You've Got MAIDS®: December 2007

Monday, December 31, 2007

Welcome to You’ve Got MAIDS of Charleston

Welcome to You’ve Got MAIDS of Charleston

843-805-7000

email us

You’ve Got MAIDS Corporate Web Site

initiate an estimate on line

WE LOVE TO CLEAN!

Do you know someone who just loves to clean? We do!
At You've Got MAIDS, we've carefully selected maids who love to clean. Why? Because we love our Customers! Our Customers trust us to take care of their homes, their families, and to do the dirty work. We take this very seriously. Relax! Life's too short to clean your own home. Enjoy! When You've Got MAIDS professionally cleans your home, our well trained, fully insured maids will fulfill your highest expectations, guaranteed. We'll bring peace into your home.
Our office is at 1455 Remount Road, North Charleston, SC 29406. Call us at 843-805-7000. We are here to talk to you, Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm & on Saturday from 10am to 4pm. We have a no compete contract with God so if you need maid service on Sunday, you’re just going to have to wait till Monday.
Our legitimate competitors all require you to submit to an in-home estimate by a maid service salesman. We don’t do that. Ask them why they need to see your home and they will give you a bunch of good reasons, but I have a feeling the #1 reason is self-serving. It’s simple; the closing ratio is higher for in home estimates.
We don’t have anything against salesmen, but we’re providing maid service to improve the lives of our Clients & Maids. We are not selling timeshare! If a maid service company wants both you and your husband to be there for an in-home cleaning estimate, be forewarned. That maid service salesperson, or maid service owner, only gets paid if you sign on the dotted line.
If you call You’ve Got MAIDS for an Over-The-Phone evaluation of your home cleaning needs you need to set aside 10 minutes. If you have a bunch of questions we will stay on the phone until you have them answered. We will explain the process. We’ll talk about our 2 million dollars worth of liability insurance & how our maids are covered under our workers compensation insurance in order to protect you and your family. We explore the finer details of your home. We save your information, but we never sell or share it. That’s a promise.
Here are some resources that may be helpful to you if you are considering maid service for your home:
I doubt you would ever consider driving your car without insurance to save a few bucks, but everyday smart people pay independent maids to clean without insurance. Click here to see why licensed, bonded & insured is relevant.
Maid service can change your life! Click here to read Jack Canfields philosophy on this topic.
What if your maid gets hurt in your home? Click here to learn how an uninsured maid can take you to the cleaners. Only in America can an illegal immigrant sue you for slipping on the floor that she just mopped.
Do you need to sign a contract? You’ve Got MAIDS believes contracts are for hit-men and health clubs and we’re neither. Click here to read our policy.
Are you a closet Brady Bunch fan longing for Alice the housekeeper to bring order to your home? I hate to break it to you but Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore; maybe she never did. Click here for Brady Bunch Trivia & why your housekeeper should not be in the center square.
Will you always get the same maids? I have a hard time getting the same dentist & I let him put his hands in my mouth. Click here to read our policy on this.
What makes You’ve Got MAIDS different? It has to be our Pay-4-Performance Program. Our Clients determine our maids’ paychecks. Sound revolutionary? Maybe it is. We simply aligned our teams’ self-interest with that of our Customers. A true Win-Win scenario that is working for us in the lowcountry! Click here to discover our philosophy on your feedback.
If we are a good fit hire us. No pressure. No worries. Just maid service.
You’ve Got MAIDS of Charleston
1455 Remount Road; Suite C
Charleston, SC 29406
(843)805-7000
You’ve Got MAIDS of Charleston provides maid service to: Ashborough East, Ashborough, Belle Hall, Charleston, Charleston National, Daniel Island, Dunes West, East of Cooper, Folly Beach, Goose Creek, Hamlin, Hannahan, Ion, Isle of Palms, James Island, Johns Island, Kiawah Island, Kings Grant, Ladson, Long Point, Mount Pleasant, Park West, Rivertowne, Seabrook Island, Shadowmoss Plantation, Snee Farm, South of Broad, Sullivans Island, Wescostt Plantation, West of Ashley, & Wild Dunes.
If a maid service isn't in your phone book, how committed are they?
Our fleet of yellow Maid-Mobiles are gassed up and ready to roll...
Does your "maid service" operate out of a real office, or the trunk of their car?

YEAR END TAX TIPS | HOW TO AVOID NANNY TAX

Please click here to visit our new web site.

Visit us at http://www.youvegotmaids.com/

Saturday, December 29, 2007

COUPONS KILLING PIZZA FRANCHISES BOTTOM LINE

According to the Al Ries & Jack Trout, there is no evidence that couponing increases sales in the long run. Try telling that to a pizza franchisee strung out on coupons.

When Domino’s Pizza, Papa John’s, and Pizza Hut sent out their first coupon sales went up. The 2nd time they issued a coupon, sales went up again. It was like magic. It became addictive…

They didn’t recognize when they reached the tipping point... Now the majority of pizza consumers wait for their coupons. Sure there are some brand loyalist, but the vast majority of pizza consumers go with whatever coupon they have in their hands. We are all responsible for how we let our Customers view us.

