🔒On the Record: From Portland to Houston, Hussein Adan has big plans for Cleaners Joy

Hussein Adan is the 24-year-old founder of Cleaners Joy, a Portland-based cleaning agency launched in January 2022 that works with 15 independent contractors serving residential and commercial clients in the Greater Portland area. Adan, who was born in a Kenyan refugee camp during the height of the Somali Civil War and grew up in Lewiston, aims to expand to other cities, starting with Houston, which he describes as a business-friendly city.

Mainebiz: How does being an immigrant inform your approach to running a business?

Hussein Adan: It gives me a sense of purpose and direction.

MB: Who are your clients, and what kind of work does Cleaners Joy do?

HA: We provide service for busy moms, business owners and the elderly, who are physically unable to clean up around the house. We help these individuals get their time back and keep their homes tidy. We do both residential and commercial cleaning. We also do Airbnbs and vacation rentals but limit the ones we take on.

MB: How do you set yourself apart from other cleaning agencies?

HA: The cleaning industry is very old school, and many companies usually want you to call them and make an appointment before they give you the price of the cleaning or they have someone visit first and have websites that are poorly designed and frustrating to use. We make cleaning simple, convenient and as straightforward for customers as online shopping with no hidden fees, top-notch customer service [phone, email, chat], and 100% satisfaction guaranteed — if we miss something, we go back and fix it for free.

MB: Why did you opt for the independent contractor model, and how does it work?

HA: The independent contractor model has been used by a lot of people in the service industry. Before I started my cleaning business. I used it in my painting business franchise with Collegiate Entrepreneurs. It’s really simple — you find people who are already experienced in the field that you’re working in, find the jobs, and match the two. You are basically the middleman; you connect the customer with the contractor and give them a fee for doing the job.

MB:  How do you keep contractors motivated when you can’t pay benefits, overtime, etc.?

HA: We offer flexible work schedules, give them consistent work, and pay a livable wage of around $25 an hour.

MB: What are some of the pluses and minuses of running a ‘gig economy’ business?

HA: Benefits include cost savings as well as the flexibility to quickly scale up your workforce and adapt to the market, as well as greater productivity. Contractors are also often highly motivated to complete their work quickly and efficiently since they are typically paid based on the work they produce. Cons include limited control over contractors, and the legal risk in misclassifying a worker as a contractor when they should be an employee, as you may be liable for unpaid taxes and benefits.

MB: What’s the profile of a Cleaners Joy contractor?

HB: All of our cleaners come with two years of experience, pass a background check, are insured and come with their own cleaning supplies. They are friendly, reliable, customer service-oriented and passionate about doing a great job.

MB: What’s next for Cleaners Joy?

HB: To branch off to other major cities and grow the brand. We want to eventually allow people to franchise our brand.

MB: Why expand to Houston, Texas?

HA: I was looking at other cities to expand to, but I chose Houston because it is known for being a business-friendly city, with low taxes, which made it easier and more affordable for me to expand there. There are also lots more affordable housing options and, of course, no snow.

MB: What are your longer-term expansion and growth plans?

HA: Right now, I am mainly focused on growing Portland and expanding to Houston. Once that is taken care of, I plan on branching off to other major cities and growing my brand whether by giving people franchise opportunities or owning these other locations.