Emily's Maids Blog

Emily's Maids House Cleaning Tips and Company News

SUBSCRIBE

Is Marie Kondo Just WRONG?

January 25, 2019 by emilysmaids

Is Marie Kondo Just WRONG?

Some people love cleaning their homes, others don’t have time for it and many simply hate it. But recently cleaning and having an order for your house its trend in social media. We have a cleaning phenomenon in Netflix, a woman called Marie Kondo have a viral show, where she goes to people’s homes and offices to offer her service, and change the lifestyle of other people.

Every day in social media, pops trends pro cleaning and organization, even gaining some viral sensation, like this new Netflix series. The method its called KONMARI, and she have a philosophy where she explains how to clean and how to keep a tidy environment. She claims that having a clean environment is good for you, makes you live a better life. But is she right? Or it’s pure gibberish?

Our home is the place where we spent the majority of our lives, and in the same way, as we take showers or get haircuts, our homes need to look for. We actually spent more than one-third of our lives in our homes, just 1/3 of that in our bedrooms. But how a clean house benefits you?

Clean house, calm mind?

The study made by Princeton Neuroscience Institute tell us that there is a significant cognitive improvement when we live in an organized environment, without clutter. Our brains can focus much better when around us there isn’t any disorder, because our brains naturally get distracted by such things.

Then there is a reason to clean our home and workplace, in a clean environment you get focus, therefore a clean environment is without any doubts a more productive place.

Further evidence that having a clean home is a healthy mental environment is this study by Clorox proved that living in a clean place can make you until 60% more empathic and helps to create new and better connections to others. It relaxes you and will make relationships with others. Feeling fresh is important.

Ok, so having a clean house only helps the mind right?

Well, not only the mind has benefited from this, actually the body seems to get healthier as the person gets cleaner, and we aren’t just talking about allergies. A study focus on obesity  concluded people between 45 and 60 years were healthier and slimmer as they live in a clean house. People who tend to have a clean house are more likely to stick to a plan and keep doing exercise.

Therefore, it is demonstrated that living in a clean environment is beneficial for the body and the mind.

It’s even Dangerous living with clutter

Having clutter could be a health risk, especially if you have carpets and rugs. Thanks to this investigation, for persons over 65 years old, the grant majority of accidents are because of clutter in rooms with a carpet. Especially for elderly women.

We can’t recommend cleaning enough or you just think that Marie Kondo is an extremist, or you just don’t like to clean, in this digital age many cleaning services are on the internet.

Remember everything points out that a clean house leads to a healthy way of living.

Expert Tips for Cleaning Companies to Improve Online Reviews

January 3, 2019 by emilysmaids

Five Star Maid Service

Emily’s Maids has one of the highest rated reputation online among all the maid services in Dallas. This, of course, is mostly because of our awesome customer service. However its nearly impossible to please everyone all the time. So no matter how good your cleaning business is, you will eventually get negative reviews. So how does Emily’s maintain their great ranking? Good question and a question asked us by Jordan of Vonigo. They included our advice (below) in one of their articles entitled “Expert Tips for Cleaning Companies to Improve Online Reviews– December 2018

We have one of the highest-rated reputations online among all the maid services. The tiredly repeated advice of focusing on getting 5-star reviews to drown out 1-star reviews is somewhat misleading. Of course, 5-star reviews help. BUT removing a 1-star review has a much bigger impact to your rating.

To do this, do EVERYTHING possible to make that unhappy customer, happy. Even if you have to give away your services for free. In the end, the higher online rating will more than compensate the cost.

Let’s say you have five, 5-star Yelp reviews and one, 1-star review for a total of 6 Yelp reviews. To reach 5 stars on Yelp you can either 1) add ten, 5-star reviews or 2), remove that one, 1-star review.

As you can see, removing that 1-star review is the quickest way to 5 stars. A fellow owner had calculated their business lost $3000.00 monthly in business by having 4.5 stars instead of 5 stars. So giving a free $250.00 clean to persuade a customer to remove that 1-star review is a small price to pay not to lose the extra $3000.00

Though sometimes you may not want a perfect 5 star rating. For example, the fellow owner I had referred to decided to keep their ranking on Yelp around 4.5 star. Why doesn’t he mind missing out on an extra $36,000.00 a year? He found that a 5 star yelp rating attracts exceptionally problematic customers. The ones with superfluous complaints no matter how perfect your cleaning service performed, eating up your time and sanity. Removing that stress was absolutely worth it in terms of having more time to allocate for his good customers while maintaining his sanity.

Small Business Credit Profile: Emily’s Maids

December 20, 2018 by emilysmaids

Founder Greg Shepard’s use – and acceptance – of credit cards has helped him fund personal travel and reduce embezzlement issues

By Erica Sandberg  |  Published: November 21, 2018 | View original article here: Small Business Credit Profile: Emily’s Maids

Greg Shepard founded Emily’s Maids with one mission in mind: to provide the best low-cost maid company in Dallas, Texas.

