Two In A Row From Fort Walton Beach

Here's another happy customer from Fort Walton Beach...

"I would like to take the time to comment on the wonderful service that I have received from Two Maids and A Mop. The ladies Alicia and Ashley are awesome workers and I am so happy that they are the ones that I trust cleaning my home. From this experience and being a long time customer, I am completely satisfied with every visit and these two ladies do an awesome job.

I can see why your company's slogan supports your vision and ensuring that all customers are happy and satisfied. Although I do realize that when dealing with the public, your services are not always going to satisfy everyone. But I am happy to say that I am a happy customer and satisfied with the service that I receive.

Before Two Maids and A Mop, I never had time for me. And when I think about all those hours I spent trying to clean and keep my house clean, it was a losing battle. Now that I have someone that I trust in assisting me with those little details, my life has been freed up where I can concentrate on important things. I work 8 hours a day and it is a wonderful feeling when I come home to a clean house. My work load has been cut tremendously in half and it makes me feel so good to be able to relax.

I have shared my experiences with Two Maids and A Mop with others and my prayer is that they will contact your company to help them with their house hold chores just as I did. I will continue to refer others to such an exciting company. I am so glad that you are here and I hope that your company will be around for a long time.

On an scale of 1-10, I must say that the ladies deserves a 10. Thanks for a wonderful staff and two extraordinary ladies that work so diligently and so hard."

Sharon from Fort Walton Beach

Maid Service Testimonial From Fort Walton Beach

Service yesterday--definitely a 10! We're particularly pleased that the kitchen appliances, bathrooms, and our floors shine!

Your pride in results and customer satisfaction definitely puts your company head and shoulders above the competition.

Laura from Fort Walton Beach

Hello From Pensacola

SAY HELLO TO THE GANG IN PENSACOLA!!!

Maid Service Testimonial From Destin

My maids were awesome. Give them a 10. We have company coming from Europe. When I walked in to set up the guest bath room I gasped with astonishment. My maids had opened the closet, pulled out matching towels, folded them beautifully and had everything ready for the guests to arrive. Very cool.

Dorothy From Destin

Customer Testimonial

My new Friends:

Thank you so much for the wonderful cleaning service your two employees Tori & Julie performed in my house today.

I was the winner of a Deep Cleaning for the month of March, and WOW was I lucky!

The gals were efficient, courteous, polite and certainly did the best housecleaning service I have ever experienced.

I will contact you for all my cleaning needs from now on.

Thanks again for a most delightful prize!

Caryn Riley
Pensacola, Florida

More Details On The Pay For Satisfaction Plan

Yesterday was the public introduction of our game changing strategy called Pay For Satisfaction. However, we've secretly been offering this deal to every new customer for the last month. Here's what we've learned:

1. You don't believe it. You don't really believe that we're going to let you select your own cleaning rate. And you don't truly believe it until we actually do it.

2. You think we've gone crazy. How can a business let its customers run the business?

There's no doubt that we'll get scammed. There's no doubt that we'll lose some business just because our idea is so radical. But there is no doubt that we are THE most customer friendly housecleaning company in the world. Because nobody can compete with us now.

No longer do we quote hourly rates. No longer do we quote cleaning prices. There's no need to quote anything because only one person determines our rates. And of course, that person is you.

Try competing with that.

The Pay For Satisfaction Plan

And The World Is Forever Changed

You can mark your calendars. Today is the THE day!

Today is the day that Two Maids & A Mop changes the housecleaning industry. Today is the day that every housecleaning company in the world wakes up from its sleep. Because today is the day that the TwoMaids Pay For Satisfaction Plan is announced.

Introducing a game changing strategy.

Introducing the TwoMaids Pay For Satisfaction Plan!!!

Take The TwoMaids Quiz

The competition for your business is fierce. There's lots of so-called "cleaning companies" that would love to earn your business. In an effort to create less confusion for you, we've designed a quiz that will determine what kind of a cleaning company suits your needs the best. So take a few minutes and answer these simple and easy questions.

The TwoMaids Quiz

Two Maids & A Mop On TV - Again!!!

Since this time last year, Patricia Nance has been diagnosed with an especially rare and aggressive form of breast cancer. She's had extensive radiation, grueling rounds of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy and had lymph nodes removed. And through all this, she has still had to maintain the normal day to day responsibilities of cleaning her home. That was until she got one super sweet phone call.

Of course, that phone call was from Two Maids & A Mop and Cleaning For A Reason.

