Showing posts with label maid service. Show all posts
Showing posts with label maid service. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The Growing Career Opportunities in the Maid and Housekeeping Industry By: Josh Stone

Way back, it was traditionally a woman's role to clean the home, but as more and more women have joined the work force, the time pressure on families with children has grown immeasurably, so paying someone to do the cleaning makes sense to time-pressured couples where both work, and are making a reasonable income.

Maids and housecleaners are responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of the establishment in which they work. The duties of maids/housecleaners range from light cleaning chores such as dusting to chores such as vacuuming, washing bathrooms, making beds, doing laundry and ironing sheets or clothes. Depending on the employer, additional duties may be required, such as sterilization of supplies and equipment in a hospital. Housecleaners work in establishments ranging from privately owned houses to large commercial buildings such as hotels or hospitals. In some countries, maids take on the role of a nurse in taking care of the elderly and people with disabilities. Maids are often expected to work at least fifteen hours per day. Many maids are required by their employers to wear a uniform.

Wages for a house clean help depend on the size of the residence, the number of people in the family, the hours required and experience.

A maid is generally a female employed in domestic service. Once part of an elaborate hierarchy in great houses, today the maid may be the only domestic worker that upper and even middle-income households can afford.

In hierarchical order, the types of maids in a large household are: head house-maid (or head housemaid), housemaids, chambermaids (also known as housemaids), nursery maids, kitchen maids, also between maid (hall girl in the US), scullery maids and lady's maid.

Outside of the normal hierarchy, the lady's maid was a senior servant who reported directly to the lady of the house, rather than to the housekeeper or butler.

A lady's maid is a female personal attendant who waits on the lady of the house. The position is somewhat analogous to a gentleman's valet, but not as high-ranking as a lady's companion, who is a retainer rather than a servant. The position is rare today and the few women who still perform this role often use the term dresser instead.

Traditionally, a lady's maid was expected to maintain her lady's wardrobe and accessories and be an expert needlewoman and hairdresser as well.

A chambermaid is a maid who cleans and cares for bedrooms.

Scullery maids are assistants to kitchen maids. Duties included the most physical and demanding tasks in the kitchen, such as cleaning of the floor, stoves, sinks, pots and dishes. Scullery maids would rarely have handled fine china, stemware, crystal or plate silver; these are cleaned by housemaids and footmen. The scullery maid reported (through the kitchen maid) to the cook or chef.

A kitchen maid is a junior female servant in a great house ranking below a cook and above a scullery maid. An experienced kitchen maid is an assistant cook; the position may be compared to that of a line cook in a professional kitchen. The kitchen maid reports to the head cook.

Nursery maids report to the nanny. Their duties include tidying and maintaining the nursery and other supportive chores.

A nanny is defined as "a child's nurse". The traditional nanny reported directly to the lady of the house. This role currently stands firmly as a sector of early childhood education.

Today, although many families employ part-time babysitters, fulltime nannies in the classic sense can only be afforded by upper-middle to upper class families. A nanny may perform tasks such as: providing childcare during the hours agreed upon with the employing family, Supporting the physical, social, emotional, creative, and intellectual development of children, protecting children from harm and ensuring that they have a safe environment, preparing appetizing and nutritionally-balanced meals and snacks, maintaining good communication with the parents, informing them of each child's development and concerns, maintaining the cleanliness and neatness of the house as affected by the children.

Male nannies do exist, though they often use a different name (child minder for example, or more recently manny).

A maid service is a relatively easy sort of business to start, because one needs little more than a phone and one or two workers to get started. However, to make the business really successful, one must plan appropriately and have sufficient capital for start-up costs and marketing, and be prepared to go through some relatively lean times at first, while you build up a clientele.

A maid service, also known as a residential cleaning service or home cleaning service is a business which provides cleaning services as a convenience to homeowners who do not have (or do not wish to spend) the time to clean their own homes. Maid services have become more common over the last 20 years or so, partly because of the rise in two-income families.

Although a maid service may be more expensive than simply hiring a part-time maid, it offers a number of advantages. First, a service will provide not only someone to do the cleaning, but also all of the necessary supplies. Second, in the United States, if you hire a maid directly, you are responsible for withholding social security taxes. Third, a maid service is, or should be, insured, and can be held accountable if something is stolen, whereas a private individual may be difficult to track down.

