does vary so your best to contact the State Gov. office and also the county offices you plan on working in to see what is required.
Vehicle insurance will also have to be changed or at least here in Georgia if your using a personal vehicle for commercial use also check to see if you have to pay or do anything if you plan on having advertising on the vehicle, most likely not but again each state is different. This I really don’t know but throwing it out there because there are some screwed up laws.,, chemicals no clue if you need a special license to use them or have them as a BUSINESS.. I do know for a fact in many states if you mow yards for a living and spary even just roundup or put down grass seed you will be fined heavily for doing so if you don’t have a license for it, as a homeowner your allowed to do it all you want but once you’re a business they snag you it is illegal.
Now back to insurance, when I was a facility manager had looking for cleaning crews if they did not have at least 2 million in coverage/ bonded and also workers comp coverage I would not even consider them. Most larger commercial properties actually have different requirements they want before even accepting bids so some leg work and phone calls will be needed before thinking about it. If you do think about commercial properties stay with the really small ones since they have less requirements. While on the subject of insurance check with your state, I believe under 3 employees you don’t need it but anything over that it is needed.
Make friends with carpet cleaners/shampoo and also floor stripping and waxing companies, this is something that will need to be done from time to time..
Again, sorry for dragging it out but a lot of this is about commercial props.. Gotta keep a steady stock of toilet paper, paper towels, batteries, trash bags, rags etc.. It will be your responsibility to supply these for the building.. Plus you can plan on working odd hours also, for our building no cleaning could be done until Sunday since employees’s worked on the Sat. also, not to mention if an employee complains about service or something not getting done you WILL hear about it.
Well guess that is enough for now.. You just have to do a lot of research and make sure you have everything in order and that is required. That is if you want to be legal.
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| Oct 31, 2008 @ 4:56 PM |
Has anyone had a home based office cleaning business?
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drs297
Posts: 4,862
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Oh one more thing and it is very very important.
DO NOT PUT ANYTHING INSIDE ON OR ATTACHED TO A MAILBOX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It does not matter if it is taped to it, stuck between the flag and box it is a HUGE fine based on each piece that is found or picked up.. This is a federal law and not a state or area law.. So don't take the chance on getting caught it will put you in major debt and out of business before you even start.
You are allowed to put things in newspaper boxes..
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