How to Start a Cleaning Business With No Money (Step-by-Step Guide

Anna had no money, no equipment, and no experience—just a dream of starting her own cleaning business. With nothing but determination, she started cleaning homes using her clients’ own supplies, slowly saving up to buy her own equipment. Several years later, she has a full client list, 12 employees, a growing business and 300k in profit.

Welcome to the Golden Series: How to Start a Cleaning Business, where I’ll walk you through Anna’s real journey from zero to a thriving cleaning company with 15 employees.

💡 In this 4-part series, you’ll learn:
✔️ How to start a cleaning business with no money
✔️ How to set prices & make a profit
✔️ How to find & keep loyal clients
✔️ How to grow, hire employees, and scale your business

If you’re thinking about starting your own cleaning business, this series will give you a step-by-step roadmap so you can learn from Anna’s successes (and mistakes!). By the end, you’ll have all the tools to start your own profitable cleaning business.

👉 Ready? Let’s dive into Part 1!

 

How to Start a Cleaning Business With No Money (Anna’s Journey)

 

Anna is 21 years old, a college dropout, and currently working as a cashier at McDonald’s, making $14.13 per hour (source). She hadn’t planned on ending up here, but after dropping out of college, she needed to start earning money fast. With no clear direction, McDonald’s seemed like the easiest option.

Six months later, she’s stuck in a routine—working full-time, earning around $2,450 per month. It’s just enough to cover her rent, utilities, food, subscriptions, car payments, and insurance. She has a little left over for entertainment, but saving money? Forget it. And the $15,000 in student debt? She doesn’t even want to think about it—it’s a constant weight on her shoulders.

Hoping for a small raise, she asks her manager if she can move up to the fry cook position (source), but he shuts her down immediately. “That spot is already taken, and it won’t be available anytime soon.”

She feels stuck. Unappreciated. Trapped. So this is it? This is what my life is going to be? She thinks about how hard she works, yet nothing changes.

One day, she overhears a friend talking about cleaning houses on the side to make extra cash.
“Wait… cleaning? That doesn’t sound like much. But she’s making good money?”

Curious, Anna starts thinking—Maybe that’s an idea…

How Much Do House Cleaners Make? (Anna’s First Clients & Pricing Strategy)

 

Anna calls her girlfriend who told her the house cleaning business story. The girlfriend tells her that she is really busy with cleaning houses. She tells Anna she makes around $25 to $30 per hour in cash, which Anna doesn’t believe.

Anna thanks her and hangs up. But something keeps bothering her. Was her friend exaggerating? She opens her laptop and starts Googling and starts searching

“How much do cleaners make?”

She scans through articles. “$25-$40 per hour??” That’s twice what she makes at McDonald’s. But then she finds other numbers—$12 to $15 per hour, according to Indeed (source). Another source, Jobber, claims professional cleaners earn up to $34,401 per year (source).

Anna frowns. That’s a huge gap. Why were some cleaners making double what others did? She scrolls through an article that says pricing depends on experience, location, and trust. Maybe there was more to this than she thought. She dials her friend’s number again.

“Hey, I just Googled cleaning rates. Some people are making $12 an hour. How the hell are you getting $30?” ‘’How do you price your cleaning business?’’

Her friend laughs. “It’s not that hard! People pay more if they trust you, and I always look for work in wealthier neighborhoods. Plus, I’m super flexible with scheduling, clients love that. And also, the rates you see on Indeed and Jobber are employee rates, we pocket everything ourselves! The perks of having your own home cleaning startup!” 

Anna leans back in her chair, thinking. So it’s not just about cleaning—it’s about finding the right clients. But how do I get clients for a cleaning business?