There are several large maid service franchises in the United States, such as MaidPro, Molly Maid and Merry Maids. There are also thousands of independent operators around the country. They are also becoming more prevalent in England, Australia, South Africa and elsewhere. There are also numerous companies supplying useful services to maid service companies - like training, marketing help and supplying management software.

There are now thousands of residential cleaning businesses throughout the United States and Canada. More spring up every year. Maid services are becoming more popular in other countries, too - perhaps a sign of a relatively well-off population or perhaps these businesses have sprung up just as the two-earner household has become the norm.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
Freelance writer for over eleven years. Maid Uniforms Aprons Dickies Nursing Uniform Scrubs

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Cleaning Services as a Profession

There are many people that take advantage of the many cleaning services that are available today. This is where they hire people to come in a clean there home and property in some way. There are different companies that have maid services for different things. For example, there are those companies that supply cleaning service for businesses rather private homes and vice versa.

The cleaning service industry is a good industry in which to invest. If you are ever interested in starting your own business then why not think about starting your own maid service. You can start out small and just start with small homes and you can charge people for your services. If you do not mind getting your hands dirty then why not try your hand at cleaning.

The cleaning service industry caters primarily to two market groups, consumer and commercial. The consumer market is made up of primarily residential maid services, along with such things as carpet cleaners and window cleaners. The commercial area however is made up janitorial services. The commercial area provides a wider range of cleaning services to a larger percentage of the population that avail themselves of these services.

The cleaning services industry can be quite profitable. Once you have established a clientele you can find yourself working all the time. It may even come to the point where you can hire people to work under you. If you have employees then your role in the cleaning industry will shift from a worker to a more background role where you hire people out to work for your company. There are also benefits to the cleaning services industry as well. This is the type of job where you can determine yourself when and where you work. You can work on a full time basis or a part time. This could be a job on the side where you can make some extra cash or it can be used as your primary mode of income.

Source: Free Articles

About the Author

James Hunt has spent 15 years as a professional writer and researcher covering stories that cover a whole spectrum of interest. Read more at www.cleaning-services-central.info

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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

The Benefits Of Maid Service By: Gray Rollins

Today's families are busier than ever. When both parents work outside the house and the kids need to get to after school activities and sports events, housework never seems to get done. More and more families are considering using a maid service to keep their homes clean and comfortable. However, is it really safe to use a maid service? How do you hire the right service for your family?

If you use a bit of caution, hiring a maid service is extremely safe. Before you give anyone a key to your home, always insist on meeting him or her in person. However, even if you feel like this person is nice and very trustworthy, you should also be sure that the service is bonded. Many cleaning services also have insurance to cover accidents or re-keying services. This helps you make sure that if the maid accidentally leaves a faucet running or loses your key, you will be covered financially. After all, even the best cleaning service can have an off day and accidents do happen.

Once you are sure the cleaning service you are considering is adequately prepared for any liability issues and hires trustworthy employees, it is time to sign a contract, right? Well, actually, it is a bit too soon for that. Ask for a few references and give them a call. Be sure the cleaning service shows up on time and ask each reference how he or she feels about the skill of the cleaner. A good cleaning service will elicit responses such as "I didn't know my house could get this clean" or "Even my trash cans smell good now" from an enthusiastic reference.

Now that you know the cleaning service does a good job for other people, it is time to give the maid you will be using a try. Ask for a trial cleaning to be sure you are satisfied. Some cleaning services object to doing this because homeowners who don't have their homes cleaned regularly ask a company for a trial cleaning without planning to actually have their homes cleaned on a weekly basis. If this is the case, ask if they can suggest a way for you to be sure that the cleaning service meets your needs without signing a contract. Perhaps the company will write a clause in the contract offering a two week trial basis during which either party can end the contract without a penalty.

Finally, when you use a maid service, be sure that you respect your cleaning person. After all, this is the person who sees your home at its worst each week and helps it regain its sparkle and polish so that you can be proud of the way it looks.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
Gray Rollins is a featured writer for MaidServiceInfo.com. To learn more about maid services and house cleaning services, visit us.

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Thursday, June 18, 2009

Starting A Career in the Cleaning Service Industry Maids and Janitors By: Josh Stone

Maids perform typical domestic chores such as cooking, ironing, washing, cleaning the house, grocery shopping, walking the family dog, and taking care of children. In some countries, maids take on the role of a nurse in taking care of the elderly and people with disabilities. Maids are often expected to work at least fifteen hours per day.

