That’s me, cleaning the dustiest fan ever seen!
My residential cleaning business — Buckets & Bows Maid Service — was born in 1984, and for a while I was almost 100% profitable because I was doing all the work myself.
Eventually, my business began to grow beyond my own capacity and I started hiring staff.
The problem was I didn’t have a plan, so the more staff I hired and the more clients I took on, the more my business began to drown in chaos.
Sure, my business was growing, but it was no longer manageable — and it had become highly unprofitable.
I was working too hard for not enough, my employees were walking all over me, and I couldn’t fire anybody because I didn’t have anybody to take their place. I’d go to bed every single night sick to my stomach, worried and stressed out.
This went on for years.
I remember the lowest point in my business: I was $80,000 in credit card debt and there were many months I couldn’t pay myself.
If this smile could talk, it’s saying ‘I’m so glad I didn’t quit!’
We were generating $600,000 in annual revenue, but by the time I paid my bills, my workers, and all the payroll taxes, there was nothing left over for me.
It was an exhausting, frustrating, and embarrassing time, and I was terrified I was going to have to close my doors and go bankrupt.
The thing was I knew I was sitting on a gold mine, but I didn’t know how to make my business work. I didn’t know how to mine the gold. I knew I had what it took to be a successful person, but I just didn’t have the steps! I didn’t know what I was doing wrong, and I didn’t know what I was doing right. Because of that, I didn’t know what to keep doing, what to change, and what to let go of.
I struggled intensely for 14 years, until I finally hired a team of consultants out of Chicago. I paid them $40,000 to fly out to my business in Texas and together, we created a business model for profitability, employee attraction and retention, and better quality of life.
Back when I hired them in 1998, I couldn’t afford $40,000 (by a long shot!). But I said yes anyways and thank goodness I did, because nine months after hiring them my business was grossing $1 million dollars a year and has continued to do so every year since.
That’s because the business model we built works and I’m still using it all these years later.
Today, I have a wonderful administrative staff that runs my business for me, and for the last 20+ years I’ve been its absentee CEO.
Buckets & Bows Maid Service currently generates $4 million in annual revenue with a very healthy profit — while I am free to enjoy life on my terms, which includes:
In this chapter of my life, my mission is to help you transform your residential cleaning business so that you can finally live the life you’ve always dreamed of.
Are you ready?
Connect with other residential cleaning business owners in our Facebook group, Cleaning Business Profits.
#1 Residential Cleaning Business Academy in the World
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©2025 Debbie Sardone | All Rights Reserved
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©2025 Debbie Sardone | All Rights Reserved
#1 Residential Cleaning Business Academy in the World
1-833-MOP-FREE (1-833-667-3733)
#1 Residential Cleaning Business Academy in the World
1-833-MOP-FREE (1-833-667-3733)
"*" indicates required fields
©2025 Debbie Sardone | All Rights Reserved