How to Add Commercial Cleaning Services to Your Residential Maid Service

Last Updated on October 16, 2024 by The ZenMaid Team

Hey there, it’s Stephanie from Serene Clean! If you’re anything like me, you probably started your cleaning business focusing on residential jobs. I had no intention of breaking into commercial cleaning services… but let me tell you, when I finally took the leap, it turned out to be incredibly lucrative and beneficial to my maid service. 

In this post, I’ll share how you can get started with commercial cleaning, the benefits, what I learned from my experiences, and some tips to help you land your first commercial account.

Why Commercial Cleaning is Worth Adding to Your Residential Maid Service

For me, about 60% of Serene Clean’s business is now commercial accounts, and it’s been such a positive shift for our company. Commercial cleaning clients provide a lot of stability — you know what you’re getting into with each clean, and there’s rarely any last-minute schedule changes. 

Plus, commercial jobs tend to bring in more consistent and higher revenue compared to residential jobs. The recurring nature of commercial cleaning means you’re not constantly looking for new clients. Instead, you build long-term relationships and secure steady income.

With residential cleaning, every house is different, and some jobs take way longer than others. But with commercial spaces, especially when you’re cleaning them daily, they become easier to maintain over time. You’re not scrubbing soap scum or deep cleaning ovens like you do with residential homes. Commercial spaces stay pretty tidy when maintained regularly, and that makes the cleaning process faster and more efficient.

How I Got My First Commercial Cleaning Account

I’ll be honest — I never set out to offer commercial cleaning services. I started Serene Clean in April 2019, fully intending to stick with residential cleaning. But just a couple of months into the business, I got a call from a large commercial facility. They wanted me to do a walkthrough of their 100,000-square-foot manufacturing space. I was 22 years old, had barely started house cleaning, and didn’t have any staff. To say I was nervous would be an understatement!

During the walkthrough, they asked me questions like, “What year did you graduate?” because they were trying to figure out how young I was. I had no idea how to bid on such a large space, so when they told me they had two full-time janitors working on it, I assumed it would take 16 hours a day to clean. That’s how I based my bid — and I was way off.

What I didn’t realize at the time was that full-time janitors can take their time. They’re hourly employees, so there’s no rush to get things done quickly. I learned that just because someone says it takes a certain amount of time to clean, doesn’t mean that’s how long it should take.

Despite overbidding, I got lucky. They ended up asking me to clean just the front offices instead of the entire facility. I thought it would take two to three hours a night, but it ended up only taking 45 minutes! That was my first real introduction to how fast commercial cleaning can be. From that job, I gained the confidence to keep going, and that account lasted for five years.

The Easiest Types of Commercial Jobs for Residential Cleaners to Start With

If you’re just starting out in commercial cleaning, I highly recommend beginning with small offices or professional buildings — think insurance companies or small retail spaces. These jobs are almost identical to residential cleaning and usually only take a couple of hours.

One of the best parts about small commercial jobs is that you don’t need a full-time cleaner right away. If you’re comfortable managing the job yourself or hiring someone part-time, these smaller accounts are perfect for building up your confidence and experience.

From my experience, mid-sized businesses that need cleaning one to three times a week are also great for beginners. As you gain more experience and staff, you can take on larger accounts. Just remember to name-drop any bigger clients you land during your walkthroughs with potential new clients. It builds trust and credibility when you can say, “Oh, we clean for them,” and they recognize the name. That confidence is key when you’re starting out.

The Tools You’ll Need to Get Started

When you’re transitioning into commercial cleaning, having the right tools can make all the difference. Floors, in particular, are the bane of every cleaner’s existence — they take the longest time to clean. Anything you can do to speed up floor cleaning is worth the investment. For me, that means using dust mops, large mop heads, and sometimes backpack vacuums, depending on the facility.

Another tip is to check out the facility’s janitor closet during your walkthrough. Sometimes they have everything you need, and you can use their supplies. Other times, the previous provider will take everything with them, and you’ll need to supply your own cleaning products and tools. For larger accounts, we’ve had to buy big janitor carts to help our cleaners move through the space more quickly.

THE most important tool you’ll need is commercial cleaning software to keep everything organized. I love ZenMaid because it handles both residential and commercial scheduling, and it’s incredibly easy to manage recurring cleanings. More on that in a bit, but trust me, having an all-in-one solution like ZenMaid makes a world of difference!

Quoting and Pricing Strategies for Commercial Jobs

When it comes to pricing, commercial cleaning is very different from residential. In residential cleaning, I charge hourly, especially for first-time cleans. But with commercial cleaning, you almost always want to offer a flat rate. As you get faster at cleaning the space, your profit margin will grow because the flat rate stays the same, but the cleaning takes less time.

I’m pretty adamant about not charging by square footage. Unless you’re using a laser measuring tool to calculate the actual cleanable space, charging by square footage can be wildly inaccurate. 

Why? Because not all square footage is created equal. A room that needs to be dust mopped and mopped takes longer to clean than a room that just needs vacuuming, even if they’re the same size. Flat-rate pricing is much more accurate and allows you to make better profit margins.

In terms of quoting, I always ask potential clients about their budget. If their budget is way too low, I don’t try to meet it — instead, I explain our pricing and focus on showing the value we offer. People often think they want the cheapest option, but what they really want is the best value. If you can show them why you’re worth it, you’re more likely to win the job.

