It can be fun and profitable starting a cleaning service, and the ideal way to be self-employed if you like to clean, have customer service skills and don’t mind hard work. One benefit of this business is that you don’t need a lot of money to start the business, just the cost of cleaning supplies. And it’s the ideal business to start out slowly and grow the business over time. Make sure you do your research; find out how many other cleaning companies operate locally, what their rates are and the services they offer. You may need to decide if your focus will be residential, commercial or both. Much of your initial time and effort will be spent on advertising and promoting your cleaning service, including a well run website, business cards, advertisements in local shops and cafes, and anything else you can think of.