Summarize this article in one sentence.
The hardest part of starting your own cleaning service is obtaining those first clients. Most clients want to know how long you have been in business, and because they're trusting you with their belongings and personal affairs, they're going to want dependable references. Being new, you won't have any client references, but you still need to have some. For this, you can ask friends and family if you can clean their homes, and then get permission to use them as references. Not only will they be able to give you an honest reference, you'll also pre-thank them by doing a great job on their home.  Let clients know that you are new to the business but that you have thoroughly researched all aspects of the cleaning business, have obtained any necessary training and that you are up-to-date with cleaning needs, including more demanding requests such as  green or allergy cleaning. This may require research beforehand but is well worth the effort. Assure your clients that you know what you're doing and that you're quite capable of cleaning their home to their specifications. Be confident––this can't be stressed enough, as clients respect and trust confidence. It relieves their worries and lets them know that their home is in good hands. Get character references as well, to reassure clients that you're a good, dependable person. A police check is also very wise; in some places, it's required by law. Consider offering a discount for the first clean, a loss leader approach whereby you can prove how excellent your services are. When cleaning the homes of your first clients, go for the very best quality you can give. This is not about how fast you can clean the home. Cleaning efficiently takes a long time, but you will get to the point where you can do a thorough cleaning in a short time. At the outset you may have to resign yourself to spending a bit more time than you'd like until you work out your own efficient systems but persevere as it won't take long to get your rhythm in place. After cleaning, go back and double check all rooms to make sure you didn't miss anything. Impress those first clients and word of mouth will soon spread. Tell them about your hopes for expanding your business, be enthusiastic without being pushy and you'll find many clients will be happy to let others know about how great your services are. Do reassure them that you won't leave them in the lurch though––some clients won't share word about you if they're afraid that you'll be poached and will no longer take care of their house.
Get your first clients. Go for quality. Don't be shy about letting your clients know that you're seeking more clients.