Prospecting.
How to Prospect for Janitorial Contracts as a Newbie—and as a Veteran
Prospecting is the lifeline of your commercial cleaning business. Without new leads coming in, you’re relying on luck and referrals, and that’s a recipe for stagnation. Whether you’re brand new to the industry or a seasoned veteran, mastering prospecting is the key to steady growth.
After nearly two decades in this business, I’ve tried just about every method under the sun. The truth? The strategies you use as a new owner look a little different from the strategies you’ll use as a veteran. But the principle is the same: consistent, intentional prospecting wins contracts.
Prospecting as a New Cleaning Business Owner
When you’re new, the hardest part is simple: no one knows you exist yet. You don’t have brand recognition or case studies to lean on, so you have to hustle smarter.
Here’s how:
Pick a niche. Target dental offices, car dealerships, or insurance companies. Don’t try to clean everything at first.
Walk in the door. Yes, cold-calling and cold-walking still work when you’re new. A face-to-face intro leaves an impression.
Leverage community connections. Chamber of Commerce events, networking groups, and even local Facebook business pages can be goldmines.
Do the first few jobs yourself. It gives you firsthand experience to learn, and clients trust seeing the owner involved.
At this stage, your job is to prove yourself, one building at a time.
Prospecting as a Veteran Cleaning Business Owner
Once you’ve been around the block, the game changes. You have a track record, testimonials, and a reputation—but you also need to keep your pipeline full.
Here’s how veterans should level up:
Build a sales team or outsource prospecting. Stop being the only one generating leads.
Automate outreach. Use LinkedIn, cold email campaigns, and even virtual assistants to expand your reach beyond your zip code.
Create content that attracts. Blogs, TikToks, and podcasts (like Built After Hours) position you as an authority and bring prospects to you.
Target bigger fish. Once you’ve proven yourself, go after multi-site contracts, government bids, and facilities management groups.
Veterans often make the mistake of getting comfortable. But growth comes from consistently prospecting, even when you already have a book of business.
Prospecting Mindset: Beginner or Veteran
Whether you’re new or experienced, the mindset is the same:
Consistency beats intensity. Prospect every week, not just when business slows down.
Track your efforts. Use a CRM or janitorial software like Cinch to log who you’ve contacted and when to follow up.
Don’t take rejection personally. A “no” today might be a “yes” six months from now.
Be a problem-solver, not a salesperson. When you focus on solving client pain points, you win more often.
Final Thoughts
Prospecting never stops. As a new owner, it’s how you get your first clients. As a veteran, it’s how you keep scaling and avoid stagnation.
I built one of the fastest-growing janitorial companies in the U.S. (Inc. 5000 list, three years in a row) by always keeping prospecting at the top of my priorities—whether I was cleaning the buildings myself or managing teams across three states.
👉 On the Built After Hours podcast, I share real-world prospecting strategies, from cold-walking scripts to advanced LinkedIn lead generation tactics. Tune in and learn how to keep your pipeline full, no matter what stage you’re at.