Marketing Strategies for Landing New Commercial Cleaning Clients

One of the best ways I’ve found to land commercial cleaning clients is through the Dream 100 process from Chet Holmes’ book, The Ultimate Sales Machine. It’s seriously a game-changer.

Here’s how it works: Start by creating a list of 100 businesses in your service area that you’d love to clean for. For us, that means manufacturing facilities, administrative buildings, police departments, and city halls. We don’t bother with bars or restaurants because the late-night hours don’t fit our schedule. Then, once you’ve got your list, you start dropping off goodies like donuts or popcorn, along with a simple sales sheet about your services.

When I was growing my business, I actually had my grandma, Grandma Sue, help me with these drop-offs. She’s got a lifetime of experience in customer service, retail, and sales, and she can sell anything to anyone. Plus, no one’s going to turn down a grandma with donuts! It worked like a charm. The key is to build relationships over time. Eventually, something will give, and they’ll think of you when they’re ready to switch cleaning providers.

You can also use cold emails or cold calls to reach out, but be sure to include social proof like testimonials. The Dream 100 method is all about putting your face in front of potential clients and building a relationship, so it doesn’t come off as salesy.

Managing Both Commercial and Residential Under One Maid Service Brand

One question I often get is whether you should create a separate brand for commercial services. In my experience, it’s best to keep everything under one brand. Many of our residential clients have referred us to commercial accounts, and vice versa. People trust your company based on the overall experience they’ve had, regardless of whether it’s residential or commercial.

We always tell our cleaners that their work impacts other areas of the business. A great commercial cleaning job can lead to a client asking about residential services, and a killer house cleaning job can lead to a business owner asking if we can clean their office. It happens all the time, so it just makes sense to keep everything under one brand.

Staffing and Training for Commercial Cleaning

The staffing requirements for commercial cleaning are a little different from residential. Commercial cleaners tend to prefer routine, whereas residential cleaners often thrive on variety. Some of my staff started out in residential cleaning but found it too stressful with the constant schedule changes and unpredictable nature of the work. Once we moved them into commercial cleaning, they flourished because the jobs were consistent and predictable.

Keep in mind, some residential cleaners don’t like commercial work because it’s not as interactive, and they don’t see the clients as much. It really comes down to personality and preference.

To train our cleaners, we use video walkthroughs and checklists for every commercial account. These tools make it easy to send any cleaner into a facility, even if they’ve never been there before, and still get the job done without complaints. The video walkthroughs show the layout of the space, and the checklists cover the tasks. Between the two, our cleaners can hit the ground running, even on short notice.

My Favorite Commercial Cleaning Business Software: ZenMaid

Now, let me tell you why I love ZenMaid as my favorite commercial cleaning business software. First of all, ZenMaid is incredibly easy to use, and it works perfectly for both residential and commercial cleaning accounts. Having everything in one place has been a lifesaver for me. I don’t have time to juggle different systems for each side of my business, and ZenMaid gives me exactly what I need to manage both efficiently.

One of my favorite features is the ability to schedule recurring cleanings. Since commercial cleaning jobs tend to be on a set schedule, it’s so helpful to have a system that automatically handles those bookings. I can easily make changes to an entire appointment series without canceling and redoing each individual appointment. The flexibility is amazing, and it saves me so much time.

Another feature I love is the GPS clock-in/clock-out. This reassures my commercial clients that the cleaners are on-site when they say they are, and it keeps everyone accountable. I can check on my cleaners’ time logs at any point, and it’s especially useful for larger accounts where the client might have concerns about when and how long the cleaning is being done.

The email templates are also a huge help. If we need to reschedule or cancel an appointment, it takes seconds to send out a professional email. This keeps our communication organized and consistent, which is important when dealing with multiple commercial clients.

For invoicing and payments, ZenMaid makes it simple to track everything in one place. Whether it’s for a one-time deep clean or a recurring commercial account, invoicing is seamless. And as I mentioned earlier, having all my residential and commercial accounts under one roof lets me manage my hybrid cleaners more easily. They might start the day with a residential job and finish with a commercial cleaning, and ZenMaid allows me to see their availability and assign them jobs without any hassle.

If you’re looking to expand into commercial cleaning, I HIGHLY recommend ZenMaid. It’s not just great for residential, but it’s also fantastic for handling commercial clients, booking forms, recurring cleanings, and communicating with your clients. It’s a one-stop shop that keeps everything running smoothly and saves me so much time and stress.

Wrapping Up: Start Expanding into Commercial Cleaning

You should add commercial cleaning to your maid service. Period. Not only does it provide more consistent work, but it also brings in bigger contracts and more predictable revenue. 

As long as you have the right tools, processes, and software in place, it’s easy to transition into commercial cleaning and start landing those high-value accounts.

Take it from me — someone who never intended to get into commercial cleaning but found it to be one of the best decisions for my business. With some strategic marketing, the right pricing, and a focus on delivering value, you can grow your commercial client base and create long-term stability for your cleaning company.

And remember… ZenMaid is the best commercial cleaning software for managing both your residential and commercial clients. I’ll die on this hill! Because ZenMaid makes your life so much easier by keeping everything in one place, from scheduling to invoicing to client communication.

I hope this has been helpful, and I’m excited for you to start expanding your business into commercial cleaning. If you have any questions or need further advice, don’t hesitate to reach out! And as always, make sure to check out the ZenMaid Mastermind on Facebook for more tips, Q&As, and exclusive content.

Have a great day, and happy cleaning!