Before you can set your prices or define your services, you need a clear picture of the market you’re stepping into. Market research gives you that. It shows you who’s already operating in your area, what they charge, and how they position themselves. More importantly, it helps you see where the gaps are – the opportunities to stand apart as a professional, and trustworthy alternative.
This isn’t about copying others or competing on price. It’s about learning the local landscape so you can build a business that feels more organized, more transparent, and ultimately more desirable than anything else nearby. And we can use our competitors weaknesses against them.
What You’ll Learn
In this chapter, you’ll learn how to:
- Study your local competition to understand how the market functions.
- Identify the pricing patterns and service styles common in your area.
- Recognize where competitors fall short and how to position yourself differently.
- Use your research to create a brand that feels confident, honest, and easy to hire.
- Compete through quality, communication, and trust – never through low prices.
By the end, you’ll know how to jump into your local market and become the clear choice for clients seeking a dependable and professional cleaner.
Why Market Research Matters
Market research is more than a box to tick before launch – it’s the foundation of your entire business strategy. It reveals what customers in your area expect, what frustrates them, and how your competitors are presenting themselves.
The goal isn’t to copy anyone. It’s to identify what “normal” looks like in your area – and then deliberately design a better experience. This might sound complicated but it can be super simple. If you are the only cleaner in your area who doesn’t try and charge extra for a Deep Clean up front then you will be the one you choose. In effect it makes your business sell itself.
When you research you are looking to answer a few key questions:
- What are the going rates for cleaning services locally?
- How do others charge for their services?
- What do they (and their website) do well, and where do they fall short?
- What can you do to make your service feel simpler, more modern, and more professional?
The answers to these questions will shape your pricing, your marketing, and the tone of your website.
Competition Is a Positive Signal
Many new business owners worry when they see several other cleaners operating nearby. In truth, competition usually means there’s demand. A busy market indicates that clients are willing and able to pay for cleaning services.
The only time to be concerned is when nobody is offering what you plan to do. That can signal an area where household income or lifestyle simply doesn’t support home cleaning.
Step 1: Research the Landscape
Open your browser and begin your research as if you were a potential client. Search online for local cleaning companies – both independent cleaners and national franchises.
Visit each competitor’s website (or social media profile) and note the following:
- What services are offered: regular cleaning, deep cleaning, move-out cleans, etc.
- How pricing is presented: hourly, by home size, or by room count.
- Whether prices are visible or hidden behind a quote form.
- How easy it is to book or contact them.
- How professional their website appears.
- Whether they use authentic images or generic stock photos.
- Their stated policies on cancellations, contracts, and satisfaction guarantees.
- How payment works – deposits, online payments, cash, or cards.
- How fast they respond to an inquiry.
As you browse through these sites, you’ll begin to see what’s missing and where your business can stand apart or compete.
Step 2: Identify the Gaps
Every market develops habits. Some of those habits are sensible; others persist simply because “that’s how everyone does it.” Breaking these routines could represent your biggest opportunity.
For instance:
- If every competitor hides their prices, be the one who displays them openly.
- If most require long-term contracts, be the “no-contract” cleaner.
- If they charge higher prices up-front for Deep Cleans, do the opposite.
- If they offer every service under the sun we will specialise in just one.
- If their websites are complex and cluttered, yours will be simple and easy to navigate.
We will use this information to create a boutique business that offers everything the others don’t and because of that we will be able to position ourselves at the high end of the market.
Example: The Problem with Hidden Prices
Many cleaners believe that hiding their prices protects them from negotiation or discourages comparison. In reality, it has the opposite effect.
When prices are hidden, clients feel cautious – they suspect the service may be expensive, complicated, or involve high pressure sales tactics.
Imagine you call a company and ask how much to clean a 3 bedroom house and their answer is “well that depends – why don’t we set up an appointment to come and see you?”. How does that make you feel? Do you really want to make that appointment with a sales rep if you don’t even have a ballpark figure?
Now imagine you call a different company with the same question but this time they say, “Oh well a 3 bedroom home will be $130 a week. That’s our fee for a standard 3 bedroom. That also assumes that the house is in reasonably good state of cleanliness – but if it isn’t we have options too. Would you like to book an appointment for us to do a walkaround?” – Now how does that make you feel?
