Business Ideas (Prescott, Prescott Valley: rental, how much, house)

[supchick]

Hello,

I currently own a residential and commercial cleaning service in California in a disadvantaged community. My husband and I recently visited Prescott in fall and really liked it there. I wanted to wait until we were both retired, but we enjoyed the area too much!
So now I am considering opening a business there and hiring people in order to have an existing income stream there. I would need to find people I can really trust because I live five hours away. I've had difficulty finding good employees here in California where I live. I have been cool with them, bought dinner for them when they needed it and they seemed dishonest and unappreciative of our efforts and an opportunity.
Is there a need for another cleaning service there and if so, do people there have a good work ethic? Please don't get me wrong, I realize that cleaning isn't the most glamorous job. Please be honest with me, as this would be a huge leap of faith financially. Also, please don't bash me because I'm from California. I have family in Arizona.

Thank you,
Supchick

[BriansPerspective]

If you are great at what you do, if you treat people honestly and fairly, if you charge reasonable prices for your work, if you advertise aggressively, and if you are conscientious and timely, then you will succeed. If you are looking to get by, and you hope that your cleaning business will float on its own, then you will fail.

[supchick]

Great advice, Brian! I am very detail-oriented, honest, fairly priced and I always try to do more than what is asked. I advertise online, as that's the direction everything is going. I can see the possibilities there, but I wanted to get a second opinion. I'm just doing a little market research. Is anybody on this forum familiar with what the market will bear, such as how much the existing cleaners charge for a 1500 square foot home (three bedroom/two bath) in Prescott/Prescott Valley? It's not that I am unable to figure this out on my own, I just want to hear it straight from the horse's mouth

[keninaz]

There at lots of older folks that might need your services in the area. I don't know how the demand is or the number of people already doing this type of work however.
Good luck.

[fluffythewondercat]

Originally Posted by supchick

Is anybody on this forum familiar with what the market will bear, such as how much the existing cleaners charge for a 1500 square foot home (three bedroom/two bath) in Prescott/Prescott Valley?

I looked on Craigslist but there's no one who is willing to state any price up front -- they all want to visit your home and give you an estimate.

As a customer, to me that's too much like "We want to see how much money you have so we can charge accordingly."

I live on the San Francisco peninsula and have a rental house in the East Bay. A service that costs me $x at the East Bay house will cost me $3x on the Peninsula.

Of course, it could also be "We want to see your stuff so we can come back unannounced when you're not home."

So I think trust is going to be a big issue, especially with seniors. And we all know how many of those there are in P/PV.

[supchick]

Fluffy,
I know someone in the Prescott area that found someone on Craigslist. They gave poor service and charged way below minimum wage. Unfortunately, there are too many people like that out there that only want drug money. I am not like that. I hope you found a service that meets your expectations.
I have been running a professional cleaning and janitorial service for 13 years now. I am insured and I don't give prices out over the phone, either. The reason being is every home is different. Some have pets, children or lots of knick-knacks. I give a customized quote so the homeowner isn't over-charged and I am not underpaid. I need to keep a schedule, too. I want to deliver the absolute best service I can while being fair. It has been a very successful way to do business and people appreciate it. My customers understand that I am running a business and they appreciate my honesty. Many have given me their house keys. We have a good, trustworthy relationship and they know I would never do anything dishonest to ruin that. This is my bread and butter, not just a little side job.

[supchick]

Fluffy,
Another reason I don't give that information out by phone is because many times lookyloos (other house cleaners) call to steal trade secrets and prices.

[Hschlick84]

Are you a green, trendy, hip type of cleaning service or just down to earth get to business kind?

[keninaz]

As we all know a first interview with a person for this type of work leaves an impression one way or another and that may or may not result in business.
From there of course the work that is done and how they address any dissatisfaction is paramount.

[supchick]

Hschlick84 and Keninaz,
Not everyone is hip on green. I give clients a choice of professional janitorial products or green ones if they prefer them, based on their needs. For example, if their child is allergic and they ask me to clean their floors with a natural alternative, I will as long as I deem it safe for the type of floor. I run my business like a business, but with customer service. It is very personal having someone in your home. I respect that and I treat my clients' homes like I would treat my own