How to Grow Your Commercial Cleaning Business

Effective growth for commercial cleaning businesses demands simultaneous strategies to target improvements in operations, marketing, and sales.

A collective approach will:

• Generate more cleaning contracts

• Retain current clients

• Boost cleaning company revenue

This article provides proven strategies to increase sales, expand your client base, and diversify cleaning services.

1. Finding new clients

Generating new business growth—whether you own a startup or a well-established cleaning business—requires landing new clients and generating more commercial cleaning contracts. 

These strategies target the hard work of publicizing your business locally and online to maximize results.

Leverage local networking and connections

Networking isn’t just about exchanging business cards with others in the cleaning industry. Successful networking relies on long-term professional relationships in a variety of industries.

Methods to expand your professional connections include:

• Join networking groups for in-person events with small-business owners and professionals.

• Attend cleaning and janitorial service trade shows, expos, and conferences.

• Form partnerships with local businesses that may need commercial or residential cleaning services, such as:

  • Real estate agents

  • Tourism professionals

  • Property managers

  • Construction business owners

• Sponsor community events and participate in charitable activities to grow professional connections, meet potential clients, and promote your business.

The wider your networking, the greater your potential to gain new customers.

Make the best use of online platforms and directories

Keep your online business page and directories accurate so potential customers can easily contact your business.

Not doing so could be detrimental to landing new clients—62% of consumers would avoid using a business if they found incorrect information online.

Online directories list your: 

• Business address and phone number

• Services and hours

• Years in operation

• Customer reviews with photos

Popular online platforms and directories include:

• Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business)

• LinkedIn

• Social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram

• Yelp

Regularly update your listings and directories and manage online reviews. Send customers a link to your preferred review site and respond to reviews promptly and professionally.

Offer referral incentives for existing clients

Use your existing customer base to generate new clients by creating a referral program as a word-of-mouth marketing strategy.

Effective referral programs need well-defined goals and incentives, such as:

• Discounts or free service to your current customers

• Special offers to new customers

• Cash rewards

Promote referral incentives on your business website, emails to customers, and social media platforms. Make it easier for customers to submit referrals through your website's referral button or widget.

Target niche markets and industries

A niche market accelerates growth when potential clients choose your cleaning business because you specialize in cleaning a particular type of facility or offer specific services.

Examples of a niche market include:

• Specializing in cleaning a specific type of property, including office buildings or educational, restaurant, healthcare, or industrial facilities.

• Targeting a specific sector for cleaning services, such as short-term vacation rentals, post-event cleanup, or post-construction cleaning.

• Using eco-friendly cleaning products and environmentally sustainable cleaning methods and equipment.

Research potential niches by identifying the need for certain services in your area and whether you’ll need additional training or licensing for those services.

Deliver quality service in your niche market, and market your business to establish a solid reputation that generates business growth.

2. Effective marketing strategies

Marketing helps business owners build brand recognition and set their business apart from the competition.

Before launching marketing campaigns, perform market research and create a marketing plan to identify your:

• Target market

• Messaging

• Marketing channels

It’s essential to promote your business consistently and in ways that align with your brand.

Consider these proven digital marketing strategies to promote your commercial cleaning business.

Build a professional website and online presence

Since 94% of first impressions relate to your site’s web design, it’s imperative to build a professional, user-friendly cleaning company website.

Important website elements include:

• Company contact information, hours, geographic service area, and services

• Call-to-action buttons

• Menus for easy navigation

• An eye-catching design with high-quality images and videos

• Customer reviews and testimonials

• Company certifications and awards

A mobile-friendly website ensures potential clients see key information and can easily navigate your site from any device.

Regularly update your blog and social media pages with fresh, quality content to maintain an active online presence and engage potential clients.

Invest in paid advertising and local SEO

Pay-per-click (PPC) ads and search engine optimization (SEO) help your commercial cleaning website rank higher in relevant online searches, driving leads and sales.

PPC ads, such as Google Ads, rank your business at the top when people search for products or services your business offers. Cleaning companies only pay when someone clicks on their ad.

SEO is based on organic search results. Cleaning businesses optimize their website for SEO to rank higher in online searches by using location-specific keywords on:

• The homepage

• Menus

• Landing pages

• Blog content

SEO also involves other technical aspects, such as fast-loading pages, mobile-friendly features, and proper URL structures.

Launch email marketing campaigns

Email marketing enables cleaning companies to send targeted messages to clients, leading to more effective marketing campaigns.

Build and segment your email marketing campaigns to send meaningful messages to customers. Personalize emails for greater impact.

Email campaigns could include:

• Follow up after a cleaning estimate

• A seasonal promotion or special offer

• Cleaning tips and techniques

• Client success stories

As with any marketing campaign, analyze performance and adjust messaging for maximum effectiveness.

Additional growth strategies include diversifying your cleaning services, setting financial goals, and optimizing operational efficiency.

3. Diversify your cleaning services

If business growth remains at a standstill, consider adding new cleaning services to increase revenue and profit.

Before diversifying services, research your area to evaluate the need for the services and competitor offerings.

Specialized cleaning services could include:

• Disinfection and sanitization

• Eco-friendly cleaning

• Floor and carpet cleaning

• Deep cleaning, such as wall washing

• Window cleaning or pressure washing

Certain specialty services may also require specialized training or certification. The decision to diversify services should match your business plan and overall financial strategy.

4. Financial strategies for growth

Financial strategies change as a cleaning business grows.

The owner of a large commercial cleaning business with several branches or divisions defines long-term goals differently from an entrepreneur starting a new business.

Create a financial plan to identify short- and long-term financial goals, define sales goals, track expenses, and manage cash flow. Without proper financial planning and management, rapid business growth could lead to instability.

To improve cleaning business financial management:

• Create and follow a budget

• Monitor expenses and cash flow

• Optimize billing and invoicing

• Track job costs

• Manage inventory

• Consider investment opportunities

To protect your company and clients, carry proper insurance, such as general liability insurance, and follow local and state regulations for your business. Failure to do so could result in serious financial consequences.

5. Technology and operational efficiency

Technology increases efficiency in the office and on the job site.

Business software, such as Aspire commercial cleaning business software, provides best-practice business processes for greater operational efficiency. Aspire simplifies all aspects of operations, including:

• Scheduling and route optimization

• Estimating

• Team communication

• GPS tracking and geo-fenced clock-in/clock-out capabilities

• Site checklists and inspections

• Customer relationship management (CRM)

• Job costing

• Inventory management

• Purchasing

• Reporting

Aspire’s industry-specific management tools empower cleaning businesses to improve operations, quality control, customer satisfaction, and profit.

Cleaning companies may utilize innovative technology on the job site to save time and improve services. Robotic cleaning equipment cleans without an operator, and electrostatic or UV-C disinfection quickly and thoroughly sanitizes spaces.

While it’s an up-front investment, the right technology saves time and money in the long run.

6. Level up your cleaning operations

Aspire commercial cleaning business software gives business owners complete visibility into every aspect of operations, so they can focus on the best strategies for business growth.

Aspire’s complete system empowers growth through real-time, interactive data from estimates, sales, time tracking, and job costs. 

→ Accurate, accessible data empowers business owners to make better decisions that improve job performance and drive growth.

Ready to take your commercial cleaning business to the next level? Request a demo today.