And it’s even better if the prices are displayed prominently on your website so the client doesn’t even have to call.
Transparent pricing tells clients you have nothing to hide. It says, “We know our worth.” It also eliminates uncomfortable negotiations. And you no longer need to defend your rates, because they’ve already been presented fairly and confidently.
Having set prices visible also means that when a prospective client tries to haggle, you can respond –
“Our rates are set to remain fair to all our regular clients. If circumstances change, I’d be happy to revisit this later.”
Professional boundaries like this also signal that you are in demand – and serious about your work.
Example: Turning “No Contract” into a Selling Point
Another simple is flexibility. Clients dislike being locked into rigid agreements, especially when they’re trying a new cleaner for the first time.
So you can position yourself as the alternative, “We don’t lock you into a contract. Cancel anytime.”
You can still protect yourself with a 48-hour cancellation policy, but this sends a message that you are busy with lots of options.
This flexibility also gives you the freedom to turn down difficult clients, to promote a “waitlist” that enhances your perceived demand, and to communicate that you choose your clients as carefully as they choose you.
Step 3: Simplicity Always Wins
Many cleaning websites overload visitors with quote calculators, multi-step forms, and unnecessary options. While this might appear modern, it often creates friction and makes it less likely that they will do business with you.
Put yourself in your client’s position. They may be sitting at their kitchen table, feeling overwhelmed by clutter and searching for help. The last thing they want is to upload photos of their home or complete a form with twenty questions.
What they really want is simplicity – an approximate price, a sense of trust, and a way to book quickly.
Your site should make this effortless:
- Display guide prices so clients can make informed decisions.
- Provide one clear way to contact you – phone, text, or email.
- Highlight your key advantages: insured, trusted, no contracts, no hidden fees, local, satisfaction guaranteed etc
A professional cleaner’s website should feel calm, welcoming, and easy – never overwhelming.
Step 4: Conduct “Secret Shopping”
If competitors don’t list prices, you can still discover their approach by contacting them as a potential client. Submit their online forms or make polite inquiries.
Take careful notes on:
- How quickly they respond
- The tone and professionalism of their message
- Whether they follow up or leave you waiting
If some businesses take days to reply, you already know one way to outperform them. Same-day callbacks, or even evening availability will give you a definite competitive advantage. Consider how many times you’ve decided to call around but then settled on the first company that gave you a straight answer or quote?
Step 5: Professionalism Through Presence
As you search, you’ll likely find many small cleaning services with nothing more than a Google or Yelp listing – no website, no clear pricing, sometimes not even updated contact details.
To most potential clients, that feels risky. It suggests a part-time side business rather than a legitimate operation.
So if your competitors lack a proper online presence, that’s a big advantage for you.
Quick Note: There are many companies that can help you get online like MaidHost – they make it really easy to set-up your website fast. There really is excuse to start a business and not to have a website.
Step 6: Compete on Experience, Not Price
The ultimate goal of your research is to help you compete properly. You don’t ever want to compete on price as that is a race to the bottom. Instead, you want to compete on service options, visible pricing, easy of booing, quality and attention to detail. People will pay good money for a cleaner who is upfront about pricing, easy to contact, reliable and does a good job.
Focus on the qualities clients actually care about:
- A reliable professional who turns up on time.
- A website that’s clear, friendly, and transparent.
- Simple booking, simple payment, simple communication.
- A sense of trust, safety, and respect for their home.
- Quality service that they can rely on being the same every time.
When you deliver that, you earn the right to charge a premium — and clients will gladly pay it.
Key Takeaways
- Competition is a healthy sign – it means there’s demand.
- Research thoroughly: note how others present pricing, policies, and professionalism.
- Identify the gaps and make notes as to how you can fill them.
- Up-front pricing builds confidence; hiding it erodes trust.
- Flexible “no contract” policies are attractive to clients and advantageous for you.
- Keep your website and booking process simple and human.
- Respond quickly and clearly – reliability wins.
- Compete with excellence, not discounts.
Your goal is not to be the cheapest cleaner in town – it’s to be the obvious choice for clients who value professionalism, consistency, and care.