Many maids are required by their employers to wear a uniform. Today the maid may be the only domestic worker that upper and even middle-income households can afford. In the Western world, comparatively few households can afford live-in domestic help, usually compromising on periodic cleaners. In less developed nations, fewer educated women and limited opportunities for working women ensures a labour source for domestic work.

Young girls working as scullery maids fell to the bottom of the servant hierarchy which meant they were mocked and ridiculed by upper servants and completely ignored by members of the household despite the fact that they slaved away each day at their work. The scullery maid reported (through the kitchen maid) to the cook or chef.

A between maid (also called hall girl, particularly in the United States) is a female junior servant in a large household with many staff. The position is largely defunct in the 21st century, as few households can afford great retinues of servants with the elaborate hierarchy of the past.

The term hall girl came from her chief duty, which was waitressing in the Servants' Hall. She was required to set the table and remove the dishes, as well as waiting at table. She may also have carried meals up to the head housekeeper, if, for example, that head of staff had breakfast or afternoon tea in her room(s).

The term between maid came from the fact that her duties came under the area of responsibilites of the housekeeper, butler and cook; if these individuals did not like one another the job of the between maid was a very difficult one.

In developed countries most families can no longer afford live-in help. In nations where there is still a ready supply of inexpensive labour the middle classes may still be able to afford servants. For these households, the remnant of the once grand position of head housekeeper is often a cook-housekeeper. The modern cook-housekeeper performs cooking and cleaning duties.

A maid service, also known as a residential cleaning service or home cleaning service is a business which provides cleaning services as a convenience to homeowners who do not have (or do not wish to spend) the time to clean their own homes. Maid services have become more common over the last 20 years or so, partly because of the rise in two-income families.

Although a maid service may be more expensive than simply hiring a part-time maid, it offers a number of advantages. First, a service will provide not only someone to do the cleaning, but also all of the necessary supplies. Second, in the United States, if you hire a maid directly, you are responsible for withholding social security taxes. Third, a maid service is, or should be, insured, and can be held accountable if something is stolen, whereas a private individual may be difficult to track down.

There are several large maid service franchises in the United States, such as MaidPro, Molly Maid and Merry Maids. There are also thousands of independent perators around the country. They are also becoming more prevalent in England, Australia, South Africa and elsewhere. There are also numerous companies supplying useful services to maid service companies, like training, marketing help and supplying management software.

There are now thousands of residential cleaning businesses throughout the United States and Canada. More spring up every year. Maid services are becoming more popular in other countries, too - perhaps a sign of a relatively well-off population, or perhaps these businesses have sprung up just as the two-earner household has become the norm.

Way back, it was traditionally a woman's role to clean the home, but as more and more women have joined the work force, the time pressure on families with children has grown immeasurably, so paying someone to do the cleaning makes sense to time-pressured couples where both work, and are making a reasonable income.

A maid service is a relatively easy sort of business to start, because one needs little more than a phone and one or two workers to get started. However, to make the business really successful, one must plan appropriately and have sufficient capital for start-up costs and marketing, and be prepared to go through some relatively lean times at first, while you build up a clientele.

Men working in the cleaning profession are usually called janitors. A janitor is a person who takes care of a building, such as a school, office building, or apartment block. They are responsible primarily for cleaning, and often (though not always) some maintenance and security. A female janitor is called a janitrix, although this term is rarely used. The title custodian is sometimes given to janitors as a term of higher respect. In some settings janitors are called housekeepers or housekeeping staff. Janitors have also come up with a number of alternative job titles.

Domestic workers perform typical domestic chores such as cooking, ironing, washing, cleaning the house, buying foods and drinks, accompanying the female head of the household for grocery shopping, taking the family dog for a walk, and taking care of the children. In some countries, maids replace the role of a nurse in taking care of the elderly and people with disabilities.

Domestic service, or the employment of people for wages in their employer's residence, is also sometimes simply called "service." It evolved into a hierarchical system in various countries at various times.

