It doesn’t take much to start a gutter cleaning business, but many of them don’t grow or end up going out of business. Here are some tips to make sure your business is successful and grows.
1. Focus on providing quality work on every job. If a satisfied customer refers you to all of her friends and neighbors, you’ll probably get a lot more future jobs than advertising in the phone book, putting up flyers, or knocking on doors. Someone is more likely to hire you when you come from someone they know and trust.
2. Try to establish regular cleanings. You can offer discounts and preferred dates and times to anyone who schedules multiple gutter cleanings at once. You’ll have a good idea of how old a house is and what work will be like if you clean it regularly, making it easier for you to be efficient and get more work done.
3. Expand beyond gutter cleaning. Offer to install downspout filters and gutter guards or repair and replace old, damaged or worn gutters and downspouts for an additional fee. Be upfront about your price and honest about what needs to be done. Since you’re already there to clean the gutters, the time spent on additional jobs will be less than it otherwise would be.
4. Hire additional employees. Whether the workload is too much or you don’t have time to advertise, hiring extra people can create enough extra work to more than make up for their salaries. Having seasonal help probably makes more sense. Be careful not to try to expand too fast or beyond what you can handle or it could backfire.
5. Maintain a professional image and a reputation for quality. Always represent your company well and make sure all employees do too. Being known for reliable, quality and professional service will make a world of difference as you seek out new clients and retain the ones you have.