WEAR Channel 3 of Pensacola recently conducted an interview with our company and Patricia.

Click here to play the video.

Two Maids & A Mop On TV!!

News Channel 7 of Panama City recently conducted an interview with our company about Cleaning For A Reason.

Click here for the full story. After you read the story, click on the video icon near the top of the news article. The video will play on the right hand side of your screen.

P.S. If you are a cleaning service owner or manager, we invite you to join us in our efforts. It doesn't matter if you are in Florida. It doesn't even matter if you are our direct competition. There's room for all of us. Getting started with this organization is easy and simple. You have no excuse. Just imagine if only 10 cleaning services in our area joined Cleaning For A Reason! That would mean that at least 20 women with cancer would be receiving free housecleaning services this month. Join us - our services can make a tremendous difference in someone's life.

Click here to sign up.

Meet Panama City's First Cleaning For A Reason Patient

The following letter was sent to the editor of the local newspaper in Panama City by our first Cleaning For A Reason patient.


Dear News Herald,

My family and I would like to thank you for running the article that informed your readers concerning the organization, “Cleaning for a Reason.” Our mother has been fighting cancer for over two years and has had a very hard time with the numerous treatments. I thought it would be a welcomed gesture to contact their organization and surprise my Mom with this pleasant idea.

Cleaning for a Reason spared no time in contacting a local company, Two Maids and a Mop. An appointment was made and their company did an outstanding job. Our Mom was thrilled that she could just take it easy and not have to worry about the small stuff.

We would like to thank, Two Maids and a Mop and the organization, Cleaning For A Reason for aiding our mother during this trying and difficult time.

It is a great sensation when the public is informed about organizations that are available for individuals going through cancer or other hardships.

Again, thank you for letting us know about this wonderful resource.

Valentine's Day Pamper Packages

The "Just Started Dating" Pamper Package...........$95
You'll receive a gift certificate valued at $125. This package provides you with a two hour general house cleaning.

The "Long Term Relationship" Pamper Package.....$260
You'll receive a gift basket valued at more than $325. The basket contains the following items:

1. One $15 gift certificate to Starbucks

2. One Starbucks Coffee Mug (retails at $25)

3. One gift certificate for a full house "deep cleaning".

And of course, this package will be presented in a beautiful gift basket. We want to make sure that she knows how much time and money you spent on her gift!!!

The "Head Over Heels In Love" Pamper Package...........................$275
You'll receive a gift basket valued at more than $425. The basket contains the following items:

1. A beautiful Godiva chocolate gift basket which features a 15 piece milk chocolate gift box, 8 piece truffle gift box, and a 4 piece gold ballotin gift box.

2. A Godiva Signature Biscuit Sampler containing a dark chocolate bar with raspberry, milk chocolate bar with almonds, and milk chocolate strawberries.

3. One gift certificate valued at $25 to your favorite local florist.

4. One $15 gift certificate to Starbucks.

5. A gift certificate for a full house "deep cleaning" which means that your entire home will be spotless after we're finished.

And don't forget that this package will also be presented in a beautiful Valentine's Day gift basket.

Now these packages do take some time to put together. So we're only offering these packages until next Friday (February 8, 2008)!!! So hurry and call. You've only got one week left.

TwoMaids In The News!!!

Two Maids & A Mop has been featured in the Pensacola News Journal. The story details our pledge to provide free housecleaning services to women undergoing cancer treatment.

For more information, visit Cleaning For A Reason.

Meet Maria - Our First Cleaning For A Reason Patient

Maria is our first Cleaning For A Reason patient at Two Maids & A Mop. Here's her story, in her own words.......

Maria is a wonderful woman who lives in Pensacola. She has three children, but none of them live remotely close to her home. The doctors discovered a large tumor last October and diagnosed it as colon cancer. The tumor was subsequently removed; however, doctors also found a spot on her liver. Each of her children visited her in October during her surgery and recovery. She was so grateful that her kids were able to visit with her because the only other regular contact she has is with her dog Chloe. All she could think about was how much she missed Chloe during her time in the hospital. So her son told her that he would bring Chloe to the hospital if she could gather the strength to get out of bed. And that's exactly what Maria did! It made her day just to see Chloe.

Now that her children have gone back to their homes, she is left to cope with all the chemotherapy and radiation alone. Of course, there are support groups and neighbors. But that doesn't replace the love of family or friends. Maria's doctors have ensured her that her chances of survival are good. She does everything to keep up with daily tasks, but her illness really keeps her down most days. Maria kept thanking Two Maids & A Mop and Cleaning For A Reason for helping her during this time of need.

