Theft By Individual Maid

A person recently wondered why we post so many articles about maids stealing from customers. The person thought that such negative talk could lead to a negative impression of our own business. The answer should be simple.

The constant posting of articles detailing thefts by individual maids should serve as a constant reminder that cheap sells. Individual maids are cheap. That's their thing. An out-of-work maid knows that the easiest way to make some quick money is to simply offer ridiculous low rates and the customers start rolling in.

It happens time after time. And all sorts of problems arise soon after the hire. Some people are lucky. Some people just hire real bad cleaners. Some people just hire unprofessional cleaners. And some people aren't lucky at all. Some people hire individual maids that steal.

A quick Google search of news articles across this country reveals countless numbers of articles that proves my point. You are risking everything by hiring an individual maid.

There are several reasons to hire a professional housecleaning company. One reason is because our customer service is 100% better than someone that is just cleaning "on the side". Another reason is because you become a customer rather than an employer. But one very important reason should be obvious. The safety and security of your family is at risk when you an individual maid. I'm serious. It happens everyday. Don't let it happen to you.

Individual Maid Steals From Niceville Homeowners

There's been countless numbers of articles detailing thefts by individual maids. Often, those thefts occur in places such Ohio, Texas, California, or Georgia. In other words, a long way from northwest Florida.

NICEVILLE, FL -- A joint investigation by the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office and Niceville Police Department has led to the arrest of a Valparaiso woman on multiple counts of grand theft.

Thirty-year-old Jennifer Michelle Denney is charged by the OCSO with six counts of grand theft and six counts of dealing in stolen property. The Niceville Police Department has also charged Denney with one count of grand theft.

Investigators says Denney stole more than $30,000 in jewelry from various homes in Niceville and the Bluewater Bay area while working as a housecleaner.

The Reverse Lottery Ticket

Hiring an individual maid is like playing the lottery in reverse. At best, you'll hire a cheap, quality driven cleaning professional. At worst, you'll hire a cheap thief.

It never ceases to amaze me how easy it is for these crooks to steal your money. You would never let a stranger enter your at home at 9PM just because she knocked on your door. But that caution goes out the window if that same stranger offers you a low rate for housecleaning.

Hiring a professional cleaning company costs you more money in the short term. But hiring an individual maid can certainly cost you more in the long term. Here's a couple that nearly lost more than $100,000 simply because they hired a stranger to clean their home.

Housekeeper Steals $107,000 Worth of Jewelry

The stranger may have a newspaper advertisement. The stranger may look decent. The stranger may even have references. But what do you really know about that stranger???

Has she been convicted of a crime in the past? How long has she been in business? Is she bonded and insured up to at least $300,000? Does she carry workers' compensation up to at least $1 million dollars? How can she guarantee your satisfaction each and every time? How can she guarantee her arrival time each time? And how can she guarantee you that she will be in business this time next year?

Those are the first questions you should ask every single prospective maid. But here's the first and only question most people ask.....

What are your rates?

The Typical $1000 Cleaning Business News Article

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- With the nation's economy in disarray, people around the country are searching for ways to supplement and earn additional income.

While many may consider starting a home based business an interesting solution, the thought of sinking tens of thousands of dollars into a start-up is scary.

But some people have found a less expensive solution. When Lawrence Yancy retired as a food inspector he decided to start his own business, and he did for less than $1,000. "It cost me $529," said Yancy.

These are some other potential businesses that cost $1,000 or less:

E-Commerce Consultant: Use your computer smarts to help others grow their online businesses.

Theft Prevention: Many people don't know how vulnerable they are. If you have police or a security background you can teach other business owners how to prevent thefts.

Residential Cleaning: Secure a number of clients, whether for homes or apartments and go to work. On average a cleaning company will charge $15-to-$25 an hour.

And there you have it. Just like I've been telling you for years now. Starting a housecleaning company takes little money. It takes little initiative. It takes little education. And it takes little courage. After all, it's only a few hundred bucks down the drain if your new company goes belly up.

Of course, a real professional cleaning company costs much more than $1,000 to start.

A real cleaning company has to provide its customers maximum protection such as general liability insurance, workers' compensation and bonding. Maximum protection will cost a real cleaning company at least $5,000 annually.

A real cleaning company also provides cleaning supplies and equipment. Professional cleaning supplies cost about $500 for each cleaning crew.

A real cleaning company also has to follow the law. Following the law means paying payroll taxes, paying local licensing fees and paying federal income taxes. The amount of this cost is based on two things; 1) How busy you are - and 2) How honest you are. A conservative estimate is for all three taxes to cost a cleaning company somewhere between $5,000 - $15,000 annually.
The costs continue to build as the legitimacy of your business increases. But that's not the point of this story anyway. The point is this:

If you started a housecleaning business and it costs you less than $1,000, what will you do when:

1. One of your employees steals from one of your customers?
2. One of your employees breaks a customer's expensive vase?
3. One of your employees breaks her ankle while cleaning your stairway?
4. Your customer base suddenly drops off?
5. Your husband gets a new job in another town?
6. You get the flu?
7. You find a stable job?

The answer should be obvious. You'll quit. You'll quit for the very same reason you started. Because starting a housecleaning business takes little money. Little initiative. Little education. And little courage.

The Virgin Housecleaning Customer

There's a story like this everyday in at least one newspaper in this country. The story goes a little something like this. A couple hires a housecleaner. The couple hires the housecleaner primarily because her rates are sooo good. The housecleaner starts out pretty good. The couple laughs at their neighbors who hire the more expensive professional housecleaning company. The housecleaner gets comfortable and one of three things occurs:

1. She starts slacking off. And in some cases, she just starts showing up whenever she wants to show up. And quite often, she's just stops for no apparent reason at all.

2. She steals money from you.

3. She gets injured while in your home.

If you're lucky, your housecleaner will just stop showing up. Because your individual housecleaner isn't going to return the stolen money or goods. And if you're just plain unlucky, then your housecleaner will sue you for thousands simply because she can. After all, you're the employer and she's the employee.

Of course, none of this will happen to you.

That's exactly what one of my good friends said about three months ago. We're buddies and he wanted to hire my company because - well - we're buddies. But my rate was about $50 more than the two Columbian ladies that cleaned his neighbor's home. So I told him to hire the other "company" and then report back to me in a few months.

That report was filed today. And while he didn't give me the authority to reprint his email, just assume that hiring the two Columbian ladies didn't work out so well for him. And yes, he's now one of our customers.

Unfortunately, getting burned is the best formula for hiring Two Maids & A Mop. The virgin housecleaning customer just doesn't get it. You have to live it to understand it.

Dirty Maids Strike Again

HOUSTON, TX - Could your housekeeper be cleaning you out? It happened to a Houston woman-- her identity, stolen, by a couple of "dirty maids."

Now, two years later--she's got big tax troubles, over something she didn't do.

Shannon Lackey hired them to clean her house. “I said, wonderful job and then asked them to come back,” Lackey said. But Lackey had no idea her housekeepers were sweeping up more than dust.

“They were going around and cleaning people's houses and helping themselves to the identity and checks of their unsuspecting victims who thought they were just getting their house cleaned,” Assistant DA Mike Elliot said.

Joyce Butler and Harrison Johnson are the "dirty maids" who owned a company they called Afford-A-Maid. Butler and Johnson both pled guilty and were convicted of felony theft and money laundering. Johnson's now doing 18 months in a Texas state jail. Butler got 4 years probation, with 90 days in jail.

Lackey felt relief. “I thought it was behind me,” Lackey said. But she got the phone call last week from the IRS saying she has a $21,000 tax lien. Someone had filed a phony tax return-- in her name—and at the same time her housekeepers were busy doing their dirty deeds..

No one knows for sure who's behind that bogus tax return, but one thing is for sure: Lackey's troubles are far from over. “I just balled. I just balled! I thought it was over with,” she said.

And ironically, Butler still works as a maid but cleaning commercial businesses instead of homes.

Lessons To Be Learned
1. Just because someone calls themselves a "company" doesn't mean that they're really a company. Anybody can create a professional sounding business name. It takes about five seconds and zero dollars. Don't be fooled.

2. Do some research on your new cleaning company. Ask for references. Ask for proof of insurance. Ask for proof of the bond. And don't just hire someone because they're affordable. Would you hire a dentist simply because he's affordable? Better yet, would you let a dentist use a needle in your mouth if his business name was Afford-A-Dentist?

3. If you've hired a real cleaning company, make them prove to you that their employees are safe and secure. No reputable cleaning company will hire anyone that has a criminal background. And if you're bound and determined to hire an individual, do your own nationwide criminal background search. It costs about $50, but it could save you lots of heartache and money down the road. In this particular case, a simple background check would have shown that one of the maids had been an outstanding warrant for credit card abuse!

4. In a nutshell, treat your house the same way you treat everything else. Saving a few bucks is important - especially in today's economy. But seriously, would you hire just anyone to file your taxes? Would you hire just anyone to photograph your wedding? Would you hire just anyone to clean your teeth? Then why would you hire just anyone to clean your house?

Yes, we clean your toilets. And yes, we scrub your baseboards on our hands and knees. But that doesn't mean you should expect any less professionalism from us as you do from your accountant or dentist. In the end, you're still a customer. And no matter if we cleaning your kitchen sink or filing your taxes, it's our job to make you happy.

Start acting like a customer and these kind of news clippings will disappear.

Cheap Rates & A Big Smile!!

It's been proclaimed time after time on this blog. Starting a cleaning business is easy. So easy that just about anybody can do it. It doesn't take a lot of brains. It doesn't take a lot of money. Heck, it doesn't even take a lot of nerve. Because if your new cleaning business fails, what have you really lost?

A quick trip to Walmart and you have your supplies. All you need now is a customer. And you know that the trick to getting a new customer is simple: just offer your services for a low price. There's at least one person out there that will hire you because, after all, it's just housecleaning - anybody can do it.

That's the recipe for your new cleaning business. Cheap rates and a big smile!!

Of course, anytime something is that easy - you can bet something bad is bound to happen.

Click here for proof.....

How To Lose Your Personal Liberties......

A top U.S. Customs and Border Protection employee was arrested last year on suspicion of encouraging one of her cleaning ladies -- said to be an illegal immigrant -- to stay in the country.

An affidavit says Lorraine Henderson continued to employ a woman after being told she was an illegal immigrant.

Lorraine Henderson job as a Boston port director included helping keep illegal immigrants out of the United States. She was charged in federal court last year with harboring an illegal alien. An affidavit alleges that the immigrant was one of three Brazilian women -- all said to have been in the United States illegally -- whom Henderson paid to clean her condominium.

And just recently, Henderson was sued by two of her cleaning ladies for discrimination.

Of course, everyone knows why Henderson hired the illegal immigrant to clean her home. She was cheap. Cheaper than everyone else. So cheap that she legitimized the illegal activity.

If you hire a professional cleaning company, you never have to worry about being sued. You never have to worry about being audited. And you never have to worry about being arrested.

The question you have to answer is, " Do I want to save $10 - $20 so much that I'll endanger my personal liberties and freedom?" If the answer is yes, then go ahead and hire the cheapest cleaning lady in the world. If the answer is no, then go ahead and hire a professional cleaning company.

Hiring A Housecleaner Has Never Been Easier

Hiring a housecleaner has never been easier. With unemployment levels rising every day, that leaves more people than ever looking for a quick way to make an extra buck.

Cleaning your house has never required lots of money or intelligence - so you can bet that many of those unemployed people will be leaving a flyer on your door in the next few weeks.

Be careful. Just because someone calls herself a housecleaning company doesn't mean that she knows one thing about how to clean your house or run a company. Here's proof that hiring any 'ol housecleaner could cause you much more pain that you realize.....

My Housecleaner Stole From Me - How Can I get My Money Back?

Examining The Mind Of A Struggling Cleaning Business Owner

Everyone knows that it's quick, simple, cheap and easy to start a cleaning business. All it takes is a few bucks and little sweat. And for that reason, it's also just as easy to quit.

That's why so many people decide to contact a professional cleaning service. They just get sick and tired of going through countless numbers of cheap housecleaning "companies".

To get a more in-depth analysis of how the mind of a quick, simple, cheap and easy cleaning business owner works....... read this. Here's some nuggets from the linked article.

1. How To Start a Business Without Any Money - Start A Cleaning Company!!
"I am 21, a student and a business owner. Seven months ago I opened a cleaning business (I couldn't afford to open anything else) and since then my life has been a living hell."

2. How To Hire The Cheapest Labor Possible - And Get Away With It!!
"The first month I found it hard to get a contract, but I did get one eventually, and found some employees willing to work part time. In two months, something was stolen from the place I was cleaning... they almost gave up the contract but I returned the goods, fired the employees, and found new ones."

3. How To Quit Your New Company - And Leave Your Customers High And Dry!!
"In January my car broke down and needed a major repair on the engine. I needed to get the cash from my cleaning contracts for December but they didn't pay and I cannot pay my university, car insurance and taxes. I am so sick of it and I feel I am coming to a nervous breakdown pretty soon. Is running a business always so painful? Am I too weak, or did I just chose a complicated domain? I am starting to think seriously about closing because I feel I just cannot take it anymore."

Of course, that's not easy to read. There's no pleasure in knowing that someone is struggling. But the point of this post is to illustrate to you how the mind of a struggling cleaning company operates.

Since there is no investment in time or capital, there's really no need to pursue the venture any longer. Eventually, the business closes and leaves its customers searching for another option. The option for that customer is then two fold.

1. Do you keep on hiring the cheapest cleaner?, or...
2. Do you finally decide to pay a few more bucks and hire someone that you can depend on?

Cheap rates keep on selling - especially in this down economy. But eventually, time proves that your cheap rate is cheap for a reason.

A Housekeeping Sweatshop

Reprinted From A San Fransisco Newspaper -

Q: Our longtime housekeeper (a foreign-born legal resident) has grown her business, hiring a Mexican woman (here illegally) to clean houses. Of the $80 I pay the housekeeper, between $10 and $15 goes to the woman who actually cleans. She speaks no English and probably couldn't have gotten the job on her own. If we offered her $60 directly, she'd be paid more fairly and we'd save $20, but our original housekeeper would lose. Should we do it?

A: "Grown her business" — yes, much like Pharaoh grew his pyramid-building operation. By subcontracting her work at $2 to $3 an hour (assuming five hours to clean a house), your housekeeper has breached ethics, the minimum-wage law and ordinary human decency. For you to benefit from this exploitation is thoroughly discreditable. You must provide the actual worker a fair wage. Talk to her with the help of a translator and seek a way to pay her directly without imperiling her other jobs. You might also consider calling the cops to shut down the sweatshop your longtime housekeeper is running.

