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Photograph by Robert Scheer

German Leyva, left, and his wife, Kathleen, were recently honored by the Maids International as the company's 'start up of the year.'

Maids capitalizes on busy workers' jammed lives

By Justin Berton

They do the dirty work, and they do it well.

Sunnyvale residents German and Kathleen Leyva received the "Start Up of the Year" award last month from the Maids International Inc., a national franchise that cleans homes.

The Leyvas, who had no clients when they opened their Taylor Avenue office in April 1996, now manage a staff of 14 who clean 140 local homes per week.

"A lot more people have realized they need help cleaning their home," German said.

It's a realization that is becoming more fashionable.

According to Maids, 9.4 million Americans employ outside help to do the dusting, sweeping and scrubbing.

In Sunnyvale, the growing need for maid service is attributed to two-income households, according to a Maids spokesperson.

"A lot of people say, 'My house is not dirty'," German said knowingly.

He confessed that once he went to bid on a job and was amazed at what he saw. All he would say of the apartment was "We had to have a plumber come out before I would let my employees near it."

The Leyvas did not come into the business because they had the insatiable urge to clean other people's homes. Rather, "it was fate," German said.

After working as the director of food services at Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City for 20 years, German received news he was being laid off.

The Leyvas decided the time was right to go into business for themselves, so they tried to buy a continental-cuisine restaurant.

But the day before escrow was to close, the landlord notified the Leyvas he would be raising the rent.

The Leyvas had to pull out of the deal.

Then German went to a service that matched potential business owners with chain franchises.

German took a test to determine the best match but returned with lackluster results.

"It told me I wouldn't be very good at going into business for myself," German said.

Now, after almost two years in the business, the Leyvas enjoyed 20 percent growth last year.

"You have to fight the urge to expand," German said. "You have to control your growth."

"It's [rewarding] knowing that this is for us," Kathleen said. "We're working hard to be independent," she added.

The Leyvas have a unique training ground for new hires to help them get aquainted with the business.

New employees get a chance to impress their bosses by working on the real thing: the Leyvas' Sunnyvale home.

"They have to go to a real home," German said proudly.

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, May 13, 1998.
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