Colleen Kealey, who manages our Pensacola office, says it best, "It is such an overwhelming feeling to give back and make a difference for someone in need."

P.S. Here are Maria's thoughts on her first house cleaning.....

"I enjoyed meeting you and the two members of your cleaning crew. It was a real treat for me to be able to just sit while my house was cleaned by two very efficient ladies. I will have to give them a 10 out of 10 for their services. They were helpful, friendly and determined to get the whole house cleaned in just 2 hours. That was quite a task considering that my house cleaning had been rather meager since my illness."

Quick Hit Customer Testimonial

"On 1/14/08, Julie and Sontoria performed a deep cleaning for our home. I am pleased to rate their performance a 10 out of 10! They worked steadily, professionally, pleasantly and were considerate of my elderly sick mother and our too-friendly dog. Because of their explanation and encouragement, I am considering monthly service for a regular maintenance cleaning."

Julie and Sontoria both work in our Pensacola office. Thanks to both of you for doing what we promise to each of our customers. Our promise - "We promise to be the most customer friendly housecleaning company you'll ever hire!"

Cleaning For A Reason

Two Maids & A Mop is proud to announce that it has teamed up with Cleaning For A Reason, a nonprofit foundation that provides free cleaning services to women with cancer.

If you are a woman with cancer or know a woman undergoing treatment for cancer that might benefit from these services, an application may be completed and submitted directly to the Foundation on line through the website or by calling toll free 1-877-337-3348.

Two Maids & A Mop Featured In "The Entrepreneur Story"

Two Maids & A Mop has been featured in a new book detailing the plight of entrepreneurship. Read the press release and click on the link at the bottom for more details regarding the book.

Rexburg, Idaho (PRLeap) December 26, 2007 –

The Entrepreneur Story, a newly released e-book from 26 year old entrepreneur Carolynn Duncan, speaks to the nearly 60% of Americans who dream of starting their own business.

Duncan collected stories from 70 entrepreneurs in 35 states and 5 continents, in order to help “wannabe” entrepreneurs get started. With 255 pages of anecdotes from business owners, worksheets, and brainstorming questions, even the book’s unique background—produced on a $49 budget— is a testament to its message of making plans a reality.

“The Entrepreneur Story has been an invaluable experience,” said Carolynn Duncan, of the Eastern Idaho Entrepreneurial Center. “I started the project because I experienced a costly business failure, and needed to learn from others, quickly, before trying again.” She continues, “I’ve read these stories dozens of times, and continue learning critical lessons from each one.”

Ryan Byrd, University of Utah MBA, declared the book to be “a goldmine of entrepreneurial wisdom—not from sheltered academics, but from seasoned, successful small business owners working in the trenches.”

“There are a slew of books about establishing and operating a business; however, learning first-hand from individuals who have actually been through it makes this book a truly valuable resource,” said Danielle White, freelance consultant for the Utah Small Business Development Center and co-founder of The Cancer Crusaders Organization.

Click here for a free sample of the book.

The Top Five Posts Of 2007

The Birth Of A New Cleaning Company
Here's how your next housecleaning company might have gotten its start!

Waving Goodbye To Marge
Here's why you keep having to hire maid after maid!

Four Steps To Customer Satisfaction
Here's the four step plan on how Two Maids & A Mop makes its customers happy!

The Independent Contractor Maid Service Company
Learn the secret of the maid service industry - and how it hurts you as a customer!

If You've Never Hired A Maid Before
Here are six myths that most first-time maid service customers don't know!

Shameless Plug

Check out this news article.

Yes, the story is about Two Maids & A Mop. Yes, I wrote the story. And yes, I only wrote it because I was trying to get someone's attention.

But it's all true. And if you're looking to hire a maid, then reading this can only help you.

Meet Rachel - Our New Manager in Panama City

You may even remember Rachel. She was one of two star employees that were mentioned in a fantastic customer testimonial. Click here to read the testimonial.

Now if you read the testimonial, you already know why we selected Rachel as our new manager in Panama City. She's energetic. She's ambitious. And she's excited. She embodies everything we look for in a leader.

Some of you in Bay County have already met Rachel. Many of you in Okaloosa County have also met Rachel. That's because Rachel was our lead training manager for the last 18 months. She's trained every single new employee for our Fort Walton Beach office during that period. Our customers loved her and they already miss her.