It was an alternative to a different housekeeping business he had started that caters to the higher-end crowd. Shepard recognized that wanting a clean home is a universal desire, but hiring help is not within everyone’s budget.

In response, he created Emily’s Maids. It’s a bare-bones affair, with basic cleaning supplies, standard services and housekeepers who hail from all over the world.

“If a caller [to the high-end service] says, ‘you are too expensive,’ my staff recommends Emily’s Maids,” says Shepard. “It is nice to be able to take care of all housecleaning-seeking customers. From day one we were producing incredible cleaning results from talented cleaning artists.”

While customers were singing their praises and telling their friends about the company (which reduced their marketing expenses), running a successful business still has many associated costs. With the help of just a couple of credit cards, Shepard is cleaning up.

How did your credit history affect the way you financed your venture? Any challenges with scores or access to credit?

Fortunately, I had the best dad a future entrepreneur could have. He taught me the importance of managing money and maintaining a good credit rating. It’s been years, but last time I checked my rating was in the high 700s to 800s, depending on the credit rating service.

By diligently paying off all my credit cards monthly and living below my means, I’ve never had issues with access to credit. I paid everything on time, never defaulted – that’s the way to get good credit. I’ve always tried to live well below my means.

Because of that, the credit card companies sent me cash advance checks, and there were occasions that I used them. In fact, they were a lifesaver. I had to make sure people I hired were paid the day I was supposed to pay them, and if cash was short I could use the checks. I’d immediately pay the debt off, though.

Which credit cards do you have and use and why did you choose them?

All my credit cards are from Chase. For my company I have the Ink Business Unlimited℠ Credit Card and for personal use I have the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. They integrate seamlessly with my online banking. I keep all my credit cards and bank account info in one place. It’s simple and ultra convenient. I log in online and everything is there. That’s why I chose the two cards. It was a no-brainer.

I also wanted the best points program, and I can earn a lot with both of the cards I have. In fact, they’ve gotten me around the world and it’s always been for free! To get the points I charge all the supplies that are involved with the business, like cleansers, phone service, Google ads – anything that can go on the cards will go on them. I have it set to autopay so I don’t even think about it. The points accrue naturally.

I mainly cash out the points for personal use instead of for the business. That’s the best thing about rewards cards. My wife and I love to travel and we always have ample points to get where we want to go. It’s paid for roughly $7,000 a year in travel expenses. When I think about it, that’s pretty amazing.

How are credit cards helping you and your business become successful?

It’s not just me using credit cards to pay for things that the business needs, but accepting them, too. We require all customers to pay with them. The small sum charged by our merchants is well worth the ease of payments. There is nothing easier than running credit cards for services bought. We get paid more often this way. Non-payment is now really rare compared to when we had accepted cash or checks. It’s not only convenient for us, it is also preferable for our customers.

Something else, though, that not everyone talks about regarding having employees is that accepting only credit cards lessens the chance of embezzlement. It’s easier for staff to skim money from a business if cash and checks are flowing through – a fact I unfortunately found after having an employee steal from my company. Requiring your customers to pay only with cards will lessen your stress level substantially.

What lessons have you learned about borrowing money along the way that you want to share with other entrepreneurs?

Guard your [credit] score with your life! Always pay your credit cards in full on a monthly basis. And when starting a new business, credit cards should always be your last resort to make ends meet. Don’t charge what you can’t repay. That sounds obvious, but it’s not, especially when times get tough and money is tight.

As you become more established, credit cards are your friends. Get a card with the lowest rate as possible, even if you know you will pay it off every month. It’s just good to have. The card should also come with a great rewards program so you accrue points. Trust me, they will build up fast if you put things for your business on them, and you’ll be really happy you did.

If you want to make sure you don’t go overboard, though, set a limit for what you can charge each month. It shouldn’t be so high that you can’t pay the whole bill easily. If it’s $500 and you reached it, stop. It’s up to you to know what you can afford so you better figure out what it is before starting out.

 

How To Start A House Cleaning Side Hustle

December 3, 2018 by emilysmaids

A house cleaning side business is wonderful for women or men wanting to mop up extra money. First, advertising is easy, second, a cleaning service is super scalable, and finally it doesn’t take a lot of dollars to start.

1. Advertising

Business Cards – Printing out 20,000 business cards and passing them out at apartment complexes is cheap. If you pass out cards during your available time, carrying your company cell phone, you’ll be able to fill up your schedule fairly quickly.

Just remember it’s a numbers game: For every apartment complex of 800 units, expect 2 or 3 jobs. One job immediately, another job a day or two later, and finally the third job within 2 weeks.

Online – Create a website, Facebook, google my business page, and link all three together with backlinks. If you can get ranked on the first page, then expect an order of magnitude and more business. Learn SEO basics.

Referrals – Stick in there because the bigger you grow, the more referrals you’ll receive. The best advertising is for free.