The next morning Anna calls her girlfriend again. Her girlfriend told her that she was really busy, maybe she had extra clients left that she couldn’t help. ‘’Yes, of course’’ The girlfriend says on the phone, ‘’I have two families who asked me to come and clean their houses but I just don’t have any time!’’ “Anna quickly replies, ‘Well, I’m looking for my first clients for my home cleaning services—could you send them to me?‘’Of course!, you would be doing me a big favour too! I will send you their phone numbers, I will vouch for you.’’ After the conversation, Anna receives two phone numbers.

Now the first problem arrives, Anna still needs to buy cleaning products, she makes up a list of all the equipment she needs. 

List: Best cleaning supplies for home cleaning business.

500 dollars?!  Anna checks her bank account, only 300 dollars left in savings, she cant afford that right now! She needs to think in solutions and not in problems right now, how is she ever going to start a cleaning business without money.

Business tip: Always think in solutions, not in problems. What is a way for Anna to work around this problem? Exactly, by lowering her rate a little bit and using the products of the homeowners in the beginning. Think about it like this. If Anna is honest and says ‘’Normally I would charge 30 dollars an hour but I don’t have cleaning supplies right now so if I can use the supplies at your home I will charge 25 dollars an hour.’’ This is only a five dollar difference per hour but Anna can start making money now. If she works for 20 hours and saves all the money which is possible, she can buy her own supplies and charge 30 dollars.

She picks up the phone and dials the first family. Her hands feel sweaty.

“Hi, my name is Anna. I was referred by Emma, and I’d love to help with your home cleaning needs!”

‘’Aah great! Emma told me about you, yes we need home cleaning right now, how much do you charge for home cleaning?

“Normally, I would charge $30 an hour. But since I don’t have my own supplies yet, I can offer $25 an hour if I can use yours.’’

“$25 an hour? Hmm…” The woman on the phone pauses. Anna holds her breath.

“Alright, let’s give it a try.”

Anna grins. She has her first job.

She repeats the call with the second family. Two jobs secured.

 

After hanging up, she writes down her schedule:

✅ Family 1: Every week – 3 hours per job → $75 per week ($300/4 weeks)
✅ Family 2: Every other week – 5 hours per job → $125 every 2 weeks ($250/4 weeks)

💰 Total: $550 per 4 weeks/ 595 per month All cash.

Anna sits back and smiles for the first time in weeks. She just created her own paycheck.

If she could save the money from the first 4 weeks, she can buy her own supplies and raise her rate! And she does just that! After earning her money from the first 4 weeks she buys her supplies and raises her rate to 30 dollars an hour. She also sees there is a big need in the home cleaning services as she gets two other customers after 2 months, all through referrals of the satisfied first 2 families..

✅ Family 1: Every week – 3 hours per job → $90 per week ($360/4 weeks)
✅ Family 2: Every other week – 5 hours per job → $150 every 2 weeks ($300/4 weeks)

Family 3: Every other week – 4 hours per job → 120 dollars per every other week ($240/4 weeks)

Family 4: Every week – 4 hours per job → 120 dollars per week (480 dollars/4 weeks)

It begins to look like a home cleaning business!

How Anna Realized her Cleaning Business Could Replace her 9-5

 

Everything is going well. With the new rate of 30 dollars,  Anna is earning a total of 1.380 dollars per 4 weeks, but because of the extra clients it’s harder for her to get her schedule right. She still has the job working at McDonald’s, then has to commute and work the other jobs. Right now she is working almost 60 hours a week, but the money is flowing in and her savings account is growing slowly! She can afford a little more luxury but she saves $1.000 per month right now. 

Right now Anna is trading time for money but it’s working! It feels like she is slowly back on track again. 

After working 60 hours a week for another four months, Anna has 4.500 dollars in savings and other clients waiting for her. She hasn’t accepted yet because she doesn’t want to work any extra hours because her full time job is keeping her from doing that. Until one night, laying in bed, something pops up in her mind. ‘’What if home cleaning could become my new full time job?’’ She knows it isn’t the best job in the world but it pays far more than the current full time job she has. The next morning she writes down the financials.