Prior to the labour reforms of the 20th Century, servants had no protection in law. The only real advantage that service provided was the provision of meals and accommodation in addition to the modest wage. Also, service was an apprentice system; there was room for advancement through the ranks. However, it was also perilous, particularly for females, as there was no protection from unscrupulous employers or members of the family. Many employers require their domestic workers to be in a uniform.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

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Freelance writer for over eleven years. Maid Uniform Aprons Nursing Uniform Scrubs

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Tuesday, June 16, 2009

A Maid for Your Home by Carrie Green

Once you have made the decision to enlist the skills of a professional maid or maids in your battle for the cleanliness of your home, apartment, or business, there is still another very important choice to be made. Choosing between a nationally recognized, time tested maid service and a small local business is an important decision. The path you take at this point can be decisive. The right decision can yield the satisfaction of even better results than you had anticipated, while the wrong decision could lead to disaster. Contrary to the popular image of cookie-cutter maids in black uniforms with lacy white aprons, maid services are not all equivalent. Your home and your cleaning needs are unique, and you should hire a maid service that respects this and conducts itself accordingly. How should you approach the choice between a local maid service and a national maid service? What are the differences and what are the advantages?

So you have chosen to hire a maid service. If you want the job done right, then you must aim for a maid service that will leave you a happy customer--a maid service that you may even patronize again and again. In that case, it would be wise to keep in mind that a bigger business always means more satisfied customers. After all, satisfying customers is the way that businesses grow, and maid services are no exception. A nationally recognized maid service like Merry Maids achieves and maintains its status one client--one house, one apartment, one business--at a time, getting the job done right, and at a reasonable cost. The satisfaction of all those customers is simultaneously a nationwide vote of confidence and a quality guarantee.

Nationwide companies are not born that way; they start off life as small town businesses and--if they create enough satisfied customers--they build their service area slowly. Accomplishing growth in this way requires business to pass one of the most difficult tests of all: the test of time. A consequence of this fact is that nationally recognized maid services like Merry Maids have generally been in the cleaning business much longer than have smaller local maid services. Think about it. Would you prefer a surgeon with 35 years of experience or an untested rookie fresh out of medical school? For that matter, would you prefer a maid service with a 35 year track record of excellence, or a relatively untested local service with perhaps five years of experience and no reputation? Nationwide maid services tend to be older companies, which translates into more experience and trust.

Finally, companies that have achieved national recognition are of a size and status that empowers them with far greater resources than a small business, resources that they can then bring to bear on your own situation. A national fixture like Merry Maids can dedicate more resources to your satisfaction in a way that more limited services cannot. Merry Maids became a household name because they started off strong, and as they have grown, they have developed resources to become even stronger; offering employees ongoing training and teaching to maintain and enhance excellence.

It is clear that there are strong reasons to prefer a national maid service to a local maid service. Since your satisfaction and a job well done at a reasonable price is the bottom line, why not go with the biggest, oldest, most resourceful players in the business?

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A maid will take the stress out of your life.

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Monday, June 15, 2009

Start a Cleaning Business - Homes, Offices, Windows Or Carpets? By Steven Sutherland

When deciding to go into the cleaning business one of the first decisions that entrepreneurs will have to make will be what market niche or niches they want to target. In this article we take a glance at some of the market segments within the industry to give you an idea about some of the possibilities.

While small businesses can focus on more than one area they should at least define themselves as being either in the residential or commercial market.

House cleaning or maid service is by far the largest portion of the overall market and many new entrants to the cleaning business focus solely on this sector.

Commercial cleaning also makes up a large chunk of the market. Janitorial companies service all kinds of offices and public buildings from schools to bus stations. This area is usually more difficult for new players to enter as it involves more professionalism to bid on jobs and more formal agreements. Commercial work is also often too large in scale for a sole operator and requires the coordinated effort of a small team.

Carpet cleaning is another huge and potentially lucrative niche. As this area requires specialized equipment, regular cleaners usually leave this area to specific companies who specialize in this area.

Other sectors can include washing windows, upholstery cleaning, post construction cleaning and roof cleaning to name a few. The variety of micro-niches in cleaning is endless and some may be under-served in your area so if you do your research you may be able to tap into a lucrative area that others have overlooked.

One of the success factors in cleaning is choosing a good market. Once you have chosen a market you then have to differentiate your company from the other cleaning services that are targeting the same market in order to make yourself unique and superior in the eyes of your customers

Except perhaps in large cities, success in the cleaning business requires taking on a big niche such as offices, houses, windows or carpets and then possibly also specializing in one or two smaller niches and becoming well known by customers in those markets.

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To find out more about starting a cleaning business visit -

http://www.cleaningforprofit.com

For reviews of three top products that can help you to get started.


