If you're thinking about starting a concierge service, errand service, personal assistance service, or other personal service, following are resources to help you along the way.
Industry Associations
National Concierge Association
National Association of Professional Organizers
International Concierge and Errand Association
Starting a concierge service is a great way to become your own boss and take command of your financial future. A growing number of people believe that self-employment is part of the American Dream and offers the best job security a person can hope for in these uncertain times. Therefore, while not for everyone, a concierge service can be a fun and profitable way to make a living as the rest of us slave away in offices doing the weekly grind. Here is some useful information for anyone thinking about starting a concierge service and living the American Dream.
Estimated start-up costs and pricing guidelines:
Actually, most of us already have almost everything we need to start a concierge service. On the list of essential equipment is: cell phone, computer (preferably a laptop), fax machine, printer, and perhaps a color copier. All told, you might be out $2000 if you had to buy everything from scratch.
The amount you charge really depends on your time investment and the services you are providing. A lot of concierge services charge a monthly membership fee where a person is allotted a specified number of errands. Others charge by the hour while some by the errand. Generally speaking, starting a concierge service will net you any where from $24-125 per hour.
Recommended experience, skills, and training:
Starting a concierge service certainly does not require any college degree but it wouldn’t hurt. A background in sales is probably best for anyone serious about succeeding with a concierge service. Since your entire professional life revolves around making good contacts and selling yourself and your services on a daily basis, a sales background comes in very handy. Any training involving general business and sales or marketing is also valuable.
Marketing tips:
Any successful concierge service will have to effectively network and find the best deals on the products or services their clients are wanting. Targeting airports and hotels where large numbers of strangers enter your town every day are great places to concentrate marketing efforts as they are filled with people in need of services in your area. A company website is another great idea as your target market will most likely consist of white collar people who are Internet savvy. Be sure to have your content list your location consistently so that you come up in searches performed on your area.
Financing sources:
Banks tend to view a concierge service as a high risk business due to its unpredictable nature. There just are no reliable business models to use and they depend upon the charisma and determination of the owner in order to succeed. Thus, financing options are limited to friends and family. But, fortunately the start-up and operational costs are relatively low so financing should not be too great of an obstacle for most.
Income Potential:
Starting a concierge service may be a fairly large risk in the eyes of a bank, but it has above average income potential for those with the determination to make it work. On average, a personal concierge makes $40,000 to $60,000 per year. But, many concierges make extra money from stores and contractors who pay them a commission for sending business their way. It is not uncommon for a personal concierge to charge annual membership fees of $1000-1500 to an individual and average $5,000 in annual dues from corporate clients.
Starting a Concierge Service may just be the escape from the rat race that you have been looking for. With low start-up costs and above average income potential, the prospect of getting paid good money to run errands never looked so good. If you are ready to start living your American Dream, then think about Starting a Concierge Service today and begin living that dream!
Learn Something New Today. Ramblings and musings on a variety of topics such as: photography, using herbs, vegetable gardening, aromatherapy, everything arts and crafts, bible studies, blah, blah, blah... Welcome to the madness that is my mind!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Start Catering Business
First research your laws on food handling. You will need an inspection, licenses, health test, food handling test then you can advertise your services. Develop some recipes for things like wedding receptions, reunions, company parties, picnics, dinner cruises, children's parties, family holiday meals, that will serve crowds with good food you will be serving in different places with different conditions so you need to be sure of your recipes and food handling safety.
Catering is one of those businesses which are considered as lucrative. This business has the maximum potential for expansion and development. There are many people who think that starting a catering business is not their cup of tea but the fact is that it requires a few basic skills and knowledge of certain strategies to start one.
To begin with, you need proper knowledge of catering industry and to have (or employ people who have) good catering training. You also need to be able to follow a specific path to become a successful caterer. Besides that, you require basic skills in cooking and an interest in catering to the needs of people.
If you have these skills in you then there are many opportunities available for a catering services business. But do remember that you need to prepare your mind to face the challenges that will come in the way of your success. For starting a catering business from home, you have to keep in mind a few tips. First of all, you require a license to own a catering business. To get this license, it is necessary for you to apply in the health department. The department has its own terms and conditions which you need to fulfill. These conditions are like testing the quality of the food.
After you get the license for your business, the next step is to make a separate kitchen and refrigeration for the food to e prepared in your home. This is required because you can not prepare food for 100-200 people in your small kitchen. The kitchen should have enough space where at least 5 to 7 people can stand comfortably and work properly. Also, you need to take care of the hygienic conditions of the kitchen.
To earn profits in the catering business you also require a home based bakery. The bakery is very effective for you to save money as you can prepare cakes and cookies in your home itself. It hardly matters whether you are a party caterer, wedding caterer or an event caterer, cakes and cookies are the basic requirements for every event. And if you prepare all these cakes and cookies in your own bakery, it will definitely save many hundred dollars and increase your profit margin.
Further, the most important part of the catering business is to identify the nature of the business and your target audience. If you are a small caterer and are only capable of managing small corporate meetings, small birthday parties, and kitty parties, etc. then it is not possible for you to do arrangements for the big marriages and parties. So, decide before hand your target audience.
You should also have a proper team of professionals to manage your business. For instance, you need to have good chefs, servers, managers, bar tenders, venue designers, and accountants. And above all, you need to have delicious food in your menu to serve to the people.
So, these are some tips and steps that are really helpful for starting a catering business and become the market leader in the distant future.
Catering is one of those businesses which are considered as lucrative. This business has the maximum potential for expansion and development. There are many people who think that starting a catering business is not their cup of tea but the fact is that it requires a few basic skills and knowledge of certain strategies to start one.
To begin with, you need proper knowledge of catering industry and to have (or employ people who have) good catering training. You also need to be able to follow a specific path to become a successful caterer. Besides that, you require basic skills in cooking and an interest in catering to the needs of people.
If you have these skills in you then there are many opportunities available for a catering services business. But do remember that you need to prepare your mind to face the challenges that will come in the way of your success. For starting a catering business from home, you have to keep in mind a few tips. First of all, you require a license to own a catering business. To get this license, it is necessary for you to apply in the health department. The department has its own terms and conditions which you need to fulfill. These conditions are like testing the quality of the food.
After you get the license for your business, the next step is to make a separate kitchen and refrigeration for the food to e prepared in your home. This is required because you can not prepare food for 100-200 people in your small kitchen. The kitchen should have enough space where at least 5 to 7 people can stand comfortably and work properly. Also, you need to take care of the hygienic conditions of the kitchen.
To earn profits in the catering business you also require a home based bakery. The bakery is very effective for you to save money as you can prepare cakes and cookies in your home itself. It hardly matters whether you are a party caterer, wedding caterer or an event caterer, cakes and cookies are the basic requirements for every event. And if you prepare all these cakes and cookies in your own bakery, it will definitely save many hundred dollars and increase your profit margin.
Further, the most important part of the catering business is to identify the nature of the business and your target audience. If you are a small caterer and are only capable of managing small corporate meetings, small birthday parties, and kitty parties, etc. then it is not possible for you to do arrangements for the big marriages and parties. So, decide before hand your target audience.
You should also have a proper team of professionals to manage your business. For instance, you need to have good chefs, servers, managers, bar tenders, venue designers, and accountants. And above all, you need to have delicious food in your menu to serve to the people.
So, these are some tips and steps that are really helpful for starting a catering business and become the market leader in the distant future.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Start Event Planning Business
Put your party experience to good use by planning, designing and throwing events for private and corporate clients.
The special events industry has grown enormously in the past decade. According to recent research conducted by Dr. Joe Goldblatt, CSEP (Certified Special Events Professional), spending for special events worldwide is $500 billion annually. Goldblatt is the founder of International Special Events Society (ISES), the founding director of the Event Management Program at George Washington University, and co-author of The International Dictionary of Event Management. "Suffice it to say, the marketplace is large enough to support and sustain your endeavor," says Goldblatt. "If you're working in one special events area, there are many directions in which you can expand. If you're just entering the profession of special events, there's a lucrative market awaiting you on many fronts."
According to Goldblatt's research, profits in this industry continue to rise. Just a few years ago, Goldblatt says, the average profit margin for an event planning entrepreneur was around 15 percent. His most recent studies, however, show profit margins anywhere from 30 to 40 percent. He attributes the industry's good health to several factors, including the improved economy and the trend of corporate America to outsource their meeting-planning functions.
What Is Event Planning?
This question actually breaks down into two questions: What kinds of events are we talking about? And, what is event planning?
First things first. Generally speaking, special events occur for the following purposes:
Celebrations (fairs, parades, weddings, reunions, birthdays, anniversaries)
Education (conferences, meetings, graduations)
Promotions (product launches, political rallies, fashion shows)
Commemorations (memorials, civic events)
This list isn't an exhaustive one, but as the examples illustrate, special events may be business related, purely social or somewhere in between.
Now we move to the second question: What is event planning? Planners of an event may handle any or all of the following tasks related to that event:
Conducting research
Creating an event design
Finding a site
Arranging for food, decor and entertainment
Planning transportation to and from the event
Sending invitations to attendees
Arranging any necessary accommodations for attendees
Coordinating the activities of event personnel
Supervising at the site
Conducting evaluations of the event
How many of these activities your business engages in will depend on the size and type of a particular event, which will, in turn, depend on the specialization you choose.
Why Do People Hire Event Planners?
This question has a simple answer: Individuals often find they lack the expertise and time to plan events themselves. Independent planners can step in and give these special events the attention they deserve.
Who Becomes An Event Planner?
Planners are often people who got their start in one particular aspect of special events. Business owner Martin V.K. had a successful catering company before he decided to plan entire events. Many other planners have similar stories. This explains why planners often not only coordinate entire events but may, in addition, provide one or more services for those events.
Event planners may also have started out planning events for other companies before deciding to go into business for themselves. Joyce B.W. planned in-house events for a retail chain for 11 years and then worked for another event planning company before striking out on her own.
Becoming Certified
Consider getting a degree or certificate from a local university in event planning or management. A list of colleges and universities offering educational opportunities in this field is available from Meeting Professionals International (MPI). (See the Appendix for contact information.)
Also consider working to become a CSEP (Certified Special Events Professional) or CMP (Certified Meeting Planner). These designations are given out by ISES and MPI, respectively. Many corporations, and some members of the general public, look for these designations when hiring planners. Because of the research and study it takes to become a CSEP or CMP, clients know that these planners are professionals.
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The Corporate Market
Broadly speaking, there are two markets for event planning services: corporate and social. The term "corporate" includes not only companies but also charities and nonprofit organizations. Charities and nonprofit organizations host gala fundraisers, receptions and athletic competitions, among other events, to expand their public support base and raise funds. Thousands of these events occur each year, and although the large ones require specialized event planning experience, you may find smaller local events to start out with.
Companies host trade shows, conventions, company picnics, holiday parties and meetings for staff members, board members or stockholders. In one year alone, the total number of meetings held in the United States was almost 1 million, according to a Meetings Market Report conducted by Market Probe International Inc. for Meetings & Conventions magazine. The same report showed that organizations spent a total of $40.8 billion on meetings that same year.
The Social Market
Social events include weddings, birthdays, anniversary parties, bar and bat mitzvahs, Sweet 16 parties, children's parties, reunions and so on. You may decide to handle all these events or just specialize in one or more of them.
