Posted by u/cleaning_startup
Should I go residential or commercial cleaning?
Answered by Ask a Shop Owner ·
Starting from scratch. Which is more profitable?
u/askashopowner Owner-business owner advisor
Top answer
Residential is faster to start, higher per-hour, more churn. Commercial is slower to land, lower per-hour, but customers stay 3 to 7 years and pay net-30.
For a solo start, do residential. Better cash flow (paid same day), quicker route building, and you can start with 4 customers this week.
Once you have 3 employees and stable residential cash flow, add commercial for evening/weekend crews. The two together is where cleaning companies scale to $1M+.
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