But the good news is that everyone in Panama City gets to receive her awesome customer service now. Thank you Rachel. You've got a bright future.

Click here for another article about Rachel.

The Thanksgiving Cleaning Rush

This is a very busy time of the year for a cleaning company. Thanksgiving is just around the corner and you've got tons of things to accomplish before next Thursday. That's good news to us because it means you really need us. The good news for you is that we really need you too. We always do.

Now we don't have many openings next week since we're off Thursday and Friday. But we do have a few slots still available. Here's what we have available at each location.

Pensacola
On Tuesday, we have two openings. We can clean your home first thing in the morning (8-9AM) or in the early afternoon (1-2PM).

On Wednesday, we have one opening. We can clean your home in the late morning (10:30-11:300AM).

Fort Walton Beach
On Monday, we can clean your home in the early afternoon (1-2PM).

On Tuesday, we can clean your home first thing in the morning (8-9AM).

On Wednesday, we can clean your home in the early afternoon (1-2PM). We have two early afternoon slots available.

Panama City
On Monday, we can clean your home first thing in the morning (8-9AM) and in the early afternoon (1-2PM).

On Tuesday, we have all three cleaning times available.

On Wednesday, we can clean your home in the early afternoon (1-2PM).

Halloween Party In Pensacola

Take a look at some images from our Halloween party in Pensacola.

Everyone having some food and drinks

Start carving your pumpkins

The final masterpieces

A close up of one of the pumpkins

Meet April

We have an employee named April Bolding. She's been with our company longer than any other single employee. She's a star. Listen to what one of her recent customers said about her......

"We would like to take this opportunity to thank Two Maids and a Mop and specifically your employee, April Bolding, for the outstanding work that she has done for us over the past year. House cleaning can be a hard and thankless job that few aspire to do and do well. April has broken that mold and has impressed us with her determination and perseverance in cleaning our house. She listens well, and gets it right every time. Not only does April complete the basic tasks of housecleaning, but she also notices items that need attention and makes sure that they are also addressed. Upon arrival at our house April briefs her assistant so that they have a clear understanding of the tasks, thereby relieving us of the requirement to brief the team at every visit. April is the best that we have experienced from all your staff. Through her hard work and determination, April Bolding has brought great credit upon Two Maids and a Mop and herself personally. Our thanks for the great work. "

April works in Pensacola. When you see her next time, go to sleep. You can go to sleep because you have nothing to worry about. April will take care of everything. She always does.

The Top Five Most Frequently Asked Questions

It's true that every house is different and every customer is different. But for the most part, we hear the same questions over and over again. Here's our top five most popular questions....

1. What are your rates? What do you charge?
The phrases change, but the premise is the same for everyone. Everyone's first question deals with our rates. Click here for a detailed answer to the question.

And if you're too lazy to click, just know that we can't answer this question without first asking you a series of questions, such as....

1. What is your home's total square footage?
2. How many bedrooms/bathrooms do you have?
3. How often do you require our service?
4. What type of cleaning do you require?
5. Where do you live?

Make sure you click here for a better explanation.

2. Will I be able to get the same two people each time?
Yet another question that isn't so easy to answer. Click here for a detailed response to this question. And if you're too lazy to click, here's a synopsis.

It's our goal to send the same people every time. It makes your life easier and it makes our life easier. Our system works like this. Two people are assigned to a route. Your home is also assigned to a route. As a result, you should get the same two people every time. The only reason that you won't receive the same two people is because one of the two people isn't at work. Which is exactly the problem. We can't guarantee you that everyone will be at work every day. Stuff happens and people miss work. People also quit. And when they quit, we lose one of the two team members.

The good news is that we will show up. You don't need to worry about that. We will show up. And you can bet that the two people who show up will care. They'll care because your opinion determines their pay level.

3. Are you bonded, licensed, and insured?
In a nutshell, yes, yes, and yes. But there's far more to the story than a simple yes. And of course, we have a link for you to click so that you can learn more about this subject.

Click here to learn more about the joke of the cleaning industry called a bond.

And click here for even more information on bonds, licenses, and insurance.

4. Do you supply your own equipment and supplies?
Yes.

Click here for a detailed description of our cleaning equipment and supplies.

5. Do you need to be home for us to clean your home?
No. We only need you for three things. We need you to let us in your home. We need you to tell us what you want us to accomplish. And we need for you to critique our cleaning after we're finished.