Friday, June 12, 2009

House Cleaning Business Cut by Insourcing By Candice Stone

By April 2009 the national unemployment rate reached 8.9% according to the U.S. Labor Department of Labor. By comparison, the unemployment rate reached 10.8 percent in the 1981-1982 recession and 9.2 in September 1983 so it is clear that we are deep into a very severe recession. The loss of or reduced income experienced by so many is leading to the rise of insourcing.

Insourcing is typically used in a business context but it happens in the consumer realm too. People who, when times are good outsource chores like house cleaning and maintaining the lawn and garden, eliminate or cut back on these when times are bad.

Maid service is typically one of the first services to get cut which is reflected in the mirroring of the unemployment rate by the contraction of the housekeeping industry. People who are unemployed or who have had their hours cut can either no longer afford to hire a maid or can no longer justify outsourcing the house cleaning because they now have much more time on their hands. ServiceMagic, an online directory of local service providers which links them to homeowners, saw a 12.7% drop in maid service requests during the month of October 2008. The States that have experienced the greatest job loss have also shown the greatest drop off in maid service business.

A large percentage of the maid service providers are small businesses or family owned and operated and may not be able to withstand increased pressure from customers to cut their prices for house cleaning services. While they may be tempted to do so they should not cut their prices so much that they are not able to achieve a reasonable operating margin. When pressured by their customers to bring prices down to more affordable levels they should suggest as an alternative that customers reduce their frequency of service. This was they retain a proportion of the revenue and the customer still gets their house cleaned but may need to do more maintenance cleaning between visits.

Customers who are reluctant to do their house cleaning themselves will begin to shop around for better prices and may be tempted to switch providers for a better price. They will spend more time shopping around for deals online at classifieds site or online marketplace websites and are more likely to respond to a direct mail offer with an advertised discount.

Ironically, the supply and demand can become very unbalanced because even as the maid service demand is shrinking, the supply of providers increases. As more and more people are unable to find employment there is a shift to attempting to start one's own business. Given the relatively low startup costs and minimal qualifications required, a house cleaning business becomes an attractive option. Other house cleaning services like window cleaning and carpet cleaning require specialized equipment and expertise to achieve the best results and so these are less attractive targets but they will typically also be affected less by insourcing for that same reason. Of the two, carpet cleaning is probably likely to be insourced before window cleaning. One can hire + from local stores and achieve a satisfactory cleaning.

Fortunately insourcing is unlikely to be a permanent change. When the conditions that cause people to do themselves what they one paid others to do change, they will quickly return to outsourcing those tasks. Once the economy begins to recover, it can take years for the jobless rate to decline again so it is likely to be a few years before we see growth in the maid service and house cleaning industry.

Bidmycleaning is the new simple way to find and Schedar house cleaning services. It is the first online marketplace for services where you can get instant bids from pre-screened local service providers, read customer reviews and schedule online immediately on the provider's real-time calendar. 100% satisfaction guarantee and secure online payment after completion of the cleaning appointment. Maid service, window cleaning and carpet cleaning.

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Powering Up For Profits in the Professional House Cleaning Business By Perry Phillips

The professional home cleaning industry is one of the fastest growing segments of the cleaning industry. Compared to other related cleaning industries, home cleaning businesses run as organized companies are a concept less than thirty years old. The demand for quality service is being fueled by a rapidly growing customer base.

The first professional services were started in the late 70's and early 80's. Historically, house cleaning has been provided by day workers, women working on their own, full time or part time usually for cash. This model of service is being quickly replaced by a market demanding more sophistication and higher levels of customer service. The demand is fueled by dual income families working more hours and personal time is becoming a scarcer commodity. More and more consumers are hiring outside sources for services at home not because they want to, but because of life quality issues. When asked what the greatest change is in the industry in the last twenty years, the most common answer is consumers no longer see having their homes cleaned as a luxury, but rather a necessity. "In years past, when prospective customers would call and get an estimate, the first conversation always included comments like, I am only hiring a service because I work too many hours... customers felt the need to explain why they needed the service, now customers seem to not feel the need to "explain", they just hire us, the notion that having someone clean your home is only for the rich is not how consumers think today, says Carrie Kiser, Co-owner of Champagne Services in Sterling, VA.

