You hire house cleaners? part ONE

I employed house cleaners about 5 years ago. At first, they came once a month to help with some deeper cleaning in my house. I was working full time and found that the occasional bathroom and floor cleaning just weren't cutting it.

And I wanted to spend more of my free time with my family.

We still cleaned every week, it just felt easier to maintain.

It was fairly immediate when I noticed how much time I had gained by hiring this service.

I even noticed that I started earning more money (I owned my own business then, as well) because I had removed some of the stress of cleaning my house. It wasn't even the time spent cleaning that I got back. It was the time THINKING and worrying about cleaning. That was taking more time than I had realized.

Fairly quickly, we decided to increase their service and had them come twice a month. Then weekly.

My time multiplied.

I was increasing my output doing what I am trained and proficient in doing and they were proficient and effective in their job.

Shouldn't have been such a shock to me, but it was.

Truthfully, I figured nobody liked cleaning homes, so I felt guilt at employing people to clean my house. Then one of my friends who owns a thriving agency told me that he doesn't clean his office. Why would he? He doesn't go to work to clean their office. They hire people for that.

Duh. Right?

Why was I uncomfortable hiring people to clean my home? Because I am a woman and am "supposed" to feel pride in maintaining it? That sounds like a bunch of baloney. (bologna?)

Then I found out from some other friends that they LOVE cleaning. LOVE it. They get so much pride in cleaning and organizing and vacuuming. I could not believe that anyone could love it, but sure enough, there are people out there. Just like people love being doctors and nurses (other people's blood? cannot do it) and gardeners (not my thing) and studying the stock market or doing taxes (already lost).

Those same people tell me that they don't love writing, or marketing, or social media.

Come on. You're telling me you don't drive down the freeway and discuss all of the billboards with your kids and how they could be improved for better impact? Doesn't everyone??

You don't love reading about hooks and audience growth and brand awareness?

Come on. That's so fun!

Some people don't. And that kinda works out, because I can do it with and for them. I can alleviate that part of their brand or business that they'd rather not worry about. They know it's great and WANT it done, but they'd rather pay someone like me to do it.

That's how I feel about my house cleaners. They are SO much better at it than I am. They do in 90 minutes what it would take me 9 hours to do half as well.

And then I don't worry about it. Because I trust and know that it's being done. Better than I could have done on my own.

I have so many more thoughts on what hiring others to help can do for a business... let's call this part one.