The market for social events, especially birthdays and anniversaries, is expected to continue to increase over the next few years, as baby boomers mature. This group has children getting married, parents celebrating golden anniversaries, and their own silver wedding anniversaries to commemorate.
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How much money will you need to start your event planning business? That will depend on the cost of living in the area your business serves and whether you work from home or rent office space. It will also depend, to a lesser degree, on your own taste and lifestyle choices.
Keep in mind that while working from home will keep your costs low, you can't start any but the smallest of event planning business on a shoestring.
This chart lists the startup costs for two hypothetical event-planning services. The first business is home based and has no employees. The high-end business occupies 500 square feet of office space. The owner/manager of this business employs a full-time junior planner and a part-time bookkeeper, as well as temporary employees who handle clerical work and who may help prepare for various events. Both owners will derive their income from pre-tax net profit. Annually, these businesses will gross $78,000 and $185,000, respectively. The startup table lists pre-opening costs for the businesses.
Startup Expenses Low High
Rent $0 $2,300
Equipment $5,000 $17,000
Inventory $0 $500
Licenses and Taxes $250 $350
Communications $100 $250
Payroll $0 $4,000
Advertising/Promotion $500 $2,000
Legal Fees & Accounting $650 $1,500
Insurance (1st Quarter) $800 $1,700
Miscellaneous $750 $1,500
Total $8,050 $31,100
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Few, if any, event planners have 9-to-5 jobs. By its very nature, event planning tends to involve evenings, weekends, holidays and sometimes even specific seasons. How much time you must commit to working will depend, once again, on the specialization you choose.
As a general rule, social events involve more weekends and holidays than corporate events do. Some areas of the country and some types of events have "on" and "off" seasons. However, no matter what your specialization (with the exception of parties for young children), you can count on working at least some evenings as you coordinate and supervise events. The planning of those events, however, will be done mostly during business hours.
Here are the main tasks you'll be completing as an event planner:
Research. The best way to reduce risk (whatever the kind) is to do your homework. For large events, research may mean making sure there's a demand for the event by conducting surveys, interviews or focus group research. If you're new to the event planning industry, research may instead mean finding out all you can about vendors and suppliers. Research also may mean talking to other planners who have produced events similar to the one on which you're working. Or you may find yourself reading up on issues of custom and etiquette, especially if you're unfamiliar with a particular type of event.
Whatever kind of event you're planning, research should include asking your client a lot of questions and writing down the answers. Interviewing a client may not be what you immediately think of as research. However, asking too few questions, or not listening adequately to a client's answers, can compromise the success of the event you plan.
Design. Your creativity comes most into play in the design phase of event planning, during which you sketch out the overall "feel" and "look" of the event. This is the time to brainstorm, either by yourself or with your employees. It's also the time to pull out and look through your idea file. (You do have one, don't you? If not, read on and take notes.) Don't forget to consult your notebook for the client's answers to the questions you asked in the research phase. These responses, especially the one regarding the event budget, will help you thoroughly check each idea for feasibility, preferably before suggesting it to the client.
Proposal. Once you've interviewed the client and done some preliminary brainstorming, you should have enough information to prepare a proposal. Be aware that the production of a proposal is time-consuming and potentially expensive, especially if you include photographs or sketches. Sachs points out that only the larger companies producing high-end events can afford to provide clients with free proposals. You should receive a consultation fee (she suggests about $150), which can be applied toward a client's event if he or she hires you.
Organization. During this decision-intensive phase, you'll rent the site, hire vendors and take care of more details than you might believe possible. You'll be on the phone until your ear is numb. But before you do any of this, make sure you have a contact person (either the client or someone acting on the client's behalf) with whom you'll discuss all major decisions. Having a designated individual helps ensure that communication lines are kept open. Also, social events in particular sometimes suffer from the "too many cooks" syndrome. Having one designated contact helps you avoid being caught in the middle of disagreements between event participants.
Generally speaking, the bigger the event, the more lead time that's required to plan it. Major conventions are planned years in advance. Although you may not be arranging events on such a grand scale, you do need to allow at least a few months for events like corporate picnics, reunions or large parties.
Coordination. After you've made the initial plans, turn your attention to each of the activities that form a part of the overall event. At this point, your goal is to ensure that everyone is on the same wavelength. Good communication skills are important. Make sure all vendors have at least a general idea of the overall event schedule. Even more important, vendors should be clear about what's expected of them, and when. Vendor arrival times should appear in the contracts, but verify those times anyway. This is a "check and recheck" period. Make sure all your staff members know their roles.
Evaluation. The obvious, and in one sense the most important, test of an event's success is customer satisfaction. The goal, of course, is to end up with a client who will sing your praises up and down the street, shouting it from rooftops. This is the client who will hire you again, and who will provide that famous word-of-mouth advertising for you.
There are several other ways to evaluate the success of an event. You can hire an event planning consultant; have someone who hosts extremely successful parties observe your event; plan a roundtable post-event discussion with your employees; obtain feedback from other industry professionals working at the event, like the caterer or bartender; or survey guests at or after the event.
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The goal in pricing a service is to mark up your labor and material costs sufficiently to cover overhead expenses and generate an acceptable profit. First-time business owners often fail because they unknowingly priced their services too low. According to industry expert and author Dr. Joe Goldblatt, fees are typically determined by three factors:
Market segment served. Social events have a different fee structure than corporate events. In the social events industry, planners typically receive a fee for their services, plus a percentage of some or all vendor fees. The two income streams produce enough revenue for a profit.
In the corporate events industry, however, planners typically charge a fee for their services, plus a handling charge for each item they contract. For example, a planner buys flowers from a florist, marks them up (usually 15 percent) and charges that amount to the client. Another possibility is a flat fee, or "project fee," often used when the event is large and the corporation wants to be given a "not to exceed" figure.
Geographic location. Fees are higher in the northeast United States, for example, than in the southeast. This difference reflects the variation in cost of living. In addition, areas of the country that have well-defined on- and off-seasons base their prices partly on which season they're in.
Experience and reputation of the event planner. If you're just starting out in the industry, it's reasonable to charge less for your planning services while you gain expertise.
How, you may ask, are the above-mentioned fees-for-service calculated? Event planners we interviewed price their fees-for-service (the total cost to the client) using a "cost-plus" method. They contract out the labor, supplies and materials involved in producing an event and charge their clients a service fee of about 10 to 20 percent of the total cost of the event, with 15 percent being a rough average.
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Some new event planners spend hundreds of dollars on big ads in business magazines or in the Yellow Pages and wait for the calls to roll in. Dr. Jeff Goldblatt, CSEP, founding director of the Event Management Program at George Washington University in Washington, DC, says this is a mistake: "When was the last time you spent $10,000 on someone in the Yellow Pages?"
Goldblatt advises new entrepreneurs in this industry to "stay away from the mass market." While a listing in the Yellow Pages may help potential clients find you, spending large amounts of precious advertising dollars targeting the general public is usually not effective.
New business owner David G. agrees. The problem, he notes, is that customers need to see what you do, and a word ad won't accomplish that. He recommends networking and making friends in the industry. That way, he says, "People know you, trust you. They want honesty and integrity."
Networking can help your business in two ways. If people have met you and know what services you offer, they may refer business to you or use your service themselves. Furthermore, networking with hotels, caterers and so on will give you a chance to meet some of the people whose services you may need as you plan events.
Although networking and word-of-mouth are the most common industry strategies for acquiring clients, traditional forms of advertising do have their uses. A distinctive card or brochure sent to a mailing list or to local businesses may attract new clients. A small ad in a local business magazine can help build name recognition. A Web site on the Internet may allow you to attract customers unresponsive to other forms of media.
Resources
Associations
Convention Industry Council
International Special Events Society
Meeting Professionals International
National Association of Catering Executives
Professional Convention Management Association
Magazines and Publications
Corporate Meetings and Incentives
The Meeting Professional
Special Events Magazine
Meetings and Conventions
Successful Meetings
Tradeshow Week
Travel Weekly
Books
Behind the Scenes at Special Events: Flowers, Props and Design by Lena Malouf
The Business of Event Planning: Behind-the-Scenes Secrets of Successful Special Events, by Judy Allen
Dollars and Events: How to Succeed in the Special Events Business by J. Goldblatt and F. Supovitz
Event Planning: The Ultimate Guide to Successful Meetings, Corporate Events, Fundraising Galas, Conferences, Conventions, Incentives and Other Special Events by Judy Allen
The International Directory of Event Management by J. Goldblatt and K. S. Nelson
Special Events: 21st Century Global Event Management by J. Goldblatt
Educational Opportunities
Alan Shawn Feinstein Graduate School at Johnson Wales University
Convention Industry Council
George Washington University Event Management Program
International Special Events Society
Event Planning Software
Complete Event Manager from Ekeba International.
Meeting Planner Plus Version 2.1 from Certain Software.
PRO X from PC/Nametag.
The special events industry has grown enormously in the past decade. According to recent research conducted by Dr. Joe Goldblatt, CSEP (Certified Special Events Professional), spending for special events worldwide is $500 billion annually. Goldblatt is the founder of International Special Events Society (ISES), the founding director of the Event Management Program at George Washington University, and co-author of The International Dictionary of Event Management. "Suffice it to say, the marketplace is large enough to support and sustain your endeavor," says Goldblatt. "If you're working in one special events area, there are many directions in which you can expand. If you're just entering the profession of special events, there's a lucrative market awaiting you on many fronts."
According to Goldblatt's research, profits in this industry continue to rise. Just a few years ago, Goldblatt says, the average profit margin for an event planning entrepreneur was around 15 percent. His most recent studies, however, show profit margins anywhere from 30 to 40 percent. He attributes the industry's good health to several factors, including the improved economy and the trend of corporate America to outsource their meeting-planning functions.
What Is Event Planning?
This question actually breaks down into two questions: What kinds of events are we talking about? And, what is event planning?
First things first. Generally speaking, special events occur for the following purposes:
Celebrations (fairs, parades, weddings, reunions, birthdays, anniversaries)
Education (conferences, meetings, graduations)
Promotions (product launches, political rallies, fashion shows)
Commemorations (memorials, civic events)
This list isn't an exhaustive one, but as the examples illustrate, special events may be business related, purely social or somewhere in between.
Now we move to the second question: What is event planning? Planners of an event may handle any or all of the following tasks related to that event:
Conducting research
Creating an event design
Finding a site
Arranging for food, decor and entertainment
Planning transportation to and from the event
Sending invitations to attendees
Arranging any necessary accommodations for attendees
Coordinating the activities of event personnel
Supervising at the site
Conducting evaluations of the event
How many of these activities your business engages in will depend on the size and type of a particular event, which will, in turn, depend on the specialization you choose.
Why Do People Hire Event Planners?
This question has a simple answer: Individuals often find they lack the expertise and time to plan events themselves. Independent planners can step in and give these special events the attention they deserve.
Who Becomes An Event Planner?
Planners are often people who got their start in one particular aspect of special events. Business owner Martin V.K. had a successful catering company before he decided to plan entire events. Many other planners have similar stories. This explains why planners often not only coordinate entire events but may, in addition, provide one or more services for those events.
Event planners may also have started out planning events for other companies before deciding to go into business for themselves. Joyce B.W. planned in-house events for a retail chain for 11 years and then worked for another event planning company before striking out on her own.
