The cleaning

industry has two primary market groups: consumer and commercial. The consumer arena consists primarily of residential maid services, along with carpet cleaners,window cleaners

and a variety of other cleaning services required on a less-frequent basis. The commercial arena is dominated by janitorial services, which typically provide a wider range of services than maid services, along with other cleaning companies, such as carpet and window cleaners that target businesses rather than individual consumers. While it's recommended that you decide on a niche and concentrate on building a business that will serve your chosen market, it's entirely realistic to expect to be able to serve multiple markets successfully.

Insurance is a must have. For one, it eases the minds of your future clientele. Think of yourself --would you want an uninsured person coming into your home, handling your personal articles, and perhaps doing so while unattended in your home? Probably not. Having insurance will put you on top of the list for jobs, as most house cleaners do not carry insurance. The insurance will also give you piece of mind. You will not have to worry about your personal assets being seized in a lawsuit because someone accused you of stealing a family heirloom. Unfortunately, as with many service professions, dishonest people have tarnished the respectability of independent contractors, so you'll want to cover yourself. Liability Insurance (for damage that you are accused of) is very inexpensive. Just about any insurance agency offers liability insurance to contractors. Depending on where you live, the cost is usually less than 300.00 a year.

Customers want an impeccable service from your company and want people they can not only trust to do a good job but not to break or steal any of their household items. When you go to quote for a job you'll need to ask your prospective customer exactly what they want undertaken and then estimate how many hours it's going to take you. Try not to underestimate the work as their home might not always be tidy and you may have to take time to move things around.

If you’re a little nervous about your own business skills then a franchise might be well suited to you. The cleaning industry is a popular one for franchisors and there are a lot of opportunities out there buy a ready made and branded model in this area.