Marin House Cleaning

Jorge Lee startedMarin House Cleaning L.L.C. in the summer of 2008. After graduating early and with distinction from Cornell University’s Human Ecology School in the fall of 2007, Jorge knew he didn’t want a conventional 9-5 job. Having grown up northern California, minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Jorge wanted to start his own business as so many others have successfully done in the Bay Area. He began thinking of low startup-cost businesses that were scalable. House cleaning came to mind because supplies are inexpensive, and it is possible to set up cleaning teams to perform service while the owner focuses on managing and expanding the business. Given the emphasis of green initiatives in the Bay Area, it was logical for Jorge to incorporate sustainable and green business practices into his company.

Jorge taught himself to build a website and deploy the Internet to gain an advantage over his competitors who manly relied on word of mouth and print ads. Jorge has used these tools to target two-income families in his area.

With low start-up costs and an expanding client base, Marin House Cleaning was profitable its first year in operation. Jorge plans to set up autonomous three person teams to enable him to focus on growing his business. Ultimately he hopes to hire a manager to oversee daily operations while he concentrates his attention on distributing all the green-cleaning products he makes from scratch using natural products such as vinegar and baking soda. From the initial positive response, Jorge believes the market is larger than his current customer base in Marin County. He plans on pitching stores throughout the Bay Area to obtain various distribution channels for his organic cleaning products. Continue Reading...