McDonald’s job, 14,13 per hour, 40 hours worked 565,20,- dollars earned per week

Home cleaning business, 30 per hour, 40 hours worked, 1.200 dollars earned per week

Her jaw drops, with just 19 hours of working as a house cleaning business she would also be able to earn 570 dollars, that’s more than half of the work at McDonalds! And at that moment, something shifted in the mindset of Anna.

From this day on, the home cleaning business Anna had going on would become the first priority. She made a plan. Right now, she was earning a total of 2.450 dollar*  at McDonalds and 1.430* dollars per month with her house cleaning business. She would start accepting more jobs with the home cleaning, trying to turn it into a home cleaning business. When she would have 2.000 dollars a month from the home cleaning business, she would quit her job at McDonalds. With the savings she had, she would have a buffer to work her way up with her own business from there. Quitting her job would mean she would have way more time to get clients for her cleaning business. Scheduling was easier because right now, with all the work she had, it was hard to schedule other appointments in her agenda.

Anna expanded her home cleaning business by taking on more weekend clients. After 2 months of balancing her part-time cleaning business and full-time job, she finally reached $2,000/month in home cleaning income—proving that starting a cleaning business with no money was possible.

* Disclaimer, From now on I calculate with monthly income, which is 4,333 weeks per month. 

 Another 3.000 dollars was saved and her savings were now 7.500 dollars. “Because most of the jobs were paid in cash, she decided to become more professional and register a sole proprietorship (Insert article, how to register a sole proprietorship) But first, she had something else to do, have a talk with her manager..

The next day, Anna walked into McDonald’s with a mix of excitement and fear.

She had played this conversation over and over in her head. What if her manager laughed? What if he offered her a raise to stay? What if she was making a mistake?

“Hey boss, do you have a minute?”

Her manager looked up, surprised. “Sure. What’s up?”

Anna took a deep breath. “I need to talk to you about something. I’m quitting.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Quitting? But why?”

“I thought you were satisfied with the job you had,” he continued. “I never heard you complain.”

Anna paused for a second. Satisfied? She had asked for a better position half a year ago, and nothing changed. He never asked about her goals, never showed any interest in what she wanted long-term.

🔥 That’s the kind of manager I will never be, she thought. If I have employees one day, I’ll pay them well, respect them, and actually invest in their success.

She straightened her shoulders. “I’ve appreciated my time here, but I’m ready for something different,” she said confidently.

Her manager frowned. “Different? Like what?”

“I’m starting my own cleaning business.”

For a second, he just stared at her—then, he chuckled.

“A cleaning business?” He leaned back in his chair, smirking. “So, you’re leaving this job to scrub toilets? That’s your ‘big career move’?”

Anna felt a flash of doubt for just a moment—but then, she pushed it aside.

She smiled, keeping her voice steady. “Yeah. And I think it’s going to be something great.”

He shook his head, laughing. “Well, good luck with that.”

Anna nodded. “Thanks. I’ve got a good feeling about it.”

🔥 That day, Anna walked out of McDonald’s for the last time. And for the first time in her life, she wasn’t just chasing a paycheck—she was chasing a future she was building for herself.

The financials of a cleaning business

 

Registering her home cleaning business felt like a major milestone—Anna was now the proud owner of an official company. No more under-the-table cash jobs, no more calling it a “side gig.” This was real.

But almost immediately, she realized something she hadn’t prepared for.

Running a business wasn’t just about cleaning houses—it was about paperwork, taxes, and legal responsibilities.

At first, it had been simple. She made $2,000 a month, cash in hand, and kept everything for herself. But now? Now she had to register for taxes, track expenses, and handle invoices. She needed business insurance (insert article: Which Insurances Do You Need With a Sole Proprietorship?), and worst of all, she had to figure out how much to pay in taxes.

