Serving these consumers is a big opportunity, but requires you to think through their needs & your business model.

Last week I did a Hot Topic Tuesday call for ARCSI on the topic of the new consumer. There are some new nationwide trends right now towards a more urban consumer who lives in the urban core in either an apartment or a condo. (article continued below offer)

LIMITED TIME OFFER!

Put your cleaning business on the fast track with our new Foundations of Success Fast Track series. Each class is only $149, but if you buy TARGET MARKETING & UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION before Aug. 31, 2016, you get 25% OFF. Just enter the code DOWNTOWN in the DISCOUNT BOX at checkout.

(article continued)

In both Cincinnati and Dallas the transformation in the downtown core of each city has been amazing. As recently as 10 years ago almost no one lived downtown in either city. The trend started slowly at first, but about 5 years ago we hit a tipping point. Now these downtown neighborhoods are the fastest growing and some of the most affluent of our service areas. These consumers are our ideal target clients because they often have chosen to live in these areas because they are so convenient. They are close to activities and they do not want the stress of having to maintain a home. Demographically we are seeing people, mostly without children, of all ages move downtown. This includes young professionals but also DINKs (Dual Income No Kids) and retirees who want less stress and more activities.

Serving these consumers is a big opportunity, but it also requires you to think through both their needs and your business model. For example, how will you deal with parking? These are normally smaller homes, so you may want to consider a smaller team or even solo cleaners. Parking is often far from the service location. How does this effect the equipment and supplies you provide your cleaners? What might you want to change about your service offerings to meet the needs of these clients? They highly value convenience so you might need to add an online booking option to serve them. All signs are that this trend is going accelerate and not stop anytime soon. In every major city I visit, I see new high-end apartments being built in any available lot. Here in Cincinnati they are converting parking garages into condos. They are also building apartments on top of decades-old parking garages. There is a huge opportunity in servicing these clients, but you need to break out of your focus on suburban families.

To take advantage of these changes, you must understand and target these clients. Our Target Marketing and Unique Selling Proposition Class is a great way to begin. For a FREE PREVIEW of my video presentation, click the play button on the image below. And remember, from now through Aug.31, 2016, you can get 25% OFF this class. Just enter the promo code DOWNTOWN in the DISCOUNT BOX at checkout.

Derek Christian has been involved in the cleaning industry for more than 20 years and is an owner or investor in several cleaning companies including My Maid Service Dayton and Real World Services Columbus, and now he works as a sales and marketing consultant for Castle Keepers.

For more articles, subscribe to our newsletter!