As a Domino’s Pizza Franchisee I was guilty of perpetuating this system that I loathe. Every pizza box would have a bounce back coupon glued to the top of it. These coupons would be good, but not great.

Smart Pizza Franchisees constantly measure the ROI on every marketing expenditure. The better the ROI, the more money they throw at it. People that haven’t ordered in 30 days would get a soft coupon. 60 days since your last purchase…you get a stronger offer. If it has been 90 days I would send out a killer coupon, guaranteed to get a response. At 120 days I would phone the dormant Client to see if they had died or moved away.

The main objective is no longer to get ahead, but to not fall behind. Coupons are like a narcotic. Any pizza franchisee who become addicted to the coupon drug will suffer withdraw symptoms if they decide to stop cold turkey. Perhaps there should be a 10 step program where pizza franchisee’s stand up, state their names & admit that they have a problem with charging menu prices. Best advice is to track your coupon percentage, and have a plan for shrinking it.

Ben Franklin wrote, Eat Not to dullness; drink not to elevation. Too much food leads to obesity and despair. Too many coupons lead to eroding profit margins and depression. It is true that the long term effects of our actions are often the exact opposite of the short term effects.

I’ve applied what I learned in the ultra competitive pizza franchise industry to the professional maid service franchise, You’ve Got MAIDS®. We don’t discount much. We desire Clients that prize quality above all else. So far this strategy is working.

Not happy with your current house cleaning service provider? Click here to learn why You’ve Got MAIDS® LOVES TO CLEAN! Click here if you want your local office owner to call and discuss your home cleaning needs.

Friday, December 28, 2007

WORD OF THE DAY | HERMITAGE | You’ve Got MAIDS®

hermitage \HUHR-muh-tij\, noun:

The habitation of a hermit or group of hermits.
A monastery or abbey.
A secluded residence; a retreat; a hideaway.
(Capitalized) A palace in St. Petersburg, now an art museum.

The professional maid service franchise, You’ve Got MAIDS®, will not clean just any hermitage.

Let’s consider #1-The habitation of a hermit or group of hermits. We will probably pass on this. Hermits tend to live in filth, and we can’t send our maid associates into a unhealthy work environment. Leper Colonies are also verboten.

#2-A monastery or abbey. Yes, sounds like fun. Our housecleaning associates are instructed to keep it down to a whisper when homeowners are present, and we would afford the monks the same courtesy.

#3-A secluded residence; a retreat; a hideaway. Attention John Travolta & Kelly Preston...You’ve Got MAIDS® would be happy to travel to your Ocala, FL retreat to clean your cottage.

#4-A palace in St. Petersburg, now an art museum. Most definitely. Since the ruble is in worse shape than the dollar we will accept payment in Russian Vodka for our housecleaning services.

Not happy with your current house cleaning service provider? Click here to learn why You’ve Got MAIDS® LOVES TO CLEAN!

Click here if you want a You’ve Got MAIDS® manager to call you. We would discuss your home cleaning needs.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

NEW YEAR RESOLUTION | BEN FRANKLIN | You’ve Got MAIDS®

‘tis the season for New Year Resolutions. Regarding New Year Resolutions, Ben Franklin wrote: Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.

Would Ben Franklin endorse the professional maid service franchise, You’ve Got MAIDS®, to be your trusted home cleaning company? I am most certain he would.

Ben Franklin cherished Order. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time. You’ve Got MAIDS® delivers order to our Clients lives.

Ben Franklin valued Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation. Notice Ben ends on habitation…modern day translation…keep you crib clean.

Ben Franklin appreciated Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve. You’ve Got MAIDS® strives to say what we do, and to do what we say.

Ben Franklin prized Industry: Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions. You’ve Got MAIDS® associates are industrious cleaners. We waste no time getting to your details.

Ben Franklin respected Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation. You’ve Got MAIDS® blog may at times skate close to trifling, and for that you have the authors deepest apology.

Ben Franklin treasured Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly. You’ve Got MAIDS® strives to follow the Golden Rule in all our transactions.

Ben Franklin loved Justice: Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty. You’ve Got MAIDS® duty it to provide insured maids to our clients home. If our associates are injured in a Clients home, it is our workers compensation insurance that will pay benefits.

Ben Franklin cherished Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Not happy with your current house cleaning service provider? Click here to learn why You’ve Got MAIDS® LOVES TO CLEAN!

Click here if you want us to call to discuss your home cleaning needs.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

CHRISTMAS│ Wii │YOU’VE GOT MAIDS

Yesterday Santa Clause left Nintendo’s Wii console under our tree. I’ve been watching all the Wii hype on CNN, FOX NEWS, and just about every local news channel. A reporter, low on that networks pecking order, gets sent out in midtown Manhattan to find the Wii. We’ve been here before. Some clever Madison Avenue marketeer builds a new product up, and then restricts supply just before Christmas. Cabbage Patch Dolls, Tickle Me Elmo and now the Wii.

Back in ’06, needing a new phone, I pulled into our local Circuit City’s parking lot to find 50+ people camped out by the store entrance. I mean they had tents and were living in the Circuit City parking lot. I wasn’t sure if it was an employee strike or if US Department of Homeland Security had mistakenly misdelivered refugees. Since the disheveled campers weren’t wearing Tom Ridge Rules buttons, and the Red Cross was nowhere to be found, I assumed strike. Turns out they were harmless gamers waiting for the Sony Playstation 3 game system.