2. Scalable

House cleaning is easily scalable.

When (not if, IF you follow my advertising advice above) you have more business than you can handle, write an easy to understand cleaning-guide and start hiring people to clean! the bigger you grow, the more money you make.

That’s how I made my first million.

3. Cheap To Start

To start all you need is a vacuum, business cards, a dedicated cell phone, and some cleaning supplies. House cleaning along with any similar dull job (window cleaning, painting, lawn care, etc) is easy to break in and immediately make money.

And, more importantly, it has the potential to grow into a real business. Quitting your day job for your own business is one of the most liberating things you will experience.

 

This article was included among other side hustles in this AppsJobs.com article, How To Earn Money With Part-Time Jobs – 29 Professionals Reveal. It’s a great read so check it out!

How To Clean Bed Sheets

July 26, 2018 by emilysmaids

Being a maid service, we’ve cleaned quite a few bed sheets in our time. Here are 5 simple steps to keep your bed sheets clean:

WASH OFTEN: First, conventional wisdom is to wash sheets at least once every two weeks. However I have my sheets washed weekly. The more often you wash, the better you can control the dust mite population.

CHECK THE LABEL: Second, how to clean your sheets will depend on the type of fabric. Check the care label, setting to the highest temperature indicated on the label. Hotter the water, the better to kills germs and eliminate dust mites.

SEPARATE COLORS AND WHITES: Third, like all other laundry, separate colors and whites as you do with other laundry to avoid color bleed.

WASH SHEETS BY THEMSELVES: Fourth, wash the sheets by themselves. They are large, bulky and need all the space they can get (no added clothes) for best results.

KEEP A SPARE SET NEARBY: Finally, keep a spare set of laundered sheets readily available. When you wash one set you can place the spare on your bed. Or if one set is ruined or ripped, you’re covered!

10 Tips To Keep Your Carpet Clean and Hygienic

July 19, 2018 by emilysmaids

by Taegan Lion at Fupping.com

How often do you clean your carpets? Do you think you are doing all the right things to keep you carpets hygienic and clean?

Well whether you do or do not, check out the tips below to make sure you are doing everything you can to keep your carpet clean and fresh.

#1 How To Remove Gum from Carpet

First, remove as much of the gum as you possibly can by hand. Careful not to damage the carpet fibers! Then put some ice cubes in a bag and hold the bag against the gum until it freezes. Once it’s frozen you can chip away at the frozen gum with a metal spoon, collecting the frosty shavings as you go. Once you have removed the gum completely you can use a little dry cleaning solution on the spot to zap any remaining hidden stickiness. Blot that up and finish up by giving the spot a quick scrub with a bit of soapy water, a mild dish soap works well. Rinse and blot dry with a clean towel for the win!

Contributors: Greg Shepard from Emily’s Maids

 

 

#2 Treat Stains As Soon As Possible

Carpet Cleaning

Source

There are two main things you should know when dealing with stains. Firstly, you should treat stains as soon as possible, the longer you wait, the harder it will be to lift them.

Secondly, never rub the stain, blot instead. Rubbing might set the stain deeper into the fibers and make it permanent. To treat spills, dab cleaning solution onto the affected spot and blot with a clean cloth or paper towels. This will help you soak up the liquid instead from the fibers.

And finally, always blot the stain from the outside to the center to avoid spreading the stain further.

Contributors: Dean Davies from Fantastic Services

 
 

#3 Get The Right Gear

The right gear

Source

Depending on your household needs, you might need more than one vacuum so you can handle different zones in your home. For example, it is more convenient to clean carpeted stairs with a cordless handheld cleaner as opposed to large carpeted spaces where an upright vacuum cleaner will do a better job.

 

#4 Prepare An Emergency Kit

Because no one is protected from stain and spill accidents, an emergency kit is a great way to tackle the issue immediately. Consider the following items in your kit:

  • Club soda – for wine and beer spills
  • Hydrogen peroxide – for blood stains
  • Shaving cream – will remove just about any type of stain.
  • Ice cubes – for removing chewing gum by freezing it.
  • A few drops of dishwashing detergent – effective against oil-based stains.
  • Commercial stain remover – for the most stubborn stains

Contributors: Dean Davies from Fantastic Services

 
 

#5 Deep Clean Twice A Year

Carpet Cleaner

Source

Regular vacuuming around the house can’t replace a good deep clean. It is advised to have your carpet cleaned at least twice a year and even more frequently if you have kids or pets. Don’t wait until your carpet looks all grimy, plan your cleaning in advance. Here you have two options: to rent a carpet cleaning machine and do the work yourself or to arrange a professional cleaning and let the expert do their job. Needless to say, you can expect better results when you call a professional. The experts have tackled hundreds of items and know how to achieve the best possible results.