This great demand for service is fueling incredible growth in the residential cleaning industry. Every area of the country is experiencing tremendous growth. While many service owners are individuals who started out cleaning homes themselves and have built substantial size companies, the appeal of high profit margins and relatively low start-up costs, combined with incredible growth potential is attracting many from the corporate world that have wanted to own their own businesses. In recent years, more entrepreneurs with business savvy have entered the industry, to take advantage of the growth potential. This new breed of owner has raised the bar for the entire industry and is causing the entire cleaning industry to change at a quicker pace.

Easy to get into, hard to stay in!

If you visit the business section at any bookstore, or search for information online about starting/ running a residential cleaning service, you will find source after source claiming that you start a maid service with practically nothing and make a fortune! While there are many "rags to riches" stories that are all inspiring of how people started with nothing and built huge companies this is not reality most of the time. Everybody loves a story like this and they do happen. The fact is a residential cleaning can be very easy to get into, but can be quite a difficult business to master.

Customer demand being so great can almost guarantee a steady supply of new customers with very low cost marketing tools, but the hard part comes in recruiting, hiring, and keeping qualified cleaning technicians to maintain high levels of customer service to provide a foundation for growth.

Many owners quickly find themselves in the vicious "revolving door" cycle, where customers are quickly pouring in the front door, but are just as quickly walking out of the back door. This contributes to high and sometimes quick "burn out" , causing the industry have more "churn" than other businesses. It is not uncommon for entrepreneurs to invest thousands into a new service, certain of a quick return on their investment, only to find themselves calling it quits after even less than a year sometimes.

So what makes it so different or difficult from other service businesses?

Most segments in the cleaning industry always hire "entry level", usually lower skilled workers that can be transient and tend to change jobs frequently. This fact along with customers demanding quality work, consistency, and security (and rightfully so) can make managing a home cleaning service industry a tough job.

One huge misconception by commercial contract service owners is "well I will start a maid service to give my nighttime workers, daytime work". This gets many into quick trouble because while in theory the two related industries are the same, both send employees out to clean buildings the two could not be more different. Almost every aspect of the businesses is different from the employees, customers, systems, and equipment.

To add to the difficulty that makes home cleaning unique from most related industries is the personal nature of the relationship. Cleaning technicians are deep into the personal lives of customers, much more so than in commercial cleaning situations. If a company experiences high turnover this can be a recipe for "customer churn", leaving many services owners feeling like they are just "spinning their wheels".

The personal nature of the relationship with the customer can also be huge advantage, for service owners that hire, train, and manage employees and accomplish high levels of customer satisfaction find that this can contribute to unlimited growth potential. Most customers do not buy on price, but rather service. Once they find "their" service that caters to their wants and needs they tend to be extremely loyal and will rarely change. It is almost unheard of customers changing services over price if the levels of service are there to justify the cost.

If you are thinking of house cleaning as a business option, do your homework, as with any business idea. The development and explosive growth has provided options for many resources that were not available before. The tools and information that are available to those entering the industry can dramatically cut down the learning curve and provide a much higher chance of success with less stress.

About Author

Perry D Phillips, Jr is the Publisher of Home Cleaner Magazine. The only publication exclusively for owners and managers of professional home cleaning companies. Visit his website at http://www.homecleanermagazine.com You can sign up for the free weekly industry newsletter.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Tips on Hiring a Maid Service By Daniel Bishop

Fast-paced lifestyles, hectic schedules and a lack of free time can lead one to consider hiring a maid service to handle critical house cleaning duties. But before picking up the phone to schedule an appointment, it is important to know whom you are letting into your home.

Bonding: Make sure the maid service is bonded for its house cleaning clientèle. Should a theft occur, you need to be protected. Some companies, if they are bonded at all, protect only themselves, not the consumer.

Insurance: Make sure the house cleaning company is insured. If a maid slips and falls while cleaning the shower, your homeowner's policy might not cover the incident. The maid service should have liability and employee accident coverage and should include your home, the housecleaner(s) and the company.

References: Make sure the maid service is reliable. How many years have they been in business? Ask for references and a work history. When calling references ask some key questions:

  • How long have you used the house cleaning service?
  • Have you ever needed to make a complaint? If so, how did the service handle resolving the issue?
  • Would you enthusiastically recommend the maid service provider?

Employee screening and hiring: Ask the house cleaning company if employees' references are checked, if criminal background checks are administered, and if residence status is confirmed. Also find out if the workforce is comprised of employees or subcontractors. A maid service using subcontractors does not provide staff training and may not provide liability insurance. In addition, there may not be a standard of quality and unclear procedures for complaint resolution.

