Profit First for Cleaning Businesses: How to Price for Real Profit
Jan 28, 2026Introduction
If your cleaning business is busy but your bank account is empty — pricing is the problem.
Revenue doesn’t equal profit.
And hope is not a pricing strategy.
Why Most Cleaning Businesses Underprice
Common reasons:
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Fear of losing clients
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Copying competitors
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Not understanding true costs
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Confusing turnover with success
Underpricing doesn’t make you competitive — it makes you exhausted.
What “Profit First” Really Means
Profit First means:
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Profit is planned, not leftover
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Prices are based on reality
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Every job contributes to sustainability
You should know:
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Cost per clean
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Labour percentages
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Overheads per job
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Target profit margin
Pricing the Right Way (Simplified)
A profitable price includes:
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Labour
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Superannuation
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Travel time
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Admin
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Equipment
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Growth margin
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Profit
If one of those is missing — profit disappears.
Raising Prices Without Panic
Price increases don’t fail because of numbers — they fail because of delivery.
Keys:
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Communicate value
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Be confident
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Accept that not all clients should stay
The right clients pay sustainable prices.
Final Thought
You didn’t start a business to scrape by.
Pricing properly isn’t greedy — it’s responsible.
👉 Use the Grow My Cleaning Biz tools and coaching to price with confidence and build real profit.