The reality hit hard. One afternoon, she sat at her kitchen table, surrounded by piles of paperwork, legal forms, and online tax guides. A cup of coffee sat next to her, untouched. “What did I get myself into?” she muttered.

She knew she had two options: figure it out or risk losing everything she built.

🔹 Step 1: Acquire a Business License & Separate Business Finances

 

The first thing Anna realized was that to operate legally, she needed a business license.

She learned that business license requirements vary by state and city (Insureon explains how to get a business license here). 

The process generally involved:
✔ Checking state and city requirements – Some areas require a general business license, while others have specific requirements for cleaning businesses.
✔ Registering her business name – If she wanted to operate under “Anna’s Home Cleaning” instead of just her name, she needed a DBA (Doing Business As) registration.
✔ Paying a small licensing fee – Some states charge as little as $50, while others could be a few hundred dollars.

🚀 With her business officially licensed, she was now a legitimate cleaning service.

🔹 Step 2: Separate Business & Personal Finances

 

The first thing Anna did was open a separate business bank account. Instead of mixing personal and business money, she would pay herself a salary and keep the rest in the business account. This would make tracking profits, expenses, and taxes much easier.

She also decided to use basic bookkeeping software to automatically track income and expenses.

🔹 Step 3: Learn Taxes & Business Administration

 

Anna started researching what taxes she had to pay, what business deductions she could take, and how to track everything. She learned that if she didn’t set aside money for taxes, she could end up owing thousands at the end of the year.

A few hours of research taught her:
✔ Self-employed taxes can take up to 15,3% of her income.
✔ She could deduct business expenses like cleaning supplies, marketing costs, and even gas for driving to clients.
✔ Keeping every receipt was important if she ever got audited.

She also decided to schedule quarterly tax payments instead of waiting until tax season.

🔹 Step 4: Get Business Insurance

 

A fellow small business owner warned her: “If you accidentally damage something in a client’s home, you could be sued.”

That was enough to make her look into liability insurance immediately.

After comparing options, she chose a general liability insurance plan that covered:
✔ Accidental property damage in clients’ homes.
✔ Injury claims in case someone slipped while she was cleaning.
✔ Legal protection in case of customer disputes.

Now, if anything went wrong, she wouldn’t be personally liable.

Anna wrote down what the monthly costs of her cleaning business were.

How much are the monthly expenses for a small cleaning business?

📌How much is insurance for a small cleaning business? (Source)

✔ General liability insurance – $42/month
✔ Business Owner’s Policy (BOP) – $57/month
✔ Professional liability or E&O insurance – $61/month
✔ Workers’ compensation insurance – $45/month
💰 Total insurance cost: $205/month

📌 Other Business Expenses

✔ Hiring an Accountant – $200/month
✔ Marketing & Website Costs – $250/month (website maintenance, SEO, and hosting)
✔ Supplies & Equipment Savings – $150/month

📌 Total Monthly Business Costs: $805/month

The Financial Reality: Anna’s Business Wasn’t Making Enough

💰 Current Monthly Income: $2,000
💰 After Business Expenses: Only $1,200 Left

She stared at the number. $1,200 left after business expenses. That wasn’t even close to enough for her to survive.

Her personal expenses (rent, food, utilities, car payments) were $2,400 per month.

🔹 That meant that after all her business costs, she was still short by $1,200 per month just to survive.
🔹 And that didn’t even include taxes, which would take another chunk out of her earnings.

Anna quickly calculated her savings buffer:

✔ Starting savings balance: $7,550
✔ First website payment: -$1,000
✔ First month of business expenses without generating revenue: -$805
✔ Shortfall of $1,200 per month

🚨 That meant she only had around 4 months before her savings ran out completely.

The Classic Beginner Mistake of starting your own business: No Financial Planning

Anna hadn’t thought all of this through when she started—a classic beginner mistake.

When she registered her business, she was caught up in the excitement, imagining herself as a successful entrepreneur. Her head was in the clouds, focused on growing the business, but she hadn’t planned for the financial reality that came with it.