Cleaning products: Some independent housekeepers as well as some services expect you to supply all cleaning products. If products are included by the house cleaning company, find out what type of products will be used and if they contain harsh chemicals like bleach or ammonia. Be sure the products are safe for pets and kids.

If the maid service touts using "green" products or environmentally friendly products for house cleaning, understand what you are getting. Ask if the products are effective in cleaning and disinfecting pathogens like Staphylococcus (Staph.), Salmonella and E.coli If the maid service is "Green Certified," find out which certifying body certified the cleaning products and their certification process.

Some products, although certified "green" actually use standard chemicals at a lower ratio, literally watering down a chemical until it passes standards. This can be at the expense of the performance of the product. Other environmentally safe products contain bio-based ingredients that contain natural bacteria and enzymes, which are non-pathogenetic environmental isolates that imitate the way nature naturally cleans itself. These natural substances can be used in hard surface cleaners and degreasers to create a safe, effective cleaning solution.

Equipment: Check out what is included with your house cleaning. Some independent housekeepers as well as some services expect you to supply all cleaning equipment. If the maid service is supplying the equipment, find out the efficiency of the vacuum and the filtration system.

Satisfaction: Ask if the maid service measures customer satisfaction and if so, what type of procedure is used to collect responses. Are you asked to fill out a survey online or on paper? Will a manager contact you following the house cleaning to be sure your expectations were fulfilled or exceeded? The steps a company takes to ensure a customer's satisfaction tells a lot about how much they value their customers.

Quality assurance: Find out the service's quality assurance procedures. How is the quality of service measured and verified to ensure quality of service is maintained? A maid service should have quality assurance procedures in place to be sure their house cleaning meets quality standards every clean. Ask if the maid service has managers who inspect every clean to be sure the quality of service is upheld.

Guarantee: Find out how the company handles complaints and make sure the service is backed by a written satisfaction guarantee. Know prior to the house cleaning the limitations of the guarantee and what steps consumers should take to execute the guarantee.

Taxes: Make sure you don't break any tax laws. If you pay a housekeeper or maid a certain amount per year, the federal law requires you to pay social security and other taxes on that person. However, some states may require you to withhold state taxes on payments smaller than $1,000. Most maid service companies withhold taxes for their employees, but check to make sure. If you pay a housekeeper or maid at least $1,200 per year, the federal law requires you to pay social security and other taxes on that person. For more information about household employee taxes, call the Internal Revenue Service.

About Author

Daniel J. Bishop is the president and CEO of The Maids International, Inc., a premier house cleaning service in the United States and Canada. Prior to founding The Maids in 1979, Bishop served as executive officer and president of the Building Services Contractors Association. Bishop is also a director of the World Federation of Building Service Contractors and is a Certified Building Service Executive. For more information about The Maids, please visit http://www.maids.com.

Do You Have it Maid? By George Fischer

That is the question. Do you have it Maid? Let’s face it, free time is a luxury. Who has time to clean? The last thing I want to do in my precious free time is clean my house. So you need to find a maid service, but how to you find a maid that fits your needs? Here are some quick tips to help you find the perfect maid service for you:

1. Write down what you want in a cleaning service. Include things like which rooms you want cleaned, which items like laundry or specific furniture pieces need attention, floor treatments etc… Do you care about green cleaning? If you do, make sure the maid service you hire is Green Clean Certified.

2. Work out a budget. Do you want bi-weekly or weekly service? Make sure your expectations and your budget match. Cleaning services vary their charges based on the square footage in your house as well as the amount of cleaning desired. One thing to watch out for is companies charging significantly less than competitors. These companies might be neglecting to pay social security and income taxes for their employees.

3. Make a list of potential maid services. The internet is the #1 place to look for a maid. Try searching Google for your city + maid service or cleaning service. For example: New York maid service. The next best source, is your neighbors and friends. Ask them which cleaning services they use and have them share their experiences with the cleaning company.

4. Check out the cleaning company. Make sure the maid service is trustworthy, is licensed and has insurance. It is extremely important that you inquire how much the cleaning company is covered for. If you have anything in your house worth more than their insurance coverage, make sure you keep it in a protected place like a buried safe. If this is not possible, trust becomes even more important. Find out how long the maid company has been in business. Check out users' reviews on sites like City Search and Google Local.