Entering your home can sometimes be accomplished without you. We do accept customer keys if you can't be home when we arrive. We lock each safe in a fire proof safe and we also number designate each key to ensure your safety.

We can also talk to you before the cleaning to discuss your specific needs. Of course, talking directly to us at your home is a great benefit. But then again, you're hiring us because you don't have enough time in your day anyway.

And we'll either call or email you after we're finished to receive your critique of the cleaning.

High Five

Once a month, we send out a newsletter that awards a free deep cleaning to one lucky visitor to our website. We usually ask our newsletter subscribers to answer a simple question regarding our business and its practices. There's no need to bore you with a sample question-you get the picture.

Anyway, here's a response from one of our subscribers last week....

"I am not really entering your monthly sweepstakes (thanks to your generosity I still have my free 2 hour coupons) but this monthly giveaway and the one you have below are just another example of a great business plan. Two Maids and a Mop involves the customer directly in the business. You offer incentives for good work by basing wages on effectiveness. The Customer does the rating. Management sends out newsletters to keep the customers informed. If anyone ever asks me about maid service, Two Maids & a Mop is the only one I recommend because I know I will not be embarrassed by either the personnel, quality of service, or customer service."

Now that's what I call a testimonial. Unsolicited. Straight from the customer's mouth. And humbling to say the least.

How about you joining in on the fun? Click here if you would like to enter our monthly free housecleaning giveaway.

Help Needed

One of our most valued employees is going through a difficult time right now. Her grandson was recently born premature in Panama City. A fund has been set up for donations.

Click here for details

Meet Dorothy

From the desk of Colleen comes this awesome review of one of our star employees.....

Dorothy has been at our Pensacola office for just over a year now. She has been one of the most dependable and dedicated employees to this office. In fact, I can count on one hand how many days she has requested a day off in the time she has been here. And not once has she ever called out sick or just not shown up. She is the model for what an employee should be.

Aside from being so dependable and dedicated, she is also a top quality cleaner. Her clients enjoy and look forward to her top-notch service. She is very much requested by many clients. The clients love how she always does just a little extra more than what’s required.

I can say that Dorothy is a huge asset to our company. She has been here through a lot of changes and has stuck around to see what dedication and hard work can do.

Thank you Dorothy for everything you have done for this company and we hope you continue it.

Panama City CAB Notes-2007

We held our first ever customer advisory board meeting in Panama City last week. Seven of our customers had to cancel at the last minute. Look to the right to see what you missed. That's right, you're eyes aren't deceiving you. That's beautiful St. Andrews Bay in the background and that's also a cool breeze flowing through our hair. What a great night!

Panama City Customer Advisory Board Meeting Notes-2007

Meet April

April has worked in our Fort Walton Beach location for more than one year. She's been a tremendous asset to our company since her arrival. For the past year, April has trained every single new employee that we have hired. Turnover in Fort Walton this past year was at an all-time low. And April is one of the primary reasons for our low turnover.

April's job isn't to just educate a new employee on the art of dusting. April also has to be our greatest ambassador. She's got to sing our praises all the time because every new employee needs to be reassured that our business is a good place to work. April has also served as our primary replacement for Elicia.

The best news of all is that April is expecting a new baby soon. Now her son will get to have a little brother to aggravate every day. Congratulations April!!!

April, you deserve nothing but good things. Thanks for your hard work and dedication.

A Day In The Life Of Crystal

You already know how great our Operations Manager is in Panama City. If you don't, click here to find out why.

There's also another reason our office in Panama City has gotten off to such a fast start. Her name is Crystal. Crystal is our Training Manager. It's her responsibility to train all new employees that work for Two Maids & A Mop. It's also her responsibility to be our company's best ambassador. She has to sell the new employee on the benefits of her new job. Because we want to make sure that the new employee shows up the next day. It sounds silly, but it is absolutely essential.

Crystal does all that and then some. You see, when Crystal isn't training...she's cleaning. Or she's filling in for Melissa. Or she's doing whatever else we need her to do that day.

There's one other thing that she does everyday. And I mean everyday. She smiles.

I've yet to find Crystal in a bad mood. I've yet to see her upset. I've yet to even see her tired. Of course, I'm sure she has her days. But you'd never know it. Because she's always smiling.

Take a look at a day in the life of Crystal. (Notice that she's smiling in every picture.)

