Hood cleaning business owner here…follow everything the first guy said. I live and operate my business in Hawaii - I started in 2021, mid-pandemic with no accounts and competition of about 4 other larger companies. Within 6 months I grew to 55 accounts; servicing most of them every 3 months. To add to what the other commenter said:
When taking a call from a prospective client I always set expectations. What type of service I provide and what and how I do things: i.e. before and after pictures, inspection report, sticker on hood showing maintenance was completed. I am completely transparent and offer my insurance and a completed W-9 without them even asking. I also work around their schedule as much as possible. So yes, nights and weekends are majority of our jobs.
Be professional but not a pushover either. You will take some time to learn pricing for your area/region. You will underbid jobs. You will wonder “why did I decide to do this?” Hahaha. But once you get some experience under your belt, it’ll become repetitive and almost second nature. Some owners will balk at prices that you estimate, that’s ok and once you get that experience and confidence in your work - know that you can politely walk away from those customers and they will call you in a few weeks when they can’t find another company to clean. As said before, leave the kitchen as clean as or better than you found it. Take pictures and document EVERYTHING. I’d rather have proof of something than just my word saying something was or wasn’t.
I’ve never had an issue with customers not wanting me to use their water but i have had to get creative with water sources. There’s not always a spigot or faucet available so water source (300 gal tote) might be a good idea.
Do your research first your state on how to set up an LLC or however you decide to structure your business and file all the necessary paperwork (that’s a whole other convo but a necessary one) and yes, definitely get insurance. Some customers require certain amounts and so find a business insurance service that has brokers that find policies for what you need. Expect to pay a few grand annually. I wouldn’t spend money on the school. I didn’t actually. I got my experience hands on. There’s one or two decent vids on YouTube about hood cleaning from powerwash dot com but most of your experience will come from hands on learning and getting dirty. I am always incorporating new ideas that my guys and I talk about in the job and our process has drastically changed from when I first began so always be willing to adapt and try new things.
And set up an invoicing/accounting system and take credit card/ACH payments electronically if possible. I declined for the first year to do electronic and was cashing checks - I spent as much time at the bank as I did cleaning hoods because i was being cheap and refused to pay the fees but I’d rather now pay the fees and have cash flow than not.
There’s a lot more to it. I’m entering my 3rd year of business and am still learning and refining but it is a very lucrative business as long as you are doing it right. Keep integrity and morality at the forefront of your business and the customers will see your sincerity (a lot of -ity’s huh?) but that is what will help you attract, keep and grow your customer base. If you have any questions feel free to message me directly. Aloha! 🤙
Saw a food truck the other day named “Da Phat Boxx”. That’s the shit we’d say back in high school when girls had (deliberate and intentional) cameltoes. 🤣 stupid, yes I know. But I had a good chuckle seeing the name of that food truck.