Book excerpt: Book & CD-ROM. A lot of people believe that they can set up and operate a cleaning business that will reap big profits with a few dollars and some cleaning supplies. The reality is most of these start-ups fail in a couple of months. As with any business, it takes hard work and time to develop a profitable cleaning business. However, armed with the detailed information in this new book, you can have your recession-proof cleaning business up and running quickly. You will learn how to build your client list quickly, properly bid on jobs, organise your schedule, and maximise your time and profits. You will learn everything you need to know BEFORE starting your cleaning business. A cleaning service can be run part- or full-time and can easily be started in your own home. As such, these businesses are one of the fastest growing segments in the service economy. This new book will teach you all you need to know about starting your own cleaning business in the minimum amount of time. Here is the manual you need to cash in on this highly profitable segment of the service industry. This book is a comprehensive and detailed study of the business side of cleaning. This superb manual should be studied by anyone investigating the opportunities of opening a cleaning business and will arm you with everything you need, including sample business forms, contracts, worksheets and checklists for planning, opening, and running day-to-day operations, and dozens of other valuable, time-saving tools that no entrepreneur should be without. While providing detailed instructions and examples, the author leads you through finding a location that will bring success (if necessary), buying (and selling) a cleaning service, pricing formulas, sales planning, tracking competitors, bookkeeping, media planning, pricing, copy writing, hiring and firing employees, motivating workers, managing and training employees, accounting procedures, successful budgeting, and profit planning development, as well as thousands of great tips and useful guidelines. By reading this book, you will become knowledgeable about basic cost control systems, Web site plans and diagrams, software and equipment layout and planning, sales and marketing techniques, legal concerns, IRS reporting requirements, customer service, monthly profit and loss statements, tax preparation, public relations, general management skills, low and no cost ways to satisfy customers and build sales, and auditing. In addition, you will learn how to draw up a winning business plan (the Companion CD-ROM has the actual business plan that can be used in Microsoft Word), how to set up computer systems to save time and money, how to hire and keep a qualified professional staff, how to generate high profile public relations, and how to keep bringing clients back. The manual delivers literally hundreds of innovative ways to streamline your business. Learn new ways to make your operation run smoother and increase performance. Shut down waste, reduce costs, and increase profits. In addition owners will appreciate this valuable resource and use it as a reference in their daily activities and as a source for ready-to-use forms, Web sites, operating and cost cutting ideas, and mathematical formulas that can be easily applied. The Companion CD-ROM contains all the forms in the book, as well as a sample business plan you can adapt for your own use.