8 AM-Crystal posing with everybody else in Panama City
8:45 AM-Crystal arriving at her first customer's house
9 AM-Crystal making the bed
9:30 AM-Crystal tackling the bathroom
10 AM-Crystal finishing the bathroom
10:15 AM-Crystal moving on to the kitchen
10:45 AM-Crystal dusting those pesky ceiling fan blades
11 AM-Crystal loading up the car

Thank you Crystal for smiling everyday.

Ashley & Rachel

That's the name of two of our brightest stars at Two Maids & A Mop. You may recall an awesome letter sent in from one of our customers detailing our company's greatest strength - customer satisfaction. If not, click here to read it.

Both of these stars work in our Fort Walton beach location. Thank you Ashley and Rachel!!!

Our customer said it best, "Where have you been all my life? Never the less, I'm glad you're here now!"

I'm Glad You're Here Now

From one of our satisfied customers...............

"I really enjoy the two girls that service my home. They are wonderful. In my opinion, I think you have such a wonderful company that provides excellent service for which this area so desperately needs.

I can recall when I initially inquired about Two Maids & A Mop. I was listening to the radio and decided to give your company a call. I must admit I was hesitant at first because now a days one has to be very careful in letting people that you don't know into your home. However, I decided to take a chance to see for myself. I figured that that I would find out if your company lived up to the expectations that was described on the radio.

I even put these two girls to the test by setting out baits to see if they were honest and yes they passed with flying colors. I've become so comfortable with the two girls that I have begun to feel like they are part of my family and now feel as though I don't want anyone else to clean my place. They were very professional and clean with excellence.

It makes a great difference when some of the loads of cleaning can be taken off me since I am a student taking classes online to further my degree. When I schedule my appointment I only request the two girls because I have connected a bond and I don't refer them as the cleaning ladies but as professionals who clean my home. When you interview these two ladies you chose the right ones for your company. They are truly dependable, kind, thoughtful and they know my name - which is a plus.

If a concerns comes up or a question I may have they communicate to me professionally and give me an open eye contact when answering any questions or concerns that I may have. In my book, these two ladies are a 10+ because of their mannerism and the consistency in doing a fantastic job in cleaning my home. I now tell everyone at my work about Two Maids & A Mop and the wonderful job that these ladies do for me. I am forever thankful for your company and the two ladies but I just have one question to ask you?

Where was Two Maids & A Mop when I needed you so long ago? Never-the-less, I am so glad that you are here now."

In The News Again

We made the Pensacola News Journal last month.

And this month, we've made the Pensacola H&G Magazine.

Now all we need to do is start getting some pub in our other two locations.

Thanks to our employees Regina and Michelle for volunteering to be photographed for three hours (while they cleaned). And thanks to our customer Joyce Cobb for letting us use her home as photo studio.

Something's In The Air

It must be the springtime air because cleaning is in the air right now. It seems that everybody along the gulf coast needs their house cleaned all of sudden. And we're not complaining.

Nope. We're not complaining at all. Take this for example. Our Panama City office has gained 21 new customers in the last eleven days. That's an amazing feat. But now we have another problem to worry about it.

Now that we've got all these new customers, we can't forget about our old ones. In addition, we've got to make sure that we perform at a high level during our first few visits with these new customers. But the good news is that we have a shot to really take the Panama City office to another level.

It's exciting times at Two Maids & A Mop. Panama City is rocking. Fort Walton Beach is plugging along. And Pensacola is doing what it always does - kicking butt and taking names. This year is on pace to be our biggest and best year yet.

Sorry for the rah rah post. But I couldn't keep the excitement to myself. Go TwoMaids!!

Meet Elicia

Here I am typing away in my office at home. Meanwhile, there's about thirty-six cleaners out there headed your way. Right to your front door. Ready to make your life a little bit easier. 36 employees! And I'm sitting here typing. How in the world do I get away this? Because I have three unbelievable managers. I've already spotlighted Colleen and Melissa. Now it's Elicia's turn.

Elicia Coff is the Operations Manager for our Fort Walton Beach location. Elicia used to be one of our cleaners. Just like Colleen and Melissa. But Elicia didn't clean for long. Just like Colleen and Melissa. It was obvious that Elicia was able to handle more responsibility. At the time, Colleen was running the show in Fort Walton Beach. However, Colleen lived in Pensacola. And Colleen wanted to run the show in Pensacola. But we didn't have a real good answer because we didn't have anyone to replace Colleen. Then came Elicia.

Elicia cleaned for maybe two months before we decided that she was ready to tackle the job of being boss. And we've never looked back. Until now that is.

