Not having a cleaning contract in place is a pretty risky move for a cleaning business.
What if property gets damaged or someone gets injured and your client sues?
What if you get fired without notice?
What if your client refuses to pay you?
Without a cleaning contract in place, you will not be protected from situations like these.
On this page I discuss what should be included in a cleaning contract and the different types of cleaning contracts.
If you need a cleaning contract drafted or reviewed, email me at sam@mollaeilaw.com
How Do I Start My Own Cleaning Business?
In order to start your own cleaning business you need to decide on what kind of cleaning you’ll do, network, advertise, and finalize the contract.
The first thing you should do as a professional cleaner is decide your niche. Knowing what kind of cleaning you’ll specialize in will help you figure out the rest of your business model including what services you’ll offer and who you’ll pitch for contracts.
An example of niche advertising is someone who specializes in office cleaning. They might mention that they can clean offices an hour faster than other cleaners because of their experience or list testimonials from office managers.
They also could discuss willingness to work before and after standard business hours.
Once you’ve decided on a niche, it’s time to start networking. Reaching out to people you already have some kind of connection with is a great way to land your first customers. Some people you could talk to include your friends, family, old employers, acquaintances, businesses where you shop, apartments you’ve lived in, hospitals you’ve stayed at, or schools you’ve attended.
Always reach out to someone who might be able to help you. Even if they don’t need a cleaner they might know someone who they can refer you to.
The next important thing for a new cleaning business is to advertise. You can advertise both online and with physical fliers on bulletin boards/mailed to possible customers.
Finally, don’t underestimate the power of cold calling and cold emailing businesses. If you do your homework on a company and give them a great, personalized sales pitch then you’ll stand head and shoulders above cleaners who just give a standard spiel for every cold call.
How to Get Cleaning Contracts
The key to getting cleaning contracts is setting yourself apart as the best cleaner in your area.
By showing your expertise, refining your advertising technique, and providing a great service you will find yourself with more clients than you know what to do with.
Once you have those clients, it’s crucial to establish a written contract between you in order to protect yourself and your business. Read on to find out exactly how a cleaning contract helps your business to grow and thrive.
What Does a Cleaning Contract Look Like?
Your cleaning contract should include multiple items designed to protect both you and your client. Let’s go over some of the things that your contract should include..
- Description of your services: A cleaning contract should cover in detail what is and is not in your scope of work. Including this protects you from employers who will try to get you to do much more than originally agreed.
- Cleaning supplies: Be sure to outline who will be providing all of the cleaning supplies that you will be using on the job.
- Payment terms: Your contract should address how much the client will pay, in what form, and when each payment is due. This way you will know when to expect payments and can take any action necessary if payment is not made on schedule.
- How to handle damages, complaints, and disputes: With every cleaning job there’s a chance the client will have some sort of complaint or legal dispute. Having a written process in place to address these situations is extremely important.
- Termination: When you define how the contract must be terminated by either party you can save yourself from having the contract canceled with no notice, leaving you without work for that time period.
Cleaning Contract
A cleaning contract defines the terms of business between you and the person or business that you will be providing services for. Cleaning contracts protect you from liability, ensure that you get paid, and clarify important details of your business relationship.
There are many types of cleaning contracts for different businesses. Each business has their own needs, which should be addressed in that contract.
Do you have questions about how to write up a cleaning contract for your specific type of client?
Email me now at sam@mollaeilaw.com so I can help.
Janitorial Contracts
Janitorial contracts should have clauses about the types of materials you will handle, and how they should be handled.
Janitors often find themselves working in places like hospitals, morgues, restaurants, daycares, and other businesses where you’ll find hazardous materials. You should very clearly define any hazardous substances that you are not willing to handle.
Regarding hazardous materials, your janitorial cleaning contract should spell out what procedures you will follow when disposing of them. The contract also needs to clarify whether or not you are responsible for any structural or aesthetic damages resulting from your cleaning up the material.
You don’t want to find yourself on the hook if someone stains an expensive carpet with something that is impossible to get completely out. A well written cleaning contract can help keep that from happening.
Commercial Cleaning Contracts
Commercial cleaning is a term for cleaning that takes place in a business as opposed to a home. Because the duties are more detailed, the terms of the contract should be appropriately detailed to match.
Commercial cleaners are often expected to work longer hours, handle more difficult substances, and sanitize to a higher level than a residential cleaner. Make sure that your commercial cleaning contract details your duties thoroughly.
Office Cleaning Contracts
An office cleaning contract is specific to office buildings, and the contract should appropriately reflect the same. Things to consider when writing an office cleaning contract include:
- What to do if the building is old and has asbestos and you get sick,
- Whether you will work overtime,
- Whether you handle certain types of hazardous materials, and
- If you perform duties like cleaning the outside of the building.
Do you need help with writing a great office cleaning contract? Shoot me an email at sam@mollaeilaw.com so we can get started.
Government Cleaning Contracts
Government cleaning contracts need to be extremely thorough. Governments sometimes have a lot of red tape which can slow down things like you getting paid.
While government cleaning jobs can make for really steady and lucrative work, cleaning for a government agency means that you need to really lay out your terms in writing.
Governments have a lot of lawyers, and are not afraid to use them if they think you’ve damaged them or have inadequately done your duties. Having the terms of the job spelled out in a cleaning contact will help protect your business.
Residential Cleaning Contracts
A residential cleaning contract needs to detail terms of payment and how to proceed with any perceived damages.
You will be working with individuals mostly with cleaning contracts. These individuals might not be accustomed to working with a contracted professional, so be sure that the contract details who is responsible for things like payroll taxes and exactly how much and how often payment is to be given.
Residential cleaning contracts should also protect the cleaner in case of some kind of incident. Let’s say a cleaner is working and the client’s child runs into the room and slips on the freshly waxed floor, hurting themselves. Without any protection in place you will be much more vulnerable to damages.
Cleaning Service Contract
Cleaning service contracts do a lot of important things for your cleaning business.
Having a contract in place means that you know when you’ll get paid, you won’t have to handle work outside of your scope, and you know what the job is going to be from day one.
Conclusion
Having a solid, well-written cleaning contract is important for any growing cleaning business.
As a business owner you shouldn’t be worrying about whether or not your contract will protect you. Hiring a qualified contract lawyer can save you time, money, and worry.
Are you ready to start using contracts to help your cleaning business?
Email me now at sam@mollaeilaw.com so I can draft or review your cleaning contract
