About the Company

MaidThis® is a cleaning service that caters to homeowners and short-term rental hosts, such as Airbnb and VRBO. The company operates on a fully remote model, with an office team spread across eight countries. This setup allows the business to run efficiently while staying lean and scalable.

The company’s niche focus on vacation rental cleaning differentiates it from traditional cleaning services. By syncing with hosts’ calendars, MaidThis automates cleaning schedules to make the process hassle-free. Additionally, the business prioritizes digital marketing strategies to stand out in an industry dominated by outdated marketing practices.

In 2020, Parekh expanded MaidThis by franchising the concept. These “remote local” franchises allow new owners to run operations from anywhere while managing local cleaners, paving the way for a modernized approach to local service businesses.

Idea Behind Company

Parekh launched MaidThis® in 2013 as a side hustle while working at a private equity investment firm. Inspired by The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss, he sought location independence and financial freedom to support his elderly parents. Before settling on cleaning services, Parekh tried other ventures, including eCommerce and blogging.

A Reddit post detailing how to start a cleaning company caught his attention, and he decided to give it a try. Targeting both Airbnb hosts and residential clients, Parekh identified the potential for growth in vacation rental cleaning due to high turnover rates.

This niche focus, coupled with the absence of tech-savvy competitors in Los Angeles at the time, provided a unique opportunity for MaidThis. Parekh’s early learnings from trial and error, including pricing and service customization, laid the foundation for the business’s future success.

Creating the Company

The journey began with a simple $800 investment for a website, marketing, and hiring ads. Parekh developed a basic website using a $100 template and conducted competitive research to design his services. He observed that most local cleaning companies lacked digital marketing strategies, allowing MaidThis to carve out a competitive edge early on.

Initial customer acquisition relied on Craigslist ads and Google AdWords. The first cleaning team was hired through informal interviews at a Starbucks. Within a few months, the business began attracting Airbnb hosts, leading Parekh to refine services for this niche by enabling calendar syncing and automated scheduling.

Parekh's competitive advantage stemmed from his focus on user-friendly online booking and superior customer service. This approach allowed MaidThis to stand out in a market where most competitors lacked professionalism or innovation.

Launching the Business

MaidThis launched in July 2013, with Parekh securing his first customer while still working his full-time job. He adopted a “launch first, refine later” mindset, acknowledging that initial offerings were unlikely to be perfect. This strategy allowed him to quickly iterate and adapt to market demands.

Parekh focused exclusively on digital marketing to attract clients, using platforms like Yelp, Google Ads, and Angie’s List. He discovered that local markets often respond differently to specific marketing platforms, enabling him to optimize his strategies based on geographic trends.

Key to MaidThis’s success was its dual focus on acquiring new clients and retaining them through excellent service. Parekh implemented strategies like recurring service discounts and friendly communication to foster customer loyalty, setting the company apart in a relationship-driven industry.

Earnings

Since its inception, MaidThis has been consistently profitable, generating over $10M in total revenue. By 2019, the company approached $2M in annual revenue. The COVID-19 pandemic posed challenges for the vacation rental segment, but the company shifted focus to recurring residential cleanings, maintaining stability.

Franchising became a significant growth avenue in 2020, with the first franchise launching in Denver. Parekh envisions expanding this model across the U.S., providing entrepreneurs with a proven system for building their own “remote local” businesses.

The company’s efficient remote operations, innovative marketing strategies, and focus on customer retention continue to drive its growth. Parekh’s vision is to modernize the cleaning industry while empowering others to achieve location freedom through entrepreneurship.