I wish the secret to building Americas Finest Maid Service™ was as simple as cloistering a group of computer geniuses in a room and keep sending in Pizza Hut pizzas & Diet Pepsi until they send out a finished product. The internal workings of a maids service does not include circuit boards and memory chips…it includes sweat, tears and spirit. This is the inherent difference between building a product and building a service. A service has a pulse, and each service company’s heart can be different than the next. Some healthy, others in trouble…

In the maid service, a winning business strategy is important, but even more so is implementation. Some maid service providers do a great job executing a poor strategy. Others maid service companies poorly execute a superior strategy. At You’ve Got MAIDS we are working very hard to make it look easy…perfect execution of a superior strategy. #1-Systems, #2-Selection, #3-Training, #4-Marketing, #5-Service, #6-Client Feedback, #7-Pay for Performance, #1-Systems, #2-Selection…

Withholding maid service to increase demand doesn’t really work because that would only encourage more gas station clerks to print up business cards at Kinko’s and enter the maid service industry. There is a low barrier of entry in this business. Luckily for legitimate housecleaning business owners, the majority of the new so called house cleaning companies have a limited shelf life, but it’s not like the expiration dates on a bottle of Diet Pepsi. It is more like the expiration date on a bottle of milk. When it expires it doesn’t just go flat…it turns sour and rancid.

Have you had a bad experience with an independent, tax evading, uninsured, illegal door to door housekeepers? I know you saved a couple of bucks. I know they seemed too good to be true at first. I know that you put up with a lot before you had to let them go. Perhaps they let you go.

You’ve Got MAIDS is here for you. We haven’t been restricting services to increase demand. We’ve been working at the little things like cleaning systems, human resources, training, gathering Client feedback, using that feedback to fuel our Pay for Performance Program, and then using that feedback to improve our systems, our training…
Click here if you want us to call to discuss your home cleaning needs.

Friday, December 21, 2007

YEAR END TAX TIPS | MAIDS | HOUSEKEEPERS

It’s the end of the year and I urge the employers of domestic workers to pay your fair share of taxes. In country club communities across our nation, educated professionals are patting each other on back and bragging about negotiating the lowest the lowest price for their maids, housekeepers, nannies, and lawn care employees. It seems to be a sport…who can pay the least and receive the most. They claim ignorance (wink, wink), that they are using independent contractors (wink, wink), but we all know ignorance is not an excuse. IF YOU PAY YOUR DOMESTIC EMPLOYEE MORE THAN $1500 A YEAR YOU ARE OBLIGATED TO PAY SOCIAL SECURITY, MEDICARE, FEDERAL UNEMPLOYMENT TAXES, AND STATE UNEMPLOYMENT & DISABILITY TAXES.

In this wink, wink world of seemingly law abiding professionals you would be surprised at the amount of tax evasion! Some people brag about low golf scores and how cheap they can pay their maids. These same people demurely boast about the length of their boat or the square footage of their McMansion.

I recently corresponded with a board certified physician who reported…My last maid provided service here for $100. Weekly until 2-3 weeks ago (I fired her because she was difficult to communicate with effectively, English was her 2nd language, but she kept the house clean). I previously lived in a one million dollar home in a very high income town (Belleair Fl) and my 4700sf, 5 BR, 5ba home, with kids living there was $120.00 weekly and that was standard. I have a 2000 sf condo on Clearwater beach, 3 br 2 ba with a 300 sf patio and a professional maid charges $80 for a cleaning one time monthly….

Some days it is monumentally challenging explaining to people smarter than me why professional maid services need to charge more for their services than tax evading, uninsured, illegal door to door housekeepers. These under the table law breakers don’t pay taxes. They don’t pay insurance. These pseudo maids don’t have real offices. Indeed, they often live in a low budget motel that accepts weekly renters…that number you call is a disposable cell phone. Don’t you want to know who is in your home?

Back in the 1990’s the federal government redefined the so called Nanny Tax. The federal government started requiring homeowners to pay their fair share of taxes on the income they provide to their nannies, maids, housekeepers, and lawn care employees. Any homeowner paying greater than $1500 a year to their maids is required to report employment taxes on their federal income tax returns. If a homeowner fails to report these payroll taxes they are subject to penalties, interest on penalties, and possible imprisonment.

Let’s look at the physician above. The maid she recently fired for poor command of the English language was earning $5,200 a year from the good Doctor. The maid she used at her previous million dollar home brought in $6,240 a year before her Christmas bonus! The Clearwater condo would only be $960 a year…so no need to pay taxes on that. If these maids were not paying their taxes, this Doctor could be in hot water with the IRS.

The Independent Contractor Myth

So many maids claim to be independent contractors and so many homeowners accept it. Wink, Wink. Here’s one test…does the so called independent contractor have an EIN (Employer Identification Number) or just a Social Security Number? They are not the same thing. Here’s another test…do you pay by cash or check? Yet another test…if you are paying by check who do you make it out to…Mary Shelley or Castle Frankenstein Maid Service.