Becoming Certified
Consider getting a degree or certificate from a local university in event planning or management. A list of colleges and universities offering educational opportunities in this field is available from Meeting Professionals International (MPI). (See the Appendix for contact information.)
Also consider working to become a CSEP (Certified Special Events Professional) or CMP (Certified Meeting Planner). These designations are given out by ISES and MPI, respectively. Many corporations, and some members of the general public, look for these designations when hiring planners. Because of the research and study it takes to become a CSEP or CMP, clients know that these planners are professionals.
----------------------------------------------------------
The Corporate Market
Broadly speaking, there are two markets for event planning services: corporate and social. The term "corporate" includes not only companies but also charities and nonprofit organizations. Charities and nonprofit organizations host gala fundraisers, receptions and athletic competitions, among other events, to expand their public support base and raise funds. Thousands of these events occur each year, and although the large ones require specialized event planning experience, you may find smaller local events to start out with.
Companies host trade shows, conventions, company picnics, holiday parties and meetings for staff members, board members or stockholders. In one year alone, the total number of meetings held in the United States was almost 1 million, according to a Meetings Market Report conducted by Market Probe International Inc. for Meetings & Conventions magazine. The same report showed that organizations spent a total of $40.8 billion on meetings that same year.
The Social Market
Social events include weddings, birthdays, anniversary parties, bar and bat mitzvahs, Sweet 16 parties, children's parties, reunions and so on. You may decide to handle all these events or just specialize in one or more of them.
The market for social events, especially birthdays and anniversaries, is expected to continue to increase over the next few years, as baby boomers mature. This group has children getting married, parents celebrating golden anniversaries, and their own silver wedding anniversaries to commemorate.
----------------------------------------------------------
How much money will you need to start your event planning business? That will depend on the cost of living in the area your business serves and whether you work from home or rent office space. It will also depend, to a lesser degree, on your own taste and lifestyle choices.
Keep in mind that while working from home will keep your costs low, you can't start any but the smallest of event planning business on a shoestring.
This chart lists the startup costs for two hypothetical event-planning services. The first business is home based and has no employees. The high-end business occupies 500 square feet of office space. The owner/manager of this business employs a full-time junior planner and a part-time bookkeeper, as well as temporary employees who handle clerical work and who may help prepare for various events. Both owners will derive their income from pre-tax net profit. Annually, these businesses will gross $78,000 and $185,000, respectively. The startup table lists pre-opening costs for the businesses.
Startup Expenses Low High
Rent $0 $2,300
Equipment $5,000 $17,000
Inventory $0 $500
Licenses and Taxes $250 $350
Communications $100 $250
Payroll $0 $4,000
Advertising/Promotion $500 $2,000
Legal Fees & Accounting $650 $1,500
Insurance (1st Quarter) $800 $1,700
Miscellaneous $750 $1,500
Total $8,050 $31,100
----------------------------------------------------------
Few, if any, event planners have 9-to-5 jobs. By its very nature, event planning tends to involve evenings, weekends, holidays and sometimes even specific seasons. How much time you must commit to working will depend, once again, on the specialization you choose.
As a general rule, social events involve more weekends and holidays than corporate events do. Some areas of the country and some types of events have "on" and "off" seasons. However, no matter what your specialization (with the exception of parties for young children), you can count on working at least some evenings as you coordinate and supervise events. The planning of those events, however, will be done mostly during business hours.
Here are the main tasks you'll be completing as an event planner:
Research. The best way to reduce risk (whatever the kind) is to do your homework. For large events, research may mean making sure there's a demand for the event by conducting surveys, interviews or focus group research. If you're new to the event planning industry, research may instead mean finding out all you can about vendors and suppliers. Research also may mean talking to other planners who have produced events similar to the one on which you're working. Or you may find yourself reading up on issues of custom and etiquette, especially if you're unfamiliar with a particular type of event.
Whatever kind of event you're planning, research should include asking your client a lot of questions and writing down the answers. Interviewing a client may not be what you immediately think of as research. However, asking too few questions, or not listening adequately to a client's answers, can compromise the success of the event you plan.
Design. Your creativity comes most into play in the design phase of event planning, during which you sketch out the overall "feel" and "look" of the event. This is the time to brainstorm, either by yourself or with your employees. It's also the time to pull out and look through your idea file. (You do have one, don't you? If not, read on and take notes.) Don't forget to consult your notebook for the client's answers to the questions you asked in the research phase. These responses, especially the one regarding the event budget, will help you thoroughly check each idea for feasibility, preferably before suggesting it to the client.
Proposal. Once you've interviewed the client and done some preliminary brainstorming, you should have enough information to prepare a proposal. Be aware that the production of a proposal is time-consuming and potentially expensive, especially if you include photographs or sketches. Sachs points out that only the larger companies producing high-end events can afford to provide clients with free proposals. You should receive a consultation fee (she suggests about $150), which can be applied toward a client's event if he or she hires you.
Organization. During this decision-intensive phase, you'll rent the site, hire vendors and take care of more details than you might believe possible. You'll be on the phone until your ear is numb. But before you do any of this, make sure you have a contact person (either the client or someone acting on the client's behalf) with whom you'll discuss all major decisions. Having a designated individual helps ensure that communication lines are kept open. Also, social events in particular sometimes suffer from the "too many cooks" syndrome. Having one designated contact helps you avoid being caught in the middle of disagreements between event participants.
Generally speaking, the bigger the event, the more lead time that's required to plan it. Major conventions are planned years in advance. Although you may not be arranging events on such a grand scale, you do need to allow at least a few months for events like corporate picnics, reunions or large parties.
Coordination. After you've made the initial plans, turn your attention to each of the activities that form a part of the overall event. At this point, your goal is to ensure that everyone is on the same wavelength. Good communication skills are important. Make sure all vendors have at least a general idea of the overall event schedule. Even more important, vendors should be clear about what's expected of them, and when. Vendor arrival times should appear in the contracts, but verify those times anyway. This is a "check and recheck" period. Make sure all your staff members know their roles.
Evaluation. The obvious, and in one sense the most important, test of an event's success is customer satisfaction. The goal, of course, is to end up with a client who will sing your praises up and down the street, shouting it from rooftops. This is the client who will hire you again, and who will provide that famous word-of-mouth advertising for you.
There are several other ways to evaluate the success of an event. You can hire an event planning consultant; have someone who hosts extremely successful parties observe your event; plan a roundtable post-event discussion with your employees; obtain feedback from other industry professionals working at the event, like the caterer or bartender; or survey guests at or after the event.
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The goal in pricing a service is to mark up your labor and material costs sufficiently to cover overhead expenses and generate an acceptable profit. First-time business owners often fail because they unknowingly priced their services too low. According to industry expert and author Dr. Joe Goldblatt, fees are typically determined by three factors:
Market segment served. Social events have a different fee structure than corporate events. In the social events industry, planners typically receive a fee for their services, plus a percentage of some or all vendor fees. The two income streams produce enough revenue for a profit.
In the corporate events industry, however, planners typically charge a fee for their services, plus a handling charge for each item they contract. For example, a planner buys flowers from a florist, marks them up (usually 15 percent) and charges that amount to the client. Another possibility is a flat fee, or "project fee," often used when the event is large and the corporation wants to be given a "not to exceed" figure.
Geographic location. Fees are higher in the northeast United States, for example, than in the southeast. This difference reflects the variation in cost of living. In addition, areas of the country that have well-defined on- and off-seasons base their prices partly on which season they're in.
Experience and reputation of the event planner. If you're just starting out in the industry, it's reasonable to charge less for your planning services while you gain expertise.
How, you may ask, are the above-mentioned fees-for-service calculated? Event planners we interviewed price their fees-for-service (the total cost to the client) using a "cost-plus" method. They contract out the labor, supplies and materials involved in producing an event and charge their clients a service fee of about 10 to 20 percent of the total cost of the event, with 15 percent being a rough average.
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Some new event planners spend hundreds of dollars on big ads in business magazines or in the Yellow Pages and wait for the calls to roll in. Dr. Jeff Goldblatt, CSEP, founding director of the Event Management Program at George Washington University in Washington, DC, says this is a mistake: "When was the last time you spent $10,000 on someone in the Yellow Pages?"
Goldblatt advises new entrepreneurs in this industry to "stay away from the mass market." While a listing in the Yellow Pages may help potential clients find you, spending large amounts of precious advertising dollars targeting the general public is usually not effective.
New business owner David G. agrees. The problem, he notes, is that customers need to see what you do, and a word ad won't accomplish that. He recommends networking and making friends in the industry. That way, he says, "People know you, trust you. They want honesty and integrity."
Networking can help your business in two ways. If people have met you and know what services you offer, they may refer business to you or use your service themselves. Furthermore, networking with hotels, caterers and so on will give you a chance to meet some of the people whose services you may need as you plan events.
Although networking and word-of-mouth are the most common industry strategies for acquiring clients, traditional forms of advertising do have their uses. A distinctive card or brochure sent to a mailing list or to local businesses may attract new clients. A small ad in a local business magazine can help build name recognition. A Web site on the Internet may allow you to attract customers unresponsive to other forms of media.
Resources
Associations
Convention Industry Council
International Special Events Society
Meeting Professionals International
National Association of Catering Executives
Professional Convention Management Association
Magazines and Publications
Corporate Meetings and Incentives
The Meeting Professional
Special Events Magazine
Meetings and Conventions
Successful Meetings
Tradeshow Week
Travel Weekly
Books
Behind the Scenes at Special Events: Flowers, Props and Design by Lena Malouf
The Business of Event Planning: Behind-the-Scenes Secrets of Successful Special Events, by Judy Allen
Dollars and Events: How to Succeed in the Special Events Business by J. Goldblatt and F. Supovitz
Event Planning: The Ultimate Guide to Successful Meetings, Corporate Events, Fundraising Galas, Conferences, Conventions, Incentives and Other Special Events by Judy Allen
The International Directory of Event Management by J. Goldblatt and K. S. Nelson
Special Events: 21st Century Global Event Management by J. Goldblatt
Educational Opportunities
Alan Shawn Feinstein Graduate School at Johnson Wales University
Convention Industry Council
George Washington University Event Management Program
International Special Events Society
Event Planning Software
Complete Event Manager from Ekeba International.
Meeting Planner Plus Version 2.1 from Certain Software.
PRO X from PC/Nametag.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Start Cleaning Business
If you don't mind getting your hands dirty and appreciate the sense of a job well done, then a cleaning service might just be your perfect opportunity.
If it can get dirty, chances are someone will be willing to pay you to clean it.
And that's why few industries can claim the variety and depth of opportunities that professional cleaning can.
The cleaning industry has two primary market groups: consumer and commercial. The consumer arena consists primarily of residential maid services, along with carpet cleaners, window cleaners and a variety of other cleaning services required on a less-frequent basis. The commercial arena is dominated by janitorial services, which typically provide a wider range of services than maid services, along with other cleaning companies, such as carpet and window cleaners that target businesses rather than individual consumers. While it's recommended that you decide on a niche and concentrate on building a business that will serve your chosen market, it's entirely realistic to expect to be able to serve multiple markets successfully.
Before you leap into the cleaning business, it's important to look at it with 20/20 vision. Though technology has certainly had an impact on cleaning services, this is not a high-tech business. Nor is there any glitz to it. And there will be times when you'll have as much trouble as Rodney Dangerfield getting respect.
