UPDATED 10/15/2021: I’ve always been a firm believer that if you want to make money, you need to go to where the money is. Why is that? Because… That’s where the money is!
So for instance, if you operate a house cleaning business then you need to market to “rich neighborhoods”. Makes perfect sense right? That’s where the money is.
As far as making money on the commercial side of the cleaning business goes, cleaning doctor offices has to be right up there near the top. I already said it twice so far but, that’s where the money is! There’s a lot of money to be made here.
My experience cleaning doctors offices
I’ve made a ton of money in the cleaning business over the years by being a “jack of all trades” in a sense. I’ve worked hard at getting realtors to hire me, finding construction clean-up work and getting my name in front of property management companies to name just a few.
A little of “this and that” combined with regular contract work is a recipe for making a lot of money! With all that said, the bulk of it has been in two sectors. The first one was cleaning apartment complexes and the second one is today’s topic, which is cleaning doctors offices.
My first doctors office was a small family practice not too far from where I lived at the time. We cleaned it twice per week and charged $54.00 per visit. This came to $468.00 per month (104 visits per year × $54.00 = $5,616.00 ÷ 12 = $468.00).
It took an 1.5 hours for 1 person to clean so it averaged $36.00 per hour. The office supplied everything, so we just had to get someone to show up and clean. We were only paying $8.00 per hour at the time so we made out quite well.
In essence it cost us about $15.00 in labor and expenses so we pocketed $39.00 each visit. This worked out to about $337.74 per month for just making sure our employee was doing a good job. Not a bad deal at all. I’ll take a whole bunch of those money makers!
Anyway, over the years we wound up landing more and more of these type accounts. The vast majority of them were acquired via direct mail. We just sent out a sales letter and flyer along with our business card. Over time this made the phone ring, so all I needed to do was “close the deal” when the time came.
Three reasons why doctors offices are so profitable
The first reason is because they need service regularly. Most offices will need service at least several days per week, with many needing service Monday – Friday. Only the smallest doctor offices will need services less than that, at least in my experience.
Needless to say, the more you clean the more you earn. So when you start collecting a bunch of offices you need to visit each day, the money you bring in will rise substantially. This is why the monthly charge for many doctor offices will range anywhere from $600.00 to 1,500.00 per month if you price it properly.
The second reason is because they need so many different services. They need VCT services to take care of the exam room floors and the rest rooms in most cases. This may get done several times per year depending on the circumstances. TONS of money to be made just in cleaning VCT floor alone.
Then you factor in the fact they need carpet cleaning as well. This is at least once per year and sometimes more than that. Offices managers are very concerned about appearance because they don’t want anything looking shabby. Lastly the windows need cleaning as well. This is why cleaning doctors offices is so powerful in my view!
The third reason involves referrals. Once you start getting some larger practices you will also get the chance to clean their “satellite” offices. Many times a particular practice has many locations, so if you can land one and do a great job the opportunity will be there for you to get the entire account. We’ve had this happen several times!
If anyone out there has anything they would like to add to this conversation, feel free to chime in below by leaving a comment. Whether it be a thought, idea, past experience or even a question, don’t be shy about adding your two cents to the conversation!
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What exactly is VCT service and how do I go about offering it? We are an all natural and chemical free cleaning service so I would like to be able to offer VCT service in a green way if possible. Thanks!
Hi Victoria! Vinyl composition tile (VCT) is a flooring surface. It’s commonly found in doctor office exam rooms, restrooms and kitchens primarily. I’m going to be doing a post on how to care for it very soon, so stay tuned!
Doing VCT floors is a lot of fun and also quite profitable.
Most VCT is typically a strip-and-wax ala the military. Anybody who has been to boot camp knows how to apply stripper, scrub, mop, and put down a few coats of wax.
At the root of it you need a low-speed buffer (can be had for $200 used) with a few pads (green/black/red) 2 mop buckets and 2 mops (1 for applying stripper and 1 for rinsing/waxing), a bottle of floor stripper (~$20 at Lowe’s) and a bottle of wax (~$20 at Lowe’s).
For $500 you can have the basic setup to handle VCT. As an added bonus, the buffer can be used with a scrub brush to clean ceramic tile.
There is good money in floors.
THANKS John!
Great post as always Tom! As usual you
Provide us with the info to be successful.
Thanks for this invaluable info. I will reach
Out to you soon via email.
Thank you for the informative post Mr. Watson.
When pursuing the door to door sales method, what are some of the tactics that you’ve learned over the years to successfully get past the gatekeeper, and ultimately speak to the decision maker?
Hi,
How do you normal charge for office cleanings? sq. feet ?
Hi James! I charge by how long it will take to clean. The square foot approach has issues, because no two jobs are the same. If you start on smaller offices, you will only need to get 1 – 3 jobs before having a real good idea of how long it takes to clean.