It comes down to control. If you tell your maid what to do and when to do it, she is an employee regardless if you pay her by the job, by the week, or by the hour. Wink, Wink.

The You’ve Got MAIDS Solution

If you pay a Maid Service, like You’ve Got MAIDS, you the homeowner are off the hook. You’ve Got MAIDS is the employer of the worker & You’ve Got MAIDS pays the payroll taxes. Naturally real companies need to charge higher than tax evading, uninsured, illegal door to door housekeepers currently residing at the budget inns. The denizens of these cheap, flea bag hotels often share facilities with drug dealers, thieves, pimps and prostitutes. When your illegal maid goes home, who do you think she is hanging out with??? You always get what you pay for, but you already knew that.

How to become a Maid Service Millionaire...

What would we do without friends? When I first decided to create the brand You've Got MAIDS my friend Bruce was very supportive. He immediately told me about this person he knew that opened a cleaning service and became a millionaire.

Intrigued I asked him to tell more. So it turns out this guy was doing a great job serving his Customers. His business grew & prospered. Then one day this maid service owner was vacuuming under the cushions of a sofa when he found a dollar. Well he took that dollar down the the 7-11, purchased a lottery ticket, and hit the jackpot.

I've known Bruce for 3o years. Wouldn't you think I would have seen that one coming? I am not monumentally naive.

The truth is there is a great deal of opportunity for the right people in the professional maid service industry. This is a very simple business, but it is not easy. Follow the correct game plan and you are much more likely to succeed.

For the record, if a You've Got MAIDS employee had taken that dollar we would terminate them for integrity issues. That dollar should have been placed face up on the kitchen counter. It says so in our training program.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

MAID SERVICE REVIEW | You’ve Got MAIDS ROCKS IN ORLANDO, FL

Ken Blanchard wrote that "Feedback is the breakfast of champions" and at You've Got MAIDS we digest feedback for breakfast, lunch and dinner! We go the extra mile to solicit our Clients feedback on their perception of our housekeeping services. Here's a great reviews from a very satisfied Client in the College Park section of Orlando, Florida.

Frank,

Please pass on to the ladies that worked in my house yesterday that they did a wonderful job! I could not have been more pleased! I was great to come home to a clean home.

Happy Holidays!

Linda

Not happy with your current Orlando house cleaning service provider? Click here to learn why You've Got MAIDS LOVES TO CLEAN!

Click here to initiate an estimate on what it will take to make your home shine.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Charles Dickens | A TALE OF TWO MAIDS

IT WAS the cleanest of times, it was the filthiest of times,

it was the age of age of microfiber, it was the age of unhygienic surroundings,
it was the epoch of belief in cleaning companies with insurance, it was the epoch of incredulity at independent maids who carried none,
it was the season for cleaning ceiling fans, it was the season of dust covered blinds,
it was the spring of cleaning, it was the winter of desperate housewives,
we had everything before us, we had nothing before us,
we were all enjoying well maintained homes, we were all lived in squalor-
in short, the period was so far like the present period…

Charles Dickens could have written this today. If a high school student had a run on sentence like this his paper would return covered in red ink.

Dickens will forever be linked to Christmas in my mind. Please call You’ve Got MAIDS if we can help you prepare or recover from the holidays.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

LAST MINUTE GIFT CERTIFICATES

3 $100 Maid Service Gift Cards

Are you down to the wire on your holiday shopping? During the holiday season, even the best, most creative of gift buyers get stumped. A You’ve Got MAIDS Gift Certificate is the perfect solution!

If you are a last minute shopper in Historic Charleston, Daniel Island, Mount Pleasant, Wild Dunes, Summerville, Long Point, Ladson, College Park, Folly Beach, Goose Creek, South of Broad, West of Ashley, Wescott Plantation, Hannahan, Hamlin, North Charleston, Shadowmoss Plantation, James Island, Dunes West, Seacoast, Park West, Ion, Rivertowne, Snee Farm, Kiawah Island, Charleston National, Brickyard, Belle Hall, Johns Island, Seabrook Island, Isle of Palms, & Sullivans Island, South Carolina call (843)805-7000 or click on the buy now button.

If you are a last minute shopper Orlando, Winter Park, Baldwin Park, Islesworth, Maitland, Keene's Point,, Longwood, Winter Springs, Altamonte Springs, Dr. Phillips, Oviedo, East Orlando, Bay Hills, Lake Mary, Heathrow, Winter Garden, Casselberry, Lake Nona, Gotha, & Windermere call (407)737-7773 or click on the buy now button.

Monday, December 17, 2007

GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE | WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOUR CLIENT IS A CREEP?

We’ve fired a Client for being a creep before. It was 3 years ago in the College Park section of Orlando. The maids arrived to clean, & had carried their home cleaning equipment into the Clients residence.

The Client was having other work done to the house so there were a few tradesmen busy on the job. Then our Client came out of the billiard room with no shirt, jeans hanging low and sporting a Waterford Crystal glass ½ full of brown liquor (conversely his bottle of Jamison was ½ empty so we couldn’t determine if he was an optimist or pessimist).

Our Client started slurring out instructions and then stumbled into another part of his McMansion. A tradesman warned our maids that the owner had been drinking all day (it was 1pm!). Needless to say, this maid our house cleaning associates uncomfortable. Our team leader locked her band of sisters in a bathroom and called the office. They were really creeped out.

