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I have just returned from a wonderful trip to Hilo, Hawaii. My younger sister lives there, and I flew out for a week to see her graduate from college with a degree in business. Having fallen in love with the island, she has decided to stay and open Aloha All Natural, and natural cleaning service servicing the big island of Hawaii. Having worked for me off and on for years, she knows the industry well and I am sure she will do great things. While there, I spent some time helping her with startup, since I have been there, done that and know the ropes.

The first thing I noticed upon arrival was the abundance of hand written signs tacked to phone poles: CLEANING LADY, $8 an hour call 555-5555. You could hardly pass a phone pole without at least 2-3 of these signs.

My sister scheduled an estimate for my final day that we had planned for me to do for her while she watched, so she could learn the sales process first hand. It was quite clear to me within the first few minutes that this woman clearly was looking for one of these $8 an hour housekeepers. My sister did not get the job.

The industry refers to these under-the-table workers as trunkslammers, and they frustrate me to no end. What do you get when you hire a trunkslammer? Cheap labor for sure. But what happens when this worker uses the wrong product and ruins all of your granite countertops? You will be the one footing the bill, as insurance would be far out of reach for such a low income worker.

What happens when that worker falls and breaks their ankle in your home? Contrary to popular belief, homeowners insurance will NOT cover such injuries. If the person was performing work in your home for money, that makes them your employee and workman’s comp insurance is the only thing that would cover them (I pay an average of $1000 a month for workman’s comp – not something individual homeowners are likely to consider for their cash employees.)

An $8-15 an hour cash worker is virtually guaranteed to not have health insurance of their own (although once again, even if they did they would not be covered) and they are not likely to have savings to cover their expenses during their recovery period while they are unable to work.

So what happens when your $8 an hour cleaner falls in your home and breaks their ankle? You get sued. It does not matter how nice your housekeeper is or how close you may have become, when faced with no income, no savings, and high medical bills, she will sue you and she will win. After all, you were her employer.

Hiring a cleaning service you can trust can be a daunting task. With so many available options, from franchises to mom-and-pops to individuals, and prices ranging from $10 an hour to $45+ per hour, it is easy to get lost in the process. Here are some recommended questions to ask to facilitate an apples-to-apples comparison, and ensure the person(s) you finally hire are properly prepared to care for your largest asset – your home.

How long have you been in business?

It takes little more than good intentions and a mop and bucket to start a cleaning business, but it takes far more to run a professional, sustainable company.  As a result the failure rates for the industry are staggering.  50% will go out of business within the first year. By the end of the fifth year, nearly 90% will have closed their doors for good.  This is not to say you should not consider hiring a newly formed company (we all start somewhere,) but generally the longer a company has been in business the more likely they are to be around in the future.

Are you insured? What happens if something in my home is broken or damaged?

Proper insurance (at least one million dollars in coverage – two million is better) is vital.  An uninsured company will absolutely be cheaper, but when the finish is eaten off your wood floors, your stainless steel appliances are scratched, or your grandmother’s vase is broken, they are also the ones who will not be able to afford to compensate you for it, leaving you to foot the bill.  Always verify insurance coverage through the company’s insurance provider.  Ideally there should be a written policy in place regarding procedures for dealing with breakage/damage.  Ask to see it.

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