MAID YOU SPARKLE BUSINESS PLAN

MALINDA HUNT, PROPRIETOR

January 18, 2015

Maid You Sparkle is an insured and bonded residential cleaning service that offers personalized
cleaning services tailored to its customers needs. The belief that the business will succeed is
based on the knowledge, experience and determination of the proprietor to offer its customers the
quality and service they deserve.
BUSINESS SUMMARY
Maid You Sparkle is a start-up home based business offering residential cleaning services.
Services include weekly or monthly house cleaning, individual room cleaning, and specialized
cleaning services as requested by the customer. The goal of Maid You Sparkle is to provide its
customers with excellent customer service. Maid You Sparkle wants its customer to have a sense
of security knowing that their home is being cleaned by same person every time. This
personalized service will be the focus of Maid You Sparkles marketing campaign.
ORGANIZATIONAL PLAN

The business is a sole proprietorship with no employees. All aspects of the business will be
handled by the owner.
MARKET
The potential market area for Maid You Sparkle is Gaston, Lincoln, and Mecklenburg counties.
The target customer in these areas would be middle to upper class working families.
COMPETITORS
There are numerous residential cleaning services throughout Gaston, Lincoln, and Mecklenburg
counties. In order to standout from its competitors Maid You Sparkle will offer its customers
personalized service and the security of doing business with a licensed, insured, and bonded
company. With this personalized service the customer will have the benefit of knowing the same
person is cleaning their house every week instead of a different person every time which is often
the case with larger cleaning services that have multiple employees.
LICENSE, PERMITS, AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS
In order for Maid You Sparkle to operate as a home based residential cleaning service operating
out of Gaston County they must apply for a zoning permit. Once the zoning permit has been
approved they will then need to apply to the city of Gastonia for a privilege license. There is
currently no license required by Gaston County for operating a home based residential cleaning
business. See table below for cost.
Zoning Permit
Privilege License
(City of Gastonia)

$36.75
$41.00

PRICING
All prices will be quoted per job based on the size of the residence, time involved, and the needs
of the customer. Rates will reflect the fair market rate and be competitive with other local
cleaning services in the county where the services will be provided. The table below reflects the
starting price based on the square footage of the residence and assuming the home is in average
condition.
Square Footage

0-1000

1100-1400

1500-1700

1800-2100

2200-2500

2600-2900

3000-3400

3500-3800

Hours
Price

2.0
$70.00

2.5
$87.50

3.0
$105.00

3.5
$122.50

4.0
$140.50

4.5
$157.50

5.0
$175.00

5.5
$192.50

MARKETING STRATEGY
In order to reach its target audience Maid You Sparkle will invest in business cards to give out to
friends, family, and local businesses. A magnetic vehicle sign containing the company name,
logo, and contact information will be purchased for the proprietors vehicle as an advertisement
tool. A newspaper ad will be placed in the Charlotte Observers online newspaper for thirty days
for marketing purposes. The costs of these items as well as a sample of the company logo are
included below.

Business Cards - $9.99

Magnetic Vehicle Sign - $7.19
Newspaper Advertisement - $24.95

The logo shown below will be used on all business cards, signage, invoices, and company
letterhead.

START UP EXPENSES
Initial startup expenses will be paid by the proprietor Malinda Hunt. These expenses include
things such as cleaning supplies and equipment, insurance, permits, licenses, business phone, and
marketing expenses. Should the business experience large growth it may be necessary to seek
outside funding in the future. See the table below for a breakdown of these expenses.

Cleaning Equipment

$125.00

Cleaning Supplies

$75.00

Business Cards
Magnetic Car Sign
Business Phone
Liability Insurance
Bonding

$9.99
$7.19
$25.00
$500
$750

($25,000 coverage)
Zoning Permit
Newspaper Ad
Privilege License
TOTAL

$36.75
$24.95
$41.00
$1,569.93

Owner Contribution

$1,594.88

REFERENCES
A Touch of Business. How to start a home cleaning service. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
http://www.atouchofbusiness.com/tips/ideas/Start-A-Cleaning-Business-0125.html

AT&T. Residential Home Phone Service. Retrieved January 18, 2015.

http://www.att.com/shop/home-phone/landline.html#fbid=vAhJasBrFI0

Business Link NC. Start Your Business. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
http://www.blnc.gov/

Carolina Maids. House Cleaning Cost/Price Calculator. Retrieved January 18, 2015.

http://www.carolinamaid.com/calculate1.html

Charlotte Business Resources. Starting A Business. Retrieved January 18, 2015.

http://charlottebusinessresources.com/starting-a-business/getting-started/?
utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Text%20Ads&utm_term=start
%20your%20own%20business

Cleaning 4 Profit. What does it cost to start a cleaning service? August 9, 2011. Retrieved
January 20, 2015. http://www.cleaning-4-profit.com/2011/08/09/cost-to-start-a-cleaningservice/

Entrepreneur. Choosing a Location for Your Business. April 19, 2006. Retrieved January 16,
2015. http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/21830

Gaston County Economic Development Commission NC. Start A Business. Retrieved January
16, 2015. http://www.gaston.org/start-a-business

NC Small Business Center Network. Retrieved January 20, 2015.

https://www.ncsbc.net/center.aspx?center=75220