How to Start a Cleaning Business in Florida Guide

The information contained in this article is provided for information purposes only and is not intended as legal and/or financial advice.

Why start a cleaning business in Florida?

With close to 22 million people and an average annual income of $54,000 (according to Statista), Florida is a lucrative place to consider starting your own cleaning business. In fact, the economic forecasts are very healthy for Florida, and it is growing at a faster pace than the U.S. average.

A large portion of homes in Florida are seasonal vacation rentals. This means Florida has one of the highest house cleaning needs and rates in the United States. On average, a house or condo near the beach in Florida is filled with a new occupant every one or two weeks. A house cleaning is a must in between!

In Florida, some of the most lucrative places to start your cleaning business are:

  • Boca Raton
  • Boynton Beach
  • Cooper City
  • Fort Lauderdale
  • Fort Myers
  • Hudson
  • Jacksonville
  • Lake Nona
  • Lakeland
  • Marco Island
  • Miami Beach
  • Naples
  • Orlando East
  • Orlando West
  • Panama City
  • Port Charlotte
  • Sarasota
  • South Miami
  • St. Johns
  • St. Pete
  • Tampa
  • The Villages
  • Volusia
  • Volusia East
  • West Palm

There are over 400 towns and cities in Florida. With a stable residential base and a high average household income, it is a great opportunity to start your cleaning business in the state of Florida.

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If this is your first attempt at creating a successful cleaning business, having a blueprint can help you avoid mistakes that can slow down your success. I highly recommend this course by House Cleaning University. The founder is able to help you make up to $2,000 per week while continuing to grow month after month.

Starting a cleaning business in Florida in 12 steps

This guide on how to start a cleaning business in Florida is broken down into 12 simple steps. By the end, you should have an idea of how to execute the plan. Here are the steps to starting a cleaning business in Florida:

1. Make a business plan (blueprint)

Your first step is to create a business plan. Contrary to popular belief, a business plan should not be complicated. Keep it simple. Write one page only unless you are seeking funds from an investor.

What you need are two things: a vision of where you want your cleaning business to go and how you can make it happen. The blueprint may change over time, and that’s okay.

During this step, try to focus on your local competition in Florida and figure out how you can make your cleaning business unique. Evaluate your competition and ask yourself the following questions:

  1. Which competitors in Florida match your business the closest?
  2. What are the strengths of your competitors?
  3. How much are their rates and pricing?
  4. What are the main weaknesses of your competitors?
  5. How do they advertise? Are they on social media platforms?
  6. What is unique about your competitors?

Read testimonials and customer reviews to find out what their customers like most

Make a list of all this information and compare it with your own business. Give your business an honest evaluation. After you’ve taken some time to evaluate, ask yourself the following questions:

  1. How will you offer more value than your competitors?
  2. What unique qualities do you see in your business that your competition lacks?
  3. What can you deliver to your customers that your competition cannot? 
  4. What offers and promotions will you have?

Write the answers down. These open-ended questions will help you formulate an action plan so you can communicate your brand and create a cleaning business that stands out among the others in Florida.

2. Name your cleaning business

The name of your cleaning business should be easy to remember and not complex. Choose a name that is simple and rolls off the tongue. A business name that’s short and direct is often the best.

Just be sure to do an online search for names similar to the one you’re planning to use. Start with a statewide corporate business name search in Florida to avoid legal problems and customer confusion, or call the Florida Divisions of Corporations at 850-245-6000. Search beyond the first page of results, too.

3. Choose a business structure

A business structure is an organization that does business. The type of business structure you choose determines your cleaning business liability and how it will be taxed in Florida. Different laws apply to different entities. Let’s look at some of your options as a small cleaning business start-up:

  1. Sole proprietorship – A sole proprietorship is the simplest and most common structure chosen to start a business. It is an unincorporated business owned and run by one individual with no distinction between the business and you, the owner. You are entitled to all profits and are responsible for all your business’s debts, losses, and liabilities.
  2. Doing Business As (DBA) – DBA stands for “doing business as.” It’s also referred to as your business’s assumed, trade, or fictitious name. Filing for a DBA allows you to conduct business under a name other than your own; your DBA is different from your name as the business owner or your business’s legal, registered name.
  3. Partnership – You can form a partnership by going into business with someone else. A General Partnership has no additional filing requirements. This type of partnership is identical to a sole proprietorship in terms of liability and tax purposes. The downfall would be that one partner may find themselves personally on the hook for the other partner’s actions or abuse.
  4. Limited Liability Company (LLC) – A limited liability company (LLC) is a business structure in the U.S. that protects its owners from personal responsibility for their debts or liabilities. Limited liability companies are hybrid entities that combine the characteristics of a corporation with those of a partnership or sole proprietorship.

