How to Get Cleaning Clients: What Worked for Us

Every cleaning business starts the same way: with no clients. If you’re wondering how to get cleaning clients, here’s what brought customers in for us over eight years, from the very first one to the ones who found us without our ever asking.

Your First Client Is Closer Than You Think

Our very first customer was a relative. That’s not unusual. The people who already know you already trust you, and trust is what someone needs before they let you into their home.

Tell family, friends, neighbors, and people from church or work that you’re starting. Then ask them directly whether they or someone they know could use help. If asking is the hard part, you’re not alone, and it gets easier after the first yes.

How to Get Cleaning Clients in Your Neighborhood

Once we were up and running, we used door hangers and newspaper ads to reach people who didn’t know us yet. Door hangers worked because they put our name right on the door of the homes we wanted to clean.

Today, the places neighbors look for help have changed. Local Facebook groups, Nextdoor, and a Google Business Profile do much of what newspaper ads used to do, and most of them are free.

Word of Mouth Was Always Our Best

Nothing brought in more customers than word of mouth. A happy customer tells a friend, and that friend calls you already trusting you, because someone they know vouched for you.

You can’t buy word of mouth, but you can earn it. Show up when you say you will. Clean the same way, to the same standard, every time. When customers never have to wonder about you, they talk about you.

Your Vehicle Is Advertising

Our vans went in and out of neighborhoods all day and sat parked in customers’ driveways while we worked. Neighbors noticed. When people see the same name and logo up and down their street, they start to think of you as the cleaning company everyone uses. When you’re able, put your name and logo where people will see it.

Keep the Clients You Get

Finding a new client takes far more effort than keeping one you already have. Every customer you keep is also one more person telling their friends about you.

Want the system behind landing and keeping your first clients? Our Starter course walks you through it step by step.