Now, staring at the numbers, she realized how crucial financial planning really was. Starting a business wasn’t just about getting clients and making money, it was about understanding expenses, managing cash flow, and ensuring sustainability.

She needed to act fast. If she didn’t figure out a way to increase revenue before her savings ran out, she would have to shut her home cleaning business down before she even had a real chance to succeed.

🚀 Increasing Revenue as a Home Cleaning Business

 

Anna sat down with her notebook and stared at the numbers again. If she wanted her home cleaning business to replace her McDonald’s job and become truly profitable, she needed to increase revenue—fast.

She went through her options carefully:

🔹 Cutting Costs? Not an Option.

At first, she thought about reducing expenses to make her business more profitable.

💡 But she quickly realized:
✔ Her business was already lean.
✔ She was only paying for essential costs—insurance, accounting, and marketing.
✔ Cutting expenses on the wrong things (like accounting or insurance) could ruin her business in the long run.

❌ Eliminating costs wasn’t the answer. She needed to make more money.

🔹 Raising Her Rates? Too Early.

 

The next idea was to increase her hourly rate.

💡 The problem?
✔ She didn’t have a full schedule yet. Asking for more money before proving her value could scare away potential clients.
✔ She hadn’t built a reputation. People would pay premium prices only after she established herself as a reliable, high-quality cleaner.
✔ She needed demand before increasing prices. If she struggled to fill her schedule at $30/hour, it would be even harder at $40/hour.

❌ Higher rates were not the solution—at least, not yet.

✅ Increasing Revenue: The Only Real Solution

 

Anna realized she had one major advantage—time.

✔ She had quit her full-time job, which meant she had 40+ extra hours every week to invest in her business.
✔ Right now, she was only cleaning for 15 hours per week. The rest of her time was wide open.
✔ If she wanted to increase revenue, she needed to fill up those extra hours with paying clients.

🚀 Her plan was clear: invest all her extra time into finding new clients and growing her home cleaning business.

She wasn’t just a cleaner anymore—she was a business owner, and marketing was now her top priority.

🚀 5 Key Takeaways from Anna’s Journey in Part 1

 

1️⃣ You Can Start a Cleaning Business with No Money – Anna began with zero equipment and used her clients’ cleaning supplies to get started. By focusing on smart strategies instead of upfront costs, she built momentum without major financial risks.

2️⃣ Financial Planning is Crucial for Business Success – A major mistake Anna made was not calculating her costs before launching her cleaning business. Business expenses like insurance, taxes, marketing, and an accountant added up quickly. Without proper planning, new business owners risk running out of money before they can turn a profit.

3️⃣ Growing a Business Requires Time & Strategy – Simply registering a cleaning business doesn’t mean instant success. Anna had to actively find clients, market her services, and optimize her schedule to increase revenue.

4️⃣ Raising Prices Too Early Can Hurt Growth – While higher rates mean more revenue per hour, Anna realized she first needed a solid reputation and a full client schedule before she could charge premium rates.

5️⃣ Marketing is Just as Important as Cleaning – To succeed, Anna had to spend time networking, handing out business cards, and building an online presence. Getting new clients became her top priority.

🔥 Wrapping Up Part 1 – Anna’s Big Challenge Ahead

 

Anna has come a long way from working at McDonald’s to building her own cleaning business. But she still has a major challenge ahead—she needs to find more clients before her savings run out.

She has a plan:
✅ Use her extra time for marketing, Anna had special tricks up her sleeve to get extra clients fast!
✅ Going around houses and out business cards and build a website
✅ Fill up her schedule to increase revenue

🚀 Will she succeed before she runs out of money? Will she land bigger clients and start scaling her business?

👉 Find out in Part 2 of the Golden Series: How Anna Gets More Clients & Grows Her Cleaning Business!

🔗 Read Part 2 Here