Kristen Hadeed's Page

Status

Entrepreneur

Company Name

Student Maid, Inc.

Title

Founder

Industry

Consumer Services

University/College

University of Florida

Company website

www.studentmaid.com

Professional Experiences & Goals

The Student Maid™ story:

It all started with a pair of jeans.

I was an undergrad at UF and didn’t have a job. I found myself wanting a pair of very expensive jeans, and naturally asked my parents to buy them. They told me the three words college kids dread most, “Get a job.”

I didn’t want a job; I had very little time to dedicate to anything but school. I put an ad on Craigslist to clean houses. I didn’t mind cleaning, and figured it would be an easy way to make money.

So, that’s how it started. I found that my clients would tell their friends, who would refer me to their friends, and before I knew it I needed help. I slowly hired other students to clean with me. The turning point came when I approached Paradigm Properties, one of the largest property management groups in Gainesville, about cleaning empty apartments in the summer. There was a short three week period in which they hired cleaning companies to get the apartments ready before the new students moved in. They agreed to work with us.

Our team went from 4 to 60 in one month. I decided to make a 3.5 GPA requirement in order to attract students who were dependable, disciplined, and goal oriented. We completed the contract with success and were asked to come back the following year.

I saw a need for a reliable cleaning service in this community, one that only employs individuals of the highest caliber. Throughout my last year in college I continued to run my residential and commercial cleaning operation, employing 75+ students. I found that our clients grew attached to our students. We were being invited to Thanksgiving dinners, being asked to dog walk, house sit, pet sit. They trusted us. So we decided to offer it all, whether it’s cleaning or another chore needing attention. Our theme is “we are here to help.”

I graduated in May '10 with my Bachelor’s in Finance. Since graduating, my passion has been to continue to take Student Maid™ to new heights and to motivate other young entrepreneurs.