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Part of running a cleaning business is generating cleaning bids for prospective customers or new work with current customers.
Whether for commercial cleaning, janitorial services, office cleaning, carpet cleaning, or house cleaning, you want to be able to create bids that look professional without spending too much time using Microsoft Word or Excel templates. After all, there is a lot involved in running a cleaning company and only so many hours in a day.
This is where Skynova's bid software comes into play. With Skynova's cleaning bid proposal template, you can create professional cleaning bids in no time. The final bid sheet can then be printed, exported in multiple formats, including PDF, or sent electronically to your customers.
Even more convenient, customers can view a private URL allowing them to accept or decline your bid easily. Skynova even allows you to convert a bid to an invoice. Keep reading to get started today. If you're a cleaning professional, check out the template we've made below just for your business:
By making use of Skynova's bid template, creating a cleaning estimate is easy and convenient. Follow the steps below to start customizing and completing your cleaning bid template now.
The first thing to enter in the cleaning bid template is your business's name and address, or your own information if you're an independent contractor, as well as information of your customer. Having your name clear and prominent makes it obvious to your customer where this bid is coming from. With the sheer amount of junk mail and spam emails that people tend to get, you don't want your bid to end up overlooked because it wasn't easily identifiable.
Your customer's name and address should also be entered. This helps with record-keeping on your end. You don't want to look at a bid later and wonder who it was for or what happened with it.
If you send the bid electronically, you may wish to omit mailing addresses and instead include email addresses. It's also often worth adding phone numbers so that you and/or the customer can easily get a hold of each other with questions without having to dig around to find the right contact information.
Always double-check names and addresses for errors. Not only can errors result in missed communication, but they also look unprofessional - especially if you misspell a customer's name.
Adding a logo to your bid sheet adds a touch of professionalism and makes it even more easily recognizable. If you have a logo created and saved as an image file on your computer, uploading it is straightforward.
At the top of Skynova's bid template page, look for the "Logo" option under the customization options menu. By selecting "Browse," you will be able to search your computer for the image file and upload it here.
Assigning a bid number makes it easier to track and refer to bids later on. You can't always rely on the customer's name to track bids because you may generate several bids for the same customer over time. When discussing details of a cleaning job with such a customer, you don't want there to be any confusion - by having a bid number to refer to, you can make sure you are on the same page.
The value you assign for the bid number is entirely up to you. You can start with "#0001" for your first bid and go up from there. However, some companies don't want to make it too obvious that their first few bids are, indeed, their first few bids. A way to resolve that issue is to start your numbering system from a different starting point, such as "#5001" or something similar.
You may even wish to include a short code at the beginning of the bid number to delineate which type of service the bid applies to. For example, you may number commercial cleaning services with "#C0001," office cleaning services as "#OF0001," and house cleaning services as "#H0001."
Skynova also gives you the option of adding an associated purchase order (P.O.) number (under the customization options at the top of the bid template page). And later, after the cleaning service proposal becomes a cleaning contract, you can automatically convert the bid to an invoice for added convenience.
Adding dates to business-related documents is always a good idea. In addition to identification numbers and customer contact information, it's one more piece that makes it easy to track paperwork. Typically, the bid date is the date you create the bid, but it may also be the date you send the bid to the customer if that occurs later.
In the cleaning business, there may be some cleaning supplies and items that you don't charge for on an individual basis and instead absorb as overhead but other supplies you might need to bill directly.
Items like cleaning rags, solutions, sanitizing wipes, garbage bags, and so on might be used for several different customers, so it wouldn't make sense to charge for these items separately. However, if you replace items such as soap or toilet paper for a specific customer, you will likely want to include these in the bid.
You may also charge separately for specific services. For example, you may have a fixed fee for construction cleaning jobs or for exterior window cleaning. Include these as line items, as well.
For any cleaning supplies or services that you add as line items, make sure you include a clear description of the item that the customer can readily identify (as opposed to entering a product code only). Enter the cost of a single item in the "Unit Price" field and the number of items in the "Quantity" field. The total cost will automatically be calculated and populated in the "Amount" field.
If hourly labor is a portion of the bid, you can enter that as a line item by selecting "Hours" in the "Item" field. Depending on how you account for overhead and whether you charge for specific services or supplies, some of this cost may be incorporated in the hourly fee. In other words, the hourly fee may not simply be the labor fee for the individual performing the cleaning.
It may also be the case that you charge different hourly rates, depending on the type of cleaning required. If so, enter the hourly costs for each type of service as different line items.
In the "Unit Price" field, enter the cost for a single hour, and in the "Quantity" field, enter the number of hours total. The resulting amount should automatically appear in the "Amount" field.
Discounts are a great way to obtain and keep customers. For example, you may offer a free hour of service for every five hours purchased, or you might offer 25% off a first-time service. Whatever the discount, you can add it as a line item in the Skynova template.
In the "Item" field, select "Discount," and then enter a description of the discount. If you offer a percentage off discount, you may need to calculate the amount from the current total before entering it as a unit price. Enter the price of the discount in the "Unit Price" field and set the appropriate quantity (usually "1" unless a discount is being "stacked"). The amount of the discount will be automatically subtracted from the total.
The "Notes" section of the template is your place to clarify, specify, or connect with the customer. For example, if you think some of the line items might be unclear or a customer might not understand why they are needed, you can add more details in this section.
You may also use the notes section to make suggestions for other services, including discounts that may be available for add-on services. Perhaps there are services you would highly recommend that the customer did not initially ask to be included in the bid. You can explain the necessity of these services here.
This section can also be a good place for a personal note thanking the customer for the opportunity to work with them or reminding them that they can reach out and call you with any questions.
Below we've added a few tips and tricks to consider as you create your cleaning proposals for prospective customers.
Some customers may have concerns about the cleaning chemicals or products you plan to use because of health issues or environmental concerns. Consider having green cleaning products as an option for customers who request it (possibly at an additional cost if it raises expenses on your end).
One of the best ways to make customers happy and keep them coming back is to give them more than what they expected. This is called underpromising and overdelivering. When it comes to cleaning, you can furnish your customers with a detailed list of what is included in the scope of work, and then on cleaning day, throw in a few extras or leave a nice bouquet of flowers behind.
When it comes to some cleaning jobs, there may be a lot of equipment involved - vacuum cleaners, floor scrubbers, laundry machines, and so on. When you set your hourly rates and/or your fees for specific jobs, you want to make sure what you bring in will cover the wages of the cleaner and all of the associated overhead. This includes equipment upkeep and maintenance.
Discounts are always a great way to attract and keep customers. For most places, cleaning is not a one-time job. If you want a customer to stick with your company, offer discounts for repeat service. For example, you might consider charging lower rates for a customer who utilizes weekly cleaning services versus monthly services.
Skynova makes it easy to create professional bids for your cleaning business by using our customizable templates. But it doesn't end at bids - Skynova has other products to help you out, as well.
Consider using Skynova's bid template in conjunction with business proposal templates and additional software products, which can help create expense and financial reports. Visit our website and start simplifying your paperwork right away.