Cleaning Co.

[jrlane7]

Hi All,

I've recently signed up as a member but have been browsing this site for months. I've got a life-long ambition to become a successful business with enough money to live a healthy lifestyle. Currently I'm a 15yr old school boy who wants to dab his hands in business. I know Im limited due to my age and capital so I have come up with the idea of a cleaning company as a sort of starter business.

I would create a website and image for the company and due to me being at school I would hav to employ someone to complete the cleaning because houses will usually be cleaned during the day. I was wondering about the pricing and whether it would be a good idea to make a lil bit of pocket money and maybe later in life develope it fully with the backing of capital.

I'm currently researching pricing but on a ratio I thought I could charge around £20 for a full house clean and maybe pay the employee £8-£10?

What do you think? All comments wanted

[Kisa]

Not sure about where you live,but here in the US,you can't sign a binding contract at your age,much less hire employees.Look into the legal aspect of you running a business at 15 first.I doubt that you legally can.You can start designing a website and getting things in order to open business when you reach the appropriate age.You'll have a head start anyways.

$20 seems very cheap, but I'm not sure what the average prices of this in the UK, but I'm sure it must be more. I know of a few maid services here in the states, and they generally charge by the size of the house and what else is included.

Your company could be profitable but I'd charge more so you can make more money and to cover your costs. As for wages for employees, I would not pay 50% of my income in wages. Do you have a minimum wage in the UK or an average starting wage? I'd start around there and see who you can get for that wage.

[BillionaireBoy]

Hi SC Enterprsises, and welcome

As far being limited by your age and income, think of them as challenges and obstacles. In life you're always going to have challenges and obstacles.

Like Nick said, here in the good ol' US, you can't legally work until you are 16 which means you can not own a business either. I don't know the laws where you live however.

In this type of business you will most likely offer near minimum wage. As far as how much to charge, you will typically charge at least twice what you pay your workers. Check with your competitors to see how much and how they charge (per hour? per room? per size of the cleaning area and what is to be done and not done?).

A general overview of the business, is you try to schedule (if possible) for a home to be cleaned at a set time. For example, every Monday from 8AM to 9AM. Try to fill in available time slots of the day that can be worked. For example, if the worker can make it to another home to be cleaned at 9:30AM. This allows you to more easily schedule someone else to do the work.

There are always opportunities. You just have to see them and do what is neccessary to take advantage of them.

Good luck

If you get quite a few clients, you're going to want to pinpoint where each of them lives for scheduling and try to be flexible. If you can do one home between 9-10, and can do a house down the street for 10:15, that's good time management. It'd be unwise to have to go across the city then back to that house. As always -- in business, time is money.

[jrlane7]

Thanks all,

I have taken your ideas into consideration and I will probably create the site and other things around now then I will have a head start. Cleaning Co. is a good idea bu when I'm a lil older and wiser with a bit more cash I would like to try to run a chain of healthy eating restuarants.

and again thank you for advice

[Kevin]

20 dollars is about 45 pounds in england. if you pay your helpers 10 pounds, i am sure you would be in great demand. if you are working strictly residential, that is ok, however, if you go into commercial, you stand to make a lot of money on your contracts. this will help you incomewise, which, if you save and reinvest, will show that you are and have been responsible, increasing your potential for investors. good luck and........cheers. Aguila