In that moment, that nanosecond, I had to decide the best course of action. My first Pavlovian Customer service thought transported me to the entrance of Stew Leonard’s original Norwalk, Connecticut dairy farm…I read the carving on the prominent granite boulder…Our Policy…Rule #1 The customer is always right, Rule #2 If the customer is ever wrong, re-read rule #1.

My second thought goes to protect my team. How can management expect employee loyalty if management is not loyal to their team? If the Customer is always right, doesn’t that really tell your employees that they are always wrong? Stew Leonard has a great Customer service philosophy, but it is far from complete. What do you do when the Customer is a total creep?

In that moment it became crystal clear…the creep stopped being our Customer the moment he chose to act inappropriately. We fired the creepy Client. I told the maids huddling in McCreepy’s bathroom, Don’t tell him that you are leaving, just calmly carry your stuff to the vehicle and leave. If he asks you what you are doing tell him that you need to get more equipment and will be right back.

Treating your Clients like gold and being loyal to your employees are not mutually exclusive positions. There is no Sophie’s Choice here. As long as a Client follows the rules of common decency, they get the title of Client at You’ve Got MAIDS.

If you are driving through Connecticut and want to see a company that delivers outstanding Customer service visit Stew Leonard’s. If you live in Winter Park, Baldwin Park, Islesworth, Maitland, Avalon, Keene's Point, Longwood, Eastwood, Winter Springs, Altamonte Springs, Stoneybrook, Dr. Phillips, Tuscawilla, Oviedo, Orlando, Bay Hills, Wekiva, Lake Mary, Heathrow, Metro West, Winter Garden, Casselberry, Lake Nona, Gotha, or Windermere, Florida call You've Got MAIDS of Orlando (407)737-7773 for exceptional maid service. If you live in Historic Charleston, Daniel Island, Mount Pleasant, Wild Dunes, Summerville, Long Point, Ladson, College Park, Folly Beach, Goose Creek, South of Broad, West of Ashley, Wescott Plantation, Hannahan, Hamlin, North Charleston, Shadowmoss Plantation, James Island, Dunes West, Seacoast, Park West, Ion, Rivertowne, Snee Farm, Kiawah Island, Charleston National, Brickyard, Belle Hall, Johns Island, Seabrook Island, Isle of Palms, or Sullivans Island, South Carolina call You've Got MAIDS of Charleston (843)805-7000 for extraordinary home cleaning services.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

MOUNT PLEASANT, SC HOME CLEANING FREUDIAN SLIP? | MAID SERVICE REVIEW

Please click here to visit our new web site.

Visit us at http://www.youvegotmaids.com/

Friday, December 14, 2007

GREEN CLEANING TIPS | LEMONS

Let’s discuss nature’s best smelling cleaning substance…the Lemon. It is the organic citric acid found in lemons that make it such an incredible green cleaning agent. The citric acid kills most household bacteria. Limes are natures 2nd best natural source of citric acid but in my humble opinion they are best suited for cleaning the top of either a Margarita or a Corona.

Remember Bubba explaining to Forrest all the ways you can cook Shrimp…lemons are that way. You can use lemons to clean just about anything. When you can’t find the real peel, lemon juice can stand in.

Lemon Cleaning TIP - Microwave oven. Click here for details.

Lemon Cleaning TIP - BRASS. Lemon is a great way to clean solid brass. Cut a lemon in half, sprinkle salt on it and rub that solid brass. Let the juices of the lemon interact with the brass, and replenish the salt as needed. When you are happy with the results wipe clean with a damp rag. Buff with a dry rag. WARNING. DO NOT USE ON BRASS PLATED ITEMS.

Lemon Cleaning TIP - Copper. Copper cookware is an excellent conductor of heat plus it’s beautiful. Tarnished copper is less than beautiful and gourmet cooks will tell you that the tarnish affects the coppers sensitivity during heat transfer. Lemon can be a great way to clean this copper. First hand wash the copper cookware with soap and water. Next cut a lemon in half, sprinkle salt on it and rub the copper. Let the juices of the lemon interact with the copper, and reapply salt as needed. When you are happy with the results wipe clean with a damp cleaning cloth. Buff with a dry polishing cloth.

Lemon Cleaning TIP - Garbage Disposal. When you’re done with your lemon drop it in the garbage disposal along with handful of baking soda. Blend it but don’t turn the water on. Leave this cleaning puree in the disposal until the next time you need to run your tap. Your garbage disposal and sink will smell great!

Lemon Cleaning TIP - Shower Doors. Glass shower doors look great when they are clean and shining. If you have hard water, be forewarned that hard water leaves mineral deposits on the glass. Glass has microscopic pores and the mineral deposits like to build up there. This is why you should wipe your glass down after each use. If mineral deposits do begin to form, lemon juice may works wonders for you. Dampen a cleaning cloth with lemon juice and work a small area at a time (start high and work low). Use a 3M No-Scratch Multipurpose Scrub Sponge on the affected area. Rinse with warm water.

Lemon Cleaning TIP - INJURED LEMON. What do you give an injured lemon? Give up? Click here for the answer.

