MoreAfter 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.
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.
