Commercial cleaning company with a small crew

Property managers, school boards and private schools, office building owners, medical and dental practices and condo boards.

Monthly contract fees per site, often priced by floor area and cleaning frequency, plus add-on work like carpet cleaning, floor stripping and waxing, and post-construction cleans.

• Quoting and pricing contracts
• Hiring and managing staff
• Quality checking
• Sales and relationship building
• Organising schedules

• Employer duties once you hire, including WCB/WSIB coverage, payroll deductions and employment standards, which vary by province
• Decide early whether crew members are employees or contractors, as misclassifying them can cause tax and legal problems
• School and some commercial clients may ask for police record checks or vulnerable sector checks for your staff
• Commercial general liability insurance, and ask whether bonding is expected by larger clients
• Late payment from larger clients can strain cash flow, so check payment terms before signing
• Winter adds extra work such as salt and slush on floors, so price seasonality into contracts
• Check your municipality for any business licence requirements

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on equipment, supplies, insurance and how many crew members you start with. These are estimates, so build your own budget around the contracts you aim to win.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $4,000 to $20,000, depending on the number and size of your contracts and your pricing. Late payment from larger clients can strain cash flow, so check payment terms before signing.

Check employer duties once you hire, including WCB/WSIB coverage, payroll deductions and employment standards, which vary by province. Decide early whether crew are employees or contractors, and check police record checks for school clients, insurance, bonding and municipal licensing.