There are plenty of additional Lemon Cleaning Tips, but this is good for now. Are you ready to delegate your repetitive cleaning chores to You've Got MAIDS? Click here to have one of our manager’s call you at your convenience to discuss what You've Got MAIDS can do for you. Be sure to note the best time for us to call you back.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

CLEANING TIPS | BLEACH

We will never bring a bottle of Clorox into your home. We’ve instructed our maids not to use Clorox. Please be aware that You’ve Got MAIDS will not be responsible for any damage caused by bleach in your home, because we don't bring a jug of bleach into your home.

Here’s a link to the fatal chlorine gas leak during the train crash back in 2005. 8 men died from inhaling chlorine gas. Here is a map of the crash scene. Here is a link to the path of the poisonous chlorine gas cloud.

Bleach is a chemical that removes color via oxidation. Household "chlorine bleach", is a solution of approximately 6% sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), and "oxygen bleach", which contains hydrogen peroxide or a peroxide-releasing compound such as sodium perborate or sodium percarbonate.

Since bleaches are strong oxidizing agents, they can be quite hazardous, especially when reacted with other common household chemicals. Mixing sodium hypochlorite with acids like vinegar or drain cleaners containing sodium hydrogen sulfate (sodium bisulfate), or even lemon juice can release chlorine.

Chlorine is a respiratory irritant that attacks mucous membranes and burns the skin. As little as 3.5 ppm can be detected as an odor, and 1000 ppm is likely to be fatal after a few deep breaths.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Sometimes I take a lot for granted

Sometimes I take a lot for granted. I opened an office in Charleston, South Carolina to prove that we could run two separate office hundreds of miles apart. Once Charleston is fully established we might prove it again in yet another state. We definitely plan to grow the brand through franchising. These are my plans. I maid them myself; all by myself.

Last week the book of James thumped me on my skull. Sometimes I need that. James writes, “You do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, if the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that."

James is pointing out how ignorant I am when it comes to planning. I didn’t think he knew me but now I’m not certain. I assume that there will be a tomorrow, yet none of us can accurately predict 100% what waits for us. We don’t have guarantees about 5 minutes from now. Some people who sat sipping their morning coffee in the World Trade Center on September 11th would tell you that; others vanished that morning.

Is it ignorance or arrogance? Which is worse? Ignorance needs education, arrogance wishes to be humbled. If one was truly ignorant, one might never come to the conclusion that more knowledge is required (girls go to college to get more knowledge, boys go to Jupiter to get more stupider).

Intellectual arrogance that leads to a fall could prompt one to totally rethink their outlook. Perhaps the arrogant among us are the luckiest, because they have the most to look forward to.

James is also making it clear what a scarce commodity our lives truly are. I don’t want to be a mist that evaporates. It is all about perspective. I challenge you to find a person in their 70’s that doesn’t believe life flies past like a blink of an eye.

James is not suggesting I should stop planning, he is merely pointing out that I should ask the big guy to guide my steps. I need that guidance because although I have a path in mind, I have no idea what I am going to encounter on my journey.

I reach into my wallet and pull out a dollar bill. It says IN GOD WE TRUST. I pull out more bills and they all profess the same slogan. I’ve been carrying these official governmental documents in my pocket since I was old enough to wear long pants, but the message has never seemed this clear.

If IN GOD WE TRUST is good enough for my country, then perhaps it is good enough for my company. We either Trust in God or we don’t. If we Trust in God we need to invite Him to our strategy meetings. If we Trust in God perhaps He will guide our steps.

Sometimes I take a lot for granted. Maybe I’m not alone.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Last week You’ve Got MAIDS had yet another record week. I feel so lucky & blessed to be green and growing. I pray it will continue.

I need to thank my wife, our incredible team in Orlando led by Yvonne, and all the Clients that didn't fire us last week. Let's do it again next week!

If you live in Orlando, Florida, and live in a really dirty house please initiate your free online quote by clicking here or email us the best time to call you about your home cleaning needs.

Monday, December 10, 2007

MAID SERVICE SURVEY | WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM YOUR HOUSE CLEANERS?

Currently I speak to Maid Service Consumers every day. In just a few weeks we will be talking to You've Got MAIDS Franchise Partners, and prospective You've Got MAIDS Franchise Partners. My job duties will change.

Franchises have a regulatory body to protect prospective Franchise Partners; it is the US Security & Exchange Commission. Maid service consumers have no regulatory body (SEC or FAA) to protect them from poor maid services.

Since their is no regulatory agencies to protect house keeping consumers, they ask lots of questions. As these prospective Clients are evaluating You’ve Got MAIDS, I take the opportunity to survey these prospective maid service Clients. I ask what they liked most about their last maid service. What did their last maid do that really ticked them off? What part of our maid service would be most important to them? They say quality, integrity, liability insurance, workers compensation insurance, dealing with a company that takes care of payroll taxes, and showing up when you say you will are all the most important things to them.

It is amusing that often the reasons the most prospective maid service Clients profess are most important to them, are rarely their motivation for what they purchase.