 

#6 Clean Now, So You Can Clean Less Later

 Vacuuming

Source

My rule for the carpet is, clean it now because it never becomes easier later. It applies to everything concerning the carpet, from vacuuming to cleaning spills. Keeping dust and dirt on the carpet for a long time only makes things worse, because the dirt gets worked up into the fibre, which makes it impossible to remove. Everything, if not removed, eventually gets to the carpet padding, and it can’t be removed from there. Some spills can even resurface after they appear to be cleaned, simply because some of the liquid has dried on the padding and liquifies again when heat is applied. So, vacuuming twice a week is mandatory, and as soon as you make a spill, get an absorbent towel, blot up the stain, then apply a paste of baking soda and water, work it into the fibre using a soft brush and back and forth motion, then blot up the excess with a moist towel until the stain disappears. And remember – never wipe and scrub!

 

#7 Use A Robot Vacuum Cleaner

The easiest way to keep your carpet clean is by using a robot vacuum cleaner. What also makes robot vacuums so great is that they can be set up on a schedule to clean your carpets while you are away. This means you can enjoy dirt-free floors every day without lifting a finger. These machines are so good (even the cheaper ones) at what they do that you will find yourself rarely using your upright vacuum cleaner.

Contributors: Trusty Joe from Trusty Joe

 
 

#8 Avoid Eating And Drinking Wherever There’s A Carpet

One reason it’s so important to keep the carpet clean is that it’s so hard to clean in the first place. In order to avoid stains, you need to make sure that the carpeted area doesn’t become an acceptable place to eat and drink.

Contributors: Caleb Backe from Maple Holistics

 
 

#9 Don’t Track

Don’t walk on the carpet with your shoes, the carpet is a socks only zone. If you wear your shoes on the carpet you’ll soon find it lumpy with dirt and all sorts of undesirable particles.

Contributors: Caleb Backe from Maple Holistics

 

 

#10 How To Break Down Carpet Odors

First, soak up as much of the spill as possible, then clean the stain according to the carpet manufacturer’s directions.. Once the area is completely dry, sprinkle Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (Product link: For USA readers, for UK readers) to cover it and let sit for 15 minutes, then vacuum. Even tough kid and pet messes are no match!

TIP: Check for color-fastness first before applying ARM & HAMMER Baking Soda.

Contributors: Consultant from ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda

Free Independent Contractor Agreement

June 4, 2018 by admin

Included is a generic independent contractor’s agreement provided by Emily’s Maids’ attorney. You have our permission to use this agreement for your cleaning service. Before using this contract, please read on because you will want to 1) be aware of the legality of using contract labor and 2) how to possibly prevent the government forcing your house cleaners to be employees.

1) Maid Services Must Use Employees By Law. If you are organized as a maid service you are required, by law, to have employees. Originally Emily’s Personnel Service (dba Emily’s Maids) was not organized as a maid service, rather Emily’s Maids was a referral agency matching housekeepers with homeowners.

The border between employee vs contractor can be quite grey. According to law, as long as you are far enough on the independent contractor side then you are safe; you can use contractors for housecleaning. However what the law states and what the government does do not always coincide.

Emily’s Personnel Service workers fell on the contractor’s side on 18 or the 20 rules (see “Employment Status” below). By law Emily’s Maids was clearly on the contractor side, therefore legally we should have contractors. However when Emily’s was audited by the Texas Workforce Commission, they used items “3 Integration” and “12 Payment” (see below) to force the house cleaners to be employees. Why? Because it was in the government’s financial interest to do so.

Interestingly my attorney shared a story where a business he represented was forced to have contractors instead of employees because, again, it was in the government’s interest despite the business clearly being in on the Employee side.

Here are the 20 items Texas businesses need to look at to determine if they have employees or contractors (This may be different in States other than Texas):

