Start a House Cleaning Business with the Right Vacuum

When I started my house cleaning business, I had a business plan and goals. One of those goals was to be known as a professional service with top paying clients. Establishing a business plan helped me define who these top paying clients were and how I would win them as my clients.

At the time I started this house cleaning business, the upright vacuums with the tools-on-board were relatively new. When I saw my first bright orange German-made machine at the supply company, I fell in love and knew this was one way to stand out from the other cleaning services. Imagine my glee as I looked over this sleek machine with the HEPA filter, dual motor and furniture arm that would allow me to complete a room without the additional time and energy needed to interrupt my routine and retrieve the canister.

This was a huge investment for me at the time, but I knew I could offset the cost with reduced cleaning time and acquire more customers by telling my prospects about this unique vacuum.

These features were important to prospects as so many people in my city had allergies and asthma and were concerned about the additional dust floating through their home by the usual vacuum cleaners.

With the dual motor, this vacuum turned off the beater bar automatically when it was placed in an upright position, allowing me to use the on-board tools without having to press a button. This is an important feature because it is so easy to forget to turn the beater bar off and this could wear the carpet while standing in one position and in some instances, even cause a burn.

One feature of this commercial brand vacuum that I was looking forward to was the 50ft cord that would allow me to vacuum whole sections of the house before having to re-plug. You know what I’m talking about; you just have a small section left to vacuum by the back window and the cord will not reach. This is so frustrating that sometimes you end up not completing that section just because you do not want to take the time to re-plug for that little area. I knew this would be a problem when I started hiring employees.

This great vacuum lays flat to vacuum under beds and tables; what a time saver! Soon after I started using the vacuum in client homes, I realized another benefit. Those darn paper clips, rubber bands and other small objects that normally rattle around in other vacuums are sucked right in and immediately deposited in the vacuum bag. No more broken fan blades and no more stopping to get the vacuum head working again.

And my clients loved this machine. They were so impressed they told their referrals who then called to schedule an appointment and would always ask if I would bring the orange vacuum. This machine more than paid for itself many times over.

This orange machine has evolved over the years and the stability issue they originally had has been resolved. Many new brands have been introduced to the commercial industry.

Upright Versus Canister

As a professional house cleaner, you must have two vacuums. You’ll need the canister for bare flooring and a good upright for carpets. You can invest in the back pack canister that you don’t have to pull around, purchase used light weight floor canisters or even invest in one of the newer, super small hand held canisters that have the suction of the larger models.

In maintaining carpet quality and also keeping your repair bills down, you should consider a new, commercial brand upright with the tools. Why a commercial over any store-brands?

Commercial Versus Store-Brands

We’re all familiar with the store-brands, but look at what you get with a commercial upright:

- The unit lays flat to vacuum under beds and tables

- Picks up paper clips, rubber bands and other small objects without clogging or stopping the beater bar. This is due to a unique design that filters the dirt through the bag and not the blower fan. Many store-brand vacuum repairs and replacements are due to this one design flaw that allows the dirt to be sucked into the machine through the fan.

- Molded-in easy-carry handle allows the vacuum to be carried with proper weight distribution

- 35′ - 50′ cords allow more square footage to be vacuumed before the need to re-plug

- Large capacity, top-fill bag for efficiency and increased time between changes

- Superior air filtration along with the sturdier construction which prevents harmful dust and particulates from escaping through gaps in the vacuum cleaner body or around the filter seal.

- Less needless features to pay for that only end up not working like dirt sensors, etc.

- The furniture arm: this one feature alone I would pay extra for! This is the extension that you see on one side of the vacuum head on most commercial upright vacuums. I have never seen this feature on a store-brand. This one feature saved me from having to move furniture when it’s not needed because the furniture arm loops around furniture legs.

Badded Versus Bagless

You’ll find 75% of the store-brand uprights are bagless while 75% of the commercial brands are bagged. That’s because the dirt receptacle on the bagless vacuums emit so much dust when emptied. The commercial vacuums and bags are designed to be air-tight and retain the dust.

HEPA Filter

The High Efficiency Particulate Air filtration system is a must have for those people with asthma, allergies and/or pets. These special filters alter the flow of the air passing through them in such a way that any particles contained in the air become trapped in the many tiny fibers which make up the filter. HEPA filters trap germs and other contaminants, which then die in the dry environment of the filter.

By having a business plan and goals, I was able to define what people were looking for and also define the niche for my house cleaning business. I also defined what products and equipment were right for my clients, set my rate to ensure a healthy profit and cost justified equipment that required a large investment.

