After 12 years on the job, Derek Christian tired of selling cleaning supplies at Procter & Gamble and yearned to become an entrepreneur. So in 2007, he acquired My Maid Service, a cleaning company in Lebanon, Ohio, that catered to the needs of an affluent clientele in Cincinnati.

The company already had healthy sales of $260,000 a year. But Christian quickly zoomed in on the major obstacle holding back higher revenue: staff turnover. No one grows up wanting to clean houses for a living. My Maid Service's employees lasted an average of just four months each. That led to customer dissatisfaction, since clients didn't want a changing cast of cleaners entrusted with their house keys.

The turnover rate that first year was 300%, forcing Christian to spend most of his time hiring and training staff. Pay hikes alone didn't seem to be enough to keep staffers with the company. From CNNMoney.com.