EMPLOYMENT STATUS – A COMPARATIVE APPROACH

Under the common law test, a worker is an employee if the purchaser of that worker’s service has the right to direct or control the worker, both as to the final results and as to the details of when, where, and how the work is done. Control need not actually be exercised; rather, if the service recipient has the right to control, employment may be shown. Depending upon the type of business and the services performed, not all of the twenty common law factors may apply. In addition, the weight assigned to a specific factor may vary depending upon the facts of the case. If an employment relationship exists, it does not matter that the employee is called something different, such as: agent, contract labor, subcontractor, or independent contractor.
1. INSTRUCTIONS: 11. ORAL OR WRITTEN REPORTS:
An Employee receives instructions about when, where and how the work is to be performed.
An Independent Contractor does the job his or her own way with few, if any, instructions as to the details or methods of the work.
An Employee may be required to submit regular oral or written reports about the work in progress.
An Independent Contractor is usually not required to submit regular oral or written reports about the work in progress.
2. TRAINING: 12.PAYMENT BY THE HOUR, WEEK, OR MONTH:
Employees are often trained by a more experienced employee or are required to attend meetings or take training courses.
An Independent Contractor uses his or her own methods and thus need not receive training from the purchaser of those services.
An Employee is typically paid by the employer in regular amounts at stated intervals, such as by the hour or week.
An Independent Contractor is normally paid by the job, either a negotiated flat rate or upon submission of a bid.
3. INTEGRATION: 13. PAYMENT OF BUSINESS & TRAVEL EXPENSE:
Services of an Employee are usually merged into the firm’s overall operation; the firm’s success depends on those Employee services.
An Independent Contractor’s services are usually separate from the client’s business and are not integrated or merged into it.
An Employee’s business and travel expenses are either paid directly or reimbursed by the employer.
Independent Contractors normally pay all of their own business and travel expenses without reimbursement.
4. SERVICES RENDERED PERSONALLY: 14. FURNISHING TOOLS & EQUIPMENT:
An Employee’s services must be rendered personally; Employees do not hire their own substitutes or delegate work to them.
A true Independent Contractor is able to assign another to do the job in his or her place and need not perform services personally.
Employees are furnished all necessary tools, materials, and equipment by their employer.
An Independent Contractor ordinarily provides all of the tools and equipment necessary to complete the job.
5. HIRING, SUPERVISING & PAYING HELPERS: 15. SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT:
An Employee may act as a foreman for the employer but, if so, helpers are paid with the employer’s funds.
Independent Contractors select, hire, pay, and supervise any helpers used and are responsible for the results of the helpers’ labor.
An Employee generally has little or no investment in the business. Instead, an Employee is economically dependent on the employer.
True Independent Contractors usually have a substantial financial investment in their independent business.
6. CONTINUING RELATIONSHIP: 16. REALIZE PROFIT OR LOSS:
An Employee often continues to work for the same employer month after month or year after year.
An Independent Contractor is usually hired to do one job of limited or indefinite duration and has no expectation of continuing work.
An Employee does not ordinarily realize a profit or loss in the business. Rather, Employees are paid for services rendered.
An Independent Contractor can either realize a profit or suffer a loss depending on the management of expenses and revenues.
7. SET HOURS OF WORK: 17. WORKING FOR MORE THAN ONE FIRM AT A TIME:
An Employee may work “on call” or during hours and days as set by the employer.
A true Independent Contractor is the master of his or her own time and works the days and hours he or she chooses.
An Employee ordinarily works for one employer at a time and may be prohibited from joining a competitor.
An Independent Contractor often works for more than one client or firm at the same time and is not subject to a non-competition rule.
8. FULL TIME REQUIRED: 18. MAKING SERVICE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC:
An Employee ordinarily devotes full-time service to the employer, or the employer may have a priority on the Employee’s time.
A true Independent Contractor cannot be required to devote full-time service to one firm exclusively.
An Employee does not make his or her services available to the public except through the employer’s company.
An Independent Contractor may advertise, carry business cards, hang out a shingle, or hold a separate business license.
9. LOCATION WHERE SERVICES PERFORMED: 19. RIGHT TO DISCHARGE WITHOUT LIABILITY:
Employment is indicated if the employer has the right to mandate where services are performed.
Independent Contractors ordinarily work where they choose. The workplace may be away from the client’s premises.
An Employee can be discharged at any time without liability on the employer’s part.
If the work meets the contract terms, an Independent Contractor cannot be fired without liability for breach of contract.
10. ORDER OR SEQUENCE SET: 20. RIGHT TO QUIT WITHOUT LIABILITY:
An Employee performs services in the order or sequence set by the employer. This shows control by the employer.
A true Independent Contractor is concerned only with the finished product and sets his or her own order or sequence of work.
An Employee may quit work at any time without liability on the Employee’s part.
An Independent Contractor is legally responsible for job completion and, on quitting, becomes liable for breach of contract.

C-8(0406)

(Source: 40 T.A.C. § 821.5, adopted to be effective June 1, 1998, as published in the Texas Register, May 29, 1998, 23 TexReg 5732.)

The law says there is a grey area and a business needs to be far enough on either side of the spectrum to classify their workers as employee or contractor. The reality is that you must be 100% on one side or the other, otherwise the government will force you to have whatever classification most benefits them (at least in Texas).

Quite frustrating how the government bends the law however there may be an answer…

2) Ensure Your Contractors Are Incorporated. In addition to setting up your cleaning business to be a referral agency, you will want your cleaners to be under their own Limited Liability Company (LLC). This may shield you from governmental whims. Granted, it may be hard to find house cleaners willing to do this; after all the legal stuff can be quite daunting to anyone. However a friend of mine owns one of the largest moving companies in Dallas along with a House Cleaning service. He requires all of his workers (movers and maids) to have an LLC, though over lunch a few weeks ago, he did voice concern about being audited and forced to have employees. I think he will probably safe if all his workers are LLCs though I suppose the jury is still out on this.

Good job if you have read this far. I hope this helps your business avoid any issues with Uncle Sam. Anyway, on to the independent contractor’s agreement. Please note if you are in Texas, then the only thing you will probably want to customize within the independent contractor agreement is Appendix A.