Nothing is wrong with subcontracting if a boss provides a legitimate service, including finding work for employees and not simply skimming their paychecks, offers a living wage and decent benefits and heeds relevant laws such as those governing Social Security, insurance and licensing. But if you paid the Simon Legree housekeeper $80, why not pay the honest worker the same? The well-off should not try to save a buck at the expense of the poorest and most vulnerable. You might also consult a lawyer about legalizing your employee's immigration status (or abandon all hope of running for the Senate).

From Two Maids & A Mop -

Even when you know you're breaking the law.... Cheap keeps on selling!!

From Across The Pond.....

Here is a classic example of what can go wrong when you hire an individual housecleaner.

UNITED KINGDOM - Police are searching for a woman after about $50,000 in cash and jewelry were stolen from a family home.

Gaytri Mondal worked as a housekeeper but disappeared in September, along with $10,000 in cash and various items of jewelry.

Investigating Officer Matt Holman said: "Gaytri had earned the trust of this family over a long period of time. However, this trust has been abused and she is suspected of taking a large quantity of money and jewelry."

Call a professional.

Another Individual Maid Strikes Again

IDAHO - A woman was arrested for allegedly stealing money from houses she was contracted to clean. The Major Crimes Division went to investigate complaints of missing money at three different houses.

Investigators believe an independently contracted house cleaner, hired by all three homeowners, stole the money.

Top Immigration Officials' House Cleaned By Illegal Citizen

Every few weeks for nearly four years, the Secret Service screened the IDs of employees for a Maryland cleaning company before they entered the house of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, the nation's top immigration official.

The company's owner says the workers sailed through the checks -- although some of them turned out to be illegal immigrants.

Now, the owner finds himself in a predicament that he considers especially confounding. In October, he was fined $22,880 after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigators said he failed to check identification and work documents and fill out required I-9 verification forms for employees, five of whom he said were part of crews sent to Chertoff's home and whom ICE told him to fire because they were undocumented.

In addition to the Chertoffs' house, the service once cleaned the home of former president Bill Clinton and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, as well as homes of Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright. In those cases, he said, his company worked as a subcontractor and billing was done by a larger contractor firm.

Red flags everywhere!!! Anytime you hear the word subcontractor - be wary. Be vary wary because subcontracting is most often used as a means to provide cheap labor. Plain and simple.

Of course, another red flag deals with the illegal employees. A simple nationwide background check would have verified the citizenship of each employee. It would have cost $50 per employee, a lot less than a $23,000 fine.

In the end, this article proves a much bigger point. Cheap sells - even to our most decorated public officials.

If you want to hire a professional cleaning company, don't expect for a low price to be the biggest benefit that you'll receive. Expect on-time service, every time. Expect legal, safe and secure employees. Expect customer service at its best. Expect quality, nontoxic cleaning supplies. And yes, expect a clean house too.

Be careful out there. Hiring a maid is easy. So is starting a maid service company.

The Formula For Theft

Step 1. Create a business name that makes you sound like a real business. ABC Cleaning Company. Superior Maid Service. Whatever it takes to sound professional.

Step 2. Plaster posters all over town offering a cheap rate.

Step 3. There is no step three. That's all it takes to get invited into your home. Cheap rates with a professional name.

Dont believe me? Then click the link for proof.
The Formula For Theft - Illustrated

Scary Stories About Your Maid

In the spirit of Halloween, here's a few scary stories that might hit home with you. (reposted from last year)

1. Your cleaning lady didn't show up today. Did ghosts take her away? Did aliens abduct her? Nope. She just quit on you. Just like you're last cleaning lady.

2. Your maid service is late again. Is it because they think your house is haunted? Is it because your house is located on a creepy hollow? Nope. They just don't care about you. They're unorganized. And they're late every time.

3. Your housecleaner keeps making the same mistakes over and over again. Did your resident goblin put that dust on your nightstand? Did your maid see a ghost in the mirror? Nope. They just forgot again. Just like last week.

4. Your maid keeps leaving earlier and earlier. Is it because your kid's doll is possessed? Is it because your dog is evil? Nope. She's just gotten too comfortable with you. She's your buddy. And you're no longer her customer.

5. You keep hiring one bad housekeeper after another. Did a wicked witch cast a spell on your home? Is your house haunted and you don't know it? Nope. You just keep hiring the same person. You want your house cleaned. But you don't want to pay too much for it. After all, it's just housecleaning.

But of course, if it was only about housecleaning then you wouldn't be hiring a new maid four times a year.

Happy Halloween!!

Individual Housecleaner Steals - Again

"A housekeeper was charged after investigators said she took items from a client’s home and reported the house had been burglarized, said the Sheriff’s Office.

The housekeeper was charged with two counts of felony larceny and one count of making a false report to a police station. Reports of missing items were received October 3 and October 15, first by the housekeeper and the second by the homeowner.

When detectives went to the house, they found no evidence of a home invasion."

It's been said before, but it bears repeating. You don't need a brain to become a housecleaner. You don't need money to become a housecleaner. About all you really need is a cheap rate. Because a cheap rate means that somebody will hire you eventually.

It keeps happening. Everyday. But never to you, right?

Don't hire an individual maid. The risk far outweighs the benefit.

Tales From The Front Line

Heard on the phone just yesterday.....

Caller: "Your rates are too expensive. I'd rather hire an individual cleaner anyway. They need the money more and they'll work harder than a business."

Most of our current customers have already learned their lesson the hard way. I had to learn my own lesson the hard way. And this caller will also have to learn her lesson the hard way.

Individual cleaners show up late. Individual cleaners quit and leave town. Individual cleaners steal. But mostly, individual cleaners don't respect you as a customer. Of course, individual cleaners are also cheap.

And for some, that's all that is required. Until this happens.

Why Hiring Your Next Maid From A Road Sign is A Bad Idea

CLERMONT, FL -- Instead of picking things up, a cleaning service is accused of trashing someone's house. The landlord admits she made a big mistake hiring someone off a roadside sign, but what she didn't expect is that the quality of the job depended on the race of her tenants.

The landlord doesn't want to be identified, but claims a cleaning service refused to clean bathrooms and a refrigerator because of the ethnicity of former tenants. The house was trashed, with garbage in every room, and the landlord blames an angry cleaning lady.

Every wall in every room was keyed and the hundreds of feet of scratches will require an entire paint job. The doors of appliances were all bent so they no longer close and someone emptied vacuum cleaner bags all over the house.

No doubt that this landlord has learned her lesson. Will it take this kind of craziness for you to understand the difference between a housecleaner and a professional housecleaner?

On Hiring Just Anyone.....

We staff more than 40 maids every single day. Before one of our maids walks in your front door, we put the prospective employee through an extensive interview process.

Click here to find out how we hire an employee.

For those that didn't click, the main point that you need to know is that every single one of our employees undergoes a nationwide criminal background search. Of course, anything could happen. Just because you've never been convicted of a crime doesn't mean you'll never commit a crime. But it is important to know that we don't just hire anyone.

It takes a lot to get hired by Two Maids & A Mop. After all, we pay more than any other cleaning company in the area. We offer full medical benefits. And we offer a relaxed work atmosphere that can't be found anywhere else (try finding a job that pays you to listen to the radio for 1/3 of the day!)

Long story short, we work our tails off when we hire someone.

But you don't! There's proof everyday that you only hire because the housecleaner is cheap. Just keep scrolling through this blog and you'll see plenty of evidence.

Or you could jut read this excerpt from another chapter of a maid gone bad....

"A woman has been sentenced to a 51-month prison term for the thefts of credit cards and a tennis bracelet from a house she was hired to clean. The sentence was bolstered by the woman's criminal history, which includes felony convictions for first-degree theft, second-degree robbery, and six for drug possession."

What isn't shown is this former maid's rate sheet. You can bet that she was cheap. And you can bet that people chose her simply because she was cheap. Which, of course, was exactly what she was looking for in the first place.....

A professional housecleaner is a lot different than just being a housecleaner. Think about that the next time you're hiring another individual maid.

Hire A Professional Cleaner

You have to know by now that anyone can start a cleaning business. It doesn't take a lot of money. It doesn't take a lot of smarts. And it doesn't even require a lot of work. All you need are some mops and buckets and you're in business.

Even drug pushers know that the easiest way to make yourself look like a professional cleaning company is to buy some mops and buckets....

"Over a seven-month span, an undercover New Hanover County, NC deputy rode in a van filled with vacuum cleaners and mops, posing as a cleaning company and buying drugs from 117 people, according to the sheriff’s office. She bought $5,500 worth of drugs, mainly crack and heroin."

This is your home. The same home that you sleep in every night. The same home that contains tons of your valuable possessions. And the same home that gets treated like a car's gas tank when you decide to hire a housecleaner.

Treat your home with respect. Don't just find the cheapest price. Find a professional.

Ugghhh....

Quit hiring cleaning ladies. How many times does it have to happen before you wake up and realize that hiring a housecleaner should be treated in the same manner as hiring any other professional?

SCOTTSDALE, PA -- A cleaning lady faces charges of stealing more than $15,000 in jewelry, coins and cash from two residences where she was hired to clean a house and care for a dog.

Scottdale police charged Patti Banaszak with numerous counts of theft and receiving stolen property in the incidents.

Pamela Soforic told police she hired Banaszak as a cleaning lady in July. Soon after, she began to notice small amounts of money missing from a petty cash box in her home. Soforic said she then discovered two diamond rings missing from her bedroom dresser drawer. Concerned, she searched for other items and found them missing as well.

The inventory included a gold band, a diamond ring, a diamond tennis bracelet, a sterling tennis bracelet, three gold coins, a roll of uncirculated silver dollar coins, $100 in cash and a watch.

After police contacted local jewelry stores, they learned Banaszak had been to a store at least three times and allegedly sold the missing items. Most had been converted by the business for use in making jewelry, police said.

Police said while interviewing Soforic, her neighbor informed them she had given Banaszak a key to her home to take care of her dog while she was out of town the previous weekend. The neighbor checked her valuables and told police she was missing a gold charm bracelet and a diamond/gold bracelet.

Start Hiring Professionals!

More Victims Of Cleaning Thief in Virginia

Presenting the quote that should be at the top of every professional cleaning company's website or brochure..........

"We should have paid more attention when we started to have suspicion that something just wasn't right," said one resident who had employed Martinez for 11 years and developed deep ties with her.

You can't expect to be treated like a customer if you don't treat your service provider like a professional. Start acting like a customer. Start hiring a professional.

Another Cleaning Lady Steals From Her Customers

The choice is yours to make. You can hire a professional cleaning company and know that you are protected against any worst case scenario. Or you could hire a cleaning lady with great rates and cross your fingers.

This example proves all the important points. Check the bolded parts for explanation.

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA -- A cleaning lady has been accused of stealing jewelry and clothes from her clients.

Martinez cleaned homes under the company name Mirian Cleaning Services in Alexandria. (The first step to gaining your trust is to make yourself look professional by naming yourself a "company".)

Mirian Martinez is accused of stealing from at least four of her long-time clients, and police said there may be more victims. (The next step is to gain their trust by providing a decent service for a certain timeframe - then steal as soon they let their guard down.)

Fairfax County police said Martinez stole jewelry from a woman, and some of the stolen jewelry was sold at a pawn shop. Police said they are still looking for a diamond ring worth $42,000.

Two more of Martinez's clients also reported missing jewelry and clothing worth more than $62,000.

Martinez has been charged with grand larceny and selling stolen property. More charges are pending, police said.

Martinez was also charged in connection with jewelry thefts from another home in a neighboring county. (And the final step is to steal fast and steal often. You gotta get while the going is good.)

Housecleaning Is Easy Money

LAKELAND, FL - Two granddaughters of a housekeeper were arrested and accused of stealing jewelry valued at $17,000 from a client's home.

According to a Sheriff's Office report, the clients noticed that jewelry had started to disappear from the house whenever their housekeeper brought her granddaughter with her to clean. The jewelry included several diamond rings, a diamond bracelet, gold rings and a gold pendant.

The stories keep happening over and over again all over this country. Yet, we keep hearing this same tired phrase, "You're rates are just too much."

It always amazes me that someone will pay a professional accountant a small fortune to report their finances, but that same person will not even think about paying more than a few bucks to protect those same finances.

You already know this, but it bears repeating...

Hiring a housecleaner has very little to do with housecleaning.

Not To Beat A Dead Horse....

....but hiring a housecleaner has very little to do with housecleaning. The quicker you realize that - the easier it will be for you to understand that a professional cleaning company is far different than a cleaning lady.

SEBRING, FL - A woman who sheriff's investigators say worked as a cleaning lady remained in jail in lieu of $22,500 bond after a 71-year-old client reported someone took his cash, a watch and racked up charges on a stolen credit card.

Felicia Renee Carney, 38, also known as Felicia Silver, was booked on charges of burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, petty theft second offense, grand theft $300 or more but less than $10,000 while victim was 65 years of age or older, fraud - illegal use of credit cards to obtain goods or money $100 or more, and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription.

The total value of the grand theft was $1,949, the report stated, and petty theft amounts on the unauthorized credit card use added up to $720. Carney has a history of arrests.

The charges dating back to July 2004 include domestic violence battery, violation of probation for domestic violence battery, obtaining property by worthless check, giving a false name to a law enforcement officer, fraudulent use of a credit card and failure to appear, violation of probation for fraudulent use of a credit card, cocaine possession, along with several warrant arrests and driving with no driver's license or vehicle registration.

Sheriff's Capt. Randy LaBelle has some advice for anyone wanting to hire domestic help.

"Request references, and check them," he said. "If they don't give you any, then I'd be leery of them. Do a background check at the sheriff's office. Go online to the clerk of courts Web site and see if they've participated in any litigation. Contact your chamber of commerce and the Better Business Bureau."

Where's The Bond?

Step 1. Get in the door by offering a low cleaning rate.

Step 2. Gain the family's trust by getting to know them.

Step 3. Steal until you get caught.

"People who hire individuals to help them, hire them thinking they and their belongings are safe," Judge Sharon Nicklas said to the maid, calling her offense an extreme breach of trust. "People are entitled to feel safe, especially in their own home."

The maid had taken jewelry worth about $70,000, ivory miniatures worth $48,000, antiques, silverware, figurines and rugs totaling $50,000. The items were valued at a total of $168,000!!

Some of the items were retrieved, but the maid was ordered to pay the outstanding restitution of $157,350. And since there was no bond, you better hope this maid wins the lottery real soon. Otherwise, good riddance to your money.