But the upside is that you can build an extremely profitable business that will generate revenue very quickly. Most cleaning service businesses can be operated on either a part-time or full-time basis, either from home or from a commercial location. That flexibility gives this industry a strong appeal to a wide range of people with a variety of goals.
Another positive aspect of the industry is that within each category of cleaning businesses are market niches and operating styles that vary tremendously. Salt Lake City janitorial service owner Michael R. says, "We offer a wide range of services to a very limited clientele. We have refined our customer base to a group that we feel we can best serve in a way that will allow us to maintain those customers permanently."
This means you can build a company that suits your individual style and talents. If you like doing the work yourself, you can stay small and do so. If your skills are more administrative in nature, you can build and manage teams to do the work. For people who like working outside, the opportunities in service areas such as window cleaning and pressure washing are abundant. Residential maid services offer fairly predictable hours; disaster restoration and cleanup can mean calls at all hours of the day or night.
Few industries offer this tremendous range of choices and opportunities, and the need for general and niche cleaning is expected to increase in the future.
Do You Have What It Takes?
The necessary qualifications depend, of course, on the type of cleaning service you decide to start. But for any type of service business, you need a determination to make the business work, a willingness to please the customer and the dedication to provide a thorough cleaning job.
Another critical requirement for the owner and the employees of any type of cleaning service is honesty. "Clients must have total trust in the people who come to clean their homes," says Fenna O, who owns a maid service in Orlando, Florida. This is important whether they're cleaning bathrooms every week or carpets twice a year--or dusting and vacuuming an office at night.
A maid service is probably the simplest business in terms of necessary cleaning skills. Janitorial services, carpet cleaning businesses and other niche cleaning operations often require the use of special equipment and/or cleaning solutions for which you must be trained.
Beyond actually being able to do the work, a cleaning service operator needs some basic business skills. You need to understand the administrative requirements of running a company, you should be able to manage your time efficiently, and you must be able to build relationships with your employees and your customers.
Franchise or Independent Operation?
That franchises will work closely with you as you start your business and take it to the point where it is running smoothly and profitability is an advantage, especially in the beginning. But you may find that once you become established and are financially secure, a franchise agreement is a decided disadvantage.
For people who want to own their own business but would rather choose an opportunity that has proven successful for many others rather than gambling on developing their own system, a franchise is the way to go. Also, most franchises provide a degree of marketing support--particularly in the area of national advertising and name recognition--that's extremely difficult for individuals to match.
In the long run, you'll likely invest far less money operating as an independent service than as part of a franchise. Also, as an independent, you're not tied to any pre-established formulas for concept, name, services offered, etc. That's both an advantage and a drawback. The advantage is that you can do things your way. The drawback is that you have no guidelines to follow. Everything you do, from defining your market to cleaning a bathtub, is a result of trial and error. As an independent owner, you must research every aspect of the business, both before and during your business's lifetime, so you'll start right and adapt to market changes
"If you use Emotion and Love to drive your sales and your business, you will create Loyalty Beyond Reason. And I promise you, you will build relationships and enjoy a business that exceeds beyond your wildest expectations".
My name is Patti Page, owner of Page's Personal Cleaning. I started a successful house cleaning business in 1998. I would like to share what I have learned through the years in hopes of helping others who are thinking about starting their own cleaning service.
First of all, before you decide to start your cleaning business, make sure this kind of work is right for you. You will need to be in good physical condition. Cleaning is very hard strenuous work. You will need to have good customer relation skills. You will need to have basic office skills and some accounting skills.
If you are planning on leaving your full time position to start a cleaning business, make sure you have at least six months of savings. Or keep your full time job and start out part time.
Research all the aspects of the cleaning service business. From customer service to advertising, taxes, employees, insurance and bonding, what to charge and how to clean a home professionally. Cleaning your own home and cleaning professionally is totally different. Learning how to clean professionally takes a lot of time. When a client pays for your services they expect to come home and find their home spotless.
Getting those first clients takes time, persistence and patience. You will not get a hundred clients overnight.
Obtaining Those First Clients The hardest part of starting your own cleaning service is obtaining those first clients. Most clients want to know how long you have been in business and want references. The best thing to do is let clients know that, yes, you are new to the business but that you have thoroughly researched all aspects of the cleaning business and assure them that you know what you are doing and that you are quit capable of cleaning their home to their specifications. Be confident. I can't stress this enough. Clients love to see confidence. It relieves their worries and lets them know that their home is in good hands.
References: To get a few good references when starting out, ask some friends or family members if you can clean their home for free or at a discounted rate. The sound of working for free may not be appealing but it will be worth it to get some good testimonials.
When cleaning those first homes, go for quality, not how fast you can clean the home. Cleaning efficiently takes a long time, but you will get to the point where you can do a thorough cleaning in a short time. After cleaning make sure you go back and double check all rooms to make sure you didn't miss anything. Impress those first clients and word of mouth will spread soon.
Advertising Your company image is everything. Before you start advertising, decide what image you want to portray on your advertising material. Your image is very important. Be consistent with all your advertising. If you have a logo be sure to use it on all your advertising materials. I think it is best to have a website developed before you start advertising. When advertising, stick with the same logo and colors.
Advertise in Local Paper: Start by running a text ad in your local newspaper. Try to come up with an eye catching ad. Do not sell your services on low rates, sell your services on your quality of work and what you can do for the client that other companies don't. There is a lot of competition in the cleaning service. You have to stand out from the rest.
Magnetic Signs or Lettering for your Vehicle: Having your business name and contact information on your vehicle is a great way to advertise. We use the vinyl lettering. The lettering looks much more professional than the magnetic signs. You can purchase whole vehicle lettering (both doors and back window) for $120.00. Or you can letter the back window only at a very affordable rate.
Flyers: You can print nice flyers on your home computer, but I would suggest investing in some professional flyers. Hang flyers at Hair Dressers, Laundromats, Restaurants, Bakeries, Grocery Stores, etc. Put flyers on car windows at local groceries stores and businesses. You can even go door to door in neighborhoods you would like to work in. You cannot put them in mailboxes. but you can put them in the front door.
Door Hangers: Door hangers are a great way to get new clients. Pick the neighborhood you would like to work in and hang the door hangers on the doors. When people get flyers or ads in their mailbox they usually throw them away with the junk mail. But if there is a door hanger on the door they will take the time to look at it.
Business Cards: Start passing out your business cards to friends and family members. You can also ask your local businesses if you can leave some cards on their counters.
Referral Program: A great way to obtain new clients is through a referral program. Offer existing clients a discount when they refer a friend. You can give your existing clients a discount when the friend uses your services three times.
Website: These days people live very busy lives so they use the convenience of the internet to shop for the services they need. A lot of working women will shop for services while at work. We obtain 90% of our new clients from our website. Everyone that has a business should have a website. It shows clients that you are serious about your business and allows them research your business in their own time.
Supplies You can purchase all the cleaning supplies you need to start your cleaning business for about $100.00. Home Depot and Sam's Club are great places to buy cleaning supplies.
Page's Personal Cleaning made the decision in 2006 to start using all natural cleaning products with the added benefit of aromatherapy to clean our clients homes. By using all natrual products, we can offer our clients a healthy cleaning experience and protect ourselves against harsh chemicals
Tip: Always carry hand sanitizer and wash your hands often while cleaning homes. Wear gloves when cleaning bathrooms. You will be exposed to a lot of different germs in clients homes.
Remember most customers prefer that you bring your own cleaning supplies. That way they do not have to worry about going to the store for cleaning supplies before you clean. Some customers have special cleaners for certain appliances or floors in their houses. These customers usually will have these cleaners on hand for you to use. We almost always use the customers vacuum cleaner. That way you do not have to carry a heavy vacuum from house to house.
What to Charge I mentioned earlier that you should sell your services on your quality of work and not your low rates. If your rates are too low, clients will think that your work is sub-standard and that you are not experienced. Also you want to attract the clients that can afford your services. I made the mistake of pricing my work too low when I first started out. Cleaning is hard work, charge what you are worth. As the old saying goes "You get what you pay for."
Some companies charge by the hour, some charge by the room, some charge a flat rate per home and some charge by the square foot. I always give a flat rate charge per home. I think it is better to charge by the home, not by the hour. If a client knows they have to pay one set fee, they don’t care if you take 2 hours or 5 hours. Also your clients will know what they are paying up front and won’t have to worry about added expenses.
No two houses are the same. And there is no set charge for all homes. You have to clean for awhile yourself to get some experience and to work out a system to clean efficiently. Only you know what you want and need to make. Decide what you need to make hourly to cover all expenses and still make a good profit.
A Basic Price Guideline: 2 bedroom, 2 bath home, bi-weekly: starting at $90.00.
3 bedroom, 3 bath home, bi-weekly: starting at $100.00.
4 bedroom, 4 bath home, bi-weekly: starting at $ 125.00
These are just example rates. Rates will vary by State.
A word of advise: Make sure when you start your company that you charge what you would charge if you had employees. Some people make the mistake of under charging when they start out just to get customers and then later on when they grow and need to hire help they aren't making enough money on their houses to pay help. Don’t under price your work. Cleaning homes is very hard physical work and you didn't get into this business to work for nothing.
New Construction Cleaning If you decide to do this type of work you will need more equipment. You will need ladders, window cleaning kits with long extensions, a shop vac, etc. These types of jobs are usually 2 to 3 person jobs. New construction cleaning requires a lot more cleaning. You may have to remove stickers and labels from windows and bathroom showers, sinks and toilets. Some require that you clean the vents to remove dust from construction work. There will be ceiling fans to clean, scrubbing floors, and cleaning woodwork to remove dust. New construction cleaning rates depend on the area you live in. Normally they run from .12 cents per sq .ft. to .25 cents per sq .ft. depending on where you are located. Insurance and Bonding
Insurance and Bonding. You need to be an honest person and somewhat personable. People will need to trust you to be in their homes. Most clients are concerned about having someone new in their house, with good reason. You should be bonded and fully insured. Liability insurance rates depend on your insurance carrier and where you are located. Each person you hire will increase your liability insurance. It’s well worth the cost. You can pay quarterly or yearly. You can purchase your bond through your local insurance company. You will need to renew the bond every year. *Note: if you hire employees and cover them under your insurance, they must be an employee on payroll and not a sub-contractor. If you employ them as a sub-contractor your insurance will not cover them. If they are a sub-contractor they are required to carry their own insurance. You need to carry at least 1,000,000 in general liability insurance.
Taxes I have listed a few links that are very helpful with answering questions about taxes for your cleaning service business: starting a business and keeping records, deductions for your business, employee taxes and a very nice withholding calculator.
Small Business and Self Employed One Stop Resource. http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small Business Taxes http://www.irs.gov/business/small/article/0,,id=98966,00.html Starting a Business and Keeping Records http://www.irs.gov/publications/p583/index.html Businesses with Employees http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=98862,00.html IRS Withholding Calculator http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=96196,00.html
Franchises This is a link to some great information about Franchises and why you don't need them. http://www.build-a-business.com/cleaning_franchise.htm Hiring Help If you start out cleaning the homes by yourself, you will eventually get to the point where you need to expand your business. Start out with one part time employee. Train her and let her take your place one day a week. Then have her take your place 2 days a week and so on. This will give you the free time that you need to market your business and obtain more clients. After you get more clients you will be able to hire more part time help. Eventually you will be able to stop doing the cleaning yourself and just run the business end, which is the only way you will be able to grow your business. When training new employees, always, either train them yourself or have a lead person train them. Make sure there is a lead person on each and every cleaning job. Employees have a tendency to slack off when they are on their own.