 


EMILY’S PERSONNEL SERVICE LLC

 INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR AGREEMENT

This Agreement, when accepted by Emily’s Personnel Service, L.L.C., a Texas limited liability company located at 2606 Manor Way, Dallas, Texas 75235 (“Company”), is made as of ____________ by and between the Company and ______________________________________________, a  Sole Proprietorship, located at ________________________, _____________ TX _______ (“Contractor”).

IN CONSIDERATION of their mutual promises made herein, and for other good and valuable consideration, the parties hereby agree as follows:

  1. Scope of Work

The Company engages the Contractor to furnish the work described in the Schedule attached to this Agreement, and incorporated herein by reference as Exhibit A. Contractor agrees to furnish the work at the times scheduled and agreed upon at the amounts specified in the Schedule. The attached Schedule may be modified, from time to time, upon agreement of the parties.  If the Company requests modified or additional services, the Contractor shall provide the Company with an estimate of changes to the compensation payable and the impact upon the schedule for completion of the services, if any.  The Contractor shall proceed with such modified or additional services only upon receipt of written approval by the Company.

  1. Price and Payment

The Company agrees to pay the Contractor in accordance with the price and payment terms set forth in the Schedule attached to this Agreement, and the Contractor agrees to accept such amounts as full payment for its work and to sign such waivers of lien, affidavits and receipts as the Company shall request in order to acknowledge payment.  The Contractor acknowledges that its federal employer tax identification number, or social security number in the case of an individual, is correctly set forth in the Schedule attached to this Agreement.

  1. Independent Contractor Relationship

The Contractor is an independent contractor and is not an employee, servant, agent, partner or joint venturer of the Company.  The Company shall determine the work to be done by the Contractor, but the Contractor shall determine the legal means by which the Contractor accomplishes the work specified by the Company.  The Company is not responsible for withholding, and shall not withhold, FICA or taxes of any kind from any payments it owes the Contractor.  Neither the Contractor nor its employees shall be entitled to receive any benefits which employees of the Company are entitled to receive and shall not be entitled to workers’ compensation, unemployment compensation, medical insurance, life insurance, paid vacations, paid holidays, pension, profit sharing, or Social Security on account of their work for the Company.

  1. Business of Contractor

The Contractor represents and warrants to the Company that the Contractor is engaged in an independent calling of providing household and other services and has complied with all local, state, and federal laws regarding business permits and licenses that may be required to carry out the independent calling and to perform the services specified in this Agreement.  Upon request by the Company, the Contractor shall provide the Company with copies of all documents reasonably requested by the Company to verify the Contractor’s established business and the representations set forth herein.  Notwithstanding any due diligence performed by the Company with respect to the subject matter of these representations, the Contractor shall indemnify and hold the Company, its directors and officers, and its agents and employees, harmless from any and all claims, causes of action, losses, damage, liabilities, costs and expenses, including attorney fees, arising from breach of the representations set forth in this Section.

  1. Employees of Contractor

The Contractor shall be solely responsible for paying its employees.  The Contractor shall be solely responsible for paying any and all taxes, FICA, workers’ compensation, unemployment compensation, medical insurance, life insurance, paid vacations, paid holidays, pension, profit sharing and other benefits for the Contractor and its employees, servants and agents.

  1. Insurance

The Contractor shall furnish the Company with current certificates of coverage of the Contractor, and proof of payment by the Contractor, for workers’ compensation insurance, general liability insurance, motor vehicle insurance and such other insurance as the Company may require from time to time.  The Contractor shall maintain all such insurance coverage and shall furnish the Company with certificates of renewal coverage and proofs of premium payments.  If the Contractor fails to pay a premium for insurance required by this paragraph before it becomes due, the Company may pay the premium and deduct the amount paid from any payments due the Contractor and recover the balance from the Contractor directly.

  1. Risk

The Contractor shall perform the work at its own risk.  The Contractor assumes all responsibility for the condition of tools, equipment, and materials, and job site.  The Company will not reimburse the Contractor for any expenses incurred by Contractor as a result of services rendered under this Agreement, including, but not limited to, car-related expenses, telephone expenses, costs of cleaning supplies, and equipment.

  1. Indemnity and Warranty

The Contractor shall at all times comply with all applicable laws, statutes, ordinances, rules, regulations and other governmental requirements.  The Contractor shall indemnify and hold the Company, its directors and officers, and its agents and employees, harmless from any and all claims, causes of action, losses, damage, liabilities, costs and expenses, including attorney fees, arising from the death of or injury to any person, from damage to or destruction of property, or from breach of the warranties in this Section, arising from the provision of services by Contractor, its agents or employees.

  1. Assignment

The Company may assign any or all of its rights and duties under this Agreement at any time and from time to time without the consent of the Contractor.  The Contractor may not assign any of its rights or duties under this Assignment without the prior written consent of the Company.

