A I needed to make a change in my job. I wasn't in the right job for me at the time. I was exploring options and found that the cleaning industry is a low capital way to start your own business. And the schedule works for me. It's all daytime hours, no weekends, no evenings.

A I realized I can't clean my own house for a day without getting sick and nauseated with cleaning chemicals. I knew I couldn't do it day in and day out. But I buy organic produce. It just dawned on me: Why would I clean my house with chemicals when I could be cleaning naturally?

A It does take bit of extra time. Sometimes I have to go over a surface a couple times. If you were using a harsher chemical, you could just spray it and let it sit for a minute and wipe it off. You're supposed to then rinse the residue away. Who does that?

A You avoid indoor air pollution you get when you're using chemical cleaners. You're avoiding toxic residues on surfaces. You're avoiding transdermal absorption of chemicals that I and my employees would be exposed to. I can stand in a shower, spray it down and breathe just fine. If you've ever used a (chemical) shower cleaner with the doors closed, you can't breathe. That's the difference I can see. The immediate effect. But the bigger concern to me is the chronic effect of using these products.

A I do like cleaning. It's a sense of accomplishment to walk into a dirty room and when you leave have it be clean. I like the physical labor part. I worked a desk job for many years so it's nice to get out and move a little bit. I'm not afraid of working hard.

A I had to learn a little accounting and human resources and some business tax stuff. I've been helped so much by the Venture Center. I took the E-Seed class.

A I would say it cost about $15,000. But there was a fair bit of experimentation there with equipment and supplies. And there was a lot of marketing.

A I make my own with baking soda and essential oils that have been used for centuries without ill effects. I know I have a natural, safe cleaner. My multi-purpose cleaning solution has washing soda, borax and tea tree oil.

A Eventually I want to have about 200 clients and 15 to 20 employees. That will put me in a position where I can make a living from this and have a good business that can support some employees without it becoming my whole life and cutting into my family time. I want to maintain that work/life balance.

A I quote a flat rate. It's $75 on the low end to $150 for a pretty large house. It's not more expensive than a legitimate cleaning service, like a franchise company that has similar overhead, insurance and workman's comp. I'm competitive with those. There's another part of the cleaning service industry where people aren't insured and they're working on their own. I can't complete with them on price.

A Probably in May. I can have them working as a team. I would be freed up to do more sales and marketing and start taking on new accounts that will turn into the second team's accounts.

A I think most of the people with kids are more interested in it being natural. People want to reduce chemicals in their homes for a lot of different reasons. I'm not anti chemical. I think there's a place for using harsher chemicals. But when you're cleaning your house every other week, it's not that dirty. Soap and water can go far in keeping it clean.

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