Elicia has taken a small cleaning business and transformed it into a real, legitimate cleaning business. Some would even call her location a large cleaning business. Elicia manages thirteen employees on a daily basis. She cradles countless numbers of customers on a daily basis. And she manages to withstand one overly stressed man every day. Yeah, I'm talking about me.

Take a look at what Elicia has contributed to our company:

- We relocated our office about one year ago. Elicia (along with her husband) voluntarily relocated everything. Her husband painted. Her husband removed sheetrock. She reorganized everything. And she found the office to boot. All for free. All without me doing one thing.
- Elicia gets all the crap work. She gets all the crap work because her office is in the middle. So she knows a little bit about Pensacola. And she knows a little bit about Panama City. So when Colleen or Melissa step out of the office, guess who gets their phones? Elicia. There's times when Elicia is answering every call from Pensacola to Panama City.
- Right now, Elicia is saving my life. Melissa is on vacation. And I'm in Gulf Breeze. About 100 miles away. But Elicia is handling everything for me. She's running Panama City and she's running her own office as well. And all I'm doing is typing. Man am I lucky.
- Elicia has contributed many ideas that have been put to use. For example, it was her idea to get our business involved in the Christmas parade. She did everything- again. I did nothing- again.

Thank you Elicia for all your hard work. You're dedicated to the success of your location. And it shows everyday. Keep up the hard work and keep making me look good.

One thing about all three managers for my company is that I don't look at them as my employees. Their much more than that. Their my partners. We're in this thing together.

Six Questions With Elicia Coff

Getting Some Pub

We've made the newspaper.

Click here the read the article. Learn how to get rid of your weekend to-do list.

Meet Melissa

It was a bad day. The manager for our newest location had just been terminated. I was depressed. Sick. Tired. And scared. I was scared that the business wouldn't make it because I didn't have anybody qualified to hire to replace the manager.

So I started thinking. Which of our current employees had an entrepreneurial spirit? Which of our current employees could I depend on to open the office every day? Which of our current employees did I trust the most? And it was the same answer every time. It was Melissa.

Melissa Teaver is the Operations Manager for our Panama City location. The location started off with a bang, but sales were pretty much stagnant for months after the grand opening. We were bleeding money. And nobody seemed to know that we existed.

We had poured thousands of dollars into advertising and employee training. But the ball hadn't even thought about rolling yet. So we decided to start over. And that's when we hired Melissa. And that's when the business started to prosper.

Melissa has been our manager since October 2006. It's only been about five months. But she has absolutely transformed the business since her arrival. Here's just a few of her remarkable contributions to the company.

- Melissa has willingly worked on many Saturdays to cold-call potential customers.
- Melissa has spent hundreds of hours folding, stuffing, and mailing direct mail letters to potential customers.
- Melissa asked to join the local Chamber of Commerce. Her local involvement in the community has been her greatest contribution.
- Melissa has spent countless hours with me brainstorming new ideas.
- Melissa consistent dedication to her work has given me more time to concentrate on growth opportunities.

Long story short, Melissa works. And she works hard. She's dependable. Honest. Sincere. And just like Colleen. She's a manager's dream employee.

Thank you Melissa. Thank you for all your hard work. You're the only reason that our newest location is finally out of the red.

Six Questions With Melissa Teaver.

Meet Colleen

Colleen Kealey is the Operations Manager in Pensacola. Colleen's been with us for more than two years. I remember the day she walked into our office for the first time.

It was a particularly bad day. Absenteeism had reared its ugly head that day. Customers were extremely unhappy with us because we were forced to reschedule a few of them. And I had nobody to hire. Nobody good to hire that is.

Until Colleen walked in. Colleen walked in dressed nice. She brought a resume. A college degree. And a professional attitude. It was like my throwback days when I worked in the lab. Colleen seemed too good to be true. But I was desperate. And I wasn't going to let Colleen just walk away.

So I talked to Colleen about more than just housecleaning. I gave her my plans for the future. She must have thought that I was crazy. After all, she just wanted a job. A career in the housecleaning industry was the furthest thing from her mind. But alas, she bought the story.

And she worked in our Pensacola office for about two months before opening her own office in Fort Walton Beach. Colleen was instrumental in the early success of the Fort Walton Beach office. She ran the business by herself because my time was required in Pensacola. I probably averaged about 4-5 hours per week in Fort Walton beach. It was Colleen's business.