  1. Term and Termination

Time is of the essence in the provision of services under this Agreement.  This Agreement is effective as of the date signed by both parties. Both parties acknowledge that additional services may be requested under the agreement. The agreement shall terminate upon Contractor’s completion of the services agreed to in accordance with the Schedule attached to this Agreement, unless terminated in accordance with the provisions set forth in this Section.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company reserves the right to terminate this Agreement at any time upon delivery of written notice of termination, and Contractor shall be compensated for all services provided prior to such termination.  The Company may terminate this Agreement immediately, however, should Contractor fail to perform any of its obligations hereunder, including without limitation completion of the services provided for herein in a timely manner.  The Contractor acknowledges and agrees that its obligations pursuant to Section 8, as well as any obligation to protect confidential information or trade secrets of the Company and assign intellectual property rights to the Company, shall survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement.

  1. Non-Compete Agreement

 

  1. While this agreement is in effect, Contractor shall not be allowed to be hired independently (directly paid) or work with the homeowner unless the Contractor pays an exit fee.
  2. After the Contractor has ended the provision of services to the Company the Contractor agrees to not provide services for any homeowner provided by the Company without written permission of the Company. The Contractor agrees that they will not provide services for a period of one year after termination of services.
  3. The Contractor may alternatively pay an Exit Fee of $750.00 to the Company only after six months of service has been provided to the Company if the Contractor wants to work directly for the homeowner. The Company shall have no further obligation to the Contractor including scheduling, obtaining work, or any other act performed in the relationship between Company and Contractor.
  4. Liquidated Damages. Should Contractor fail to pay the exit fee and continue to provide services directly to any homeowner obtained through the Company then the Contractor agrees to be liable for the sum $10,000 plus reasonable attorney’s fees and costs of collection.  The amount of liquidated damages are agreed due to the difficulty of determining the exact amount of monetary damages.

 

  1. Settlement by Arbitration

 Any claim or controversy that arises from or is related to this agreement shall be determined through Arbitration in Dallas County. The arbitration shall be based upon the Rules of The American Arbitration Association. Any Court in Dallas County, Texas with Jurisdiction may enter judgment

  1. Severability

If for any reason, any provision of this agreement is held invalid, all other provisions of this agreement shall remain in effect.  If this agreement is held invalid or cannot be enforced, then to the full extent permitted by law any prior agreement between Company (or any predecessor thereof) and the Contractor shall be deemed reinstated as if this agreement had not been executed.

  1. Effect of Prior Agreement

This agreement supersedes any prior agreement between the Company or any predecessor of the Company and the Contractor, except that this agreement shall not affect or operate to reduce any benefit or compensation inuring the Contractor of a kind elsewhere provided and not expressly provided in this agreement.

  1. Limited Effect of Waiver by Company

Should Company waive breach of any provision of this agreement by the Contractor that waiver will not operate or be construed as a waiver of further breach by the Contractor.

  1. Assumption of Agreement by Company’s Successors and Assignees 

The Company’s rights and obligations under this agreement will inure to the benefit and be binding upon the Company’s successors and assigns.

  1. Oral Agreements are Not Binding

This instrument is the entire agreement of the Company and the Contractor.  Oral changes have no effect.  It may be altered only by a written agreement signed by the party against whom enforcement of any waiver, change, modification, extension, or discharge is sought.

  1. Governing Law

This Agreement shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas.

  1. Confidentiality

The Contractor acknowledges and agrees (a) that all intellectual property and any other plans, specifications, designs and other documents and materials created pursuant to this Agreement or related to the services to be provided hereunder and any information, work in progress, trade secrets or other secret or confidential matter related to the business or projects of the Company constitute confidential information (“Confidential Information”), and (b) that the Contractor shall not use, copy or disclose to any person, firm or corporation any such Confidential Information, unless such use, copying or disclosure is necessary to accomplish the Contractor’s duties hereunder and has been authorized in writing by the Company. 

  1. Entire Agreement

This Agreement represents the entire agreement of the parties hereto relating to the subject matter hereof, and any prior agreements, promises, negotiations, or representations, whether oral or written, not expressly set forth in this Agreement are of no force and effect. This Agreement may be modified only by a writing signed by both parties.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement on the date shown above.

COMPANY:

Emily’s Personnel Service, L.L.C.

By: ___________________________

Company Representative’s Signature

 

____________________________

Company Representative’s Printed Name

 

CONTRACTOR:

By: ___________________________

Contractor’s Signature

 

____________________________

Contractor’s Printed Name

 


EXIHIBIT A

[This area is where you will want to customize for your business]

The Company shall pay Contractor $_____._____ per one hour block for the services of the Contractor, payable at regular payroll periods.

