The Janitorial Store
New cleaning businesses tend to have few financial resources. Before you sign your first client you need capital for supplies, equipment, basic start-up expenses, and perhaps even payroll. Where do start-up companies get the financing they need to set up shop? Some businesses use savings, some borrow from friends or relatives, and some get a bank loan. But many small start-ups rely on a technique called bootstrapping.
Bootstrapping means pinching pennies, cutting corners, and learning to do more with less. Using bootstrapping techniques also means carefully watching where your cash is coming from and where it is going to. Does this technique work for growing your business? You bet! Ernest & Julio Gallo, Domino's Pizza, Hallmark Cards and Black & Decker are examples of businesses that started with $1000 or less and used the art of bootstrapping to grow and become successful.
In bootstrapping you not only focus on how revenues come into the business, but where you are going to spend the money that comes in and if there are other ways to obtain those resources.
The following are techniques that have helped businesses grow and expand.
1) Focus on the right customers. Some customers like to hold onto invoices as long as possible. Finding customers who pay immediately helps keep cash flowing into your cleaning business. Maintaining a good customer relationship will also help to get your customers paying as soon as they get their invoice.
2) Be frugal, but not cheap! Distinguish between costs that are necessary and ones you can avoid. Do you need to rent space for your cleaning business or can you begin by running the business out of your home or garage? Can you get by with used equipment? Do you need a cell phone with streaming video or just a basic model to make sure you do not miss any calls? On the same token, don't be shortsighted (and cheap) with suppliers. Develop a good relationship with your suppliers and they will be happy to let you know when there are specials and if a lower priced item works as well as a more expensive one.
3) Create a high profile for your cleaning business. By taking on larger cleaning accounts your business projects an image of competency and that it has the skills and resources to handle the job.
4) Keep your salary as low as possible. The less cash that go out of your business the better. Cut back on your personal expenses while the business grows. Avoid buying that new car and that holiday cruise until your cleaning business has a good cash flow.
5) Get your customers talking about you. Word of mouth is the best advertising around and it doesn't cost you anything. Ask your customers for referrals and tell them to mention your name if they know of anyone who is looking for cleaning services.
6) Keep good records and track every dollar. It is difficult to know if there are expenses that you can cut if you don't know where your money is going or where your money is coming from. Keep more income by not giving preferential treatment or discounts to special customers.
7) There is power in becoming a partner. Find another business owner to share equipment, office space or even employees.
8) Trade for services. Are there individuals or businesses who would be willing to have you clean their offices for part or all of their payment? Large businesses and corporations may not have the flexibility to "swap" services, but your lawyer, graphic designer, accountant or other consultant may be happy to exchange services.
9) If you need employees, hire part-time or temporary help. Rather than having a full-time bookkeeper or marketing person think of hiring a virtual assistant that you can pay for just a few hours a month. Another benefit to a virtual assistant is that she will have her own equipment and be responsible for her own employment taxes.
10) If you are buying or leasing space and equipment agree to only short-term leases. This helps you control costs and keep your cash flow flexible.
11) How much inventory do you need to have on hand? Don't tie up money in supplies and equipment that will just be sitting on a shelf.
12) If necessary, work nights and weekends while your business is growing. Many entrepreneurs will keep their full-time job and a part-time job until their own business is financially stable.
Using bootstrapping techniques mean that you are looking at more than just where your money is coming from. Earning a dollar in revenue may lead to only 20 cents in profit. But if you save a dollar in cost savings, that goes 100 percent to your bottom line. Being frugal at the start of your business can pay big dividends in the long run. Bootstrapping can be your best friend when it comes to the cash flow of your cleaning the business!
Finance Your Cleaning Business by Bootstrapping
Bootstrapping a Retail Business
Starting a business is always easier when you have some funding, and far too many business advisors will tell you to wait until you have a substantial amount of capital before launching. But what if you just can't raise the money? Then it's time to ignore the advice of those advisors and jump into the fray.
Obviously, if there's no funding, and you want to bankroll your new retail business out of your own poorly-funded back pocket, you will have to seriously re-evaluate your concept. Notice, we're saying “re-evaluate,” not “abandon.” In fact, it's still possible to start a retail business without having to shell out big money for retail space, inventory and advertising. It's not an easy thing to get funding for a retail shop, especially one that is brand new. Expansion capital is a little easier to come by, if you already have a shop that is making money, but if you've got your eyes on running a brand new boutique, those funding dollars will be scarce. About the only way you'll be able to convince a finance company or bank to give you money to start a new retail shop is if you are willing to put up the equity in your home as collateral against the loan.
And yes, if you have equity, you should expect to have to do this. But—what about the rest of us poor folks who don't have any assets, no savings to speak of, and can't get a signature loan? Are we doomed to a life of wage slavery? No. We just have to start out small, so small that our new business wouldn't even show up in the radar of what most people call a small business. What we're talking about here is a “micro business”—one that can be started with very little or no up-front capital.
Traditional business wisdom calls for a business plan that details your spending for the first year, and where that money will come from. Your original goal may have been to open up a small shop in the mall—but rents in most malls even for a small shop often go for thousands of dollars a month. A “bootstrap” retail business is one that is starting with either no, or very little funding, so that space in the mall is out of the question.
Obviously, your first concern is inventory, and without funding, you won't be able to carry very much of it. Consider what you envision selling, and reduce those items to include only those that have the highest margin and the quickest potential turnaround. Starting off specializing in a dozen or so items that sell briskly will prime the pump so you can add more inventory later.
As for retail space, even though the mall is out, take a look at other areas that may offer cheaper rent, even if the space is a lot smaller than what you had in mind. There may be an existing business that would be complementary to yours, with some space to spare—there's a possibility there of making a deal. And barring that, start out without any permanent retail space at all. Many successful retail shops started out selling exclusively at local festivals, farmers' markets, flea markets and specialty shows, where you rent space by the day or week. While you're selling at these venues, collect a customer mailing list so you can send your best customers a card when you are able to finally move into a permanent retail space.
Most importantly—don't assume that you can't go into business just because you don't have a lot of money.