This business plan is for a start up Kitchen Hood Exhaust Cleaning Business. Several assumptions have been made trying to describe a typical person just entering the business. The problem is that there is not a typical person entering the business. People from all walks of life enter the hood exhaust business. Some by choice, some because they lost their corporate jobs, and still others because they did not fit into Corporate America. Others just want to be their own boss. Some over simplification has been done to create the Business Plan. You should not use it as a literal application to yourself or to anyone in particular. It should be used a guide only to create your own business plan.

The goal of your marketing efforts is to build name recognition and trust. When the customer needs your services you want him or her to call you. Remember, your reputation rests on the quality of work you do or NOT do in the field.

First, determine your hourly rate. This is based on direct labor cost (hourly wages for the crew), plus indirect labor costs if you offer benefits (called “labor burden”, it can be as much as 20 to 30 %), multiplied by the correct factor for your profit margin level (usually X 2 or X 2.5). Most hourly rates are somewhere between $50 per hour to $125 per hour, depending upon how many men comprise the crew. Based on your hourly rate, you should be able to get into the “ballpark” using the following guide.