If you’re not sure about choosing your business structure, we recommend going through the House Cleaning University course. Inside, they will teach you how to get things up and running in less than 7 days. Once you’re set-up, you’re ready to make $2,000 per week cleaning houses in Florida.

4. Set up your license

To start a cleaning business in Florida, you need several licenses before you get started. At the minimum, you need a business license, an EIN, a DBA registration, and a seller’s permit to start a cleaning business in Florida.

The cleaning business must be registered by the Department of Revenue in Florida in order to operate. Then, the state will issue you a business license if you are running a cleaning business.

5. Decide your cleaning rates and pricing

Once you’ve chosen a business structure, you need to set your rates and pricing. The smartest way to get an idea of how much you should charge is to call all the residential cleaning companies in Florida (near your preferred area) for price quotes and see what your competitors are charging.

After getting 10 to 12 different cleaning quotes, you should get a grip on the average house cleaning rate in that area. Price yourself slightly lower than the franchises and somewhat higher than the individuals offering cleaning services. This pricing strategy works great to get your new business a head start.

6. Choose your cleaning service area in Florida

Driving to customer homes that are far away from each other is a huge time-waster. Remember, time is money. You can clean more houses and spend less time driving if your clients are close to one another.

The key is to concentrate on a smaller service area. For example, if you are starting a cleaning business in Jacksonville, focus on marketing your services to one neighborhood first. By avoiding stretching yourself too thin, you can dominate a smaller service area through repeated advertising and establish brand awareness.

The more people see your brand, the more recognizable and memorable your business will become. By doing this, your business will become the go-to residential cleaning company for your chosen service area in Florida.

7. Open a small business bank account

This step is straightforward. Open a small business bank account for your cleaning business. You’ll want to keep your personal account separate from your business account, so take a trip to your nearest Florida bank and have them open a new bank account for your small residential cleaning business.

8. Set up insurance

As part of a cleaning business startup costs, insurance is very important. At a minimum, you’ll want to purchase general liability (GL) insurance. This insurance will cover bodily damage and property damage.

Additionally, you may need a janitorial bond (surety bond) to protect the homeowner’s assets in the event of a theft. If you have employees, you’ll need workers’ compensation insurance. This insurance provides payments for medical bills, rehab costs, and lost wages for employees who get injured on the job.

9. Prepare the necessary business forms

To keep your business organized, you will need to get a few business forms before officially starting your residential cleaning business. Don’t skip this step, as most new cleaning business owners suffer chaos behind the scenes without forms. Here are some examples of the necessary forms to get:

  • Breakage report
  • Cleaning invoice forms
  • Cleaning service agreement
  • Cleaning service checklist
  • Contractor/employee non-compete agreement
  • Customer referral form
  • Quote estimate form
  • Satisfaction survey

You can get all of the above forms and much more in the House Cleaning University course. All you have to do is add the name of your house cleaning business, logo, and contact information on it.

10. Buy cleaning equipment and supplies

You cannot start a cleaning business without cleaning equipment and supplies. We won’t be mentioning each item right here, but if you are interested, here’s the complete list of things needed to start a cleaning business.

11. Set up advertising and marketing tools

Advertising and marketing is the key to landing your first batch of clients for your new cleaning business. The good news is there are plenty of free advertising methods you can use for your cleaning business.

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Landing your first 10 clients is the tricky part. We highly recommend this course by House Cleaning University. The founder is able to help you make up to $2,000 per week while continuing to grow month after month.

12. Land clients and start working

As you get busy and start booking more cleanings, you’ll find it harder to manage your schedule and stay organized, especially if you’re using a physical planner book or calendar. We recommend setting up a Google Calendar right from the beginning. It’s free to use and makes scheduling and organizing more manageable.

Ready to start your cleaning business in Florida?

Think about it. Today, more than ever, people are pressed for time. With both spouses working, people don’t have the time to clean anymore. What was once considered a luxury service is now considered a necessity.

Considering there are 22 million people with an average annual income of $54,000, Florida is a great place to start your cleaning business. You can start in Boca Raton, Jacksonville, or Miami Beach.

However, trying to start your own cleaning business without the help of someone who has already done it is like driving at night with sunglasses and no headlights (it’s a recipe for disaster).

If you are serious about starting your own cleaning business in Florida, we recommend the House Cleaning course. Inside, they will teach you how to land your first 10 clients and earn upwards of $2,000 per week with continuous growth. By learning from an industry expert, you’ll avoid any potential pitfalls.

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