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| Subject | Date Asked |
| Changing Existing Business | 5/4/2011 |
| Q: 4 years ago I purchased, own and operate a 140 seat restaurant. I moved from my home town which is a ... A: Are you absolutely sure this is the problem? The only way to know is to survey the local ... | |
| How to get a list of businesses | 4/11/2011 |
| Q: I am planning on starting a small Internet website whose primary revenue will be through ... A: I am not aware of a directory that will do this for you, although you can do Google searches to see ... | |
| License/bond | 12/10/2010 |
| Q: My husband was recently offered the opportunity to take over the position of cleaning the offices ... A: Please read my other answers on this subject. Getting insured and bonded is very simple - just call ... | |
| Business license question | 10/29/2010 |
| Q: I am going to offer a mobile auto touch-up service (paint chip and scratch repair) for extra income. ... A: You'll need to check with your local City Hall as every city is different. If your plan to work ... | |
| How to start a small cleaning business | 10/20/2010 |
| Q: I am interested in cleaning an office building or buildings (or whatever business) by myself. I do ... A: What's the difference between a small business and a private contractor? Not much - you're still ... | |
| Proper insurance for a cleaning business | 10/13/2010 |
| Q: A group of people are planing on starting a home cleaning business. In regards to bonding and proper ... A: Once you have your business plan to the point where you know: - what type of cleaning business - ... | |
| starting a small air conditioning business | 10/6/2010 |
| Q: my name is Roel. I have about 20 years experience in the HVAC industry. I am currently working for ... A: If you are purchasing the parts on an "as needed" basis, then you will include the full invoice ... | |
| business bonding/licensing | 9/17/2010 |
| Q: me and my wife would like to start a Massage Therapy business. Emphasis on Therapy, she has all the ... A: Go to your local city hall to inquire about licensing. Yes, you will need a business license, but ... | |
| working as a contractor/vendor | 9/16/2010 |
| Q: I have a question and your description sounds like you might have answers for me. I am just ... A: As an independent contractor, you are responsible for your business and therefore should establish ... | |
| starting new business | 9/7/2010 |
| Q: I am starting a new business cleaning out repo. properties as an independent contractor. I would be ... A: There is plenty of information on the 'net. Do a Google search on "foreclosure clean" and see what ... | |
| online business | 7/28/2010 |
| Q: using drop shipping or afiliate marketing? I was wondering if you could help me as far getting ... A: Here's the difference between dropshipping and being affiliate: - Dropshipping uses physical ... | |
| starting online retail store for baby clothes | 6/6/2010 |
| Q: I was just wondering on how to go about starting up an online business that sells baby ... A: This is easy enough, but you MUST know how to market on the Internet. If you don't - you'll never ... | |
| type of license? | 5/24/2010 |
| Q: Hi I'm Sarah and I'm starting my own business as a social media manager. I am unsure as to what type ... A: I'm assuming you work from your home - all you would need is a DBA and paid fees for doing business ... | |
| Advertising | 4/20/2010 |
| Q: I am a nail tech and have been for 5 years. I haven't been working in the nail for 2 years, but I ... A: You did not mention what type of retail outlet you have. I'm going to assume it's retail salon. ... | |
| Starting a small business | 4/12/2010 |
| Q: I'm doing a report for an english class in college and it's about elderly people and whether or not ... A: Before starting any business, you will need to research your competition in your city. You can do ... | |
| starting a cleaning service. | 4/8/2010 |
| Q: I am in the process of starting up a cleaning service. What is the best method of advertisement in ... A: Unfortunately, you did not specify what type of cleaning service you are thinking of starting. NOT ... | |
| preventing buyer fraud while still maintaining great customer relationships | 4/6/2010 |
| Q: moore, i am thinking of selling books online. how can i prevent buyer fraud while still maintaining ... A: What you are referring to is the cost of doing business. You have to decide what's more important: ... | |
| Finding a supplier. | 3/12/2010 |
| Q: I don't have any business training. I wanted to sell electronics, but I don't know how to find a ... A: The first step is doing your business research: - What will you sell - Who is your target market - ... | |
| start a Business | 1/26/2010 |
| Q: I manage 90 apts in South Texas. I see potential in some of the tenants. I was wondering what type ... A: I would first start by listing the people and what talent each can offer. Then see what talents are ... | |
| Entrepreneur without experience | 12/12/2009 |
| Q: I've got a question about entrepreunership without experience. What do you think should be the most ... A: First, you will need to make a list of your strengths and weaknesses. For example, are you a ... | |
| bonded | 12/8/2009 |
| Q: We have a window/carpet cleaning/janitorial business. People keep asking us if we are bonded. Do we ... A: YES!! You certainly need to be bonded when you have employees who work inside your customer's home. ... | |
| cleaning/housekeeping estimates | 12/3/2009 |
| Q: I worked for a cleaning business and cleaned several homes for the company. It seemed that every ... A: This is a difficult question to answer because some of the info I need is not contained in your ... | |
| Advice | 11/23/2009 |
| Q: I have my own print shop which opened for more than a year and when I open this small business I was ... A: I agree with you; this is not a good situation. Until you can commit to the print shop, you may ... | |
| Opening a Bridal Shop | 11/13/2009 |
| Q: I would like to open a Bridal shop but I don't know where to begin. I live in NY and plan to open ... A: Please read thru my recent answers to similar questions: ... | |
| Start-up costs | 11/3/2009 |
| Q: What is the average start-up cost for a small business? I'm planning to do a sub-station and I'm not ... A: The answer: there is no average start-up cost! Every industry is different just as every business ... | |
| Retail or service | 11/2/2009 |
| Q: Could you tell, in general, what type of business is more profitable with less operation expenses, ... A: I have owned and operated a retail store and service businesses. This is a very general question ... | |
| customer service | 10/27/2009 |
| Q: What factors would you have to know about your customers when entering the retail apparel market? A: Wow - you're talking about one of the most competitive markets out there. Not only will you need ... | |
| Worker's Comp | 10/26/2009 |
| Q: My husband just started a residential contracting business. Aside from himself he has only 1 ... A: The rates for Worker's Comp vary greatly from what the state offers to private business. Acquiring ... | |
| Getting Small Buisness Funding | 10/25/2009 |
| Q: I have plans to start a home-based small business in which I will be buying old used football ... A: If you're going to start selling on eBay, then very little money is needed. When starting a new ... | |
| Marketing my Tee Shirt Business | 10/17/2009 |
| Q: my question is I have a good product and a good inventory but sales are not coming in,how can I get ... A: You haven't told me what you are currently doing to marketing your business. So, I'll just dive ... | |
Answers by Expert:
Top Expert on this page
I have started, managed and sold several businesses. This includes retail outlets in strip malls and starting a home-based business. My specialty is starting and running a residential cleaning business to compete with the franchises. I am an expert in cleaning procedures, cleaning products, hiring and managing employees, subcontracting and expanding a business. I can address questions related to: offline and online marketing, customer relations, how to estimate house cleaning costs, employee hiring and management, subcontracting, office procedures, equipment and supplies, data management, and scheduling.
I hired and used professional cleaning services for over 15 years. During this time I became aware of the issues they seemed to be unaware of to keep their clients happy. I successfully built a house cleaning business to compete with the franchise services. I eventually sold this business at a nice profit after managing all aspects of the business to run at top efficiency. I also have a background in Human Resources and software.
Education/Credentials
Masters in Business and Human Resources

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