Growing Your Business You will eventually get to the point where you have enough employees and lead people and you will be able to stop working in your business and start running your business. You will find that after awhile it will get to be too much trying to clean everyday and at the same time giving estimates, answering calls, scheduling, doing book work, obtaining new clients, etc.
Remember one of the most important qualifications for a cleaning service is TRUST. A client has to know they can trust you alone in their home. After you acquire a few cleaning positions ask the clients if you can use them for a reference. Most of the time they are more than willing to let you use them for a reference. This is how you build your business and acquire new clients is through referrals. Be dependable. Most clients will want to be set up on an every week or every other week schedule on the same day of the week. Try to always keep this same schedule unless the client asks you to switch to another day. If you have to cancel a cleaning date, make sure you try to reschedule at the earliest possible date to make up the cleaning.
If it can get dirty, chances are someone will be willing to pay you to clean it.
And that's why few industries can claim the variety and depth of opportunities that professional cleaning can.
The cleaning industry has two primary market groups: consumer and commercial. The consumer arena consists primarily of residential maid services, along with carpet cleaners, window cleaners and a variety of other cleaning services required on a less-frequent basis. The commercial arena is dominated by janitorial services, which typically provide a wider range of services than maid services, along with other cleaning companies, such as carpet and window cleaners that target businesses rather than individual consumers. While it's recommended that you decide on a niche and concentrate on building a business that will serve your chosen market, it's entirely realistic to expect to be able to serve multiple markets successfully.
Before you leap into the cleaning business, it's important to look at it with 20/20 vision. Though technology has certainly had an impact on cleaning services, this is not a high-tech business. Nor is there any glitz to it. And there will be times when you'll have as much trouble as Rodney Dangerfield getting respect.
But the upside is that you can build an extremely profitable business that will generate revenue very quickly. Most cleaning service businesses can be operated on either a part-time or full-time basis, either from home or from a commercial location. That flexibility gives this industry a strong appeal to a wide range of people with a variety of goals.
Another positive aspect of the industry is that within each category of cleaning businesses are market niches and operating styles that vary tremendously. Salt Lake City janitorial service owner Michael R. says, "We offer a wide range of services to a very limited clientele. We have refined our customer base to a group that we feel we can best serve in a way that will allow us to maintain those customers permanently."
This means you can build a company that suits your individual style and talents. If you like doing the work yourself, you can stay small and do so. If your skills are more administrative in nature, you can build and manage teams to do the work. For people who like working outside, the opportunities in service areas such as window cleaning and pressure washing are abundant. Residential maid services offer fairly predictable hours; disaster restoration and cleanup can mean calls at all hours of the day or night.
Few industries offer this tremendous range of choices and opportunities, and the need for general and niche cleaning is expected to increase in the future.
Do You Have What It Takes?
The necessary qualifications depend, of course, on the type of cleaning service you decide to start. But for any type of service business, you need a determination to make the business work, a willingness to please the customer and the dedication to provide a thorough cleaning job.
Another critical requirement for the owner and the employees of any type of cleaning service is honesty. "Clients must have total trust in the people who come to clean their homes," says Fenna O, who owns a maid service in Orlando, Florida. This is important whether they're cleaning bathrooms every week or carpets twice a year--or dusting and vacuuming an office at night.
A maid service is probably the simplest business in terms of necessary cleaning skills. Janitorial services, carpet cleaning businesses and other niche cleaning operations often require the use of special equipment and/or cleaning solutions for which you must be trained.
Beyond actually being able to do the work, a cleaning service operator needs some basic business skills. You need to understand the administrative requirements of running a company, you should be able to manage your time efficiently, and you must be able to build relationships with your employees and your customers.
Franchise or Independent Operation?
That franchises will work closely with you as you start your business and take it to the point where it is running smoothly and profitability is an advantage, especially in the beginning. But you may find that once you become established and are financially secure, a franchise agreement is a decided disadvantage.
For people who want to own their own business but would rather choose an opportunity that has proven successful for many others rather than gambling on developing their own system, a franchise is the way to go. Also, most franchises provide a degree of marketing support--particularly in the area of national advertising and name recognition--that's extremely difficult for individuals to match.
In the long run, you'll likely invest far less money operating as an independent service than as part of a franchise. Also, as an independent, you're not tied to any pre-established formulas for concept, name, services offered, etc. That's both an advantage and a drawback. The advantage is that you can do things your way. The drawback is that you have no guidelines to follow. Everything you do, from defining your market to cleaning a bathtub, is a result of trial and error. As an independent owner, you must research every aspect of the business, both before and during your business's lifetime, so you'll start right and adapt to market changes
"If you use Emotion and Love to drive your sales and your business, you will create Loyalty Beyond Reason. And I promise you, you will build relationships and enjoy a business that exceeds beyond your wildest expectations".
My name is Patti Page, owner of Page's Personal Cleaning. I started a successful house cleaning business in 1998. I would like to share what I have learned through the years in hopes of helping others who are thinking about starting their own cleaning service.
First of all, before you decide to start your cleaning business, make sure this kind of work is right for you. You will need to be in good physical condition. Cleaning is very hard strenuous work. You will need to have good customer relation skills. You will need to have basic office skills and some accounting skills.
If you are planning on leaving your full time position to start a cleaning business, make sure you have at least six months of savings. Or keep your full time job and start out part time.
Research all the aspects of the cleaning service business. From customer service to advertising, taxes, employees, insurance and bonding, what to charge and how to clean a home professionally. Cleaning your own home and cleaning professionally is totally different. Learning how to clean professionally takes a lot of time. When a client pays for your services they expect to come home and find their home spotless.
Getting those first clients takes time, persistence and patience. You will not get a hundred clients overnight.
Obtaining Those First Clients The hardest part of starting your own cleaning service is obtaining those first clients. Most clients want to know how long you have been in business and want references. The best thing to do is let clients know that, yes, you are new to the business but that you have thoroughly researched all aspects of the cleaning business and assure them that you know what you are doing and that you are quit capable of cleaning their home to their specifications. Be confident. I can't stress this enough. Clients love to see confidence. It relieves their worries and lets them know that their home is in good hands.
References: To get a few good references when starting out, ask some friends or family members if you can clean their home for free or at a discounted rate. The sound of working for free may not be appealing but it will be worth it to get some good testimonials.
When cleaning those first homes, go for quality, not how fast you can clean the home. Cleaning efficiently takes a long time, but you will get to the point where you can do a thorough cleaning in a short time. After cleaning make sure you go back and double check all rooms to make sure you didn't miss anything. Impress those first clients and word of mouth will spread soon.
Advertising Your company image is everything. Before you start advertising, decide what image you want to portray on your advertising material. Your image is very important. Be consistent with all your advertising. If you have a logo be sure to use it on all your advertising materials. I think it is best to have a website developed before you start advertising. When advertising, stick with the same logo and colors.
Advertise in Local Paper: Start by running a text ad in your local newspaper. Try to come up with an eye catching ad. Do not sell your services on low rates, sell your services on your quality of work and what you can do for the client that other companies don't. There is a lot of competition in the cleaning service. You have to stand out from the rest.
Magnetic Signs or Lettering for your Vehicle: Having your business name and contact information on your vehicle is a great way to advertise. We use the vinyl lettering. The lettering looks much more professional than the magnetic signs. You can purchase whole vehicle lettering (both doors and back window) for $120.00. Or you can letter the back window only at a very affordable rate.
Flyers: You can print nice flyers on your home computer, but I would suggest investing in some professional flyers. Hang flyers at Hair Dressers, Laundromats, Restaurants, Bakeries, Grocery Stores, etc. Put flyers on car windows at local groceries stores and businesses. You can even go door to door in neighborhoods you would like to work in. You cannot put them in mailboxes. but you can put them in the front door.
Door Hangers: Door hangers are a great way to get new clients. Pick the neighborhood you would like to work in and hang the door hangers on the doors. When people get flyers or ads in their mailbox they usually throw them away with the junk mail. But if there is a door hanger on the door they will take the time to look at it.
Business Cards: Start passing out your business cards to friends and family members. You can also ask your local businesses if you can leave some cards on their counters.
Referral Program: A great way to obtain new clients is through a referral program. Offer existing clients a discount when they refer a friend. You can give your existing clients a discount when the friend uses your services three times.
Website: These days people live very busy lives so they use the convenience of the internet to shop for the services they need. A lot of working women will shop for services while at work. We obtain 90% of our new clients from our website. Everyone that has a business should have a website. It shows clients that you are serious about your business and allows them research your business in their own time.
Supplies You can purchase all the cleaning supplies you need to start your cleaning business for about $100.00. Home Depot and Sam's Club are great places to buy cleaning supplies.
Page's Personal Cleaning made the decision in 2006 to start using all natural cleaning products with the added benefit of aromatherapy to clean our clients homes. By using all natrual products, we can offer our clients a healthy cleaning experience and protect ourselves against harsh chemicals
Tip: Always carry hand sanitizer and wash your hands often while cleaning homes. Wear gloves when cleaning bathrooms. You will be exposed to a lot of different germs in clients homes.
Remember most customers prefer that you bring your own cleaning supplies. That way they do not have to worry about going to the store for cleaning supplies before you clean. Some customers have special cleaners for certain appliances or floors in their houses. These customers usually will have these cleaners on hand for you to use. We almost always use the customers vacuum cleaner. That way you do not have to carry a heavy vacuum from house to house.
What to Charge I mentioned earlier that you should sell your services on your quality of work and not your low rates. If your rates are too low, clients will think that your work is sub-standard and that you are not experienced. Also you want to attract the clients that can afford your services. I made the mistake of pricing my work too low when I first started out. Cleaning is hard work, charge what you are worth. As the old saying goes "You get what you pay for."
Some companies charge by the hour, some charge by the room, some charge a flat rate per home and some charge by the square foot. I always give a flat rate charge per home. I think it is better to charge by the home, not by the hour. If a client knows they have to pay one set fee, they don’t care if you take 2 hours or 5 hours. Also your clients will know what they are paying up front and won’t have to worry about added expenses.
No two houses are the same. And there is no set charge for all homes. You have to clean for awhile yourself to get some experience and to work out a system to clean efficiently. Only you know what you want and need to make. Decide what you need to make hourly to cover all expenses and still make a good profit.
A Basic Price Guideline: 2 bedroom, 2 bath home, bi-weekly: starting at $90.00.
3 bedroom, 3 bath home, bi-weekly: starting at $100.00.
4 bedroom, 4 bath home, bi-weekly: starting at $ 125.00
These are just example rates. Rates will vary by State.
A word of advise: Make sure when you start your company that you charge what you would charge if you had employees. Some people make the mistake of under charging when they start out just to get customers and then later on when they grow and need to hire help they aren't making enough money on their houses to pay help. Don’t under price your work. Cleaning homes is very hard physical work and you didn't get into this business to work for nothing.