Another Individual Maid Gone Bad

Yes, It Happens To The "Professionals" Too

It's been said many times here that hiring an individual housecleaner is bad news. Yes, it probably means that you'll receive a low cleaning rate. But more importantly, it could mean that something bad could occur. Hopefully, you're individual cleaner will just show up late to your home. But in some cases, your individual housecleaner may steal from you and leave you without any recourse.

But it's not just individual housecleaners that can hurt you. Even professional cleaning companies can make your life miserable.

Click here to see what the four cleaning ladies on the right got caught doing...

So you know that you aren't supposed to hire an individual housecleaner. But now you find out that you aren't supposed to hire a professional cleaning company either. Now what?

First off, you still aren't supposed to hire an individual. Too many things could happen because that indvidual housecleaner isn't a business - it's just some side money. You wouldn't let a stranger from the street into your home, so why would you let someone in just because they left a flier on your mailbox?

Secondly, make sure that your professional cleaning company is bonded and insured. In other words, think of every worst case scenario that could happen and ask them how their company protects you.

Third, make sure that your professional cleaning company conducts a nationwide criminal background search on its employees. That goes for the owner's daughter-in-law and that goes for the little sweet girl with a pretty smile. Hiring people with clean backgrounds doesn't mean that you're completely safe, but you're exponentially safer if the background checks are conducted.

Finally, just because your professional cleaning company calls itself professional doesn't mean that it's professional. Professional means answering the phone every time you call. Professional means arriving on-time every time. Professional means hiring employees rather than contractors. Professional means a lot of things. It's like comparing a flea market to a department store.

A flea market has hidden gems amongst loads of crap that nobody else wants. In a department store, you rarely sneak up on a gem. But you also know that you aren't in a flea market. A department store is a business. A flea market is someone's side money. The difference is obvious.

Another Cheap, Uninsured Maid Strikes Again

CAPE CORAL -- This a story you need to hear if you ever have anyone come to your home to do any sort of work - even if you trust and think you know that person well.

Betty Bowman, 92, says the woman she hired to clean and take care of her home, cleaned out a lot more than just her closets. She cleaned out her bank account too.

Bowman said her housekeeper of two years, Susan Beckers, "stole her personal bank checks and cashed those checks without permission."

The arrest report says Beckers forged 25 of Bowman's personal checks, totaling more than $10,000. Detectives say the stolen checks were written to, and endorsed by, Beckers. They added the account numbers on the stolen checks matched Beckers' personal bank account number.

Now, Beckers is being charged with two counts of forgery to a bank note and one count of larceny - charges she admits to.

The general manager of Bowman's housing complex said that she is not a bonded, licensed, or insured cleaning person.

Dependable, Honest, Consistent And CHEAP?

"What do you charge to clean a house?", said the potential customer.

"Well, it's hard to provide you with a quote without first knowing what you are looking for. So, tell me what you are looking for in a housecleaner", said the maid service manager.

The potential customers responds by saying, "I am looking for someone that is dependable, honest, consistent and cheap."

It was hard not to laugh. Because it ain't gonna happen. It's a myth. An oxymoron. There is no such thing as a cheap, dependable, honest and consistent maid.

The reason is simple. Money talks. You might be willing to offer your services for cheap. And you might tell your customers that you're honest, dependable and consistent. But the reality is that you can't be all those things. The money just won't allow you to be all those things.

Because at some point, another customer is going to be willing to pay your maid more money. Because at some point, your maid is going to get sick and tired of cleaning your toilet for nothing. And because at some point, your maid is going to decide to sleep in one morning rather than scrub your baseboards.

Your maid will do each of those things for the same reason that we're willing to do each of those things for you. Because money talks.

You can't buy from Wal-Mart and expect to receive Nordstrom's customer service. And you shouldn't expect to buy from an independent maid and expect Two Maids & A Mop customer service.

Just Because You Say It Doesn't Mean It's True

"I currently clean 2 houses a week and I am looking for 2 more. I am dependable, honest and trustworthy. I will get it done right the first time. I am a SAHM and military spouse! Refrences avaliable! Light laundry, dusting, windows, fans, sinks, appliances, anything you need me to do I can and will do! Very cheap for a deep down to the bottom clean! You won't find anyone to clean like me for the price! Call me now!!"

That's an advertisement for another cleaning "company". Says all the key words. Honest. Trustworthy. Dependable. And most importantly, cheap.

It will work. Guaranteed.

Then it will all fall apart. Guaranteed.

And then you'll call a professional cleaning company.

The process keeps repeating itself.

Just watch the first couple of minutes of this video. Is this what you would call a cleaning company?

Have Mop, Will Clean

KENOVA, WV -- Some people in Kenova are breathing a bit easier after a woman has been taken into police custody.

Melissa Staley went by the name of Melissa Martin as she went door to door in Kenova. She told the residents she was down on her luck and would be willing to clean or mow lawns.

Officers had gotten several reports of a woman knocking on doors and asking the elderly home owners if they needed any work done. During the conversation, she asked to use the bathroom. That's when police said she made her move and robbed them. The victim didn't even realize their money was stolen until after the woman left.

After letting Staley inside her home, one Kenova resident discovered nearly $8,000 missing. Staley is now being held on grand larceny charges.

Click here for a video recap of this story.

It takes about five seconds for me to find these stories. About the same amount of time it takes for someone to "start" a new cleaning business.

Great rates sound good. A sad story may sound even better. But you're a customer. Start acting like one and you'll get treated like one.

It Will Never Happen To You

Wales, United Kingdom-- A woman who stole and forged checks to the value of more than £1,300 from an elderly stroke victim is facing a jail term. Joanne Jones appeared in court where she admitted three counts of fraud and two counts of forgery. Prosecutors said that Jones had been employed to provide care and cleaning services for the 87-year-old victim in her home.

Her father and grandfather have expressed a desire to reimburse the victim.

Great! Because that's the only way the victim is going to get any money. No bond. No real cleaning company. Just a woman making some money on the side (literally!).

Her rates might be cheap. She may look innocent. And she probably has a business card. But it's doubtful that she's a business.

It never seems like it will happen to you. But it does happen. And when it happens - it's too late. You're stuck. And there's no going back. You're money is already gone.

Of course, maybe you're maid's father will decide to reimburse you.

Another Rogue Maid Strikes Again

OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND - Police have arrested and charged a housecleaner with stealing valuable historical artifacts from her clients. Police said Darla Nolan stole more than $40,000 worth of jewelry and other personal items from the homes where she worked.

Among the items stolen were French-minted medallions honoring George and Martha Washington, a family Bible dating to the 1800s and a religious relic of St. Peregrine, the patron saint of cancer victims.

While the thefts occurred over the span of several months, none was reported to police.
"She was able to get access to jewelry that people didn't wear on a regular basis. People might not have missed them for a while," Lt. Steven Ang said.

Police charged Nolan with burglary, theft and receiving stolen property. She also was charged with drug possession, suggesting a possible motive for the thefts.

Yes, hiring an individual maid means that you'll probably pay a little less than your neighbor. But it also means many other things.

It might mean that she gets a little too close to your family. It might mean that she starts treating you like friend rather than an employee. And it might mean that she decides to quit helping you because someone else is willing to pay her more.

But then again, you might wish for those things to happen. Because hiring an individual maid might also mean that you lose more than just a housecleaner.

Ask these customers in Maryland if those cheap rates are worth it now....

How To Steal From Your Clients In Three Easy Steps

A housekeeper is facing more than a dozen counts of felony stealing in the theft of more than $32,000 dollars from a St. Louis home. Police say Trina Lipe stole the money over a three-year period, typically by writing checks to herself. Lipe is also accused of stealing $100 from another resident, who said it was "very, very surprising" when she realized what happened.

Step 1 - Charge the customer a great rate - so low that they can't say no.

Step 2 - Gain the customer's trust - "It was very, very, very surprising. Trina was a very sweet person," the victim said. "She would come, be very nice with my children. When they were sick, and home alone, she would make them lunch."

Step 3 - Steal until the customer catches you - Then run away with more than $32,000.

Please watch this video. Hiring a professional housecleaner means hiring a professional first, then a housecleaner next.

How To Be The Cheapest Cleaning Service

Cheap keeps on selling. And there's really no way to stop it because, well, it's so cheap.

Maine-- A man who formerly owned a cleaning company has been sentenced to a year in federal prison for harboring and employing illegal aliens.

Manuel Antonio Cornejo, 30, who waived indictment and pleaded guilty in January, is believed to be the first Maine employer to be sentenced in U.S. District Court for hiring undocumented workers. Cornejo also was sentenced to three years of supervised release after he gets out of prison and was ordered to pay a $3,000 fine.

A native of El Salvador, Cornejo went to work for a cleaning company and started his own business, M.C. Cleaning LLC, shortly after he became a U.S. citizen in 2006.

You already know that you get what you pay for. And in the cleaning business, you can be cheap as you want to be - assuming that you ignore all local, state and federal laws.

Cheap means hiring illegal aliens. Cheap means stealing from our government. Cheap means that you'll hire just about anybody - whether they've been convicted of a crime or not. Cheap means not purchasing insurance. But cheap also means that you pay less than your neighbor.

Anybody can start a housecleaning business. And inevitably, just about anybody does.

Cheap Keeps On Selling

A man is in jail after he was arrested on charges of kidnapping and rape.

Sheriff's deputies arrested Rudolph Valentino Smith, charging him with a rape that happened Thursday afternoon. The sheriff's office said that Smith, employed by Watkins Cleaning Service, was working at another home on South Haven.

According to statements, Smith left the job site and went to the victim's home about 2:30 p.m., asking to use the phone. The victim was babysitting a child at the time. Once inside the residence, Smith attacked the victim and threatened to kill her if she reported the assault. A child ran to another room in the home and was not harmed. After the attack, Smith told the victim to give him a ride home. The victim told Smith that she needed her keys from an upstairs room. Once there, she locked herself and the child in a bedroom and dialed 911. Smith stole a handgun from the residence and ran off.

According to investigators, Smith has been arrested and jailed on 15 separate occasions. Past felony charges against him include Aggravated Assault, Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute, Armed Robbery and Voluntary Manslaughter.

This guy worked for a cleaning company. That means that you're supposed to be protected. But it's obvious that this cleaning company wasn't protecting anyone. They hired a convicted felon and sent him into a stranger's home. They should feel awful. And they better be insured because they'll be sued soon.

Of course, they should be sued. Mistakes happen. Sometimes you just hire the wrong kind of person. But there are some easy things that a professional cleaning service can perform in order to determine if an employee has a criminal background.

Yes, the steps to determining someone's criminal background are easy. But no, the steps are not cheap.

Cheap keeps on selling. And cheap keeps on proving that you get what you pay for!

Random Thoughts From The Cleaning World

1. A pair of crooks bullied a 10-year-old girl into letting them into a townhouse where they were caught on tape burglarizing the home. The girl was playing on the front steps of the house when the thieves approached and asked her if there was an adult home last Friday. "Two young guys forced her into the house," said Mark Appel, owner of the townhouse. He said the little girl was the daughter of his housekeeper, who was cleaning when the crooks struck.

That's the chance you take when you hire an individual. The homeowner better be more concerned about getting sued by his housekeeper. Whether he knows it or not, he's the supervisor of a workplace environment. And as a supervisor, it's his responsibility to provide a safe, secure environment. Of course, he could have just hired a professional cleaning company and he wouldn't have to worry about a lawsuit. But then again, professional cleaning companies are so much more expensive than individual cleaning ladies.

2. A narcotics task force seized three-and-a-half pounds of heroin and arrested three people on suspicion of multiple drug-related felony charges. Arcelia Padilla and Yoann Rosas were arrested alongside Heber Ruiz. The drug bust was the culmination of a three-month investigation. Padilla, a housekeeper, was found in possession of the lion's share of the heroin with an estimated street value of up to $160,000.

That could be your next cleaning lady. And you would have no idea until it's too late. Four words: Nationwide Criminal Background Checks.

3. A dry cleaning store clerk arrived at work Thursday morning to find a surprise ceremony honoring her honesty. Jennifer Peña was so startled that she froze up and struggled to get her words out. Last week, Peña found $800 cash and a signed paycheck for about $700 in a pair of pants just dropped off by a customer. Peña, who has worked at the store for 2 1/2 years, immediately called the customer. The customer's wife rushed back and claimed the $1,500!

Proof that there are still good, honest people still alive. Not everyone is out to get you. Just be careful - because it only takes one unethical person to create a big mess for you.

What Happens After You Get A Killer Deal

We've been using the same service for years now. The original owner was a lovely woman who always made sure her staff came on time and did a nice job. A little over a year ago she decided to become a Realtor in Texas leaving her son in charge of the cleaning service. Let's just say the experience hasn't exactly been the same since he took over.

We've gotten more and more annoyed at them as the quality of their work dropped and they became less and less responsive. But we're lazy people, and it was just easier to let them keep coming rather than deal with firing them and finding someone new. Plus we were pretty sure that we were getting a killer deal and that any other service would be way more expensive. OK, fine, we're lazy and cheap.

Click here for the full article.

At least this customer understands that you get what you pay for. You can't have your cake and eat it too. At some point, you've got to be willing to pay a little extra if you expect a little extra.

And by a little extra, I mean the basics. Like showing up on time. Like not making the same mistakes over and over again. And like having a real person answer the telephone at all times....

I called a friend to find out who cleaned her house and made the call, then I procrastinated on the other call, the unpleasant one, until yesterday when backed up traffic put me in the right mood to fire someone. But when I called I found that the number had been disconnected. Thinking that it was a mistake I called again, but it was no mistake. Just as I was finally ready to kick them to the curb it seems that our cleaning service had done a runner.

Unfortunately, getting a killer deal means sacrificing a few of the basics when it comes to hiring a maid service.

Doing Whatever It Takes To Get Income

A distraught Hispanic female told officers that she had been sexually assaulted by a Hispanic male. The victim stated that the suspect had contacted her under the pretense of hiring her to work for his home-cleaning business.

“There are a lot of things people can do to protect themselves, but won’t because they think it is going too far,” Officer David Tilley said. “Always check on who you are going to work for." Tilley said with everyone hit hard by the economy, some people jump at the opportunity for work without fully researching the business.

This falls especially true for people working as contract labor. “People are just trying to find work, and are doing whatever it takes to get income,” he said. “It is unfortunate that there are people out there that will take advantage of people in these difficult times.”
________________

Make sure that you read the previous paragraph one more time. Yes, the officer is referring to a situation where someone posed as an employer. But the premise is that this individual picked the cleaning industry. He picked our industry because anyone can start a housecleaning business. And time after time, just about anyone does start a housecleaning business.

In desperate times, a person will do whatever it takes to make a living. And if the legal route doesn't work, then the illegal route is the only other option.