On your first one or two you need to just take your best guess, then make adjustments going forward. Many smaller offices take roughly 1 – 2.5 hours to clean, you need have to do your best to figure out where that particular job comes in at.
Hi Reggie! THANKS and I’ll be here when you reach out.
Hi Brandon! The direct mail letter is the best approach in my opinion. Office managers are SO BUSY, it’s hard to just “pop in” and expect them to give some time. When you do just stop in and go door to door, give out GOODIE BAGS and let them do the talking for you. I wrote about that here… http://cleaning4profit.kinsta.cloud/2010/06/08/promotional-ideas-for-your-business/
HI IVE BEEN ALWAYS WANTING TO START MY OWN CLEANING BUSINESS BET GETTING THE START ON IT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM , I GUESS ITS THE WHERE DO I START WHAT SHOULD I DO TO CONVIENCE MYSELF THAT IT WILL BE A GOOD THING TO GET INTO THANKS
Hi Ruthie! Everything begins with a first step. We all start from the very beginning and go from there. Write a list of the steps needed to get moving, then get a little done each day. Everyday some task needs to get crossed off the list. Only you know if it’s the right thing to do. If that’s what you want, then go for it. If not, set it aside.
Thank you for your response Mr. Watson.
What’s your opinion on animal clinics? Do you think these kind of accounts are profitable, or are they a little more difficult to clean?
Hi Brandon! Never landed one, though I did bid a few. They are worth going after. Every business is a potential customer, so don’t rule anything out. I once targeted cemetery’s and landed one of my most profitable accounts ever (so think outside the box).
Thanks a lot.
How often does the average doctor offices need their carpets cleaned and maintained? Do you just hwe the carpet once a year, and just encap the carpet once a month to maintain the great appearance?
Hi Brandon! They are all different. Some get them done several times per year, while others don’t do anything. In general, they tend to get them done yearly, but you do run into some customers who are “cheap” and get them done less than that.
Hi there,
I was thinking about getting your cleaning estimate app. that lets you put your information in and it gives you a profit amount. I cant seem to find it . will you please sent me a link?
thanks a bunch
Ruth
Hi Ruth! I don’t have one of those because I never found one that really worked. Sorry about that!
I appreciate your information on cleaning doctors offices. Do you have a free download sales letter or flyer for contacting doctors offices. I currently have your letter for apartment complexes
Hi Doran! I’m happy you are enjoying it! The short answer is no, not on the website (but they are included in my courses).
Hello mr Watson I was wondering will a pressure washing service help too, I’m thinking to open a business here in Florida I been reading all the stories and comments and it looks likes there’s a lot of info in here thanks
Hi Kendry! Sure. The more you do the more chances you get to make money. I actually did my share of power washing jobs. I only did them for some established customers because I had my hands full at the time just keeping enough people working for me. But I do think it fits in with a cleaning business.
Hi. Tom I was wondering about cleaning Dr’s office part time since I work at one. I want something after work in the evenings and some extra cash. I have made a flyer up and will be passing them out over in the coming week. I also am not sure of how to price for the cleaning. Do you use different kind of cleaners for Dr.’s office. I usually use Clorax wipes for my office though I don’t get paid since I am on the job. Do you need a special kind of cleaning product for Doctors office.
Hi Kim! I never used anything special for these offices, but I made sure to use anti-bacterial type cleaner on surfaces (counters, phones, door knobs) and in the bathrooms. To price it, consider this easy to use formula (to begin with, then adjust as you gain experience)… 20 per hour for any job that is 5 days per week, 25 per hour if it’s 2 to 4 times per week and 30 per hour for once per week or every other week. For a complete break down of how to price properly, you need one of my Start-Up Guides (click the tab at top of screen) as they explain everything.
Hello I’m thinking about starting a business cleaning doctors offices. I used to clean them for someone else and I enjoyed it. I’m in school so I’m wanting something that will give me the free time I need. Can someone tell me how I can get started? Do I need business license, business plan, flyers, etc.
Hi Dana! Yes… you are in the right spot to learn the ropes. You do need to REGISTER the business. That is not anything scary, but it does need to be done before you get any customers. You do need flyers as well. My recommendation is for you to look at my Start-Up Guides. They walk you through the process step by step. Take a peek, if you have ANY questions just touch base… http://cleaning4profit.kinsta.cloud/start-your-own-cleaning-business/
Hi I clean 3 Dr offices and an apartment. I clean inside and outside picking up trash to cleaning flower beds it takes me 4 hours to clean all and I get paid 40 dollars 10 dollars an hour is that right or should I charge by the office.
You need to charge twice as much as it cost you in a case like this (so you should be AT LEAST around 80 bucks minimum).
Hello Tom,
You stated you cleaned for a cemetery. Did you clean just the interior? And did you mainly use direct mailing for majority of your accounts?
Hi Rose! I cleaned the office at first (just the inside) then moved on to other areas as they were needed by management. Yes… direct mail was my primary method for getting accounts.