Let’s examine the airlines. Ask any air travel consumer what is most important to them about the airline they choose to fly with and they will tell you it is safety. Safety, Safety, Safety…yet safety is rarely the reason they purchase a ticket. Thanks to the FAA, air travel consumers feel confident that all airlines are equally safe, so it is price that drives ticket sales. By and large, airline travel has become a commodity.

The maid service industry doesn’t have an FAA to assure maid service consumers that every house cleaning company is operating at peak quality. If the house cleaning industry did have a FAA, the vast majority of most so called "maid services" would surely be grounded…indefinitely. Therefore maid services are not a commodity…all house cleaning services are not the same. Yet most house cleaning consumer’s purchase for price.

Interestingly, 86% of all house cleaning consumers are not very thrilled with their current maid service or past housekeepers. I bet this rings true, unless of course you are a current You’ve Got MAIDS Client. Isn’t that’s why you are calling You’ve Got MAIDS in the first place? If Dr. Phil was here he would tell you to connect the dots. Make the connection.

You almost always get what you pay for, but of course you already knew that.

Friday, December 07, 2007

CLEANING TIPS │ For the OVERWHELMED

Every day I talk to women who are overwhelmed with the responsibilities of managing any combination of career, household, and family. Some are on the edge; they have reached a tipping point. I can hear it in their voices. Just one more monkey on their back and they are going to snap. They are going to transform into a person that even they would not recognize.

Do you remember the Shining, by Stephen King? In the beginning Jack Torrance was a somewhat likeable guy holding together his writing career and family duties. One thing leads to another until Jack flipped his switch. Click here to see what could have been avoided if only Wendy had employed You’ve Got MAIDS to clean the Overlook Hotel instead of good ol’ Jack.

Pamela Slims article, Overwhelmed with too much to do? Outsource everything possible caught my attention. In it she admits there are a handful of things she does very well and there are other things she either doesn’t do well or things she hates to do. For this later group her mantra is these three magic words: outsource, outsource, outsource.

Outsource Housecleaning! Pamela writes…I keep up with routine stuff like dishes, laundry and straightening up the house at the end of each day. But I do like to have a get-down-and-scrub-the-bathroom kind of clean at least a couple of times a month. So I have a house cleaner come in every other week and do a thorough cleaning. We all feel better and healthier for it.

The key is to make sure that the time that is freed up by paying others to do routine, administrative or labor-intensive chores is spent on activities that will bring you greatly increased revenue, such as developing new products, or marketing or selling your services.
My sentiments exactly, Pamela. Here a big hat tip to Pamela Slim, author of the Escape From Cubicle Nation Blog.

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Are you overwhelmed with too much to do? Are you considering outsourcing your housecleaning chores? Delegate your mind numbing, repetitive chores to a professional house cleaning service like You've Got MAIDS who care about you, your family, your pets, and your home. Click here to have one of our managers call you at your convenience to discuss what You've Got MAIDS can do for you. Be sure to note the best time for us to call you back.

Thursday, December 06, 2007

GREEN CLEANING TIPS | HOW TO CLEAN MICROWAVE OVEN

Green Cleaning your Microwave Oven does not have to be a chore. Green Cleaning products don’t endanger your children, your pets, or the environment. Following is an inexpensive, safe and environmentally responsible way to clean your microwave oven.

Before you start:

Gather a microwave safe bowl; water; dish soap; Microfiber Cleaning Cloths (2); old tooth brush; white distilled vinegar, or a lemon, or lemon juice, or baking soda

Steps to Green Clean your microwave oven:

If your microwave oven has a rotating tray remove it along with the undercarriage. Fill sink with hot water, add dish soap, and submerge the tray and undercarriage in the sink to soak.
Use a dry Microfiber Cleaning Cloth to wipe out loose crumbs from microwave.
Fill microwave safe bowl with 1 cup of warm water.
Add either the White Distilled Vinegar, a lemon wedge, lemon juice or baking soda to the water (the benefits of each are detailed below).
Heat the water in the microwave for 3-5 minutes. Go back to the sink and scrub the tray and undercarriage clean. Let them air dry.
Keep the microwave door closed while the steam does its job. The condensation will loosen the caked on food particles.
Now carefully remove the bowl of hot water from the microwave.
Use your Toothbrush to get into the tight spots and then a Microfiber Cleaning Cloth to wipe the microwave clean.
Return dry undercarriage and glass tray to the microwave.
Wipe off the exterior, you are done.

Compare these Green Cleaning products:

White Distilled Vinegar is a popular Green Cleaning agent, effective for killing most bacteria, germs and mold, due to its high level of acidity. Excess vinegar will evaporate so it won’t leave your microwave smelling like… V I N E G A R.

Organic citric acid found in lemons is a fantastic Green Cleaning agent that will attack your microwave ovens defiant stains. As an added bonus, a fresh wedge of lemon, or a few ounces of lemon juice added to the water will leave the microwave oven smelling out of this world. Lemons and limes contain the highest concentrations of citric acid, but lemon just smells clean to most people.

Baking soda is a powerful Green Cleaning agent which is alkaline in nature. Baking soda is employed to remove odors, stubborn stains and grease. It is also a great disinfectant. ARM & HAMMER® claims to have more products that use baking soda as the sole cleaning agent than any other brand.