The least important criteria to selecting your next housecleaner should be housecleaning.

26,000 Reasons To Never Hire An Individual Maid

The year was 1988. A young man named R.F. DuBois desperately needed to hire a housecleaner for his home. Enter Gloria Landry.

The hire appeared to be a very wise decision. For 17 years, Gloria worked for DuBois and provided consistent, dependable service.

But it all ended on June 8, 2005. Gloria had just finished another perfect housecleaning and she was headed to her car. That's when she tripped over a crack in the driveway. And that's also when Gloria hired an attorney.

For the last two years, Gloria has been in a legal battle with her former happy client. And just a few days ago, her fellow peers agreed that she deserved $12,383.35 in past medical expenses, $9,620 in past physical pain and mental anguish and $4,810 in lost wages.

"Landry was an employee of DuBois," the suit said. "DuBois controlled the days she worked, her duties, and supplied the tools she used. Landry was injured in the course and scope of her employment with DuBois. DuBois does not carry workers compensation insurance coverage."

Are you listening yet? It happens everyday. And it can happen to you at anytime. You're not a business. You don't have workers' compensation insurance. You don't have general liability insurance. You don't pay payroll taxes. You're just a regular person - a homeowner.

Leave the business stuff to businesses.

You're Next

Of course you're not a celebrity. You're probably not a multi-millionaire either. But that doesn't really matter. Because you can just be a regular person.

Cheap keeps on selling.

Cheap Keeps On Selling

Cheap keeps on selling. And all those cheap maids keep proving that you're hiring much more than just a housecleaner.

CITY OF NEWBURGH — City officers arrested a woman driving a stolen rental car three days after she swiped the keys from a home she was supposed to clean.

An officer spotted a car that matched the description earlier in the morning. When officers pulled it over, they found the cleaning lady, 45-year-old Terri Englehardt, behind the wheel and a passenger, 26-year-old Antonio L. Damon. Officers said they also found crack cocaine in Englehardt’s pocket.

Police took the two of them to police headquarters, where they asked Damon to empty his pockets. Damon, who lives in the Economy Inn on Route 9W, pulled out a plastic bag and quickly swallowed it, police said.

Hiring An Individual Cleaner Cost This Guy $250,000!!!

Jerry Azumah, a retired Chicago Bears player, is out more than $250,000 because he hired an unlicensed, individual housecleaner.

Click here for the full article.

But wait - there is a silver lining. According to this article, there is a chance that he'll be able to recover some of his money!

You don't think it can ever happen to you. Neither did Jerry Azumah.

Liar Liar - Pants On Fire!

Chris Hackett, a candidate for the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, recently fired his maid because she informed his wife that she is an illegal immigrant. Hackett’s family hired her two years ago to clean his house about twice a month and paid her by check. The woman’s wage wasn’t reported to the Internal Revenue Service because it was a small enough that he didn’t have to, Hackett said. The woman was hired independently by the Hackett family.

Now get this - Hackett is the owner of a professional staffing agency. Which means that he knows the importance of background checks. And which also means that he knows the importance of payroll taxes.

He didn't perform either function. Because a simple background check would have identified her as an illegal immigrant. And if he would have paid payroll taxes, then she would have had to supply her social security card.

You know why he hired her. So does everyone else. She was cheap.

And she was cheap because she had no overhead. She didn't have to pay taxes of any kind - payroll, state or federal. And more than likely, she wasn't bonded or licensed either.

Cheap sells. Even when it's illegal. But sometimes cheap bites you on the butt.

Sorry Mr. Hackett- You Got Bit On The Butt!!

How Hiring An Individual Cleaner May Cost This Couple $120K

A woman who spent four years working as a live-in housekeeper and nanny for a couple filed suit in federal court against her former employers, charging that they violated labor laws by working her 14-hours a day, six days a week, without overtime pay or breaks.

In her suit, the woman charged that she was paid $1,000 to $1,300 a month to scrub bathrooms, wash windows, vacuum, mop and dust the 9,000-square foot home, cook, serve meals, hand wash china and silver, launder and iron clothes, and bathe, dress and supervise the couple's young daughter.

The suit asks for unpaid wages, liquidated damages and penalties amounting to nearly $120,000!

Click here for the full story. And check out the former housecleaner protesting her former employer in the picture on the right.

It can happen to you too. But it can only happen if you hire an unlicensed, individual housecleaner. Because hiring a housecleaner from a professional cleaning company means that your liability is over once your payment is received.

There's no doubt that this couple hired this woman because she only asked for $1,300 per month. Wonder how cheap she seems now?

I don't make that kind of money and I have a college degree!

"I don't make that kind of money and I have a college degree!", says the prospective maid service customer.

You've probably had this same thought too. You're thinking that your maid earns more money than you earn in a given hour. And in some cases, you're exactly right.

But you're only right if you hire an individual maid. Because an individual maid has almost no overhead.

Imagine owning a business that didn't have to pay any employees. Imagine owning a business that didn't have to purchase any operating supplies. Imagine owning a business that didn't have to purchase any form of insurance. Imagine owning a business that didn't have to spend any money on advertising. And most importantly, imagine owning a business that didn't have to pay any taxes to their local, state or federal government.

Well, quit imagining because that's exactly what's happening in your neighborhood. There's an individual maid cleaning your neighbor's house right now that isn't supplying cleaning supplies. She isn't bonded. She doesn't have a general liability insurance policy. She's never been licensed to work in your county. And she earned your neighbor's business by posting a 25 cents flyer on their mailbox.

And all the while, she's never paid one penny to the government. That's because your transaction is invisible. So she gets to bypass the federal payroll tax. She gets to bypass the federal income tax. She even gets to bypass your county's occupational license tax. All because your transaction is invisible.

Which of course means that she is invisible too.

So, yes - there are maids out there that are earning more money than you earn in one hour. But thy're earning that money only because you let them get away with it. And why do you let them get away with it?

You already know the answer. Cheap sells.

Cash Only Please

If you have ever hired a service company, then you have probably heard these words - CASH ONLY PLEASE!

And if you've ever wondered why your service company requested only cash, here's why.......

1. A service company requests cash because your money makes the transaction final. Forget getting your money back if you are not satisfied. Because your cash has no paper trail.

2. A service company requests cash because they don't want to pay taxes. They don't want to pay income taxes. They don't want to pay payroll taxes. And they don't want to pay sales taxes. Your cash makes the transaction invisible. Because your cash has no paper trail.

3. A service company requests cash because they don't have a checking account. They don't want a checking account because checking accounts are monitored by the IRS. A personal check would interrupt the entire process. Because your cash has no paper trail.

Of course, accepting cash is no big deal. But requesting cash is a tell-tale sign of a maid service company gone bad. They can provide you with a number of valid reasons. But the truth lies within one of these three reasons.

Then again, you might not care. You might not care that your maid is stealing from our government. You might not care that your maid is making sure that she gets paid no matter what. And you might not care that your 17 year old daughter has a checking account, but your maid doesn't!

You might not care at all. Good.

Your maid doesn't care either. Because your cash has no paper trail.

Stealing From The Sheriff

A cleaning woman is in custody for stealing from a former sheriff following a sting operation by the local police.

Janet Sullivan, 57, was arrested Monday after police conducted an investigation based on a complaint from the former sheriff that the woman was stealing from him. According to documents, the former sheriff reported to police that his wife's wedding ring was missing.

When the former sheriff told police he recently hired Sullivan as his cleaning lady, they decided to do a "bait" operation. Police photocopied $500 worth of $20 bills and then placed the originals in the former sheriff's home prior to Sullivan's arrival to clean. When Sullivan left the house, police counted the cash and noticed $120 was missing.

Sullivan, who was being followed after leaving residence, was contacted by police in the Taco Bell with $20 bills matching the photocopies. A search of Sullivan's purse at the police station revealed a white powder substance, which field-tested positive for meth. The former sheriff also positively identified his wife's wedding ring from the contents of the purse.

Sullivan was arrested and has been charged with one felony count of receiving stolen property, one felony count of possession of a controlled substance and one misdemeanor count of receiving stolen property.

Commentary
This cleaning lady was by herself. She wasn't employed by a cleaning company. She was a drug addict. And she was far from professional - her mug shot proves that much. But I'm sure that her rates were great!!

So you're sitting there and thinking, "I would never hire someone that looks like that". But you say that because you already know what happened. Cheap rates work. They work everyday. Because you think that all you're hiring is a housecleaner.

Little do you know that hiring a housecleaner has very little to do with housecleaning.

The $100,000 Cheap Cleaning Company

A cleaning woman was arrested over the weekend after deputies say she was caught on tape stealing high-end equipment worth more than $100,000 from a Naples, Florida cell phone store. She was arrested Saturday after deputies pulled her over on a traffic stop for driving a red Toyota Celica with an expired tag. Deputies learned she does not have a valid driver’s license.

Deputies also learned that Kollar is in the United States on a Hungarian passport and should not be working while here. She was employed by Elite Cleaning Company.

You think that you've hired a professional cleaning company. And since you've hired a professional cleaning company, you think that its employees are all bonded and insured. And most importantly, you think that its employees are all legal. And crime free.

But you may not have hired a professional cleaning company. You may have just hired a person. And that person may have decided to give herself a professional sounding name.

That's how easy it is. You don't even need a business card. All you need is a name.

Please don't just hire the cheapest cleaning company. We know that cleaning is easy. We know that cleaning is mundane. But you're cheap cleaning company could cost you a lot more down the road. It's happened before - and it will happen again.

But it won't happen to you if you hire the right kind of cleaning company. And the first step in hiring the right kind of cleaning company is to follow these two laws:

1. Require that your cleaning company provide proof of insurance and bonding.

2. Require that your cleaning company prove to you that each of its employees are safe, secure and legal.

How Hiring The Wrong Maid Almost Cost A Customer $3,700

In Phoenix, a registered sex offender was arrested after a home was robbed during a house cleaning. According to the victim, the house cleaner was found using the internet bulletin board called craigslist.

The house cleaner was arrested after he was found to be in the possession of $3,700 worth of stolen goods from the home. He had been convicted numerous times, including kidnapping, rape and armed robbery. Of course, a simple background search would have prevented this crime.

The homeowners were alerted when the house cleaner requested that he be paid in cash - at a different location!

Lessons to be learned from this debacle
1. Conduct a background check. Or just hire a professional cleaning company and make sure that they supply you with proof that each employee has been checked.

2. Make sure that your house cleaner is bonded and insured. This doesn't prevent a crime, but it does protect you.

3. Never hire a house cleaner that requests cash. The main reason a house cleaner requests cash is because she wants to get rid of the paper trail. In some cases, that only means she's trying to avoid paying taxes. But it could also mean that your house cleaner is hiding something.

4. Never hire anyone just because she's cheap. And never hire anyone just because she's calls her business a "cleaning company". This business is easy to start. It doesn't take a lot of money. It doesn't take a lot of work. Heck, it doesn't even take a lot of guts. Anyone can start a cleaning company. And it's for that reason that so many quit. Because if it's easy to start, it's just as easy to quit.

The Timeline Of A Cleaning Lady's Theft

Joann Douglas had cleaned at the DeChellis home every other Wednesday for about a year and cleaned at DeChellis’ Italian Cafe every Friday for a couple of months. Douglas had worked for a cleaning company when she first provided cleaning services for the DeChellises’ daughter. Later, Douglas began to work for their daughter independently of the cleaning company.

Warrants were recently issued for the arrest of Joanne Douglas for the burglary of the DeChellis' restaurant.

No, we're not beating a dead horse.

Here's the timeline of this cleaning lady's theft.....

1. The DeChellis family needed a housecleaner. So they hired a professional cleaning company.
2. Joanne Douglas worked for this professional cleaning company.
3. The company assigned Douglas to the DeChellis account.
4. The Dechellis family became comfortable with Douglas.
5. Douglas knew that they were becoming comfortable.
6. Douglas also knew what the DeChellis' were currently paying her employer.
7. So Douglas charged just a little less.
8. In the end, Douglas makes more money and the Dechellis family spends less money.
9. Everybody's happy. It's a perfect situation.

Of course, that was before Joanne Douglas was arrested for theft. It seemed improbable. But it happened.

Cheap, individual housecleaners steal (no, not all of them!). They steal because it's easy. And they keep stealing because people choose them for one reason. Because they're cheap.

And if you still don't believe me, click here.

The Tax Evasion Scheme Explained

Part One
During a department investigation, it was discovered that from 2003 through 2005 a couple allegedly received over $140,000 of taxable income that was not reported to the State of Minnesota. According to the complaint, the couple owes the state at least $9,750 in income tax for those years.

William McCann allegedly admitted that he had been doing remodeling jobs since 2002 and had received $25 an hour, even though he is not a licensed contractor in Minnesota. He admitted to running a lawn sprinkler service for the past four years as well. The income he received from both of these jobs was not reported on the couple’s tax returns.

Patricia McCann allegedly acknowledged that she knew her husband was involved in remodeling and construction projects, and that the money was put into their checking accounts, but was not reported on their individual income tax returns. She also admitted to failing to report that she had received $225 per week for house cleaning services since April 2003.

Click here for the full article.

Part Two
The I.R.S. estimates that as many as four million people owe payroll taxes (known as nanny taxes) each year, that means that fewer than 1 in 13 are obeying the law.

"My accountant told me I have to stop this and issue paycheck stubs and report what I pay to the I.R.S.," said Elaine, a divorced 42-year-old mother of two who covers Hollywood for a magazine and asked that her last name not be used. "But since no President is ever going to nominate me for the Cabinet, what do I care about paying this stupid nanny tax? And if I get caught, I'll just pay the fine and go on doing what I am doing."

So why should you care?

Maybe this statement will hit home with you.....

The law requires anyone who pays a nanny or other servant more than $1,100 this year to report those wages to the I.R.S. Assuming that only one in thirteen is doing so - and that the tax evaders spend as much on household help as the upright citizens do -the Federal Government is losing $1.2 billion a year in Social Security and Medicare taxes.

Click here for the full article.

Part Three
And why should this statement mean anything to you....

1. Because your salary gets whacked because of these payroll taxes. If you have to pay them, why shouldn't everyone else?

2. Because your housecleaner is a thief. She's stealing from your government. And if she'll steal from your government, she might steal from you.

3. Because you're stealing from your government too. And that can't make you feel too good about yourself.

When It's Too Good To Be True

I picked a carpet cleaning service out of the Penny Saver coupons we get in the mail - $89.99 for four rooms, plus the hallway. Last month, Chris from Premier Carpet Care came to inspect. He said I needed deep cleaning and pre-spotting in addition to the basic price or there would be bad results.

