Marketing Strategy for Ultimate Cleaning Services: Nairobi, Kenya, Business Plan Example

Business Overview

Strengths

The greatest strength is my vast experience in the home cleaning services over the past few years. This has enabled me to develop all the skills necessary to be the leader in the industry. Another strength is that there are only two other cleaning services in the area that only offer their services to the homeowners under the upper income bracket. The rest offer cleaning services to hotels and commercial buildings in the city.

Weaknesses

The major weakness of this business lies in the homeowners’ part. They are reluctant to embrace the fact that Ultimate Cleaning Services is going to improve what the maids in those homes are already doing. There are also cleaning services companies that have a wide client base in the same estates of the city.

Customer Analysis

Ultimate Cleaning Services is to provide its home cleaning services to the upper and middle-income earners residential estates in the city. This is because most of the lower income earners cannot afford the professional home cleaning services and resolve to house helps for that. Most of these said home owners need a home cleaning service that will cover all aspects of residential cleaning, from laundry, house dusting, and cleaning to carpet cleaning.  The client base will cover such estates as Muthaiga, Runda, Westlands, Karen, South B & C, Nairobi West, BuruBuru, among others.

Analysis of the Primary Competitors

Ultimate Cleaning Services has a few competitors in the industry.

Service

Ultimate Cleaning Services is an upcoming company that will offer its cleaning service in Nairobi and its environs. I have, in the past, used varieties of home cleaning services, which has given me insight into the people’s expectations and what they actually get. I have taken that experience and knowledge to build this company, which caters to the clients’ needs and wants. It’s my overall objective to be all the clients need in a cleaning services company and at the same time providing the best customer service, security, and at the same time competitive and affordable prices. I will offer different packages for the clients to choose from but there will also be a custom package for all.

The service will accommodate:

Marketing Environment

There are various marketing environmental factors that will be taken into account when commencing my cleaning service company in Nairobi. These are explained below.

Political Factors

These include monopolies legislation, employment laws, environmental laws and taxation policy and government policy. Political riots such as those that happen in most countries are also to be taken into account considering the damage they would cause to the firms premises as well as the residence of the target clients.

Economic Factors

The economic factors to be taken into account include the inflate rate in the economy, the phase at which the economy is at the business cycle, employment level, the cost and availability of energy, the amount of disposable income, and so on.

Social-Cultural Factors

These are social mobility, lifestyle changes of the target audience, consumerism and education level of the clients are also to be taken into account before commencing the companies services.

Technological Factors

Technology advances every day. The technological factors to be considered are the rate of obsolescence, new innovations and discoveries, information technology costs, internet, and the technology literacy of the target audience. The company will have a website where its services will be advertised for all and also for the clients to book for a service.

Service

Ultimate Cleaning Services will open its doors soon to its clients who have been yearning for the best cleaning solutions in their residence for the first time ever. The clients will have an experience of outstanding dedication and commitment to make their lives brighter through cleaning. Ultimate Cleaning Services Company will offer optimized cleaning services that are tailored to meet the clients’ needs and also ensure continuous cleanliness in the clients’ residences with an exceptional focus on the areas that are most important to the clients.

All the company’s will wear uniforms and ID tags so that the clients will be able to recognize them from the rest. The company will also hire inspectors so that I can ensure that the premise the staff cleans is spotlessly clean and for the clients to forward their satisfaction to the management. From kitchen cleaning to laundry and emptying trash bins, from the regular house cleaning to weekly cleaning, monthly cleaning,  seasonal deep cleaning, or one-time house cleaning for certain occasions our clients are in for a cleaning experience they have never had before, all at competitive, yet affordable prices.

Mission

Ultimate Cleaning Services is dedicated to provide the best quality home cleaning services to the satisfaction of the clients. The mission of the company is to have the clients have a brighter living through clean homes.

Objective

The ultimate goal of the company is to reach a satisfied client base of 100,000 homes in by the end of the first quarter. This is expected to increase by 30% in every quarter. It is expected that the net profits will hit Kshs.10, 000,000 shillings at the end of the first year after beginning its operations.