Colleen now runs our Pensacola location. The large customer and employee base had just gotten to be big for our former manager. So Colleen transferred back to Pensacola. And that's where she's at right now. And boy am I glad she's there.

She's a manager's dream. Sometimes you just get lucky. And I got lucky. I got lucky when Colleen walked in that front door. Without Colleen, we may have never opened another location. Without Colleen, we may not be where we are today.

Thank you Colleen for your dedication, loyalty, professionalism, and caring. Thank you for walking into my office.

If you want to know even more about Colleen, check this out.......

Six Questions With Colleen

Calling All Entrepreneurs

So here's the deal. Two Maids & A Mop almost opened its newest location in Jacksonville, FL. It was the eleventh hour and the door slammed just before the first yellow page contract was about to be signed. It was a tough blow, but I'm glad it happened now rather than later.

The would-be owner let me in on a little secret. It was just one, little comment. She didn't even know she had said it. Her comment...

She looked forward to spending more time with her children. Nice thought. And one that I can understand. But her comment puzzled me. Because she didn't currently work. At all.

So the question had to be asked. How did you envision spending more time your children? Her response....

Because she would no longer need day care services. Because she could just take the kids to work now. Because it's her office. Her business.

And that's when the dagger swung into my heart. I knew that I had just wasted the last two months courting her. I knew that we would not be open in Jacksonville any time soon. And I knew that this lady needed to find another career.

Owning a cleaning business is one thing. Running a cleaning business is another. The job takes time, discipline, and patience. The early days really stink. Nobody knows you. Nobody cares to know you.

So your first twelve months brings lots of free time. You could do a number of things with that free time. You could just wait on the phone to ring. You could just sit there looking out the window. And yes, you could even spend more time your kids.

Or you could join every local club in your area. Or you could go door-to-door selling your services. Or you could personally visit every new customer to make sure that they are satisfied. Or you could do a lot of things besides just waiting on the phone to ring.

Two Maids & A Mop wants to grow. But growing to just grow is not what we are about. We want you. We want you if you want to work. We want you if want to be an entrepreneur.

Because that's what you'll be. An entrepreneur. Not an employee.

Click Here If You're An Entrepreneur

Panama City Grand Opening

We recently joined the Panama City Chamber of Commerce. As a result, they're sponsoring our "grand opening" tomorrow (February 8th, 2007). So, if you like free food, free drinks, and lively talk about the business of housecleaning.....come by and see us at 4 PM. Everyone is invited.

You can find the free food and drinks at our office. We are located at 1815 W. 15th Street, Suite 8.

The Company Party

The fourth annual TwoMaids company party was held this past Friday night in Destin.

This year was a far cry from our first attempt at a company party. It consisted of three employees. One of them being me. The other two being two very valuable employees. It was held at Whataburger. A fast food joint. Not too exciting. Or fun.

The second attempt was a little better. It still only consisted of four employees. And it was held at a steak house in Pensacola. A little better. But still not too much fun.

The third attempt was even better. We had five employees present and we held it at a seafood restaurant in Navarre. The food was great. And it was even a little fun that night.

This year we invited 24 employees from Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, and Panama City. We took it one step farther this year. Each employee could bring their family or friends with them. The party was held at a Japanese restaurant in Destin. The food was excellent. And it was very fun.

And that's the name of the game. Work hard, but play hard too.

I can't wait until next year. Every year has got to be trumped.

More Pictures From The Company Party

Fort Walton Beach Customer Advisory Board Meeting Notes

Click on the link below to read notes from our most recent Customer Advisory Board meeting in Fort Walton beach.

Customer Advisory Board Notes

The Christmas Parade

Assume that you work for Two Maids & A Mop. You've just finished a long day of housecleaning and you're beat. Now what if I told you that you're day isn't over yet? You've still got another 5-6 hours of work left to complete. To make matters worse, you've got to perform that work in near freezing conditions. And one more thing, I'm not going to pay you for it. You're going to do the work for free.

As crazy as all that sounds, it happened. But there's one thing I'm leaving out. I didn't tell anybody to do it. They volunteered. That's right. Five of our employees in Fort Walton Beach volunteered to take part in this year's Christmas parade. Better yet, it was their idea.

Thank you Angelique, Sandy, April, Lori, and Elicia. Also a big thank you goes out Sandy's family for providing so much help. You all have not only made me proud, but you've proven yet again that we're not just another cleaning company.

Just three years ago, I was scared to death that my employees were going to kill my dream. Today, my employees ar