So, $227.27 later, they "cleaned" the carpets.

Click here for the full article.

Of course you want something for nothing. There's nothing wrong with that. We all do!! But the reality is that the only reason for a company to brag about its low prices is because there's nothing else to brag about.

Six Steps To The Perfect Cleaning Business

1. Make sure that each transaction is cash only. This means that you don't have to pay Uncle Sam anything! This means that you get to report no income on your income taxes. Which of course means that you'll receive a tax refund down the road.

2. Make sure that you use the customer's cleaning supplies. You know that the only reason that they hired you is because of your low prices. And you know that you need to keep your expenses as low as possible in order to continue offering such low prices. So use the customer's vacuum. Use their mop. Use their rags. Use their cleaning chemicals too. And if they're out of something, then just create your own cleaning products with what they have under the sink.

3. Do not purchase any type of insurance coverage. There's no way you'll be able to afford insurance and continue offering your low prices. So don't even waste your time calling. It doesn't matter anyway. If you break something, what are they going to say to you? This whole transaction is illegal in the first place.

4. Forget about workers' compensation. Why pay for that when all you need to do is sue your employer if you get injured in their home?

5. And when you really just get sick and tired of this business, just quit. Run away. Move out of town. It's not like you have a real investment in your business anyway. All you did was stick some cheap fliers on the grocery store's bulletin board.

6. And finally, if you get real desperate - then just steal from your customer. They don't know you. All they really know about you is that you clean their house every two weeks.

The Reality Of Perception

We often talk about how important it is to understand that you get what you pay for. In our industry, the cost of starting a cleaning business is close to zero. And since the investment is minimal, the investment in the quality of the service is minimal as well.

But a recent research study at the California Institute of Technology suggests that high prices sometimes lead to false perceptions.

The study asked 20 people to sample wine while undergoing functional MRIs of their brain activity. The subjects were told they were tasting five different Cabernet Sauvignons sold at different prices. However, there were actually only three wines sampled, two being offered twice, marked with different prices. A $90 wine was provided marked with its real price and again marked $10, while another was presented at its real price of $5 and also marked $45. The testers' brains showed more pleasure at the higher price than the lower one, even for the same wine!

Click here to find out more about the study.

One of our housecleaning packages includes a two hour cleaning for $125. You get two maids, along with all necessary cleaning supplies and equipment. Nobody in our area charges anywhere close to this for just two hours of work. In fact, many of our competitors charge as little as $10 per hour (one person).

One might think that our $125 cleaning is way better than the $10 per hour cleaning. In some cases, that's very true. In other cases, our $125 cleaning isn't that much better than the $10 per hour cleaning. The reason is simple:

You're not paying us to be the best housecleaner in the world. You're paying us to be the most professional cleaning company in the world. That means that we'll show up on time every time. That means that we'll utilize the most effective cleaning products and supplies available. That means that we'll provide you with the safest and most secure employees in the area. And that means that you'll receive better customer service from us than anyone else in the area. Our service doesn't start when we walk in your home and it doesn't stop when we walk out of your home.

That's what you're paying for. And yes, the statement still rings true.....

You get what you pay for!

How Free Can Become Costly

Police believe a 41-year-old woman charged with breaking and entering of a church may have broken into other local churches. The woman is not a member of the church, said police. The regular paid cleaning staff had introduced her to church officials as someone who liked to help churches with cleaning and maintenance; she was not issued a key to the building. Police believe she may have been acting as a volunteer cleaning person at other local churches.

Click here for the full article.

Two Big Points To Remember:

• Volunteer means free. Free means that you don't have to pay anything up front. But free also means that you'll most likely have to pay something later.
• If a business can't be better than their competition, then the only competitive advantage is pricing.

For every benefit that a business delivers, there's a cost. And as a business, one of the easiest ways to lower your cost is to lower your benefits.

Merry Christmas!!

Proof That Anyone Can Start A Cleaning Company

James Hamill, a self-confessed tobacco and booze bootlegger, got out of Castle Huntly jail in September 2006. He got the idea for a cleaning company after taking domestic courses in jail.

That's an excerpt from this article.

Hamill, nicknamed Hammy, served half an 18-year prison sentence handed to him in 1997. He's now the proud of owner of AAA Sparkle Clean. Few potential clients will have any idea he was once the biggest heroin dealer in Scotland. One source said: "Folk won't know who Hammy is."

Yes, these folks are in Scotland. No, you probably will never even have the chance to hire his company. But the premise is still true.

Anyone, and I mean anyone, can start a cleaning business. Starting a cleaning business is easy. So easy that they teach it to you in jail!

Quantity vs. Quality

It was discussed here just last year.

The person that cleaned your hotel room probably makes minimum wage. The person that cleaned your hotel room has cleaned that same hotel room forever. The person that cleaned your hotel room hates that job.

Hotel maids have no incentive to deliver customer satisfaction. Hotel maids are expected to clean fast, not good. And that's exactly what happens.

It's safe to say that you get what you pay for. A $35 room probably should be dirtier than a $200 room. But even the $35 room could provide better service and quality. Here's a profound approach to providing incentives to an employee: pay for performance.

Pay the hotel maid based on customer feedback. Pay the hotel maid for quality instead of quantity. The same goes to every other cleaning company out there.

Three Reasons Why Your Last Maid Service Sucked

1. Your last maid service sucked because they paid their employees the old fashioned way.They were paid a commission. This system works if you're a used car salesman. This system works if you're a stock broker. But this system doesn't work if you're a maid. Because your clients want quality. And your employees want quantity.

2. Your last maid service sucked because they weren't really even a business. Starting a maid service isn't difficult. It isn't expensive. And it doesn't take a rocket scientist. And when something is easy to start, it's just as easy to quit.

3. Your last maid service sucked because they had an abnormally high employee turnover rate. What would you do if you had to clean your own home three times today? And what would you do if I told you that I was only going to pay you minimum wage today? You would quit.

Bad Apple Alert

When 83-year old Lorraine Nelson got a phone call last month from a telemarketer offering carpet cleaning for $57 per room, she thought she was getting a deal.

“These guys showed up and, while one worked, the other one kept me busy outside talking,” said Nelson. “They gave me two separate receipts and never told me what the real cost would be.”

Nelson said she gave the men $100 cash as a deposit and asked the balance be put on her credit card. She was soon informed by the workers that stronger and more expensive cleaning solutions were needed to treat her carpets.

“They gave me a second receipt for $856 and I wondered what the charge was for,” said Nelson, who increasingly felt intimidated by the workers. “I asked them what happened to the $100 I gave them and they said that was their tip.”

Click here for the full article.

The formula is simple. Everybody knows that money talks. So the simplest and most efficient way to attract your attention is to offer a service at a ridiculously low price. That gets them in your door. Cheap sells.....

Be careful. Cheap may sell, but cheap has its own high price to pay.

Scary Stories About Your Maid

In the spirit of Halloween, here's a few scary stories that might hit home with you.

1. Your cleaning lady didn't show up today. Did ghosts take her away? Did aliens abduct her? Nope. She just quit on you. Just like you're last cleaning lady.

2. Your maid service is late again. Is it because they think your house is haunted? Is it because your house is located on a creepy hollow? Nope. They just don't care about you. They're unorganized. And they're late every time.

3. Your housecleaner keeps making the same mistakes over and over again. Did your resident goblin put that dust on your nightstand? Did your maid see a ghost in the mirror? Nope. They just forgot again. Just like last week.

4. Your maid keeps leaving earlier and earlier. Is it because your kid's doll is possessed? Is it because your dog is evil? Nope. She's just gotten too comfortable with you. She's your buddy. And you're no longer her customer.

5. You keep hiring one bad housekeeper after another. Did a wicked witch cast a spell on your home? Is your house haunted and you don't know it? Nope. You just keep hiring the same person. You want your house cleaned. But you don't want to pay too much for it. After all, it's just housecleaning.

But of course, if it was only about housecleaning then you wouldn't be hiring a new maid four times a year.

Happy Halloween!!

And Yet Another Bad Apple Is Discovered

You already know this, but it bears repeating. It's easy to start a domestic service company. No start up capital is required. No education is required. Nothing is required. Except you. They need you in order to start their business. And they know that they can get you by just offering ridiculously low prices. And you'll accept. Because it's cheap. But remember, there's lots of bad apples out there. And here's another example of one.....

"When an unsolicited caller offers to clean your chimney for $40 or $50, consumers may think they have little to lose. But odds are they'll feel differently once the chimney sweep arrives.

Instead of a bill for a low-cost cleaning, many consumers receive estimates for thousands of dollars worth of so-called emergency chimney repairs. The dubious sweeps pressure consumers to make decisions on the spot. Many do, without getting either an itemized bill or a second opinion to determine if the proposed work is necessary.

The questionable sweeps often offer discounts for cash. Failing that, they'll encourage consumers to bill the full amount to credit cards.

It is an important part of seasonal home maintenance. But many homeowners lose money every year to scam chimney service companies that turn discount cleanings into profitable jobs for unnecessary repairs.

They use low-cost cleanings to get their foot in the door, and then create fear by saying the chimney needs expensive repairs."

Click here for the full article.

Another Bad Apple Is Discovered

Another Bad Apple Is Discovered!

It's happens everyday. It happens because you let it happen. Do your research on these companies. Don't hire them just because they left a flyer on your door. And please don't hire them just because they're cheaper than everyone else.

It happens everyday. And it can happen to you.

Finding The Bad Apple

In 1972, Linda Darby escaped from the Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis by climbing over a barbed-wire fence. She had been arrested for murdering her husband. For 35 years, she was known as Linda Joe McElroy, a grandmother who baby-sat children and cleaned homes.

Even though Darby had no driver's license, authorities tracked her to Tennessee, where she was living a quiet, normal life.

"It's actually quite easy to be absorbed if they cut all ties from their previous life, which appears the case in this situation," said Brad Garrett of the FBI.

Click here for the full story.

It's easy to start a cleaning business. You don't need a lot of money. You don't need to be smart. You don't need much of anything. All you really need is a customer. And to get a customer, all you need to be is cheap. After all, it's just housecleaning. Anybody can do it. And anyone does do it.

You better be careful. The cleaning industry is ripe with bad apples. You can hire the cheap maid from down the road and cross your fingers, or you can hire the more expensive professional cleaning company and rest easy.

When Your Individual Maid Goes Corporate

You've worked for the cleaning company. And you know two important things.

1. You know that customers want the same people every time.
2. You know that customers don't want to pay a whole bunch of money for your services.

You also know that you can accomplish both of these things if you start your own cleaning business. So you start one. And why not, you can get started for less than $100. And all you need is just a few willing people to schedule you on a regular basis. Which leads you back to the two things you already know.

So you charge less than the professional cleaning companies. And you perform all the work yourself. Everybody's happy.

Case in point #1......

“She’s a very hard worker,” the customer said. “She’s a quiet, unassuming lady. She’s always responsible and punctual, which are important qualities. And she charges a lot less than the corporate cleaning services. I think she’ll really build up the business.”

But then something happens. You want to make more money. And you want to stop cleaning everyday. So you hire an employee. Then another one. And then all of sudden, you've become a company.

Which means that you have to start charging more for your services. And which also means that you have to start sending different people.

And most importantly, it means that you've lost your market advantage.

So if you're a customer, know that it won't last forever. Know that your individual maid will quit one day. And know that she's quitting for the same reason that you hired her in the first place.

She'll quit because she doesn't want to clean your toilet anymore.

Case in point #2....

Rice serves most of her customers on a bi-weekly basis. She currently has nine regulars. She can handle 20 regular customers on her own, she said. After that she plans on hiring employees. “My goal is to build up the business,” Rice said. “It’s been going really well. I started out going into neighborhoods and putting fliers on the doors. That’s how I got my first customers. I’ve just started advertising. I’m hoping that will build up my clientele.”

Click here for the perfect illustration of how an individual maid starts out small, gets your business, and then gains your trust. And the whole time, she's striving to quit.

Acting Like A Customer

If you're going to be a customer, then you need to start acting like a customer. And once you start acting like a customer, then you'll start getting treated like a customer.

Take a look at this article detailing one guy's decision on whether he should fire his cleaning lady. (Caution: contains a few inappropriate words)

He says it way better than I could ever say it...

"I don't like confrontations. I like that Krakovia feels comfortable with me. I've never shown disapproval and now that we've been together for two years, I find it harder than ever to suddenly be the boss."

"Of course I'm more frustrated with myself for not knowing how to fix my relationship with Krakovia. After Krakovia left ("See you Thursday after next, Mr. Mo!") I resigned myself to breaking up with Krakovia by leaving her a message canceling her next visit, then never calling back to reschedule. Unhealthy, I know, and nonsensical considering I was so concerned about her feelings."

If you were a customer, you could just complain. You could complain about anything you wanted to complain about. Because you're the customer. And it's your service provider's job to make you happy. But you're not a customer.

You're a friend. And you can't go back. You can't go back to being a customer. You left the world of customer service a long time ago. Of course, you did hire an individual maid.

She's not a company. No matter what her business card says. She's an individual. And this is what happens when you hire an individual.

When you hire an individual, the world of friendship always overtakes the customer service world. It's called human nature. And it's inevitable.

You Really Only Have Two Choices

Now that I own a maid service, it's easy. It's easy to sit here and tell you why Two Maids & A Mop is the obvious choice when it comes to professional housecleaning. But it wasn't so easy a few years ago.

We had just sold our house and we needed both a moving company and a maid service. So we picked up the phonebook and we started calling a few businesses. Turns out that moving is expensive. Turns out that housecleaning isn't cheap either. At least when you talk to the people in the yellow pages.

So we turned to the local classified ads. And we found a group of people that would help us do both things all at once. They would help pack the house and they would help clean the house. All done by the same people. All done for one low price.

Of course, it all ended ugly. They showed up late. They took several breaks. They took forever. And they sucked.

The truck wasn't packed properly. A couple of items were broken or damaged. And the house wasn't too clean either. In the end, we were forced to rearrange some items in the truck. And in the end, we were forced to re-clean some areas that we were missed.

We were forced to do this because we couldn't locate these folks after the work was completed. They had their money and were long gone. Ready to take on another cheapskate like me.

Of course, that was then and this is now. I now know that you really only have two choices.

1. You can do the work yourself, or
2. You can pay someone a fair amount of money for the work.

It's been said before but it bears repeating......you get what you pay for.

The Cleaning Lady vs The Cable Guy

You've been there before. You've gotten that crazy timeframe from the cable company. You know, something like "We'll be there sometime between 12-5". You hate it. It's ruins your day. But you can't do anything about it. Nothing.