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Are you too busy to care about details like this? Do you have better things to do? Delegate your mind numbing, repetitive chores to a professional house cleaning service like You've Got MAIDS who care about your home. Click here to see if they have an office serving your zip code.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

30 Minute House Clean TIPS

You’ve got short notice that your Aunt Olive will be dropping in with her new boyfriend Brutus and your house is a wreck. You have 30 minutes to clean house so it is too late to call You’ve Got MAIDS. What do you do? You have options:

Option #1: Lock the door, turn out the lights, and pretend you are not home.
Option #2: Engage Doc Browns time machine, go back 2 days and call You’ve Got MAIDS for a spring clean.
Option #3: Spring into action, but you don’t have time for a spring clean. Budget your time wisely, by focusing only on the areas Aunt Olive will see. The key is surface clean, not spring clean. Following are some cleaning tips to help you navigate the next 30 minutes.

Cleaning supplies you will need for your quick house clean up:

Vacuum
Ostrich Feather Duster (only the best will do)
Microfiber Cleaning Cloths
A spray bottle of All Purpose Cleaner (vinegar & water is very green friendly)
Empty hamper/basket
Can of Spinach
Cell Phone

Steps to surviving Aunt Olives visit:

T-30: Open can of Spinach & consume contents thereof. This will restore and amplify strength to an even greater level.

T-29: Light a scented candle. Smells are important and you don't want Brutus to smell the spinach.

T-28: Speed dial DOMINO’S PIZZA, tell them to send two liters of ice cold Coke Classic, a Large Pepperoni Pizza, and 20 mild Buffalo Wings. Trust the pizza delivery experts to feed Brutus. If Brutus is busy shoveling food in his mouth you won’t have to listen to him trash talk good ol' Uncle Popeye.

T-27: Empty your hamper/basket of dirty clothes into washer and close lid. Now take that empty basket to the rooms Aunt Olive will enter and start piling in the clutter. Shoes, junk mail, numchucks, newspapers, semi automatic weapons, toys, etc. all go into the basket. Once you have decluttered, store the basket in a closet and shut the door. Leave a copy of Catcher in the Rye next to your favorite reading chair.

T-25: All dishes into dishwasher. If you run out of room pack dirty dishes into your oven. Don’t worry…Domino’s is on the way. Clean off counters, & wipe down the sink.

T-20: Guest bathroom toilet, sink, check toilet paper, soap, etc. Make the bright work shine. Look at the bathroom from the perspective of someone sitting on the throne.

T-15: Ostrich Feather Duster into your back right pocket, tuck a microfiber cleaning cloths into your belt, throw one over your shoulder, grab the All Purpose Cleaner & head for the front door. Now systematically dust and wipe all visible horizontal surfaces. One room at a time. Once the room is done it’s done. Don’t get bogged down on any single detail. Start high and work low. Clean from left to right if you live in California or right to left if you’re on the East Coast. Folks in the Midwest normally decide on their own.

T-10: Remove all trash, and reline containers.

T-9: Vacuum what needs to be vacuumed. Spot mop with a very damp mop any wood or tile areas that need attention. Quickly dry mop wet areas to a shine.

T-3: Change your shirt, comb your hair, blow out the scented candle & sit down. Domino’s & your Aunt will soon be at the door.

When Aunt Olive asks what you are reading, tell her you are revisiting Salinger. Engage her is a lively conversation about Holden Caulfield as this will surely encourage Brutus to check out ESPN.

The way you run your home often mirrors the way you run your career. If you get a surprise visitor are you ready to meet and greet after a few minutes of cleaning up, or would it take a team of You’ve Got MAIDS 10 hours to give you a spring clean? I encourage you to retain the services of a professional house cleaning company to keep your home base clean and sanitary.

Monday, December 03, 2007

Nemours Orlando Children's Hospital Location News

Great news concerning Nemours Orlando Children's Hospital. Nemours now has a specific site at which the Nemours Orlando Children's Hospital will be located. Nemours has signed a contract to purchase an approximately 118-acre parcel of land in the Lake Nona area on Boggy Creek Road, south of 417.

View Larger Map

Someone that I love very much had his life saved at Nemours in Wilmington, Delaware so I have been following this closely. Nemours health care campus is within immediate proximity of the Burnham Medical Research Institute, UCF Burnett College of Medicine and the Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospital. Even more importantly it is within the service area of You've Got MAIDS. If you are a Doctor, Nurse, or Administrator moving to Orlando, you can secure your home cleaning needs early by clicking here. Purchasing this property brings Nemours one step closer to realizing the creation of a fully integrated pediatric health care system for the children of Central Florida.

This particular location was selected because it provides the appropriate size, space and location for the realization of Nemours comprehensive mission.Since announcing the decision to relocate the Nemours pediatric campus to Lake Nona, Nemours have spent many months of judicious consideration of numerous land options, and this property offered the best value for their mission. As responsible stewards of resources that have been allocated for the care of children, Nemours has an obligation to invest wisely in order to fulfill the clinical, educational, research and advocacy plans for the benefit of the community's children.

I hope you will join me in celebrating this significant landmark for children and for the Nemours enterprise.

For more information about Nemours, please click here.

To learn why You've Got MAIDS loves to clean, please click here.

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