Welcome to another Sound Business Services’ (SBS) client profile. I recently interviewed Bruce Bishop, founder and general manager of It’s Maid Day in Kennesaw, Ga., a suburb of Atlanta. Here is what he had to say about the driving force behind the company, the values that set it apart and what he gets out of the SBS relationship.
Jonathan Bill: Tell our readers what “It’s Maid Day” and the “Maid Training Academy” are all about.
Bruce Bishop: In just six years, It’s Maid Day has grown into one of the largest residential maid services in Atlanta. We cleaned more than 7,000 homes last year and continue to grow. Our formula for success is simple: “Provide the highest quality cleaning at competitive prices.”
The foundation of our success is our people. We are honored to represent the best cleaners in Atlanta. When we hire people, we tell them, “We are going to make you better. Are you ready for that?” Our training program is extensive, and we only hire certified professional cleaners from Maid Training Academy.
I started Maid Training Academy a year after I started It’s Maid Day. In my previous career, I wrote training manuals and was published more than 30 times in trade magazines, as well as a book published by Kennesaw State University about emerging trends in business. There was no source for online training for residential maids. So, I started one, and now, Maid Training Academy has students in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa, and we plan on rolling out the program to South America next year. We also partner with other maid companies throughout the world for core training of their residential maids.
JB: Tell us the inspiration or reason behind starting the company, and how your goals and expectations changed over time.
BB: Our goal from the time we started was to become the world’s largest maid service company in 15 years. We are on track and that goal has not changed. There have been bumps and curves, and even mountains to climb, but we are still on track.
Prior to starting It’s Maid Day, I was the founder and managing partner for KYBA Benefits, one of the largest employee benefits insurance agencies in the United States. We insured more than 60,000 people and worked with 700+ companies in North America. I left that industry after 18 years and successfully selling to the 8th largest insurance agency in the world. Then, I took a year off to have some overdue fun and work on finding the next business to start.
DaVinci Home Services – our corporate name – was founded in 2010 to provide solutions for all cleaning needs regardless of what the customer wants, from the independent cleaner to the high-end maid service. We started with It’s Maid Day as the backbone to our cleaning solutions, and just this month, we launched Maids You Keep, a premium maid service for customers who want the best of the best maid service at competitive prices.
This fall, we plan to launch Home Cleaning Club, a source for independent cleaners who need help with customer service, purchasing, advertising and general support for their business.
JB: What sets you apart from the competition?
BB: It’s our people. I am honored to work with great people, including our awesome office staff. My real job is finding good people, and then helping them to get even better at their profession. And, when we find good people, they stay. I think we take care of our people better than any other maid service, so our people stay and our customers love that.
JB: When did you first engage SBS? Why did you reach out to us?
BB: It was fairly early on in the company. I was referred to SBS by my accountant. Although I have changed accountants, I have not changed my bookkeeper.
The decision to outsource my bookkeeping was a no brainer; finding the right bookkeeper was not. We interviewed about five to six bookkeepers and chose SBS. Although I got the recommendation from my accountant, I made the decision to go with SBS because I liked its professionalism better than the others. I was a big fish in my previous life and I wanted to be treated like a big fish, even when we were now a little tadpole. I felt like you and your team treated us like we were their most important customer and always with a great deal of professionalism. That hasn’t changed!
JB: What services does SBS currently provide to your company?
BB: Primarily bookkeeping and reporting. As we continued to grow, we have often changed our reporting requirements, which SBS also helps with. For example, we had our new Duluth location unbundled for a while and then recently folded it back into our general books.
JB: Please explain the difference SBS has made in your company.
BB: They have always been a big help in making my bookkeeping, and ultimately my accounting, work easier. It’s like most good service – you want someone to do what they said they were going to do, without headaches or excuses, and for the price agreed on. So far, so good! It is a pleasure doing business with SBS and I look forward to continuing.