New Construction Cleaning If you decide to do this type of work you will need more equipment. You will need ladders, window cleaning kits with long extensions, a shop vac, etc. These types of jobs are usually 2 to 3 person jobs. New construction cleaning requires a lot more cleaning. You may have to remove stickers and labels from windows and bathroom showers, sinks and toilets. Some require that you clean the vents to remove dust from construction work. There will be ceiling fans to clean, scrubbing floors, and cleaning woodwork to remove dust. New construction cleaning rates depend on the area you live in. Normally they run from .12 cents per sq .ft. to .25 cents per sq .ft. depending on where you are located. Insurance and Bonding
Insurance and Bonding. You need to be an honest person and somewhat personable. People will need to trust you to be in their homes. Most clients are concerned about having someone new in their house, with good reason. You should be bonded and fully insured. Liability insurance rates depend on your insurance carrier and where you are located. Each person you hire will increase your liability insurance. It’s well worth the cost. You can pay quarterly or yearly. You can purchase your bond through your local insurance company. You will need to renew the bond every year. *Note: if you hire employees and cover them under your insurance, they must be an employee on payroll and not a sub-contractor. If you employ them as a sub-contractor your insurance will not cover them. If they are a sub-contractor they are required to carry their own insurance. You need to carry at least 1,000,000 in general liability insurance.
Taxes I have listed a few links that are very helpful with answering questions about taxes for your cleaning service business: starting a business and keeping records, deductions for your business, employee taxes and a very nice withholding calculator.
Small Business and Self Employed One Stop Resource. http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small Business Taxes http://www.irs.gov/business/small/article/0,,id=98966,00.html Starting a Business and Keeping Records http://www.irs.gov/publications/p583/index.html Businesses with Employees http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=98862,00.html IRS Withholding Calculator http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=96196,00.html
Franchises This is a link to some great information about Franchises and why you don't need them. http://www.build-a-business.com/cleaning_franchise.htm Hiring Help If you start out cleaning the homes by yourself, you will eventually get to the point where you need to expand your business. Start out with one part time employee. Train her and let her take your place one day a week. Then have her take your place 2 days a week and so on. This will give you the free time that you need to market your business and obtain more clients. After you get more clients you will be able to hire more part time help. Eventually you will be able to stop doing the cleaning yourself and just run the business end, which is the only way you will be able to grow your business. When training new employees, always, either train them yourself or have a lead person train them. Make sure there is a lead person on each and every cleaning job. Employees have a tendency to slack off when they are on their own.
Growing Your Business You will eventually get to the point where you have enough employees and lead people and you will be able to stop working in your business and start running your business. You will find that after awhile it will get to be too much trying to clean everyday and at the same time giving estimates, answering calls, scheduling, doing book work, obtaining new clients, etc.
Remember one of the most important qualifications for a cleaning service is TRUST. A client has to know they can trust you alone in their home. After you acquire a few cleaning positions ask the clients if you can use them for a reference. Most of the time they are more than willing to let you use them for a reference. This is how you build your business and acquire new clients is through referrals. Be dependable. Most clients will want to be set up on an every week or every other week schedule on the same day of the week. Try to always keep this same schedule unless the client asks you to switch to another day. If you have to cancel a cleaning date, make sure you try to reschedule at the earliest possible date to make up the cleaning.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Start Gift Basket Business
A Gift-Basket Business is the perfect home-based business if you are creative, a person who likes giving every gift that extra-special touch. In today's fast-paced world, few people have the time to find the perfect gift and both individuals and businesses have discovered that gift baskets are an ideal solution to the gift giving problem, and that has helped in creating a fast growing market that can mean big profits.
Start-up is easy with very few equipment requirements. You do not need a retail location, so starting from home, either part time or full time is ideal. The best part is that you set your own hours and pace with a business that is fun to do, making gift baskets that literally sell themselves. And while gift-baskets are just one of today's hot businesses, there is good growth expected and it should continue into the foreseeable future.
Gift-baskets have long been a way of gift giving, in fact, since humans have been weaving baskets! All through history, baskets have been filled with foods, flowers and other materials to be been given as a gift or a sign of goodwill and today, gift baskets are just as practical and just as creative. They can be as obvious as an Easter goody basket to gift-baskets made for brides-to-be, golfers, new homeowners, chocolate lovers and more.
Who buys a gift basket?
Almost everyone and for almost every occasion. The great thing about this business is your income is only limited by how much you choose to work and where you want to take your business. You could gross ten thousand dollars or more per year working part time in your own home, or you could create a million dollars business if you were running a store or direct sales business.
The thing you need to know is that the gift-basket business is a creative and satisfying business. It has the best parts of hands-on, creative work coupled with design, coordination, organization, and customer service all mixed into one. Your gift baskets can be satisfying to create, something your customers will love purchasing, and the recipients will be delighted to receive.
Presentation Is The Key
All the elements of your gift-basket, from the basket, to the content, to the bows, trim and wrapping can be fun and enticing, but they must be put together just-so. Not all gift-baskets need to be glamorous, but they need to be the right fit for your customers.
This is a truly creative business, but requires a good eye for balancing texture and color. If the final product doesn't excite the customer and sell itself, you will not be successful.
The first thing you need to do is check your ability to make a gift basket and do this before you invest in materials or any equipment `you might need.
Shop for your materials like baskets, tissue paper, colorful ribbons, gourmet foods, dry flowers, perfume soaps, etc. Only get enough materials to make your first few gift baskets and experiment with building your first baskets. Compare your baskets to gift baskets you might have seen in pictures or stores. Does yours look as good, is it as creative? Does it look like it was professionally created? Would someone pay for the gift-basket and be happy to give your basket as a gift?
What's as important as the creativeness is the visual impact of your basket. The contents need to be carefully arranged for maximum impact and effect.
How do you get Started?
The appealing thing about a basket business is you can start small, grow your business as the revenue grows. Of course if you have the cash, you can start bigger and grow even faster from there. One thing to bear in mind when starting out is that gift baskets require physical labor and making them requires a good amount of physical stamina
You don't need to be strong to do this business, but understand that you will be bending and stretching for hours at a time as you gather materials and assemble the baskets.
Once the baskets are made there will continue to be work with deliveries, sales calls, conventions and other promotional activities, along with the usual small business tasks of bookkeeping and other computer related tasks.
Remember, for all the creativity and fun of making gift-baskets, serving customers can be hard work requiring energy and persistence.
How hard is it to Start up?
There's no such thing as a typical gift-basket business. They all start for different reasons but ultimately the draw of being your own boss and having control over your own destiny and having a creative outlet are the main drivers for most successful gift basket businesses. Jennifer worked at a fashion retail company and enjoyed making gift-baskets for her friends. "I'd seen the gift baskets available from department stores and thought they were horrible, yet the customers loved them. I figured if they went crazy over the average baskets in the stores I could certainly sell my baskets!"
Ten years ago Ellen Maybury lost her job when the business she worked for went out of business. Luckily she had been making gift-baskets for years so rather than search for a new job she thought she would try her hand at making gift baskets full-time.
Her first few weeks were tough, only making baskets once the first few were sold and she had enough money to get materials for the next ones. Pretty soon the business had outgrown her home and she had to relocate to a small warehouse and is still growing from there.
This is a still growing market and still has huge market potential. If you have the flair and the stamina, the Gift Basket Business might be right for you.
Start-up is easy with very few equipment requirements. You do not need a retail location, so starting from home, either part time or full time is ideal. The best part is that you set your own hours and pace with a business that is fun to do, making gift baskets that literally sell themselves. And while gift-baskets are just one of today's hot businesses, there is good growth expected and it should continue into the foreseeable future.
Gift-baskets have long been a way of gift giving, in fact, since humans have been weaving baskets! All through history, baskets have been filled with foods, flowers and other materials to be been given as a gift or a sign of goodwill and today, gift baskets are just as practical and just as creative. They can be as obvious as an Easter goody basket to gift-baskets made for brides-to-be, golfers, new homeowners, chocolate lovers and more.
Who buys a gift basket?
Almost everyone and for almost every occasion. The great thing about this business is your income is only limited by how much you choose to work and where you want to take your business. You could gross ten thousand dollars or more per year working part time in your own home, or you could create a million dollars business if you were running a store or direct sales business.
The thing you need to know is that the gift-basket business is a creative and satisfying business. It has the best parts of hands-on, creative work coupled with design, coordination, organization, and customer service all mixed into one. Your gift baskets can be satisfying to create, something your customers will love purchasing, and the recipients will be delighted to receive.
Presentation Is The Key
All the elements of your gift-basket, from the basket, to the content, to the bows, trim and wrapping can be fun and enticing, but they must be put together just-so. Not all gift-baskets need to be glamorous, but they need to be the right fit for your customers.
This is a truly creative business, but requires a good eye for balancing texture and color. If the final product doesn't excite the customer and sell itself, you will not be successful.
The first thing you need to do is check your ability to make a gift basket and do this before you invest in materials or any equipment `you might need.
Shop for your materials like baskets, tissue paper, colorful ribbons, gourmet foods, dry flowers, perfume soaps, etc. Only get enough materials to make your first few gift baskets and experiment with building your first baskets. Compare your baskets to gift baskets you might have seen in pictures or stores. Does yours look as good, is it as creative? Does it look like it was professionally created? Would someone pay for the gift-basket and be happy to give your basket as a gift?
What's as important as the creativeness is the visual impact of your basket. The contents need to be carefully arranged for maximum impact and effect.
How do you get Started?
The appealing thing about a basket business is you can start small, grow your business as the revenue grows. Of course if you have the cash, you can start bigger and grow even faster from there. One thing to bear in mind when starting out is that gift baskets require physical labor and making them requires a good amount of physical stamina
You don't need to be strong to do this business, but understand that you will be bending and stretching for hours at a time as you gather materials and assemble the baskets.
Once the baskets are made there will continue to be work with deliveries, sales calls, conventions and other promotional activities, along with the usual small business tasks of bookkeeping and other computer related tasks.
Remember, for all the creativity and fun of making gift-baskets, serving customers can be hard work requiring energy and persistence.
How hard is it to Start up?
There's no such thing as a typical gift-basket business. They all start for different reasons but ultimately the draw of being your own boss and having control over your own destiny and having a creative outlet are the main drivers for most successful gift basket businesses. Jennifer worked at a fashion retail company and enjoyed making gift-baskets for her friends. "I'd seen the gift baskets available from department stores and thought they were horrible, yet the customers loved them. I figured if they went crazy over the average baskets in the stores I could certainly sell my baskets!"
Ten years ago Ellen Maybury lost her job when the business she worked for went out of business. Luckily she had been making gift-baskets for years so rather than search for a new job she thought she would try her hand at making gift baskets full-time.
Her first few weeks were tough, only making baskets once the first few were sold and she had enough money to get materials for the next ones. Pretty soon the business had outgrown her home and she had to relocate to a small warehouse and is still growing from there.
This is a still growing market and still has huge market potential. If you have the flair and the stamina, the Gift Basket Business might be right for you.
Friday, August 6, 2010
10 ways to reduce stress and release the inner child
From Your Guide, Elizabeth Scott
Updated June 15, 2007
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board
As kids, certain stress relief strategies came naturally. As adults, however, we may have forgotten how to relieve stress, and find ourselves consumed by it. Looking for new stress relief strategies, you may want to look back to the 'good old days' when you knew how to relax. Read about the adult stress relief strategies related to our old childhood pastimes, and click on the links for more information on how to incorporate them into your lifestyle today.
