5 ways home cleaning businesses can survive and grow despite COVID-19

With the increasing number of COVID cases in the United States, the demand for professional cleaning services is facing polarization.although Demand for commercial cleaning services surges Residential cleaning service has seen Income dropped by 35% Compared with the same period in 2019, it has increased by 45% since the beginning of the year.

If you run a household cleaning business, you may feel stressful. Since we now have millions of people working from home, concerns about the risk of infection have caused many Americans to suspend or cancel their cleaning services.One Polls The National Union of Political Workers found that 72% of residential housekeepers reported that they had lost all their customers by the first week of April.

Ironically, environmental hygiene and personal hygiene are more important than ever. Even the leading epidemiologist Dr. Fauci, Accepted The only people who entered his house were his wife and himself, his cleaning lady. In fact, cleaners are considered essential services in many states and are not subject to lockdown orders. However, with the steady increase in these orders, residential cleaning companies still face the arduous task of retaining existing customers and attracting new customers.

If you have a house cleaning business, now is the critical time to take action. Here are some tips and strategies for growing your business in this unprecedented period (while protecting your employees and customers).

Take care of your employees

Your employees are at the forefront of efforts to help control the pandemic, but many Domestic workers lack labor protection or medical insurance If they get sick at work, this can protect them. Therefore, it is important to make every effort to protect their health-and the health of your customers.

Regularly check the recent health status of employees and provide them with personal protective equipment (PPE), such as masks and gloves. Emphasize that PPE should be discarded after each visit and a new one should be worn before cleaning the next home.

Although your cleaning agreement may not change much, please train your cleaning team CDC reopening house cleaning and disinfection guidelines.

Position your service as “contactless”

Develop policies and procedures to eliminate all contact between cleaning staff and customers. For example, you can make policies that require your customers to vacate their houses or occupy rooms that your team did not clean when they were on site. If customers or their family members cannot leave the house, ask them to also wear a mask and maintain a social distance of at least six feet.

If you want to quote a new business, use video calls or have potential customers send photos to provide a virtual estimate. When you schedule a visit, please set a clear appointment time so that your customers know when they can look forward to you and can work during your visit.

Be sure to communicate these processes to your customers. Create a video or email to share and assure your family what steps your company is taking to ensure everyone’s safety. Create a FAQ that outlines the steps and precautions you are taking, and share it on your website, blog, email, and social media.

Adjust your marketing message

During the pandemic, your customers’ priorities have changed, and so should your messaging. Hygiene is more important than ever. In order to stimulate the confidence of customers, emphasize the health benefits of cleaning the home and the measures you take to protect them during the cleaning process-the right disinfectants, PPE, non-contact services, etc.

Even before the pandemic, our busy lives had made household cleaning services a necessity rather than a luxury. And now is no exception. With the whole family working and going to school at home, find ways to emphasize the emotional benefits of a clean home. Think of Marie Kondo-a clean and orderly home can reduce stress and clear the mind-while keeping the surface free from bacteria and viruses.

Diversify your services

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Over 80% of small businesses Has shifted from their usual service products. Consider your customer base and demographic data, and think about ways to promote business development in the present and in the future. Is there an opportunity to use tools such as disinfection sprays and ultraviolet rays to provide deep cleaning services? Maybe you can target customers who own high-traffic homes, such as vacation rentals, or just customers who care about hygiene. Survey your existing customer base to measure interest.

How about working with a carpet or soft furnishing cleaning company and offering discounts on bundled services? Then encourage these customers to keep coming back with a discount on the first regular cleaning.

Look at your community. Is there an opportunity to extend your service to commercial cleaning (without over-extending your team), such as newly opened organizations such as churches or bars, restaurants, and retail stores?

Here are some other timely Adjusting small business strategies during the coronavirus.

Apply for a commercial credit line

At the best of times, cash flow is a challenge for small businesses, especially in 2020.When you want to maintain and rebuild your cleaning business, one way to obtain a reliable source of funding is Apply for a commercial credit line. Unlike term loans, credit decisions can be made quickly. For example, with Fundbox, credit decisions can be made within a few minutes, and funds can be transferred as soon as possible on the next working day.

“Fundbox provides real money in our business account so I can pay my salary while waiting for the check to come in. This is a great savior.”
Kimberly Beckford, OZGLO Cleaning Company Owner

Funds can be used when needed-to pay salaries, purchase supplies and equipment, or fund marketing activities. Once you make weekly payments, these funds can be borrowed-No need to reapply.

Look at these other Techniques for overcoming financial challenges in uncertain times.