5. Request an in-house estimate. Have the maid service come to your house for an estimate. This ensures they know exactly what you want. It also lets them see if they can supply what you are looking for. Communication between you and your maid is essential. The more the maid service knows about your needs, the better they can meet them.

If you follow these simple tips, you will come home to a clean house and realize you have it Maid.

About Author

George Fischer is an author of informational articles on a variety of topics. He is currently developing a blog around green cleaning and other household related topics.

Maid Service By Edward Dean

Running a maid service franchise is a very profitable venture for everyone looking to start a business which they can run from the ease of their homes and make a stable living. The demands of maid services have been increasing manifolds ever since the concept of home makers has become old and obsolete. The average household has a great need for a maid service to do the cleaning. There is a market for all maid service businesses, and it is a big one for sure.

Starting your own maid service business can mean taking a risk. For this reason, buying a franchise from a renowned maid service brand name saves you the risk of shutting down your business within a year of starting it. Another benefit of opting for a franchise is that the companies usually support you financially through advertising, marketing, as well as, in recruiting staff. Franchising is the best kept secret of the 21st Century.

The initial investment that maid service franchises require can be anything from $25,000 to $200,000, depending on the brand name you are looking at. These companies will give you a thorough training of how to run your business for maximum profitability, and you will have the brand name on your business cards and other advertising materials.

Most companies will let your run the business from your home. There will be some running expenses - telephone bills, advertising - but for an average franchise, these won't amount to more than $1200 a month. Maids are usually paid a percentage of what the job pays, and you can decide the percentage yourself. Usually, the percentage is around 30 to 40 percent of the price you get from the house owners. Alternatively, you can also pay your maids an hourly rate - from $7 to $10 per hour is normal.

In the United States, the average price to clean a three bedroom - two baths home is $80-$120 dollars. This means, on cleaning 5 homes every day, you are left with around $8000 a month in terms of profit. Usually, the business reaches a breakeven point within a year, and from the second year on, you will start earning enormous profits.

This is probably not a good opportunity for you if you do not have enough capital. If you can afford to invest and wait a whole year for returns, then this is a very productive business for you. As your business grows older, your client base will increase, your reputation will grow, and you will be making more and more profit every year. Go through the various companies selling franchises in your areas, do the research required to determine which maid service franchise will work best for you.

About Author

Edward Dean is an accomplished website developer and author. To learn more about Maid Service visit Maid-Service-Franchising for current articles and discussions.

Monday, May 25, 2009

How To Go About Retaining a Good Maid By Aazdak Alisimo

There are many things you need to consider when getting cleaning services. The first of those is how to go about actually retaining a good maid.

A lot depends on whether you want to hire an individual or go with a company. There are some obvious advantages of going with a company. One is that they conduct their own interviewing process. This (hopefully) means that the professionals in their employ are well-suited for the task. Some offer money-back guarantees, which is nice if you are very particular about the way things are done. Companies also take care of taxes so you don't have to worry about filing them yourself. You can also see how long they have been in business, and check their status with the Better Business Bureau. Lastly, most carry worker's compensation insurance so you don't have to worry about being held liable for medical expenses should one of their employees be injured while on the job in your home.

There are advantages to hiring an individual as well. Individuals are often less expensive, as you can often negotiate costs with them. You have more control over how the cleaning is done as well. You can direct the individual on exactly how you like things to be done. Individuals are often more willing to take on extra tasks that a maid service would not provide (such as laundry or dishes). They are also more flexible with change - such as allowing you to change or cancel an appointment without charging you a hefty fee.

So now that you've decided whether to go with a service or an individual, how do you find one? Where do you look? If you are going with a company, check the phone book or do a simple search on the internet. For individuals, you can also look on the internet or ask friends, family members, or neighbors for recommendations.

Whether using an individual or an agency, there are key things you must do. First, check references. The maid (or service) should be able to give you names and numbers of several people who back up their work. Don't just take the numbers - actually call and check. Second, make sure a background check is conducted. You may not want someone in your home who has been convicted of a felony.

Another thing to consider is whether or not the individual or company is bonded and insured or whether they carry liability insurance. Ask for proof to be sent you and make sure the coverage is adequate enough to protect you and your belongings from damage or theft. Lastly, make sure you are comfortable. You are inviting these people into your home and you should feel at ease with them being there. If you don't, keep looking.

About Author

Aazdak Alisimo writes about services offered by cleaning maids for HomeCleaningMaids.com.