Equipment There are two ways to start the business. The first is to buy a blind cleaning machine. This may cost you anywhere from between $7,000 to $15,000, depending upon the model and brand you buy. The other is to rent a machine. This is much more economical because you will not tie up your money. Instead, you will rent a machine as and when you have a confirmed order to clean blinds. Besides this, you will need some essential items to run a blind cleaning business. You will need a proprietary cleaning solution, ideally based on ultrasonic technology, and a sheeting agent to dry the blinds. You will also need a small ladder, a set of cleaning cloths, a hand-held vacuum cleaner, a couple of buckets, some handy repair tools and a vehicle to move your equipment around. The investment that will go into these supplies and equipment is minimal. Target Market Almost every house and every commercial establishment use blinds, and quite a few of them employ outside help to clean the blinds. A blind cleaning business is one that will certainly never suffer from a shortage of work! You can even consider a customized cleaning solution that is meant only for hotels, hospitals, lodges or private homes. Homes certainly constitute a large market. There are hundreds of Americans who can't stand dust, and want professional cleaning. All you need to do is to reach out to them! Charges and Earnings The great thing about having a blind cleaning business is that it does not work on credit. You can make money from day one for every blind that you clean. The market rate today ranges from $10 to $15 per blind. Of course, this rate can vary from city to city, and can also depend upon competition. Even if you charge $12 per blind and clean, on an average 25 blinds a day, you can earn $300 a day. This can easily take care of your expenses. As your business grows, you can hire a worker. This will help you take up more assignments. Publicity How would you let people know that you have started a blind cleaning business? You probably don't have the money that big companies have. You will have to depend upon methods that cost less but can reach more. This can include direct mailers, small classified ads in newspapers, online ads targeted at your city, and community bulletin boards. Training There are websites that teach you how to use the ultrasonic blind cleaner. They also tell you which cleaning solutions to use and why. Everyone knows that blind cleaning business is not a rocket science. Anyone can clean blinds which makes this a perfect business to start when you don't have a lot of time or money to invest in training and/or education. Financing Sources Today there are several ways to finance your blind cleaning business. The first, of course, are traditional banks which are willing to finance a new business. What you need to show is a business plan, and the time you need to become viable. Since this is a low investment business, the chances of getting a start up bank loan are reasonable. Several non-profit organizations also extend loans up to $15,000. Of course, you will have to search for these agencies. They are ready to help individuals who come from socially disadvantaged groups or from financially weak backgrounds. A blind cleaning business can also qualify for a loan from several state-funded projects. These self-employment programs are meant to help youngsters in the age group of 18 to 35 who want to start their own business. So finding financing for your new blind cleaning business should be relatively easy-and painless. |
