You would think that keeping personal spaces clean is a basic need, and that it’s easy to maintain a steady stream of customers.

But it can actually be challenging to find new customers for a cleaning business. There are many businesses out there that offer the same services, so how do you set yourself apart and get those potential customers to choose your business instead?

In this article, we will share some tips and ideas on how to find new customers for your cleaning business. Let’s get started!

The Challenge

The first step is to understand why it can be difficult to find customers for a cleaning business. There are many factors that might be affecting your success here, including:

• The low barrier to entry: Just about anyone can start a cleaning business with little investment or experience.
• The competition: As mentioned, there are many businesses offering similar services. This makes it hard to stand out from the crowd.
• The price: Cleaning services are often seen as a luxury, which means that customers may be reluctant to spend money on hiring a cleaner when they can do it themselves.

But we all know there are good reasons to hire a professional cleaner, and your service is solid — that’s why you started this cleaning business in the first place. The only challenge is getting your potential customers to see the value of hiring a cleaner — and specifically hiring your business.

So how can you get new customers? Let’s take a look at some ideas.

Idea #1: Activate Your Personal Network

Your family, friends, and neighbours are often the best place to start when you’re looking for new customers. Ask them if they need your services, or if they know anyone who might be interested. 

Taking on referrals through your own personal network is great especially when you’re starting out. You can get honest feedback on your services and improve as you go.

Make sure you leave a calling card or ten with your contacts in case there is anyone they can recommend your services to.

Idea #2: Get Involved in Your Community

A service business like yours can benefit greatly from being active in your local community. While you may not get customers right away, being involved expands your network and more people will get to know you and your business.

People also love hiring businesses who give back to their community, so it’s a win-win situation.

There are many ways to get involved in your community. You can start by attending local business events and Chamber of Commerce meetings. If you have the time, you can also volunteer for local organisations or causes that you care about.

Idea #3: Partner With Other Businesses

Working with other businesses in your area can be a great way to get your name out there and attract new customers.

While the work that comes out of this partnership is obviously the goal, recommending your partners to your customers can also signal to your customers that your business is well-connected and professional.

For example, you can partner with carpet cleaning companies or upholstery companies to cover the things you don’t do. You can also partner with businesses that serve the same target market as you but don’t offer the same services, such as a house painting company or an interior design firm.

Idea #4: Tie Up With Property Managers

Property managers can be instrumental to finding new customers for your cleaning business. They are always on the lookout for new vendors to provide services to their properties, and if you can build a good relationship with them, you’re sure to get a steady stream of work from them.

To find property managers, start by looking for online directories of property management companies in your area. You can leave calling cards or flyers in condominiums or complexes in your area and check in with their administrative office as well.

Idea #5: Make Use of Card Shares and Bulletin Boards

Don’t underestimate the power of old-fashioned calling card and bulletin board marketing. If you know someone who owns a business, ask if you can leave your cards on their front desk or bulletin board.

Check community centres and businesses in your area if they have any such place that you can leave your printed materials with. These are great for building awareness for your brand in the local area.

Idea #6: Ask for Customer Reviews

Asking your customers for a review is a given in this day and age when testimonials and social proof are so important. But how do you actually go about asking your customers for a review?

One way is to include a card or flyer when you send them your invoice, asking them to leave a review on Google, Yelp, or another platform. This is a great way to make use of your invoice for marketing purposes.

You can also send an email after each job thanking the customer and asking them for feedback and reviews. It helps you improve your business, but also have that extra social proof to show other potential customers. It’s even possible to get customers to submit video references, with these testimonials being an especially engaging form of review that others will trust innately. Make the submission process slick and easy, and that way you’ll quickly accumulate a library of visual content that will help snare new customers instantly.

Idea #7: Join Online Directories and Forums

There are many online directories and forums that cater to businesses in the cleaning industry. Joining these directories and forums is a great way to get your business name and contact information in front of potential customers.

Make sure you join a mixture of broad directories like Google My Business and Yelp as well as more targeted directories like Cleaner Book. This will make sure that you are reaching the widest possible audience of potential customers.

Idea #8: Set Up an Optimised Website

If you think that you don’t need a website for your small local cleaning business, think again. A business website can be an important way to reach new customers!

Many people these days go online to look for everything, including cleaning services. A website that’s optimised for exposure in your local area will ensure that you’re found by these potential customers.

Make sure your website loads quickly and contains both a list of your services and ways to contact you. That’s all your website really needs to start with, though you can add things like reviews and testimonials later on.

Idea #9: Get Active on Social Media

A website is a first step in gathering customers from the internet. Having an active social media account is the second. You don’t need to be witty or have a lot of engaging content, but you should try to post regularly.

Local businesses can benefit from being active on social media because it allows customers to connect with them on a more personal level. If they have questions or concerns, they can reach out to you directly.

It also allows you to show off what work you’ve done and how happy your customers are. Be sure to tag them when you can!

Idea #10: Advertise Your Services

Think of advertising as another way to get your name and brand out there. There are many ways to advertise, but one of the most effective (and affordable) is online advertising.

One of the most important things to consider if you’re looking to advertise your cleaning business is to focus on one or two channels where most of your customers are. This can vary by location, so get to know your customers! Are they always on Facebook or Instagram? Or do they avoid social media and just stick to Google searches for their needs and content?

Always monitor your advertisements so you can quickly turn off ads that aren’t performing.

Keeping Your Customers Happy

One of the best ways to always find new customers for your cleaning business is to provide great service. If you’re always providing top-notch quality service, your customers will be happy to recommend you to others, whether or not you offer a referral program or not (but it’s always a good idea).

Make sure you’re always on the ball when it comes to communicating with your customers. Being prompt, whether it’s answering an inquiry or sending spotless invoices, makes you look organised and professional, which will only improve your business’s reputation. Act on complaints and concerns immediately and always listen to your customers’ feedback.

You should also make it a point to follow up with your customers after each job. This is just to check if they’re satisfied with the work you’ve done and if there’s anything else you can do for them. Following up also shows that you care about their experience with your business.

Final Thoughts

Cleaning businesses are essential, but can be challenging to get customers for. By following the tips above, you can get new customers for your cleaning business and keep your business running smoothly.

Remember to always be creative in your marketing efforts and to have fun! The more fun you have, the more customers you’ll attract. Good luck!