[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]What is the annual cost of cleaning supplies for a startup cleaning business?
We Ask a House Cleaner the annual cost of cleaning supplies and if it’s cheaper to mix solutions or make your own.
Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says clean with me on a budget you create from ready to use cleaners. The annual cost of cleaning supplies can scale up or down. It’s determined by the number of customers you serve as a professional cleaner.
As you scale your business you can save money by using concentrates and buying cleaning supplies in bulk.
Today’s cleaning hacks brought to you by Savvy Cleaner Training for house cleaners and maids. Savvy Perks – Employee benefits for the small business owner. And My Cleaning Connection, a resource hub where you can find recipes for all-purpose cleaning solutions.
Listen: What is the Annual Cost of Cleaning Supplies?
Watch: What is the Annual Cost of Cleaning Supplies?
Hey there, I’m Angela Brown, and this is Ask a House Cleaner. This is a show where you get to ask a house cleaning question, and I get to help you find an answer.
Question: What is the Annual Cost of Cleaning Supplies?
What is your annual cost of cleaning supplies? That’s an interesting question and we’re going to talk about that today.
“How much do you spend on cleaning supplies in a year? I want to start my own business. If I do go the cheap route, what’s my annual cost of cleaning supplies?”
The Annual Cost of Cleaning Supplies is Scalable
All right. What is the annual cost of cleaning supplies? It’s kind of an interesting question in the sense that it’s hard to say. I don’t know if you have just one employee and you have five houses. Or if you have no employees and you have 10 houses. Or if you have 30 employees and you have 300 houses. I have no idea.
But finding out your costs is crucial to finding out how much it will cost to start a cleaning business.
The annual cost of cleaning supplies is going to scale up or down depending on how many people you have in your business and how many customers you serve.
It’s also going to depend whether you are making any of your supplies or are buying them all from the store.
Ready-to-Use or Concentrates?
Then the next question is, are you buying ready-to-use products or are you buying concentrates? The number of cleaning supplies can vary quite a bit depending on which option you choose.
Because concentrates are strong, you dilute them. And you stretch your cleaning supplies dollar further.
Create a budget and keep track for a couple of months to see how many cleaning supplies you use. This will give you a grasp of how many supplies you will use in the future.
Sample the Annual Cost of Cleaning Supplies
Go to your local store and find the products you want to use for your cleaning business. Then buy a stash of products for your cleaning business. And as you use them, do a daily inventory.
Figure out how long it takes you to go through a bottle of glass or window cleaner. Is it one or two cleanings? How long does a spray of stainless steel cleaner last? How about a tub of cleaning powder or cleanser?
Once you know what your cleaning style is you’ll figure out how much of the supplies you use and where you can save on household cleaning supplies.
This will help you put together an accurate budget for supplies.
The Annual Cost of Cleaning Supplies May Change
Once you know what detergents you use, and you know how much you are spending, you may look for replacements. Concentrates or professional versions of the same types of chemicals.
You could also jump on Amazon and get a good feel for what some of the prices are.
Also, figure out the prices if you buy in bulk and how much it will cost if you have them shipped. With Amazon Prime, lots of your shipping is free with your Prime membership.
Don’t Buy in Bulk Just Yet
As you get started in your cleaning business there is a lot to figure out. Lots of house cleaners find a few months in that this business is not for them. Or something tragic happens that changes your plans altogether.
And you don’t want to find that you’re not cut out for house cleaning but stuck with six cases of concentrates and 48 sponges.
Pay as You Go in the Beginning
The good news about residential cleaning is that you get paid every day. So, buy a few cleaning supplies and pay for them as you go.
Once you’ve landed on products that you like, you can do a 52-week forecast based on your existing purchases. The actual numbers from your receipts will give you a good feel for the annual cost of cleaning supplies.
Oh, and save the receipts because as a business owner, the cost of your cleaning supplies is tax deductible.
Once You Know Your Numbers You Can Create a Budget
Now let’s suppose you create a budget of say, $1,000 per year. I’m making up this number but using it for easy math.
And let’s say that you use some homemade recipes to mix some non-toxic cleaners for pennies on the dollar. At the end of the year, your expenses may only total $400 – so you have a $600 profit that rolls over to next year.
This extra $600 becomes reserve cash that you use towards expansion as you add team members and they need cleaning supplies.
Factor in More Than You Need
A good rule of thumb is to factor more in your cleaning supplies budget than you actually need. This allows for error. Trying new products when your favorites are out of stock. Expansion. Inflation and other things you’re not thinking about right now.
Keep Accurate Records
When you do your taxes at the year-end, you’ll have a good grasp on your annual cost of cleaning supplies. This will help you scale as your business grows.
If this budget works for a solo cleaner – than doubling the budget for a second person makes sense.
Or you can look at it by the number of customers you service. If your budget allows for ten homes, then doubling the budget would allow for twenty homes.
That’s simple math but you get the idea.
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Resources For This Episode
Cleaning: All-Natural Homemade Cleaning Recipes: A DIY Cleaning Guide to Safe, Environmentally Friendly Money-Saving Recipes – https://amzn.to/2HJGMud
Baking Soda Power! Frugal and Natural: Health, Cleaning, and Hygiene Secrets of Baking Soda (60+) – 2nd Edition! (DIY Household Hacks, Chemical-Free, Green Cleaning, Natural Cleaning, Non-Toxic) – https://amzn.to/2qDXBhF
Natural Cleaning Recipes: Essential Oils Recipes to Safely Clean Your Home, Save Money, and Protect Your Family – https://amzn.to/2JQpn3t
The Naturally Clean Home: 150 Super-Easy Herbal Formulas for Green Cleaning – https://amzn.to/2vjeJiD
Easy Green Cleaning: Join the Safe, Effective and Eco-Friendly Cleaning Revolution by Using Simple, Inexpensive, Natural, and Non-toxic Ingredients and Recipes to Keep Your Home Sparkling Clean! – https://amzn.to/2JPp6Oc
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