What are your goals for your house cleaning business? To stand apart from your competitors and land more jobs, you have to define the type of clients you want to service and then offer what they want. If you’re selling your service on price alone, there will always be other cleaners that will under bid your price. Be unique and you’ll be getting the first calls and the chance to sell what you have to offer.

Gail Metcalf
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/start-a-house-cleaning-business-with-the-right-vacuum-12108.html

Indoor and Outdoor Winterizing Tips for the Home

Start Developing Simple Housecleaning Habits

As you start developing simple housecleaning habits, you’ll notice that your work will get easier and easier. This set of tips will give you some great ideas of good habits to start.

Delegate

Housework can be a huge job. Learn to delegate. Make chore charts for everyone in your house. Even small children can help pick up toys and other things. As you learn that you don’t have to do it all, housework will become much easier.

Fill the Sink

A good habit to start is filling your sink with hot soapy water every time you start to cook. This way you can clean as you go. As you get done with each pot or dish, wash it quickly. This makes clean-up a snap.

Spray the Oven

Time for take-out? If there’s a day when you’re not using your oven, give it a quick spray of oven cleaner and forget about it. The next day, before you turn on your oven, give it a quick wipe down. You’ll find that the baked on stuff comes off much easier.

Have a Charity Box

It’s a good idea to keep a box or bag in your front closet that you put things you don’t need anymore. This really helps get rid of clutter in your home. When the box is full, simply drop it off at your local good will store.

Rinse Your Plate

This may be a small tip, but it can help in big ways. If you simply make it a habit to rinse your plate after dinner (and have all family members do the same), it will make washing them a lot easier. No one likes trying to wash dried food off of dishes.

Tackle the Small Jobs

Housework can be overwhelming. Learn to break it down and tackle the smaller jobs first. As you do, each job will become easier. Also, if you clean the small messes before they get big, it’ll be a lot easier to clean up.

Keep Cleaner in the Shower

A great shortcut for cleaning your tub and shower is to keep a bottle of shower cleaner handy. After you take a bath or shower, spray it down. You can take it a step further and keep a squeegee in it as well.

Fast Pick Up Before Bed

If you make it a habit to do a quick pick up before going to bed, it’ll really help. You’ll find that it’s easier to wake up and feel good about the day if even one room is clean.

Line Your Fridge

If you make it a habit to line your fridge shelves with paper towels, it’ll make it a lot easier to clean. This will work especially well in the crispers, as the paper towels will soak up any extra wetness.

Take a Trash Bag With You

As you leave the house, make it a habit to take the trash out. This is a simple tip, but why make extra trips if you don’t need to? This is also a great job to delegate to a teenager. They’re always coming and going anyway.

Allan Wilson
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/start-developing-simple-housecleaning-habits-95431.html

Finding The Right House Cleaning Service For Your Home!

Finding the right house cleaning service for you and your family is much easier then it use to be thanks to the internet, but the internet is not the only place to find a great house cleaning service. If you are one of the 1000’s of people looking for a service right now and are not sure how to find the best company for you and your family make sure you read this article.

House Cleaning Service Options.

Still one of the most popular house cleaning services around today is Molly Maids. Molly Maids was founded in 1979, and has its headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee. They are actually the largest home cleaning franchise network in the world, but since each office is independently owned and operated you still get the small town customer service.

One of the advantages to using a big company like this is the trust factor you can trust that they will be around next week and won’t be going out of business anytime soon. One of the disadvantages though of using a large company like this is price. On average Molly Maids is more expensive then a smaller one or two person show but many times in life you do get what you pay for.

If you go with one of the smaller cleaning services make sure you do plenty of research to ensure they are reliable and trustworthy. After all you are inviting these people into your house each and every week. Here is a list of some of the items you may want to research.

· Ask for and actually call their references

· Are they bonded and insured

· How long have they been in business

· Do they have a business license

· Do they have a office or do they work out of there home

· Do you feel you will get good customer service

We all know that some companies are more reputable than others, and so you want to make sure you take the time to find a business that is legit and that is deserving of your hard earned money; Once you have narrowed the list down to your top two or three companies weather big or small call and check with the Better Business Bureau in your area to determine if any pervious clients have had problems with any of the companies you are considering doing business with. If the company has negative reviews from the BBB that usually means that a customer complained and the company refused to work to solve the complaint.

With all this information you will be able to make an informed decision in regards to which house cleaning service is right for you and your family.

Shaun Buck
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/finding-the-right-house-cleaning-service-for-your-home-103049.html