Product Benefit Matrix 

Competitive Advantage Analysis

Various factors are considered in the analysis of the competitive advantage Ultimate Cleaning Services Company has over the rest; bargaining power, substitute’s threats, and the entrance to the industry by new companies. The objective here is to win the clients’ trust and in turn offer them various cleaning packages to choose from at different costs. Many households hire house helps to do the cleaning but with UCS, they don’t have to worry about the unnecessary hassles they experience in finding those house helps. The clients can be assured of fast, reliable and executive home cleaning service.

The Marketing Mix: Distribution Channels (Place)

Marketing & Distribution

Ultimate cleaning Services will target estates of middle and high class income earners in distribution of its services. Some of these estates that will be able to enjoy the services of Ultimate cleaning services company include Muthaiga, Runda, Westlands, Karen, South B & C, Nairobi West, and BuruBuru, among others. To ensure effective distribution of services any time, Ultimate cleaning services management is planning to establish booking satellite offices in each estate in order to ensure the services are accessible to all clients.

For effective distribution of services the company will provide registration services to all its members in the various estates. In the first quarter, the company will hold mobilization meetings to make its company known to potential clients. For provision of some services such as trash bin empting it will provide fixed days when they will be collecting the trash. However they will also provide an open system of empting trash bins for non members at extra cash and this will take place any time the service is required.

For other cleaning services such as vacuum cleaning, cleaning of floors and other cleaning services the company will have staff ready to do it any time they are needed. This will be to enlarge its territories by taking advantage of the competitor cleaner’s service provider which has set specific days for any form of house cleaning. In addition, in case there are special functions within the estates that may require cleaning services Ultimate cleaning company will be willing to offer its services any time for both its members and non members.

Location and Timing

To ensure effective distribution of its services, the company will open satellite offices at the main entrances of each estate in order to ensure all members are able to place their needs without having to travel for long. In addition, the company will have customer care representatives who will be there to listen to customers at any time of the day. To ensure effective communication, the company will avail cell phone numbers on which customers can contact the company for any services any time incase they can not make to the satellite offices. However for security reason the distribution of services at late hours of the night will be limited and will only be provided after intense probing why it’s not possible for the client to ask the services during the day. This will be for security reasons for both the client and company’s staff.

Tangible Elements Services

For tangible elements such as vacuum cleaning machines, the company will avail some of its machines for hire. To hire a vacuum cleaner, one will be required to register with an extra fee to cover for any damages that may occur when in possession of the tangible elements. In addition, clients will be required to confirm the machine is properly working before allowing the staff to leave the premises. After registering it will not be necessary for the client to visit the offices to get the machine; they will only be required to make a call and a staff will be send to deliver the tangible element.

There will be a limited period which clients will be expected to use the machine in that period. When the period is over, a staff will come to collect the machine. Any delay in submitting back the tangible elements will be done at extra fee. Other tangible elements that the cleaning services company will provide are bags for putting trash and trash bin for emptying the trash in each estate.

Variation for Distribution/Delivery

Unlike the other companies providing cleaning services, Ultimate cleaning services company will offer variations in distribution of its services. Other than setting fixed days on when to empty bin trash it will also offer unfixed trash emptying services to both members and non members who may require the services urgent like after having an occasion within the estate at extra cost. This variation will be done mainly to target potential clients incase their cleaning service provider company fails them. Another variation in the target market will be the provision of satellite offices in each estate to ensure service distribution is decentralized unlike other companies’ which have their offices in a centralized place.

Another variation in Ultimate cleaning service company will be the provisions of tangible elements such as vacuum cleaning machines for clients who may only be interested in hiring the machines rather than asking the company’s staff to do the cleaning. In some of the estates the company will be offering its cleaning services, some of the potential clients have already expressed their interest that they would rather hire the machines and perform the cleaning services by themselves for privacy reasons.

In addition, unlike its competitor cleaning services company; Gilead, Ultimate cleaning services company will not only target the upper class income earners but also the middle class income earners. The company will hence have difference fee for its services and this will be based on the location and the size of house requiring the cleaning services. This variation is made to ensure middle income earners are not financially strained.

Comparison off distribution variation of its services compared to its competitor company