When I started my house cleaning business, I had a business plan and goals. One of those goals was to be known as a professional service with top paying clients. Establishing a business plan helped me define who these top paying clients were and how I would win them as my clients.

At the time I started this house cleaning business, the upright vacuums with the tools-on-board were relatively new. When I saw my first bright orange German-made machine at the supply company, I fell in love and knew this was one way to stand out from the other cleaning services. Imagine my glee as I looked over this sleek machine with the HEPA filter, dual motor and furniture arm that would allow me to complete a room without the additional time and energy needed to interrupt my routine and retrieve the canister.

This was a huge investment for me at the time, but I knew I could offset the cost with reduced cleaning time and acquire more customers by telling my prospects about this unique vacuum.

These features were important to prospects as so many people in my city had allergies and asthma and were concerned about the additional dust floating through their home by the usual vacuum cleaners.

With the dual motor, this vacuum turned off the beater bar automatically when it was placed in an upright position, allowing me to use the on-board tools without having to press a button. This is an important feature because it is so easy to forget to turn the beater bar off and this could wear the carpet while standing in one position and in some instances, even cause a burn.

One feature of this commercial brand vacuum that I was looking forward to was the 50ft cord that would allow me to vacuum whole sections of the house before having to re-plug. You know what I'm talking about; you just have a small section left to vacuum by the back window and the cord will not reach. This is so frustrating that sometimes you end up not completing that section just because you do not want to take the time to re-plug for that little area. I knew this would be a problem when I started hiring employees.

This great vacuum lays flat to vacuum under beds and tables; what a time saver! Soon after I started using the vacuum in client homes, I realized another benefit. Those darn paper clips, rubber bands and other small objects that normally rattle around in other vacuums are sucked right in and immediately deposited in the vacuum bag. No more broken fan blades and no more stopping to get the vacuum head working again.

And my clients loved this machine. They were so impressed they told their referrals who then called to schedule an appointment and would always ask if I would bring the orange vacuum. This machine more than paid for itself many times over.

This orange machine has evolved over the years and the stability issue they originally had has been resolved. Many new brands have been introduced to the commercial industry.

Upright Versus Canister

As a professional house cleaner, you must have two vacuums. You'll need the canister for bare flooring and a good upright for carpets. You can invest in the back pack canister that you don't have to pull around, purchase used light weight floor canisters or even invest in one of the newer, super small hand held canisters that have the suction of the larger models.

In maintaining carpet quality and also keeping your repair bills down, you should consider a new, commercial brand upright with the tools. Why a commercial over any store-brands?

Commercial Versus Store-Brands

We're all familiar with the store-brands, but look at what you get with a commercial upright:

• The unit lays flat to vacuum under beds and tables

• Picks up paper clips, rubber bands and other small objects without clogging or stopping the beater bar. This is due to a unique design that filters the dirt through the bag and not the blower fan. Many store-brand vacuum repairs and replacements are due to this one design flaw that allows the dirt to be sucked into the machine through the fan.

• Molded-in easy-carry handle allows the vacuum to be carried with proper weight distribution

• 35' - 50' cords allow more square footage to be vacuumed before the need to re-plug

• Large capacity, top-fill bag for efficiency and increased time between changes

• Superior air filtration along with the sturdier construction which prevents harmful dust and particulates from escaping through gaps in the vacuum cleaner body or around the filter seal.

• Less needless features to pay for that only end up not working like dirt sensors, etc.

• The furniture arm: this one feature alone I would pay extra for! This is the extension that you see on one side of the vacuum head on most commercial upright vacuums. I have never seen this feature on a store-brand. This one feature saved me from having to move furniture when it's not needed because the furniture arm loops around furniture legs.

Badded Versus Bagless

You'll find 75% of the store-brand uprights are bagless while 75% of the commercial brands are bagged. That's because the dirt receptacle on the bagless vacuums emit so much dust when emptied. The commercial vacuums and bags are designed to be air-tight and retain the dust.

HEPA Filter

The High Efficiency Particulate Air filtration system is a must have for those people with asthma, allergies and/or pets. These special filters alter the flow of the air passing through them in such a way that any particles contained in the air become trapped in the many tiny fibers which make up the filter. HEPA filters trap germs and other contaminants, which then die in the dry environment of the filter.

By having a business plan and goals, I was able to define what people were looking for and also define the niche for my house cleaning business. I also defined what products and equipment were right for my clients, set my rate to ensure a healthy profit and cost justified equipment that required a large investment.

What are your goals for your house cleaning business? To stand apart from your competitors and land more jobs, you have to define the type of clients you want to service and then offer what they want. If you're selling your service on price alone, there will always be other cleaners that will under bid your price. Be unique and you'll be getting the first calls and the chance to sell what you have to offer.