1. Daydreaming1
As a child, most of us spent time just making up stories in our heads. Day-dreams about fun times, being the best at something, or just lying in a beautiful field are all things most kids know how to create, and do so naturally. Your inner child can keep that creativity alive while reducing stress, increasing wellness, and creating inner peace with guided imagery and visualizations, both proven methods that can easily be part of just about anyone’s stress management bag of tricks.
2. Naps
As a small child, you either loved them or hated them, but chances are, you took naps. Sadly, many adults associate napping with laziness or lack of drive. However, curling up in a comfortable chair or even lying your head down on your desk for a quick snooze brings relaxation as well as increased productivity and health benefits. Not everybody can fit it into their lifestyle, but if you can find a way, working a nap into your schedule really pays off. Your inner child will thank you.
3. Getting Hugs from Loved Ones
Most likely at some point in your childhood, when you faced stressful times, a hug from Mommy (or another loved one) was enough to make it better, or at least help you feel safer and calmer. Sometimes we forget the power of touch and social support as adults. Next time you’re facing hard times, don’t forget to get emotional support from friends. (And if you’re in a supportive relationship, don’t underestimate the power of physical affection6.)
4. Playing with Pets
When kids play with animals, you can see the pure love and affection that they share. If you had a pet as a child, you probably remember that animal as a buddy, whether it was an hamster, dog or horse. But as adults we sometimes forget to connect with our animal friends. Pets have been shown to reduce blood pressure better than medication, increase healthy lifestyle behaviors, and sometimes give better social support than humans! Let your furry friends help make your inner child happy again.
5. Singing
As kids, we sung tons of songs, from The Itsy-Bitsy Spider to whatever was on the radio, with little self-consciousness. But how often do you sing as an adult, or even hum or whistle? See if you can get more music in your life and express yourself loudly, quietly, publicly or only in the shower. Don’t worry about being on key, just enjoy yourself. Singing can be a beautiful, fast, cathartic and free stress reliever that just about anyone can enjoy.
6. Playing Games
As kids, we always played games. From Chutes and Ladders and Twister to Clue and Go Fish, we knew how to have fun. As adults, we may find ourselves too busy to play games, but don’t underestimate the stress-relieving benefits of a quick game of Boggle or other fun games. And now that you’ve grown up, your inner child can play these games13 right on your computer!
7. Drawing, Painting, Sculpting
Just about everyone drew pictures as a kid. However, expressing what’s inside with crayons, pencils or finger paints shouldn’t just be a pastime of kids and a lucky few adults who become professional artists. Whether you doodle with pens while you take a break at work, or buy some artist supplies and go wild in your spare time, working art into your life can help you process emotions, express yourself, relieve stress, and leave you with something to frame, or at least hang on the fridge.
8. Writing Notes
As we got older, some of us kept diaries, and we probably all enjoyed writing notes to our friends. These are still good stress management techniques to practice as adults. The health and stress management benefits of journaling18 have been demonstrated by research, and you can journal about your emotions, record your dreams, or keep a gratitude journal. And if you want to write notes to friends again, you can visit the forum19, connect with others, and share your thoughts.
9. Team Sports
We all remember sports teams as kids. Whether it was tee-ball, soccer, dodge ball or hide-and-seek, playing active games in a group has some great benefits for kids. As an adult, physical games can offer the health and stress management benefits of exercise, and the group involvement can ensure that you’ll keep at it. You can join an adult softball league, play racket ball at your gym, or enjoy other games that are available in your community. Let your inner child come out and play!
10. Imagining The Future
Do you remember your answers when asked the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” And, how are you spending your time now? If you have a lot of stress in your life, you may want to sometimes revisit the question. Are you really doing what you feel you were meant to do? Ask yourself what your ideal life would look like, and then take steps toward that ideal. A good start would be to take the 10-week free e-course24 on Living a Low-Stress Healthy Lifestyle, and go from there.
This About.com page has been optimized for print. To view this page in its original form, please visit: http://stress.about.com/od/tensiontamers/tp/stressreliefkid.htm
©2010 About.com, Inc., a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.
Updated June 15, 2007
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board
As kids, certain stress relief strategies came naturally. As adults, however, we may have forgotten how to relieve stress, and find ourselves consumed by it. Looking for new stress relief strategies, you may want to look back to the 'good old days' when you knew how to relax. Read about the adult stress relief strategies related to our old childhood pastimes, and click on the links for more information on how to incorporate them into your lifestyle today.
1. Daydreaming1
As a child, most of us spent time just making up stories in our heads. Day-dreams about fun times, being the best at something, or just lying in a beautiful field are all things most kids know how to create, and do so naturally. Your inner child can keep that creativity alive while reducing stress, increasing wellness, and creating inner peace with guided imagery and visualizations, both proven methods that can easily be part of just about anyone’s stress management bag of tricks.
2. Naps
As a small child, you either loved them or hated them, but chances are, you took naps. Sadly, many adults associate napping with laziness or lack of drive. However, curling up in a comfortable chair or even lying your head down on your desk for a quick snooze brings relaxation as well as increased productivity and health benefits. Not everybody can fit it into their lifestyle, but if you can find a way, working a nap into your schedule really pays off. Your inner child will thank you.
3. Getting Hugs from Loved Ones
Most likely at some point in your childhood, when you faced stressful times, a hug from Mommy (or another loved one) was enough to make it better, or at least help you feel safer and calmer. Sometimes we forget the power of touch and social support as adults. Next time you’re facing hard times, don’t forget to get emotional support from friends. (And if you’re in a supportive relationship, don’t underestimate the power of physical affection6.)
4. Playing with Pets
When kids play with animals, you can see the pure love and affection that they share. If you had a pet as a child, you probably remember that animal as a buddy, whether it was an hamster, dog or horse. But as adults we sometimes forget to connect with our animal friends. Pets have been shown to reduce blood pressure better than medication, increase healthy lifestyle behaviors, and sometimes give better social support than humans! Let your furry friends help make your inner child happy again.
5. Singing
As kids, we sung tons of songs, from The Itsy-Bitsy Spider to whatever was on the radio, with little self-consciousness. But how often do you sing as an adult, or even hum or whistle? See if you can get more music in your life and express yourself loudly, quietly, publicly or only in the shower. Don’t worry about being on key, just enjoy yourself. Singing can be a beautiful, fast, cathartic and free stress reliever that just about anyone can enjoy.
6. Playing Games
As kids, we always played games. From Chutes and Ladders and Twister to Clue and Go Fish, we knew how to have fun. As adults, we may find ourselves too busy to play games, but don’t underestimate the stress-relieving benefits of a quick game of Boggle or other fun games. And now that you’ve grown up, your inner child can play these games13 right on your computer!
7. Drawing, Painting, Sculpting
Just about everyone drew pictures as a kid. However, expressing what’s inside with crayons, pencils or finger paints shouldn’t just be a pastime of kids and a lucky few adults who become professional artists. Whether you doodle with pens while you take a break at work, or buy some artist supplies and go wild in your spare time, working art into your life can help you process emotions, express yourself, relieve stress, and leave you with something to frame, or at least hang on the fridge.
8. Writing Notes
As we got older, some of us kept diaries, and we probably all enjoyed writing notes to our friends. These are still good stress management techniques to practice as adults. The health and stress management benefits of journaling18 have been demonstrated by research, and you can journal about your emotions, record your dreams, or keep a gratitude journal. And if you want to write notes to friends again, you can visit the forum19, connect with others, and share your thoughts.
9. Team Sports
We all remember sports teams as kids. Whether it was tee-ball, soccer, dodge ball or hide-and-seek, playing active games in a group has some great benefits for kids. As an adult, physical games can offer the health and stress management benefits of exercise, and the group involvement can ensure that you’ll keep at it. You can join an adult softball league, play racket ball at your gym, or enjoy other games that are available in your community. Let your inner child come out and play!
10. Imagining The Future
Do you remember your answers when asked the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” And, how are you spending your time now? If you have a lot of stress in your life, you may want to sometimes revisit the question. Are you really doing what you feel you were meant to do? Ask yourself what your ideal life would look like, and then take steps toward that ideal. A good start would be to take the 10-week free e-course24 on Living a Low-Stress Healthy Lifestyle, and go from there.
This About.com page has been optimized for print. To view this page in its original form, please visit: http://stress.about.com/od/tensiontamers/tp/stressreliefkid.htm
©2010 About.com, Inc., a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Make Your Own Cleaning Supplies
WARNING: Never mix cleaning products containing bleach and ammonia as dangerous fumes will result.
OVEN CLEANER
2 tablespoons dishwashing liquid
2 teaspoons borax
1/4 cup ammonia
1-1/2 cups warm water
Mix the ingredients together, apply to oven spills, and let sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Scrub with an abrasive nylon-backed sponge and rinse well.
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GENERAL-PURPOSE CLEANER
1 teaspoon borax
1/2 teaspoon washing soda
2 teaspoons vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dishwashing liquid
2 cups hot water
Combine all the ingredients. If you don't have washing soda (generally found in the laundry section of supermarkets), use 1 teaspoon baking soda instead. For a more pleasant smell, use lemon juice instead of vinegar. Be sure to label the bottle accordingly.
Polishing Cloths
You can make your own polish-impregnated cloths to dust furniture. Pour some furniture polish into a large glass jar and shake it until the sides are coated. Pour the remainder of the polish back into the polish container. Place terry or other absorbent cloths in the jar and cover tightly. Leave overnight or until the cloths have absorbed all the polish. Store the cloths in the jar.
Here's another method for making polishing cloths. Add 1/4 cup polish (such as lemon oil) to 2 cups hot water. Mix well. Soak dust cloths in the mixture, then let them dry before using. Save the mixture in a glass jar. When the cloths become soiled, wash them, re-treat them, and use again.
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EASY SCRUB
3/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup borax
dishwashing liquid
Combine the baking soda and borax. Mix in enough dishwashing liquid to make a smooth paste. If you prefer a pleasant smell, add 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice to the paste.
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JEWELRY CLEANER
1/4 cup ammonia
1/4 cup dishwashing liquid
3/4 cup water
Mix all the ingredients well, then soak your jewelry in the solution for a few minutes. Clean around the stones and designs with a soft-bristle toothbrush. Buff dry. (Caution: Don't use this with gold-plated jewelry; with soft stones such as pearls, opals, or jade; or with costume jewelry, because it could ruin the plastics or loosen the glue.)
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HEAVY-DUTY DISINFECTANT CLEANER
1/4 cup powdered laundry detergent
1 tablespoon borax
3/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup pine oil, or pine-based cleaner
Slowly stir the detergent and borax into the water to dissolve. Add the pine oil (available at hardware stores and supermarkets) and mix well. For bathroom cleaning, use the mixture full strength. In the kitchen, dilute it with water.
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WOOD FLOOR POLISH
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil Mix the ingredients well, rub on the floor, and buff with a clean, dry cloth.
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RUG CLEANER
1/4 teaspoon dishwashing liquid
1 cup lukewarm water
Combine the ingredients. Use a spray bottle to apply the solution over a large area, or use the solution to spot-clean nongreasy stains. (Don't use laundry detergent or dishwasher detergent in place of dishwashing liquid, as they may contain additives that can affect the rug's color.)
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TOILET CLEANER
1 cup borax
1/4 cup vinegar or lemon juice
Combine the ingredients to make a paste. Apply it to the inside of the toilet bowl, let sit for 1 to 2 hours, and scrub.