You can't do anything about it because you need your cable. And there's only one choice when it comes to cable television in your area. So you're forced to sit and grumble for 4-5 hours. And then you're forced to pay your cable bill month after month.

The housecleaning industry is a lot different. There's literally hundreds of so-called cleaning companies out there. A new one is born everyday. But the cable industry does have a link to the housecleaning industry. The link - you have to wait just as long for your maid as you do your cable guy.

Of course, you don't have to wait for your maid. You could force her to treat you like a customer. You could demand that she arrives on time. And if she doesn't-then you could fire her. After all, there's more than one maid in your area.

But you don't. You keep sitting there. Same, old tired thing week after week. You do this for one of two reasons.

1. She's cheap.
She's so cheap that you're willing to overlook the terrible customer service. She's so cheap that you don't expect her to treat you like a customer. But then, you're not really acting like a customer anyway. You're fine with it as long as she keeps charging you next to nothing.

2. She's become your friend.
She's now your friend. And you can't really discipline your friend. No matter if she's late. No matter if she screws up. You can't do anything about it. You're no supervisor. You're not even a customer. You're her buddy.

Of course, you're going to hit your tipping point someday. It might be that her late arrival makes you late to an important meeting one day. It might be that her constant lack of attention irritates you so much that you just explode one day. It might be that you hear about your neighbor's housecleaning company and you get a little jealous.

Your neighbor is talking about punctuality. Your neighbor is talking about customer service. Your neighbor is even talking about professionalism. Your neighbor is talking like a customer. That's the difference.

Your maid isn't a monopoly. You don't have to keep sitting there waiting on her all the time. The choice is yours.

The Hard Way To Open A Maid Service

The Easy Way

Step 1. Go to Wal-Mart and buy the following items: one vacuum, one big bag of rags, three mops, one mop handle. Don't buy anything else because your customers will be able to supply everything else.

Step 2. Print about 100 cheap looking flyers and distribute them in an area neighborhood. You want the flyer to look cheap because you want the customer to know that your rates will also be cheap.

Step 3. Call all area cleaning companies and determine their rates. Charge less than everyone.

Step 4. You're in business in less than 48 hours.

The Easier Way

Step 1. Don't buy anything. Don't buy a vacuum. Don't buy a mop. Don't even buy a rag. Your customers will supply everything for you anyway.

Step 2. Go knock on a bunch of doors. Ask the customer what she is currently paying her housecleaning service. Then clean the house for free. Remember, your time cost you nothing so you're not really losing anything.

Step 3. After you've finished, tell her that you'll charge her less than she is currently paying. Remember, you don't have to pay taxes on this new income stream so go ahead and charge her $10 per hour.

Step 4. Your in business in less than 24 hours.

The "I Look Professional" Way

Step 1. Go purchase a business license and a surety bond. Now you get to tell everyone that you're licensed and bonded. And just think, both of these things only cost you about $75 bucks.

Step 2. Repeat all the steps from "The Easy Way" method.

Step 3. Your still in business in less than 48 hours.

The Hard Way

There are no steps. There are no steps because there is no quick way to start a real, professional cleaning company. It takes time. It takes patience. And it takes an investment. Here's what you'll need to invest in order to open a maid service the hard way.

1. Yes, you'll need money. Money buys you proper insurance coverage. Money buys you some real advertising. Money buys you employees. And most importantly, money buys you time. Because you're not going to get rich overnight. It's going to take time to run your new company this way. And time means money. So yes, you'll need money.

2. You'll need patience. This thing isn't going to take off overnight. Know that it will take at least one full year before you ever see a paycheck.

3. You'll need an education. No, you don't need a college degree. Not at all. But you will need to educate yourself on customer service. You'll need educate yourself on your cleaning products. You'll need to educate yourself on everything from A-Z. You're running a company now and it's your job to know everything. And the game changes everyday. So you'll need to learn more and more everyday. Learning never stops.

4. You'll need good people. Your people will determine the success of your new company. Of course, it's your job to find these good people. And it's your job to retain these good people. You can't do everything by yourself.

So why would anyone select "The Hard Way"? After all, it is a lot harder. You select the hard way because it's the right way. The hard way doesn't rip off the government. The hard way doesn't scam its customers. And the hard way doesn't rely on you being the cheapest in town. The hard way gives you the best chance of making it down the road.

And that's the goal of every new business. Not just to be here today, but to be here tomorrow too.

Remember These Three Points

You're going to hire us one day. It may be that you hire us today. Or it may be that you don't hire us until several months from now. But you're going to hire us at some point.

You're going to hire us because you're going to get sick of your current housecleaner. She's going to start showing up late on a regular basis. She's going to start becoming too close to your family. She's going to start missing the same things over and over again. And she may even just quit showing up one day. That day is coming. And when it does, you'll call us.

So when that day comes, remember these three important points about Two Maids & A Mop.

1. You will not receive the same person each and every time.

This is how we lose the majority of our customers. Everybody wants the same person in their home. Heck, so do we. But the reality is that we can't do it. There are just too many variables for us to overcome. Vacation, sick time, and most importantly, employee turnover. Nobody makes housecleaning a career. And we don't blame any of our employees for leaving. People need to have ambition. How can we get upset with someone that decides to leave our business for a more lucrative business? The fact is that our compensation system is far better than the average cleaning company. But the larger fact is that we can't compete with some businesses. Some businesses are able to trounce our compensation system. And when that happens, we're happy for our former employee. That's what makes our country so great. There's always a way to get ahead. It's up to you to decide how far you want to go in life.

2. You will get sick and tired of our constant need for your input.

Our pay for performance plan works because it gives our employees a reason to care about making you happy. Of course, the only person that knows if you're happy is you. And the only way that we can know if you're happy is to talk to you. Every time. So we're going to contact you after each and every housecleaning. We do this because we care about your opinion. And we do this because your opinion is the only thing that separates us from everybody else. Without your feedback, we're just like everybody else.

3. You will be inundated with countless offers that promise to beat our price and our service.

Your mailbox will have a flyer in it one day. Your doorknob will have one too some day. The reason for all these flyers is because there's a new cleaning business born everyday. A cleaning business is cheap to start. For some, there is no overhead. In other words, the money that you pay them is 100% profit. With no overhead, it's pretty easy to beat our prices. Of course, there's a reason you decided to hire us in the first place. Make sure that you keep remembering that because you will forget it somewhere down the road. You'll forget it because we'll do so many things right. We'll show up on time every time. We'll correct our mistakes when you tell us about them. We'll call you after each cleaning to determine your satisfaction level. We'll do a lot of things that no other cleaning service has ever done for you before. We do all these things because you're our customer. You're not just another attempt to make some easy money. And most importantly, remember this. If it's easy to start, it's just as easy to quit. That's why your last maid quit showing up....

You Get What You Pay For

It was discussed here yesterday. Your cheap, individual maid needs your money today. But tomorrow could be a different story. She'll leave you at the drop of a hat. She'll leave you because the money's better somewhere else. It could be that her husband got a big raise and she doesn't need to work any longer. It could be that she got a full-time job with benefits and guaranteed hours. Or it could be the more common reason.

The reason she is probably leaving you is because someone else is willing to pay her more money for her services. You're not really her customer. You're not really her customer because she's not really a business.

Take it from this person. Her frustration will one day be your frustration.

Here's a great comment from this frustrated "customer",

"How can she quit?!? Is my house that bad? I hope it's just that she's too busy. No, I don't hope that. She was mine first!!! She needs to drop one of those dirty house people and come back to me!"

You already know this, but it bears repeating............

You get what you pay for. Everytime.

Sick And Tired

People that eat at McDonald's don't usually end up eating at Ruth Chris later that night?

People that purchase a Kia Rio don't usually end up purchasing an Astor Martin later in life?

But people that hire a cheap, individual maid usually end up hiring a professional maid service.

McDonald's gives you what you want. You get fast service. And you get cheap food. That's all you wanted. And that's probably all you'll ever want.

The Kia Rio gives you what you want. Good gas mileage. Limited maintenance costs. And it's within your budget. That's all you wanted. And that's probably all you'll ever want.

The individual maid starts out that way. All you really want is a clean house. And you really don't want to pay too much for it. After all, it's just housecleaning.

But something tends to sway you into our corner at some point. Little things start upsetting you. Your maid starts missing the same things over and over again. Your maid starts showing up later and later. Your maid even starts not showing up at all sometimes.

The tipping point for you usually comes after you've hired a multitude of cheap, individual maids. You just get sick and tired of hiring the same person. The story always seems to repeat itself.

The reason is simple. You're not her customer. You're just a means to an end. You pay her bills today. But tomorrow is another day. And if tomorrow brings a better revenue source, then you're history.

You are our customer. Today. And tomorrow.

Go ahead and do what you gotta do. Hire that cheap, individual maid today. Then call us down the road.

We promise that we won't say, "We told you so!".

The Quick Fix

Let's say that you are in dire need of some quick cash. You need some money and you need it yesterday. You could sell something in order to raise the cash. You could get a part-time job. You could rent your extra bedroom. You could do a lot of things.

According to this website, you could even start your very own house cleaning service.

"You can easily make $20 an hour cleaning houses if you can manage the business end right. The key is finding clients and doing a great job in a short amount of time. If you’re in a financial crunch, there’s money to be had if you’re willing to put in the work. You just have to go out and grab it!"

Yes, we're lined up right next to plasma donation and holding a garage sale. And yes, you're the pawn in their game.

These new house cleaning "companies" know that you can be had if they just charge you a little less than everybody else. They know that the money can be quick. They know that the money can be tax free. And they know that they can quit anytime they wish.

Because you're not really their customer. You're just a quick fix.

The question is simple. Do you want to be a customer, or do you want to be a quick fix?

The 7 Reasons To Become An Individual Maid

1. Your start-up costs are minimal. It's really up to you to decide your budget. The truth is that you can start your business with no money at all. Use your customers cleaning products/supplies and find your customers by printing some cheap flyers from your mother's computer. Or you could just post a free ad on Craigslist - somebody's bound to find you if your rates are cheap enough.

2. You get to create your own work schedule. Gone are the days when you need to be at work at a certain time. You get to show up when you want to show up now. Sure, the customer may be waiting on you. But who cares, there's another sucker searching on Craigslist right now.

3. You don't have to pay taxes. The IRS will never know how much you make because you require cash only. Of course, you'll take a check if your customer will write the check directly to you.

4. You get to make more than $15 per hour. You know what the professional maid service companies are charging their customers. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that you can get away with charging just a little less than them. After all, it's just housecleaning.

5. You get to quit without any notice. It's your right to go where the money is. If somebody is willing to pay you more, then you'd be a fool to clean another house for less money. Take the higher bid. Everytime.

6. You get to call yourself a business. You do have a business license to prove it after all. Sure, the license only cost about $25 bucks. But it's an official document. You're a business owner.

7. You can't be fired. Sure, you can lose a customer or two. But the truth is there's plenty more where they came from. With your rates, it would take a real idiot to not hire you. So quit worrying about your quality. Quit worrying about your punctuality. And quit worrying about your professionalism. Your customers only care about one thing anyway. Your customers hired you because you're cheap.

What a great gig!!

The Cheap Maid

There's no need to even say a word. This post from a maid service customer says it all.

It’s not just that I’m fundamentally against a perfect stranger going through my most personal things but also that I resent the colonialist aspect of paying someone to clean my house. That said, those of us with office jobs have better things to do than mop the marble tiles, bleach the bath tub or dust the oak furniture twice a week, because god forbid someone visits you and the place is not impeccable! So, my mixed feelings about cleaning ladies are something I usually keep to myself when I’m in Santo Domingo; since it’s no secret that anybody who can afford the cheap labor here has one. But there are a few things I’ll write about today that drive me absolutely crazy.

Waiting for the cleaning lady: so obviously you’re not going to give a perfect stranger the keys to your house, but trying to guess what time they’re coming when they have no phone is insufferable. And god forbid you happen to be out when they finally arrive! If they are kind enough to wait, you won’t hear the end of it until they’re gone for the day.

Feeding the cleaning lady: but what really kills me is that one is somehow responsible for feeding the cleaning lady, as if for some reason I’m completely missing they can’t feed themselves. So, if you don’t happen to buy food for her, she’ll have to stop the cleaning so she can cook and god forbid you forget to tell her that of course she is welcome to use anything and everything she can find to cook with: she’ll starve to death and then tell your sister.

The cleaning supplies: each cleaning lady has her supplies she’s comfortable cleaning with. God forbid you don’t buy the right brand of detergent or bleach: she’ll blame you for the cleaning not being as good and tell your sister.

The water all over the floor: yes, this is the Caribbean, so we have tile floors, which need sweeping and mopping but for crying out loud why do we need to “echar agua” twice a week?!! Something about not being able to walk around the house because the whole place is flooded with water from the cleaning lady puts me in a pissy mood.

The common sense, or should I say, lack of: really lady, lots of problems do get solved by just mentioning them to me. For example, if you have to take the day off to go register your kid in school I really do understand. You don’t have to get here late and keep me waiting, then show up with your kid, aggravating the “strangers in my house” factor, and then complain to yourself out loud that you couldn’t register the kid and that you won’t be able to because you won’t finish cleaning before 3:00 p.m. I really could care less if you clean the house Friday or Saturday, just go register your child for crying out loud!

Well, maybe I'll say one thing. Notice the this customer mentions that his maid is cheap labor. You better be willing to accept problems if you're hiring a maid simply because she's cheap.

You get what you pay for.

The Advantages Of Premium Pricing

A discounted price for your maid always means that you should expect a discounted maid service. Something is going to have to be a little less than stellar. Click here here to read last week's article regarding discounted pricing.

Of course, you should expect more if you pay a premium for your maid service. Here are some basic things that you should expect if you pay more than your neighbor does for a maid service.

1. We're going to be on time every time. That's what happens when you treat your maid service like a business.

2. We're going to listen to you. That's what happens when you treat your maid service like a business.

3. We're never going to reschedule your cleaning at the last minute. That's what happens you treat your maid service like a business.

4. We're never going to quit cleaning for you. That's what happens when you treat your maid service like a business.

5. We're going to raise our rates at some point. That's what happens when you want to keep treating your customer like a customer.

Yes, the last point is the same last point as the discounted pricing argument. However, there are stark differences.

An individual maid raises prices because she knows that she can get away with it. After all, all of the professional cleaning companies are already charging a lot more than her.

A professional maid service raises prices because we need to continue to attract and retain the best employees. Premium customer service has to come from some place. That place is you.

You decide what your expectations are when you write the check. For some, the individual maid is all they need. But for others, receiving premium customer service is worth the extra few bucks.

The Disadvantages of Discount Pricing

There are some things that you must accept if you're main priority is discounted pricing for your maid service.