For example, if Contractor is paid $15.00 per one hour block, then the pay schedule would follow considering a minimum of three hours: 

            3 Hour Block = $45.00

            4 Hour Block = $60.00

            5 Hour Block = $75.00

            6 Hour Block = $90.00

            7 Hour Block = $105.00

            8 Hour Block = $120.00

 


I hope you found value in this post. If you have, share the knowledge by linking to this page! It is my personal belief that sharing knowledge with other cleaning services is indicative of having the right mindset for being successful. If you do direct a link to this page, shoot me an email of the link and I’ll send you a free SEO Guide for beginners 🙂

If you are in Texas, you may want to read further on classifying employees and independent contractors

What recurring services are actually worth paying for?

April 25, 2018 by emilysmaids

Ask Reddit The question “What recurring services are actually worth” paying for” was posed on reddit the other day. Of course I had to take a gander and see how far housecleaning was up-voted. For those that are not familiar with reddit, it is a website where various stories and comments are posted. People “up-vote” their favorite ones. Therefore the most popular writings are up-voted to top, making for an absurdly addictive website with superb content. Anyway, so where did housecleaning rank among which recurring services are worth it?

The top (and most upvoted comment) was…

A cleaner.

I always thought they were for rich people but we had one come through once a fortnight after we had our baby and it’s so good to not have to worry about scrubbing the house!

People often reject it on principle – “I’m not paying someone to clean my house.” I tell them that you’re not paying someone to clean your house. You’re buying your own time back by not having to clean your own house.

Followed up by this one…

Thumbs up on this one. After having a baby I struggled to keep the house clean but put off hiring help forever because I felt I really should be able to do it myself.

Eventually circumstances meant my neighbours cleaner was available and I gave it a try. She’s been coming fortnightly ever since.

I still occasionally feel like maybe I’m just lazy and should manage myself by now. Then holidays come or she’s sick or whatever and we miss a clean. By the time she returns, her job is 150% safe again.

…and this one…

It takes mine a few hours what I would spend an entire Saturday doing. Worth every penny.

Now I could go on and on how right they are 🙂 But I’ll let some of the other reddit comments speak for me.

I have 2 roommates and a girlfriend. Could I clean my whole house in like 3 hours? Yup. Would I rather chip in 20$ a month to have someone do it for us to prevent the house from looking like garbage after parties? Sure do.

Keeps everything nicer and a more fair distribution of “work” to have a clean house.

which is followed up by:

You probably avoid so much stress on those roommate relationships by doing this. Smart

A clean home is relaxing:

I was going to say..house cleaning! If you can work it into your budget and afford it, keeping your home maintained makes it so much more relaxing to be in. It takes more time than people realize.

Keep it clean, or outsource the work, because i think it’s worth it. Such a breath of fresh air to come back to a clean, neat and tidy home. It’s also really rewarding to spend the time doing it yourself so you can relax once the job is done, but of course it’s time and energy consuming. Look for a service in your local area and get a quote!

For more on how awesome and stress reducing having a house cleaning service is, view the reddit thread here.

THIS. I wish I had done it years ago. I hate cleaning and having them come every two weeks is the best money I’ve ever spent.

 

 

Remove Rust Stains Hack with Lime and Salt

May 4, 2017 by admin

Remove rust with lime and salt hack

Have you ever had one of your best pieces of clothes stained with rust? It’s pretty annoying especially if it is your favourite white t-shirt, tablecloth, shorts or golf shirt. You make the mistake of throwing it in bleach, getting an ugly looking yellow t-shirt. Then you’d toss it, never use it again. Sad. I know. Though don’t worry! Continue reading and discover the best way to remove those difficult stains with only 2 ingredients?

While growing up my mom would always have the best hacks for pretty much for anything. Cleaning hacks, stain hacks (for all kind of stains by the way), and even nursing hacks. We didn’t had to worry if we stained our uniforms at a school party or while enjoying a nice juice mango.

So came a day when my mom was doing laundry and one of my dad’s best shirts had a horrible rust stain. I thought that was going to be the last for Dad’s shirt… but I was wrong. Super mom got to work. She sent me to the kitchen for salt and a lime…

Now for my Mom’s removing rust hack with lime and salt:

What we need

  • Lime
  • Salt
  • Sun light

How to do the magic

  • Cut the lime in half
  • Rub half of the lime on the area that is stained
  • Place a nice amount of salt on the area
  • Rub it all together with your hands
  • Place your shirt, shorts, table cloth tennis etc. outside directly under the hot sun.
  • Leave it outside for some few hours while you’re doing laundry
  • Then wash your peace of clothes as you normally do
  • If the stain does not come off the first time you can repeat the procedure.

Voila! No more rusty steel stains.

Emily’s is Your Cleaning Cupid

February 8, 2017 by admin

We want to share the love with you this February! Book any Monday and Tuesday through the month or buy a gift certificate and get 10% OFF when you use the coupon code WELOVEYOU14.

Happy Valentines!!

Emily's is Your Cleaning Cupid

Best House Cleaning in Dallas
Call Now Button window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'UA-40766171-1');