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MILDEW REMOVER
1 tablespoon powdered laundry detergent
1 quart chlorine bleach
2 quarts water
Combine all the ingredients in a pail. Wearing rubber gloves, wash off the mildew.
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FLOOR WAX REMOVER
1 cup laundry detergent
3/4 cup ammonia
1 gallon warm water
Mix all the ingredients together and apply to a small area of the floor. Let the solution sit long enough for it to loosen the old wax, at least 5 to 10 minutes. Mop up the old wax (or scrape it up, if there's a lot of it, using a squeegee and a dustpan). Rinse thoroughly with 1 cup vinegar in 1 gallon water and let dry before applying a new finish.
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FURNITURE POLISH
1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice
1 tablespoon boiled linseed oil
1 tablespoon turpentine
Combine the ingredients in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake until blended. Dampen a cloth with cold water and wring it out until it's as dry as you can get it. Saturate the cloth with the mixture and apply sparingly to a small area at a time. Let dry for about 30 minutes, then polish with a soft cloth. Note that this mixture gets gummy as it sits, so make just enough for one day's work.
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GLASS CLEANER
2 tablespoons ammonia
1/2 cup alcohol
1/4 teaspoon dishwashing liquid
a few drops blue food coloring
water
Combine the ammonia, alcohol, dishwashing liquid, and food coloring, then add enough water to make 1 quart. If you prefer a nonammoniated cleaner, substitute 3 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice for the ammonia.
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CARPET FRESHENER
1 cup crushed dried herbs (such as rosemary, southernwood, or lavender)
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
Combine all the ingredients in a large jar or other container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well to blend. Sprinkle some of the mixture on your carpet, let it sit for an hour or so, and then vacuum it up. It will give the room a pleasant smell and neutralize carpet odors.
Make Your Own Dish Washing Liquid
1/4 cup soap flakes
2 cups hot water
1/4 cup glycerin
1/2 teaspoon lemon essential oil
1) In bowl combine soap flakes and water and stir until the soap is dissolved. Cool to luke warm.
2) Stir in the glycerin and the essential oil, leave to cool. As it cools it will form a loose gel. Stir with a fork and break up the gel and then pour into a narrow-necked bottle. An old shampoo bottle makes an excellent container.
3) To use, squirt 3 teaspoonfuls into hot running water.
Liquid castile soap
10 drops lavender essential oil
8 drops rosemary essential oil
4 drops eucalyptus essential oil
1) Fill a clean 22-ounce plastic squirt bottle with castile soap (diluted according to directions if using concentrate)
2) Add the essential oils.
3) To use, squirt 3 teaspoonfuls into hot running water.
OVEN CLEANER
2 tablespoons dishwashing liquid
2 teaspoons borax
1/4 cup ammonia
1-1/2 cups warm water
Mix the ingredients together, apply to oven spills, and let sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Scrub with an abrasive nylon-backed sponge and rinse well.
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GENERAL-PURPOSE CLEANER
1 teaspoon borax
1/2 teaspoon washing soda
2 teaspoons vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dishwashing liquid
2 cups hot water
Combine all the ingredients. If you don't have washing soda (generally found in the laundry section of supermarkets), use 1 teaspoon baking soda instead. For a more pleasant smell, use lemon juice instead of vinegar. Be sure to label the bottle accordingly.
Polishing Cloths
You can make your own polish-impregnated cloths to dust furniture. Pour some furniture polish into a large glass jar and shake it until the sides are coated. Pour the remainder of the polish back into the polish container. Place terry or other absorbent cloths in the jar and cover tightly. Leave overnight or until the cloths have absorbed all the polish. Store the cloths in the jar.
Here's another method for making polishing cloths. Add 1/4 cup polish (such as lemon oil) to 2 cups hot water. Mix well. Soak dust cloths in the mixture, then let them dry before using. Save the mixture in a glass jar. When the cloths become soiled, wash them, re-treat them, and use again.
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EASY SCRUB
3/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup borax
dishwashing liquid
Combine the baking soda and borax. Mix in enough dishwashing liquid to make a smooth paste. If you prefer a pleasant smell, add 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice to the paste.
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JEWELRY CLEANER
1/4 cup ammonia
1/4 cup dishwashing liquid
3/4 cup water
Mix all the ingredients well, then soak your jewelry in the solution for a few minutes. Clean around the stones and designs with a soft-bristle toothbrush. Buff dry. (Caution: Don't use this with gold-plated jewelry; with soft stones such as pearls, opals, or jade; or with costume jewelry, because it could ruin the plastics or loosen the glue.)
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HEAVY-DUTY DISINFECTANT CLEANER
1/4 cup powdered laundry detergent
1 tablespoon borax
3/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup pine oil, or pine-based cleaner
Slowly stir the detergent and borax into the water to dissolve. Add the pine oil (available at hardware stores and supermarkets) and mix well. For bathroom cleaning, use the mixture full strength. In the kitchen, dilute it with water.
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WOOD FLOOR POLISH
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil Mix the ingredients well, rub on the floor, and buff with a clean, dry cloth.
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RUG CLEANER
1/4 teaspoon dishwashing liquid
1 cup lukewarm water
Combine the ingredients. Use a spray bottle to apply the solution over a large area, or use the solution to spot-clean nongreasy stains. (Don't use laundry detergent or dishwasher detergent in place of dishwashing liquid, as they may contain additives that can affect the rug's color.)
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TOILET CLEANER
1 cup borax
1/4 cup vinegar or lemon juice
Combine the ingredients to make a paste. Apply it to the inside of the toilet bowl, let sit for 1 to 2 hours, and scrub.
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MILDEW REMOVER
1 tablespoon powdered laundry detergent
1 quart chlorine bleach
2 quarts water
Combine all the ingredients in a pail. Wearing rubber gloves, wash off the mildew.
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FLOOR WAX REMOVER
1 cup laundry detergent
3/4 cup ammonia
1 gallon warm water
Mix all the ingredients together and apply to a small area of the floor. Let the solution sit long enough for it to loosen the old wax, at least 5 to 10 minutes. Mop up the old wax (or scrape it up, if there's a lot of it, using a squeegee and a dustpan). Rinse thoroughly with 1 cup vinegar in 1 gallon water and let dry before applying a new finish.
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FURNITURE POLISH
1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice
1 tablespoon boiled linseed oil
1 tablespoon turpentine
Combine the ingredients in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake until blended. Dampen a cloth with cold water and wring it out until it's as dry as you can get it. Saturate the cloth with the mixture and apply sparingly to a small area at a time. Let dry for about 30 minutes, then polish with a soft cloth. Note that this mixture gets gummy as it sits, so make just enough for one day's work.
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GLASS CLEANER
2 tablespoons ammonia
1/2 cup alcohol
1/4 teaspoon dishwashing liquid
a few drops blue food coloring
water
Combine the ammonia, alcohol, dishwashing liquid, and food coloring, then add enough water to make 1 quart. If you prefer a nonammoniated cleaner, substitute 3 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice for the ammonia.
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CARPET FRESHENER
1 cup crushed dried herbs (such as rosemary, southernwood, or lavender)
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
Combine all the ingredients in a large jar or other container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well to blend. Sprinkle some of the mixture on your carpet, let it sit for an hour or so, and then vacuum it up. It will give the room a pleasant smell and neutralize carpet odors.
Make Your Own Dish Washing Liquid
1/4 cup soap flakes
2 cups hot water
1/4 cup glycerin
1/2 teaspoon lemon essential oil
1) In bowl combine soap flakes and water and stir until the soap is dissolved. Cool to luke warm.
2) Stir in the glycerin and the essential oil, leave to cool. As it cools it will form a loose gel. Stir with a fork and break up the gel and then pour into a narrow-necked bottle. An old shampoo bottle makes an excellent container.
3) To use, squirt 3 teaspoonfuls into hot running water.
Liquid castile soap
10 drops lavender essential oil
8 drops rosemary essential oil
4 drops eucalyptus essential oil
1) Fill a clean 22-ounce plastic squirt bottle with castile soap (diluted according to directions if using concentrate)
2) Add the essential oils.
3) To use, squirt 3 teaspoonfuls into hot running water.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Herb Harvesting
Here are some things to remember:
1. Herbs are at their best when they're fresh-picked.
2. For daily use, pick just what you need. Wrap herbs in a damp paper towel and put them in a tightly-closed plastic bag in the refrigerator.
3. Long-stemmed herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano, savory, dill, fennel) can be kept on the kitchen counter for a few days. Strip lower leaves for immediate use and put the stems in a narrow-necked vase filled with water, out of the sun.
4. Herbs produce their most intense oil concentration and flavor after the flower buds appear but before they open. Harvest at this time for most uses. Blooming plants such as basil and oregano may still be suitable for vinegars, however.
5. Harvest annual herbs until frost, making as many successive harvests as possible without damaging the plant. Don't cut too near the ground, for lower foliage is necessary for strong, continuing growth. At the end of the season, harvest the entire plant.
6. Harvest perennial herbs until about one month before the frost date. Late pruning encourages tender growth that may be killed by the frost, and plants need the regrowth to see them through the winter.
7. Harvest tarragon or lavender flowers in early summer, then cut the plants to half their height to encourage fall flowering.
8. Harvest herb seeds (mustard, fennel) as the seed pods darken and dry, but before they burst. Secure a paper bag over the seed head to complete ripening, then cut the stem and hang the bag for further drying.
9. Harvest in the morning, after the dew dries but before the temperature climbs, to ensure that you've caught the plant when its essential oils are strongest.
10. You can begin harvesting your herbs for daily use when the plant has enough foliage to ensure continued growth. Successive harvests throughout the season encourage bushy plants with stronger leaf growth, so plan to cut back your plants and preserve your harvest frequently.
1. Herbs are at their best when they're fresh-picked.
2. For daily use, pick just what you need. Wrap herbs in a damp paper towel and put them in a tightly-closed plastic bag in the refrigerator.
3. Long-stemmed herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano, savory, dill, fennel) can be kept on the kitchen counter for a few days. Strip lower leaves for immediate use and put the stems in a narrow-necked vase filled with water, out of the sun.
4. Herbs produce their most intense oil concentration and flavor after the flower buds appear but before they open. Harvest at this time for most uses. Blooming plants such as basil and oregano may still be suitable for vinegars, however.
5. Harvest annual herbs until frost, making as many successive harvests as possible without damaging the plant. Don't cut too near the ground, for lower foliage is necessary for strong, continuing growth. At the end of the season, harvest the entire plant.
6. Harvest perennial herbs until about one month before the frost date. Late pruning encourages tender growth that may be killed by the frost, and plants need the regrowth to see them through the winter.
7. Harvest tarragon or lavender flowers in early summer, then cut the plants to half their height to encourage fall flowering.
8. Harvest herb seeds (mustard, fennel) as the seed pods darken and dry, but before they burst. Secure a paper bag over the seed head to complete ripening, then cut the stem and hang the bag for further drying.
9. Harvest in the morning, after the dew dries but before the temperature climbs, to ensure that you've caught the plant when its essential oils are strongest.
10. You can begin harvesting your herbs for daily use when the plant has enough foliage to ensure continued growth. Successive harvests throughout the season encourage bushy plants with stronger leaf growth, so plan to cut back your plants and preserve your harvest frequently.
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