1. She's going to be too early or too late at some point. That's what happens when you don't value your customer.

2. She's going to quit cleaning for you someday. That's what happens when you get offered more money from someone else.

3. She's going to get comfortable. That's what happens when you become friends with your customer.

4. She's going to reschedule your cleaning at some point. That's what happens when you get sick and you're the only employee.

5. She's going to raise your rate at some point. That's what happens when you know that the professional cleaning companies are charging more than you.

There's a reason we know that one of these five things is going to happen to you. The reason is because you tell us everyday. You get sick of it and you decide to pay a little more. You decide to pay a little more because you want to receive a little more.

You want to feel like a customer.

Yet Another Reason To Not Hire An Individual Maid

Taken from a recent Dear Annie column.......(Click here for the full article)


Dear Annie: I’ve had the same cleaning lady for over 20 years, with no problems until the last two. Lately, I have been missing jewelry and blouses. My husband couldn’t believe “Corinne” was taking anything until one of his expensive gadgets went missing. We are both in declining health and must have help in the home, as we cannot do it ourselves. I know Corinne is taking advantage of this. She is an excellent worker, but she always carries a large purse and it’s easy to walk out with things. What should I do? I’m afraid if I confront her about these missing items, she will quit. I’ve hidden my expensive jewelry, but even so, things continue to disappear. Any suggestions? — No Name, No State

Dear No Name: It’s possible you are mistaken about the stealing, so first approach Corinne and say, “I can’t seem to locate my pearl earrings. Can you find them for me?” This gives her notice that you are aware things are missing, and it provides an opportunity for her to “discover” them without making accusations. If she doesn’t do so and things continue to disappear, it’s time to find a new cleaning person or hire a cleaning service. We know you are accustomed to Corinne, but apparently, she costs more than you intended to pay.

You know it's time to find a professional cleaner when you can't even confront her about items missing from your home. You've gotten too close and she's gotten too comfortable. You've become a friend rather than a customer.

Of course, think about all the money you're saving by hiring her.........:)

The Choice Is Always Yours

Breaking Up With Your Maid

"I just had to fire my cleaning lady. Or she fired me, I can't tell. She charges me $80 per visit every two weeks. Last week, she wanted to bump it to $100. What! A 25% increase? Well, I thought about it and it doesn't work for me.

I talked to my husband today to understand the situation and to figure if there was a way to work it out. He kept telling me about the cost of materials and gas and stuff. But a 25% increase is too high. So I said that we should just agree to separate."

The choice is always yours. Your decision:

Is the extra $520 per year worth taking the chance that your next maid will perform at the same level as your current maid?

Of course, if pricing is the only reason that you're using your maid-then you're paying too much already. It doesn't take a lot of work to find a cheap maid. They're all over the place. Just look in your local classified ad section. Or look in Craigslist. Or just pull one of those flyers from your local grocery store bulletin board.

Time will tell if your decision is correct. The great thing about time is that you always wake up. You wake up and realize that you get what you pay for. That's when you have another decision. Your decision:

Should I pay extra for a more professional maid? Or should I just keep letting this maid get away with her mistakes? Or better yet, should I just save all the money and clean the house myself?

The choice is always yours.

And The Beat Goes On

Dear Annie: I've had the same cleaning lady for over 20 years, with no problems until the last two. Lately, I have been missing jewelry and blouses. My husband couldn't believe "Corinne" was taking anything until one of his expensive gadgets went missing.

We are both in declining health and must have help in the home, as we cannot do it ourselves. I know Corinne is taking advantage of this. She is an excellent worker, but she always carries a large purse and it's easy to walk out with things.

What should I do? I'm afraid if I confront her about these missing items, she will quit. I've hidden my expensive jewelry, but even so, things continue to disappear. Any suggestions? — No Name, No State

Dear No Name: It's possible you are mistaken about the stealing, so first approach Corinne and say, "I can't seem to locate my pearl earrings. Can you find them for me?" This gives her notice that you are aware things are missing, and it provides an opportunity for her to "discover" them without making accusations. If she doesn't do so and things continue to disappear, it's time to find a new cleaning person or hire a cleaning service. We know you are accustomed to Corinne, but apparently, she costs more than you intended to pay.

Click here for the full article

Corinne may not have stolen the jewelry. However, the fact that the customer can't even quiz her employee on the disappearance proves that something is terribly wrong. I wonder if all those years of paying $10 less makes up for the lost jewelry today?

The Merry Go Round

Imagine if an employee for a clothing store decided to sell lesser priced clothing in the clothing store's parking lot?

Imagine if an employee for a grocery store decided to sell lesser priced food in the grocery store's parking lot?

The answer is obvious. The employee would be fired. And the employee may even be sued or arrested.

That's what happens when a customer of a maid service company decides to hire an employee at a cheaper rate. The employee steals business earned by the employer.

Here's what the employee is thinking....

"Why not just charge this customer a little less than what the maid service is currently charging? I'll make more money, plus the customer will be getting a deal. There's no way that the customer will say no because she loves my work."

Here's what the customer is thinking....

"Why not just hire the employee rather than the company? Her rate will be cheaper and I'll get the same service that I'm currently getting."

And so the deal gets done. Until the former employee gets another job. Or until the former employee gets a higher paying gig. Or until the former employee steals from the customer. Or until the former employee just decides that she wants to sleep in one morning.

It will happen. Nobody cleans forever. They always quit. And if they don't quit, they get used to you. They get used to making the same mistakes over and over again. They get used to eating breakfast with you every time. They get used to taking a break on your couch every time. They get used to you paying them no matter if you're happy or not.

And then you remember why you hired the maid service company in the first place.

And then you hop right back on that merry go round.

Why Not To Hug Your Maid

We hear it all the time. It's one of the main reasons people decide to use our service. It's also one of the main reasons that people decide to stick with their current housecleaner.

Click here to figure out what I'm talking about.

"But what to do? She's been in my family longer than my dog. Longer than my kid, for that matter. She has a key to my house – a sign of trust I haven't even bestowed upon my mother. So firing her is out of the question."

We hear this almost every day. At some point, you are going to have to fire her. Because she's become too friendly to you. And unfortunately, this is business. And in business, productivity is expected because money changes hands.

Of course, it's really not your current housecleaner's fault. She's just getting away with what you allow her to get away with. So here's my suggestion.....

Fire her and never look back. Hire Two Maids & A Mop. Yes, you'll get different people from time to time. But it's the lesser of two evils. Because you won't ever need to discipline one of our employees. This will be business. And our job will be to consistently satisfy your needs. And if we don't, you can fire us too.

Our job is to make you happy. Sure, we wouldn't mind becoming your friend. But our job is to earn your money.

Stop being a friend and start being a customer.

Vacuuming More Than Just Dust

Take a look at this article about how a maid vacuumed the the life savings of one woman. Fortunately, the money was recovered from the local garbage facility.

Trivia question...

What if your maid lost thousands of your dollars while cleaning your house? What would be your first course of action? What would happen if the money was unrecoverable? What types of preventive action can you do to make sure something like this doesn't happen to you?

Because if it can happen, it will happen.

Hint #1
Hint #2
Hint #3

The Unreputable Cleaning Company

Carlos Diaz broke the law when he crossed the border and took a job as an office janitor. Click Here For The Rest Of The Story.

The article talks mostly about how many of the country's illegal immigrants have started paying taxes to the IRS. But that's not the important part of the story. No, the important part of the story deals with the fact that so many cleaning companies hire so many bad people.

When you compete in the "I'm Cheaper Than You" world, this is what you get. Because somebody will always be cheaper than you. Now how they get to be cheaper than you is a different story.

A reputable cleaning company has to purchase loads of insurance. A reputable cleaning company has to pay payroll taxes. A reputable cleaning company has to provide workers' compensation. A reputable cleaning company has to pay city, county, state, and federal taxes. The bottom line is that a reputable cleaning company has to pay a lot more than an unreputable cleaning company.

But many people don't care. Because the name of the game is money. And if you're cheaper than the reputable cleaning company, so be it. After all, it's just cleaning. Anybody can do it.

And anybody does do it. Convicted felons. Illegal immigrants. Fugitives on the run. All because they know that somebody will hire them. Somebody will hire them because they'll work for nothing. And that's exactly what is needed. Because to get new business, an unreputable cleaning company has got to be cheaper than everybody else.

The fact is that you can never be sure. Look at yesterday's horrible shootings on the Virginia Tech campus. Virginia Tech is a great school. They don't just let anybody in. So I'm assuming that this murderer had proven that he was intelligent enough to handle the stresses of campus life. But yesterday proved otherwise.

Cleaning companies are in the same boat. We conduct nationwide criminal background checks on all of our employees. We interview each one before they're hired. And we send them out with one of our training managers to determine if they are suitable for our workplace. But they are strangers to us. But we do know their history. And history tends to repeat itself. But our system isn't yet perfect. People with clean backgrounds can still do some crazy stuff.

But it's a lot closer to perfect than just hiring anybody that will work. And that's what many unreputable cleaning companies are doing right now. They're hiring for one reason. Because the person will work for nothing.

The moral of this story..........

Don't just pick your next maid because she's cheap. Don't say no to her because she's cheap either. Ask her questions. Conduct reference checks. Perform a background check. Basically, do what every other reputable cleaning company does. Make sure that the stranger you are hiring has not done strange things in the past.

Waiting On The Cleaning Lady

A desperate plea for the cleaning lady to arrive.

Dear The Cleaning Lady Who Never Came,

We never knew you. But you still broke our hearts. We waited for you on Monday morning with bated breath. You said you would be here. But you never came. I was even a little late for my headshrinker because of your absenteeism. I did the dishes for you so you wouldn't have to worry about such nonsense. You never called. I phoned you that night, but you didn't pick up. The money is still out on the table, next to a warm glass of milk.

This happens every morning in your neighborhood. It'll keep happening everyday because these cleaning ladies don't care. They don't care because they've got no reason to care. Your business is just too easy to get. Just charge a little less than everybody else and business is booming.

This cleaning lady knows that she can sleep in today. Because she can use the afternoon to find another victim, err....I meant customer.

It's your choice. Don't feel sorry for yourself when it happens to you.

Waving Goodbye To Margie

Margie is 46. She's a devoted wife and mother. Margie has worked for a cleaning company for the last year. She's proven to be dependable, hard working, and friendly. She's so good that the cleaning company sends her to the same homes week after week. She's so good that her regular clients laud her with compliments, tips, and gifts on a regular basis.

Now the cleaning company knows how valuable Margie is to their success. It's not often that you can lean so hard on an employee in the cleaning industry. So the cleaning company gives Margie a raise. A big raise. Bigger than any other employee in the company. But Margie is upset.

You see, Margie sees those checks coming in from her clients. Her clients are paying the cleaning company about four times her wages. Margie's no dumby. Margie starts adding up her expenses. And she figures out that she can clean those same homes for a lot less than the cleaning company. And she knows that her clients will switch because they have already demanded Margie anyway.

So Margie starts her own cleaning company. And she steals her previous employer's clients. And everybody is happy. Because Margie is making three times what she was making before and her clients are paying way less than they were before.

Everybody's happy until Margie's husband decides to move the family out of town. Margie hates it, but she's got to go. And she's got to go now. So Margie's old clients all wave goodbye. And the carousel begins again.

The old customers start dialing the phone book again. Looking for another Margie. And they'll find her. Because she's not hard to find. She's everywhere. She's everywhere because it's so easy to be Margie. No start up capital. No investment. Nothing but a few cheap supplies from Wal-Mart. And that's why Margie doesn't mind quitting. Because she's got nothing to lose. Margie knows that she can pull off this same scheme in her next town.

So you're the client. You have two choices.

1. You can keep hiring Margie.
2. You can quit hiring Margie.

Hiring Margie again means that you'll end up hiring another Margie down the road. But you'll save money. And you'll get the same person every time. Maybe you'll have to deal with a few late arrivals from Margie. Maybe you'll end up getting so close to Margie that you hate complaining. Or maybe you'll just hire the wrong Margie.

Because the wrong Margie can steal from you and run. Because the wrong Margie can break her ankle in your home and make you pay for it. Because the wrong Margie can just decide to quit cleaning your home one day.

Not hiring Margie again means that you'll be done with Margie. Yes, you'll pay more than Margie charges. But you'll get your home cleaned on-time every time. You'll get to complain when mistakes occur. You'll get to treat your new housecleaner like any other service. Like a real business. Not some lady who just bought a few cleaning supplies from Wal-Mart.

Aren't you sick and tired of waving goodbye to Margie?

The Birth Of A New Cleaning Company

Lynn is 21. She's a full-time college student. Her classes start early in the morning and end in the early afternoon. She's usually done by three o'clock every day. Lynn's just like every other college student.

She needs money. Lynn's federal loans just don't cover everything. But her schedule makes it difficult to find a respectable job that pays a decent wage. Most employers need her for forty hours. But she only has about 2-3 hours per day that she can devote to a job.

So Lynn is faced with two choices. She can work part-time earning minimum wage, or she can work under the table providing some type of domestic help. Working under the table means that Lynn doesn't have to report her income. She doesn't have to pay taxes. She doesn't have to provide anything but labor. Best of all, Lynn knows that she can get as much as $20 per hour for her labor. Because Lynn will be competing against real companies. And those real companies are charging $40-50 per hour.

So Lynn knows that she's got to work under the table if she wants to make real money. But what field should Lynn choose? Cleaning, of course. After all, Lynn is a woman. That's enough qualification. Plus she can charge a lot less than Two Maids & A Mop. Getting new business should be a snap.

Lynn figures that she can just a post a free ad online that promotes her cheap labor rates. All she'll need is 5-10 jobs. You see, Lynn can do the math. Lynn knows that she can make $300 weekly by just cleaning one house per day.

And all that money is tax free. And there's no overhead. Every dollar is profit. And it's a lot easier than working forty hours per week. Because that's what she would have to do in order to make this kind of money in a "real" job.

So Lynn posts the free ad. And Lynn gets her ten new customers. And everybody is happy. Until Lynn quits.

Because Lynn doesn't really enjoy this new business. It's a lot harder than she thought. Her new customers expect her to be on time. How can she guarantee her arrival? Her schedule is just too hectic. Like last week, when Lynn needed to stick around campus a little longer to meet with her professor. Lynn ended up being two hours late for her cleaning appointment. And the customer had the audacity to get upset with her.

But Lynn showed her. Because Lynn didn't show up the following week. Lynn just posted another free ad on the internet. And she got another new customer to replace the old, mean customer.

The good news is that the old, mean customer called Two Maids & A Mop. Because she was sick and tired of Lynn. The even better news is that Lynn is still out there.

