- Anthony and Jhanilka Hartzog started a cleaning-service business in 2017 to pay off their debts.
- Instead of cleaning houses themselves, they hire contractors.
Anthony and Jhanilka Hartzog are the founders of Maids 2 Match, a cleaning-service business based in Dallas. The couple started their company in 2017 as a side hustle to pay off $114,000 in debt, stemming from a combination of student loans, credit-card debt, and an auto loan.
Last year, Maids 2 Match booked $558,000 in sales, which Insider verified with documentation. The entrepreneurs also host a podcast and teach aspiring entrepreneurs how to start their own cleaning businesses.
In a conversation with Insider, the Hartzogs shared their startup costs and advice for entrepreneurs. This is an as-told-to story based on an interview with the Hartzogs. It has been edited for length and clarity.
You don't need to do the cleaning to start a cleaning business
Anthony: We realized when we came to Dallas, one of the challenges when we first booked a cleaning service was that we had to text the company and they would let us know when they were coming. Then we had to Zelle or PayPal the guy, and we were like, there's got to be a different way.
So I came across people on social media who were starting local service businesses and outsourcing the work. If we could start the cleaning business without cleaning, then we could both keep our nine-to-five jobs, which we did for five years while we grew the business.
Jhanilka: Anthony brought it to me as another vehicle for us to pay off our debt. I still have a nine-to-five, I'm a mental-health therapist, and Anthony was a director at an IT firm, but he retired a year ago.
We started by outsourcing and getting contractors to do the jobs. We've done more than 6,000 cleaning jobs and we've cleaned three homes ourselves because we decided to, not that we needed to.
You can start a cleaning business with $1,500
J: It probably would've been less, but we had a lawyer review the contract that we used with the contractors. That was about $900 to $1,000. But then to get a logo, our business bank account, and our website up and running, we always tell our students to have about $1,500.
Since we work with contractors who have their own cleaning supplies, we didn't have to purchase anything.
A: It wasn't really a difficult decision because it was a very low-cost startup.
J: We market online on places like Yelp and Google. When we first started, we were on Thumbtack. That's where we found our clients and built our clientele. We are originally from Brooklyn, New York, and we moved down to Dallas. We didn't have any family or friends to start with, so everything had to be done online.
Teaching others to start their own cleaning businesses
A: Our cleaning business allowed us to pay off our debt, leave my nine-to-five, and go all in on this business. It also opened us to other business ventures as well.
J: We have a course for people to start their own cleaning business. A lot of our students we found are new in business just the same way we were. So we speak about getting your LLC, your business bank account, and your first client.
Success takes time
A: We grew our side hustle to a $1 million business in less than five years. When we got into this business, we didn't say we were going to hit a million in sales in two years or three years. We said whenever we get there, we'd be comfortable, we'd be happy.
Don't underestimate the amount of time it takes to be successful. We see that a lot of times with our students, where they want to hit that first $100,000 in the first year. A lot of our students do that, but they have to have a long-term mindset, which some people miss.
Comparison can hinder your growth
J: You can't compare our chapter five to your chapter one. You have to do the work, you have to put in the time.
A: Our students have done over $8 million in the last two years. So they see those numbers and they're trying to compete with each other. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it can be a hindrance to your own growth looking in your rearview mirror all the time.
Don't overthink it
J: When we got started, we were worried about the colors, the name, and our logo. In this business specifically, that type of stuff doesn't matter. When you're starting out, you're just trying to make sure everything is perfect. But you're going to change it in a month anyway, so don't spend more than 24 hours on it.