“Unlike other cleaning companies, at MyClean, you are treated with the professionalism you’d expect from your bank or your attorney, because MyClean is run by a former banker and a former attorney!”

This interview was made possible by our friends at DomainNameSales.com:

 

The marketplace for domain names.

Michael Scharf is the CEO of MyClean.com. Michael’s career previously included five years in the Equity Derivative Division at Banc of America Securities. He worked as an Analyst in both New York and London before taking on an Associate position with the company. From there, Michael was promoted to a Senior Sales & Marketing position where he led a sales team for all structured investments.

Michael’s business savvy and focus on customer service have helped grow the MyClean business sevenfold in a little over a year. In that time, he has also led an expansion into the outer boroughs of New York, and developed the MyClean brand into one of the strongest in the city.

MyClean performs maid services, housekeeping, housecleaning, office cleaning, showroom cleaning, porter services, janitorial services, “mother’s helper,” and cleaning service to customers in New York City, focusing on Manhattan, Brooklyn and select areas of Queens and the Bronx. MyClean has developed a proprietary online platform for quoting, booking, communicating, and ultimately paying for all cleaning needs.

MO: How did you make the leap from a safe corporate job to a cleaning business start up?

Michael: For me, it was an easy decision and the timing was right. I was young enough that I could afford the short-term financial set back without having a family depending on me, yet I had enough experience on a sell-side Wall Street desk to understand that the industry was going through a massive contraction. I wanted to be involved in a sector the economy that was expanding (home cleaning) and to take an innovative approach to building a scalable business model through an online platform. I was further excited by the ability to market the business online.

MO: How have you managed to grow the business sevenfold in just a little over a year?

Michael: By continuously improving our operation and customer service. We have spent very little money on marketing and are fortunate enough to be in business that is in high demand (everyone is looking for a cleaner). We have made every effort to distinguish ourselves from our competitors by listening to what our customers want and defining 10 main reasons clients use us over the competitors. These are listed below:

1) Fast and Convenient Online Scheduling

2) Punctual Early Morning Arrivals

3) Secure Online Payment via Credit or Debit Card

4) Top Flight Customer Service – our phones do not go unanswered, emails are responded to in a timely manner

5) Insured, Bonded, Background-Checked, and Trained Cleaners

6) Cleaners Trained in the MyClean Method

7) A Customized Cleaning Experience and Inspected or Supervised Cleans (if requested)

8) High Quality, Environmentally Sensitive, and State of the Art Cleaning Products

9) A “One Stop Shop” for All Your Home Service Needs

10) The MyClean 50 Point Checklist, which guarantees we deliver results, not merely time

MO: You provide your services throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. Do you think that city cleaning differs or has any unusual requirements than cleaning a suburban home may not have?

Michael: We actually expanded recently into the Bronx and select area’s of Queens too. To answer your question: yes, Manhattan and Brooklyn clients’ apartments naturally accumulate more dust than a suburban home. This requires more time to clean on a per square foot basis. Further, oftentimes the Manhattan and Brooklyn consumer is an on-the-go professional who needs an easy to book timely service. Many suburban cleaning companies provide a window of arrival times (12pm – 3pm for example), this would never work for MyClean’s busy urban clients.

MO: How are you able to provide online estimate jobs when usually companies want to see for themselves what’s required?

Michael: We have developed an algorithm for 3 levels of service based on apartment size, types of rooms (bathrooms require more time than bedrooms for example), frequency of cleaning to determine which level we recommend, etc. It is not an exact science but generally we’re pretty close.

MO: Has there been anything about the cleaning industry that has surprised or interested you more than you anticipated?

Michael: Yes, the number of individuals and businesses looking for cleaning services online has exceeded my expectations. This presents an enormous opportunity for us.

MO: What company accomplishment are you most proud of so far?

Michael: The evolution of our business and transition we have made over the last three months focusing on quality, consistency, punctuality and service.