Lynn thinks she's beat us by getting all these new customers. But Lynn never beats us because Lynn always quits. And when Lynn quits, her old customers call us.

Or they just hire another Lynn.

I Told You So

There was an estimate conducted for a homeowner about three months ago. We'll call her Jane. Like many people, Jane interviewed several cleaning companies. That's a great practice for obvious reasons. But like many first time customers, Jane decided to hire the cheapest alternative. She was nice enough to call us to let us know about her decision. She just couldn't afford our rates. But she loved our company. And she really loved our pay for performance plan.

They all do. After all, nobody else can compete against it. We don't have to be great salespeople because the pay for performance plan speaks for itself. Your feedback directly determines the pay level for our employees. The happier you are; the more our employees are able to make with our company. Those two sentences say it all.

But there is a catch (isn't there always a catch?). The catch is that our rates are higher than any other cleaning business that we compete against. The reason that they're higher is because our wages are higher than any other cleaning business. That's how a true pay for performance plan works. There's got to be a pot at the end of the rainbow. If not, there's no reason to get to the end of the rainbow. In other words, there's no reason to care about making you happy.

But the first time cleaning customer doesn't know the pitfalls. She doesn't know that everybody else shows up late. She doesn't know that everybody else gets worse and worse over time. She doesn't know because she's never hired a maid before.

Just like Jane three months ago. But Jane knows now. Because she's sick and tired of her current maid service. She now knows that you get what you pay for. Jane summed it up best with this comment.

"I should have just hired you in the first place."

The Cleaning Service Underworld

There out there. Lurking in your neighborhood. Dropping off fliers. Just waiting for someone to take the bait. And inevitably, somebody does.

The bait is of course money. Because that's their only competitive advantage. If they weren't cheaper than your current maid, then they would be no reason to hire them. But the reality is that they aren't really cheaper.

They aren't cheaper because something always goes wrong. And that something always costs you more money in the long run. Look at the two examples below if you need proof. Or just look at the mug shot to your right. That was somebody's cleaning crew in south Florida.

Click here to read this article.

Now click here to read this article.

No, just because your maid is cheaper than Two Maids & A Mop doesn't mean that she is a thief. It doesn't mean that she is an illegal immigrant either.

It does mean that there is a reason that she is cheaper than Two Maids & A Mop. It could mean that she isn't insured. It could mean that she doesn't have workers' compensation. It could mean that she doesn't report her income. It could mean that she doesn't expect to clean for you very long. And it could mean one other really big thing.

It could mean that her low price is all she's got. Because she can't promise to be on-time every time. She can't promise to listen to your feedback every time. She can't promise to rearrange your cleaning visit because your in bed sick today. She can't even promise that she'll show up next week.

But Two Maids & A Mop can. And that's why we get to charge more for our service. Because we're worth it. Because you're worth it.

An Unequal Playing Field

There are two ways to start a professional cleaning service. Imagine that you're looking to get into the business. Which of these two ways would you pick to get started?

The Legal Way
County Occupational License - $40
City Occupational License - $50-$100
City Business License - $100-$300
General Liability Insurance - $2,000-$5,000 Theft Bond - $100-$200
Workers' Compensation - $1,000-$3,000
Payroll Taxes - $15,000-$????
TOTAL $18,290 - A BUNCH OF MONEY

The Illegal Way
Nothing, zero, natta, zippo...
TOTAL $0

Now which way do would you get started? Keep in mind that these expenses are recurring costs that you'll need year after year. In fact, the busier you get; the more money you'll need. But not if you run your business like the majority of cleaning services.

Nope. You get to operate out of your spare bedroom. You get to pay yourself under the table.

And you also get to run and hide when you damage an expensive piece of furniture. You get to sleep in when you don't want to work. You get to steal money when you know that you're about to move out of town. You get to do all these things because you're cheaper.

You're cheaper than Two Maids & A Mop. You're cheaper and that's why it's so easy to find work for your new cleaning business. Because most of your new customers think that every cleaning business is the same. Because it's just cleaning after all. Anybody can do it.

Now what if you're a customer? Which one do you want inside your home? The answer seems obvious; doesn't it?

Until you have to pay the money. Then it becomes more difficult. After all, your neighbor uses the same lady. What are the chances that you'll end up like these people?

Chances are you won't end up like those people. Then again, do you want to place your house on a roulette table? The choice is yours.

The Value Of Your Maid

The value of anything is determined by you. You get to determine what you are willing to pay for a product or service everyday. You are your own market.

At Two Maids & A Mop, we feel like our services are more valuable than any other cleaning service in the area. However, we don't get to put a price tag on that value. You do. Just like this former customer did......

"I have decided to stop having my house cleaned by Two Maids and a Mop. It wasn't that the people who did the work weren't pleasant and industrious. It's just that I believe that the service cost too much for the job at hand."

Now this comes from a customer that hired us because the previous maids quit showing up. At that time, our service had value. But at some point, our service quit becoming valuable because our service became too dependable. In this customer's mind, he forgot that "anybody can't just do this" and started thinking that "anybody can do this".

Now the good part comes in a few months from now. That's when his new maids start acting like his old maids. Because starting a maid service is just as easy as quitting a maid service. And that's when he remembers that cleaning toilets isn't really his biggest priority. His biggest priority is getting someone to show up to clean the toilets.

But right now, our value is lower than our price tag. That's what makes this country so beautiful. Supply always meets demand.

You can keep on hiring the cheaper maids. You are the one that gets to determine the value of our service. But those cheaper maids usually become less valuable once you figure out why they were cheap in the first place. That's when you have to determine how much value you place on your maid service. For some, its' never. After all, it's just housecleaning. But for others, we become very attractive. Because after all, it's not just about housecleaning.

The White Van Speaker Sale

You've got several choices if you're looking to purchase stereo speakers as a Christmas gift this year. One obvious choice is to purchase the speakers from an established retail business. Another is to cruise the internet for deals. But there's another choice that's becoming more and more popular. It's the White Van Speaker Sale. And it's coming to your local gas station or mall in the very near future.

Here's how the sale works. Two guys, often wearing nice uniforms, possessing realistic looking invoices, business cards, and many of the trappings of a legitimate business, try to sell sets of speakers out of a van; it's white, because those are usually the cheapest to rent. The vans are often unmarked but occasionally have professional-looking graphics on the side which could be nothing more than temporary sticker or magnet signs. They will set up in a mall parking lot, gas station, or bank parking lots.

It's a scam. And one that works surprisingly well. Click here for stories from victims of the scam.

Now there's somebody reading this right now that thinks the white van sale sounds ridiculous. You wouldn't fall for something as silly as that right? But that same person has no problem hiring the cheapest cleaning lady she can find. After all, the cleaning lady is bonded. After all, the cleaning lady does have a business card and tons of references. And most importantly, this cleaning lady left a professional looking flyer on the door. This is a real cleaning business.

Ah uh....check outside your door. You might just see a white van sitting there.

A Box Of Chocolates

You've heard Forrest Gump say it before. Life's like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna to get until you open the box.

But what if the box was real big? What if there were just too many choices? And what if you could only eat one piece of chocolate? Which piece would you select?

That one little piece of chocolate now becomes a big decision. Because you don't want to waste your pick. So you really think about that pick. And when you finally pick that piece of chocolate....it's over. There's no need to second guess. Because you can't pick another one if you wanted to.

Now what if you selected everything just like that..... What if you could only live in one city during your life? What if you could only have one friend? What if you could only read one blog? What if you could only hire one maid?

Hire your next maid because you think that she is better than everyone else. Not because she left a piece of paper on your door. And not because she's your friend's out-of-work daughter. And not because she is cheaper than everybody else.

Hire your next maid like she's in a box of chocolates. And you only get one bite. Don't become the serial maid service hirer.

The moral of the story. Nobody's perfect. Quit searching for perfection and start looking for somebody that cares. Caring means more than perfect anyway. Because your only perfect until you mess up. That's when the caring part shows up.

A License To Clean

Imagine if your daughter didn't need to pass a test in order to drive a car? Imagine if your pharmacist didn't need to pass a test in order to prescribe your medicines? Imagine if your housecleaner had to pass a test in order to clean your home?

Most people think that housecleaning is easy. I'll be the first one to admit that it's much easier than understanding the effects of hundreds of different types of pharmaceuticals. But that doesn't mean it should be treated any differently. After all, you pay a lot of money to get your house cleaned. You should expect for that person to know what they're doing.

The current system only requires that you possess either an occupational license or business license. In many cases, neither of these licenses is required since most housecleaning work is done under the table (pardon the pun). In either case, it doesn't matter because it only takes a few bucks to get either of the two licenses. They're taxes, not licenses.

But what if your housecleaner needed to pass a test in order to get that business license? What if they had to pass this test......

1. The first step would require that the future housecleaner pay for a nationwide criminal background search. The applicant would be denied if he/she was ever convicted of a felony.

2. The second step would require that the future housecleaner pass a safety exam on certain cleaning chemicals and procedures. Some people don't know what happens when you mix ammonia with bleach. Some people don't know that little kids like to play with aerosol bottles left behind by the housecleaner.

3. The third step would require that the future housecleaner sign an ethics oath. Just like the one that your doctor has to sign. No stealing from clients. No under the table shenanigans. No sleeping on the client's couch while everybody's away.

4. The final step would require that the future housecleaner earn continuing education points each year in order to renew the license. In most cities, there are an abundance of continuing education courses focused on customer service, safety, and health.

In addition, maid service companies (like Two Maids & A Mop) would be required to submit documentation on each newly hired employee. Each of these four requirements would also be required for each newly hired employee.

Yes, this would take a lot of work. No, this wouldn't solve everything. Just because you have order doesn't mean you still don't have a little disorder. But it would help.

It would help you. It would help you know that you're hiring a real business. Not somebody's out-of-work daughter.

The Cleaning Lady

There once was this customer. She had used the same cleaning service for more than three years. And she had been consistently happy.

The customer hired her own cleaning lady. Because this particular cleaning lady was a friend and she really needed the money. She just wanted to help her out.

That cleaning service was Two Maids & A Mop. And that happened just two months ago.

Today, that customer is back with us. Because her new cleaning lady got a job and couldn't clean any longer. Welcome to the world of "cleaning ladies".

Yes, hiring your own cleaning lady is cheaper. Yes, hiring your own cleaning lady means you get the same person every time. BUT.....click here to see what usually happens.

We know this because that's how we get most of our customers. They're sick of their cleaning lady. They want someone dependable. They want someone professional.

They want a business. Not a side job.

The Mini Maid Service

Some people decide to hire an individual to clean their home rather than hiring a professional cleaning company. The reason is simple. The individual housecleaner is usually cheaper. Why spend more money when it's something as simple as housecleaning?

For the most part, they're right. Housecleaning isn't complex. It doesn't require anything other than a vacuum and a little sweat. But what happens when she misses your bathroom sink? What happens when she shows up two hours late? And what happens when she doesn't show up at all?

What happens is that you become us. You become your own little maid service company. And you thought that all you had to was hire someone to clean your home.....

At some point, she's going to miss something in your home. That's when you have to make a decision. Do you speak to her about it, or do you just clean it yourself? If you're like most people, you just clean it yourself because you don't want to cause any problems.

At some point, she's going to be late. That's when you have to make another decision. Do you reprimand her, or do you act as if nothing happened? If you're like most people, you don't say a word....even though you missed an appointment because of her late arrival.

At some point, she's going to quit. That's when you have to start all over again. You've got to go and ask another neighbor who cleans their home. You get to interview that person and you get to repeat the cycle all over again. Two months later, and sometimes just two weeks later.....she's gone again.

At Two Maids & A Mop, we're in the business of running a maid service. It's what we do.

Is that what you want to do?

Fly By The Nights

Opening a maid service company is easy. It doesn't take a lot of money. It doesn't take a lot of time. It doesn't even take a lot of guts. It doesn't take a lot of guts because most people don't risk anything in order to get started. Quitting is just as easy as starting.

Take a look at this discussion forum. There's a lot of confused maid service owners out there. Based on this forum, many owners don't even know the difference between a bond and a general liability policy. That's because most owners don't have either one. Not that it matters.

Many of these owners seem frustrated. They're frustrated that their business is taking too long to get off the ground. They want it all right now. Why? Because they started their business in one day. It didn't take any planning. It didn't take anything but a trip to Wal-Mart.

These fly by the night maid service companies have their advantages. For one, they're cheaper than most other maid service companies. That's a pretty big advantage. But, remember...you get what you pay for. The obvious ignorance displayed by this discussion forum proves that there's a lot of confused owners out there. When times get tough, they may just pack up and quit. After all, they don't really have anything to lose. No, the person that has something to lose is you...the customer. You've got to go out and find another company again. You have two choices:

1. Keep hiring the cheapest provider and keep repeating the inevitable cycle
2. Start paying a little bit more and stop the cycle

Supply always meets demand at some point. When does your demand need our supply?

You'll know when.

Customer Feedback

Customers select our company because we pay our employees based on their performance in a home. Our customer's level of satisfaction directly determines our employee's level of compensation. This system works only if we receive customer feedback.

Last week, 1 out of every 4 customers solicited feedback to us. That's not good. We need your input. We need your help. Without your feedback, we're just like everybody else.

If you're a prospective customer, don't forget that we need your opinion in order to make our services effective. Give us feedback as much as possible.

If you're a current customer, remember why you chose us in the first place. You liked our pay for performance plan. Start measuring our performance.

Our system works. It has been proven. But it only works if you hold up your end of the bargain.

We currently either contact a customer by telephone or email. If you have a better idea, please don't hesitate to tell us. As usual, your feedback is important to us.

The Piggyback

Here's a radical thought. Individual housecleaners couldn't survive without professional cleaning companies. They need us.

Individual housecleaners come and go. They quit their business just as quick as they start it. They get pregnant and quit cleaning. They marry and move out of town. Some get too old. Some just simply quit. And then you call us. Because you're sick of hiring Suzie from down the street.

You need a reliable cleaning service. You need to know that we'll be there when we say we'll be there. You need us and you're willing to pay more to get us.

But Suzie is born everyday. And Suzie knows what our rates are. And Suzie knows that if she just charges a little bit less, she'll have plenty of work in no time. And Suzie's right. Suzie's right because people don't perceive our business as a "real" business. Heck, it's just housecleaning. Until they hire Suzie.

You see, Suzie really needs us. Suzie couldn't make $30 per hour anywhere else if it weren't for us.

Here's your challenge. Don't hire us! Hire Suzie first. Create your cleaning schedule. And then watch what happens. When it happens, call us. Then you'll understand why we charge more than Suzie.

Get off my back Suzie.