By Othon Jarle
Many people want to partake of the lucrativeness of the billion-dollar crime scene industry. Prior to starting a crime scene cleaning company, you may want to familiarize yourself with the trends in the marketplace.
But before we delve into what makes the industry one of the most attractive in the business world, let’s take a look at the days of humble beginnings.
History
In the mid-90s, the crime scene industry was in its heyday. Only a few companies ventured into the field. The majority of these companies offered crime scene cleaning services as an alternative. Thanks to aggressive marketing and promotion campaigns using both online and offline mediums, the industry became popular for what it is known for today.
This popularity attracted the insurance industry, as they began to recognize the capabilities of certified crime scene cleaning companies. Insurance companies recorded a low turnout of complaints from the insured after job completion. Not only that, proper decontamination and disinfection practices replaced the rip and tear remediation process, resulting in millions of dollars in savings. Going all out for the crime scene industry is thus a risk worth taking.
Today, families, businesses, and the general public feel safe in a properly disinfected area without having to bother about the safety of untrained and psychologically unprepared family members, employees, and individuals handling the cleaning tasks.
The Rising Influx of New Companies
Since the industry came to the limelight in the mid-90s, it has seen an influx of new entrants who are also looking to have their own share of the ‘national cake’. Even though some areas are still in need of these crime scene cleaning technicians, other areas are teeming with these professionals. States like California, Florida, New Jersey, and Ohio, and cities like Atlanta, Phoenix, Seattle, and Philadelphia are saturated with crime scene cleaning companies.
So what is the reason behind the lure?
There are many reasons why this industry sees an influx of new companies year after year. These include massive earnings, weak or non-existent government laws, low capital, and no formal education. With the spate of new entrants, clients will have to be more careful in the choices to make. There is a disturbing number of crime scene cleaners with no formal training or basic equipment. The majority of these fly-by-night companies are more concerned about charging outrageous fees rather than delivering quality cleaning service. Unfortunately, the public knows little about what constitutes a reputable crime scene cleaning company and believes they are all regulated by the government. The public can narrow their choices by being more discriminating when seeking the right crime scene cleaning company.
Despite the harsh economic downturn, the crime scene cleaning industry will remain profitable. However, as the job market keeps increasing in size, these unemployed will look for an industry in which they can fit it without much stress. Since the crime scene cleaning industry is easy to get into, expect to see more people breaking into the business.
