Next up - direct mail!

Starting up a business is without a doubt the hardest thing I have ever done. Just over twenty months ago I was made redundant from my job, and due to the economic climate, I decided the best way to secure a job would be to work for myself. I was fortunate that my redundancy money was enough to fund the beginning stages of my business. After being made redundant, I had no reason to not develop an idea that I had, had in mind for a while. My plan to start up my own cleaning business and target it towards young professionals and student households. I had watched a TV programme which documented the health risks in student households and realised that prices of hiring a cleaner would probably be too high for most students and young people. I was certain that if I could work out a price affordable to students and young professionals, this would be a service they would want. After undertaking some research, I decided to go ahead and start locally by targeting the many students living in Brighton.

I put a company plan together and went out and bought the equipment needed. Next was the difficult bit - marketing. I started out by using colour laser printing to produce posters and flyers which I managed to display in key student locations around the city. Very little business came in within the first couple of months, and despite me having few overheads I was worried that the idea wasn't going to take off. However, I managed to secure some advertising through local letting agencies and from there I got a lot more interest and business. The estate agents were willing to recommend my services as it meant they could ensure their properties were kept clean, whilst the students were happy to pay a small amount to avoid household arguments! Initially, I undertook all the cleaning myself; before I was in a position to gradually increase my staffing number. I'm now looking to branch out into other areas. The next stage is to increase my marketing activity by using direct mail. I may also consider using data management in order to truly be able to scale up my operation and target new customers. I'm proof that with a little commitment and a simple idea it is possible to create a living for yourself!