How To Write a Cleaning Company Business Plan

How do you write a business plan for a cleaning company? A lot of small business owners in service businesses rely on word of mouth, and that does work to some extent. If you’d like to ensure growth that you have more control over, here are some ideas on how to write a business plan for a cleaning company.

What Makes Business Plans for Cleaning Companies Different?

Service businesses are based on services rendered to clients rather than products sold. That means that a business plan for a cleaning company needs to focus on the competitive advantage you have in offering your services. Here are some important questions to ask as you write out a business growth plan for your service business.

• What sets you apart as a business and makes you unique?
• What do you do better than anyone else?
• What would be hard for a competitor to copy about your business?

What Elements To Include in a Service Business Plan

That last question might help you if you’re struggling to figure out what makes your business so unique. It’s okay. Lots of businesses start offering a service in their community that isn’t so unique to start, but then they find their niche. Your niche might make you stand out, or your exceptional level of service and client education or customer service. Some big companies like Zappos.com made their company stand out simply based on easy return policies at a time when that was a luxury. Write into your business plan the following details:

• What is going on in your industry.
• How will people contact you.
• What services you offer.
• What problem you are solving & what the solution is.
• Alternative services people could hire.
• What unique value proposition your company is offering or could offer going forward.
• Funding requirements, if any. Costs to run the business or grow it.
• Customer/market segments. Which type of customer do you serve? Could be more than one. (Hint: it isn’t everybody.)
• Ways you get paid.
• Ways to reach customers.

How To Rapidly Test a Business Plan To Save Money

There are many types of business plan, but two stand out: traditional and lean startup. A traditional business plan is more detailed, and will include more information about competitors, finances, and marketing plans.

A lean startup business plan is less intimidating and created for quick-moving companies that might shift their service offerings to find the right product-market fit before growing big. If you’re a cleaning company still finding your niche, check out these two types of business plans and see if one suits your business better.

You can download a service business plan template. Or, try a quicker lean startup business plan template.

What Do I Do With My Business Plan?

The key to business growth is to use the details in your business plan to create a set of activities that will help you reach your goal. If you have a business that works by word of mouth, create a business plan that includes new forms of marketing you could try to reach new customers in your region or industry. If you have a business plan that’s a little vague on the financials, try to break down your costs of running and growing your business and work backwards to a plan that tells you how much revenue, and therefore how many jobs or clients, you need to make the business grow.

The best thing you can do with a business plan is treat it like a test of your business strategies. If something doesn’t work out, come back and revise. It may be a little intimidating at first, but having a business plan, however short and sweet, can help keep your business on track and make opportunities visible.