Often times when the going gets tough, the first thing to drop is hygiene. Not necessarily personal hygiene, (although it could be) but a cleanliness of your personal space. Whether it be your office or your home the clutter can drastically affect your productivity in real ways. Instead of taking the time out of your busy schedule, Geniemates is the newest solution you should know about. Simply text them when and where you need cleaned and you can remove one more thing off your to-do list. The on-demand cleaning service is available 24/7 and understands the plight of a young company.
Cofounders Sade and Steven Metellus sat down with AlleyWatch and discussed the need for on-demand cleaning in this day and age from trusted cleaners.
Tell us about the product or service.
Geniemates is an on demand cleaning service. With our iOS app users submits a request to have their home or office cleaned via in app text. Once payment is taken through our app, a cleaning professional in our network is notified and arrives to the requested location within 30 minutes. It’s a super easy process that works efficiently and effortlessly. Users without an iPhone can also book a cleaning professional by phone, text, or email 24/7.
Our vision is to bring the efficiency to all homes by giving our clients their time back.
How is it different?
Our execution has more of a personal touch, unlike our competition. The company operates similar to a concierge service in terms of live communication with the team. We are not just looking to create a service that gets the job done, rather build trust with our clients while delivering amazing value. This value comes from not being eager to grow fast while being overly pushy to our clients. Instead, we aim to under promise and over deliver. Our cleaning professionals are pre screened by our staff and trained to ensure that our clients are receiving quality service.
What market are you attacking and how big is it?
We’re attacking the home service market. It’s a $400 billion dollar market…It has also been projected that this industry will reach over $900 billion by 2018.
What is the business model?
Our clients book on demand cleaning services through our app with just a text. Information is then sent to our network of professionals for which we charges a percentage of the service fee. This provides a steady income to any cleaning professional without additional hazard or investment.
What inspired the business?
As busy 20-something millennials raising a family in NYC, we desperately needed help with keeping our home and office clean. Running a startup studio, changing diapers and trying to maintain a clean home became a daily frustration…It took our time. So, the business was born out of this frustration with an excitement to share this solution with the world. We not only created this company to get our time back from cleaning, but to create a repeatable solution for others who shared the same struggles. So we created a service that gives families, entrepreneurs, busy moms and dads their time back. Now, our clients can spend their time where it matters most, with the people that matter most.
Why does cleaning lend itself well to the on demand model?
We’ve discovered that our clients really value their time. Cleaning is a necessary chore that taxes a person of this unless instantly delegated. Our on demand model proves as a very valuable solution to giving our clients their time back, especially in a city where instant gratification is expected.
What are the milestones that you plan to achieve within six months?
We plan to secure institutional funding which will make it possible for us to expand in more areas demanding our service. We’re also planning on adding more services such as fitness and beauty as our clients are requesting these add-ons.
What is the one piece of startup advice that you never got?
Fundraising is the easiest aspect of running a startup.
If you could be put in touch with anyone in the New York community who would it be and why?
I would like to be in touch with former Mayor of NYC Michael Bloomberg. He’s positioned New York for a successful future and is continuing to move our great city with technological advancements. Being in touch with him would aid us in our pursuit to improve lives through NYC’s tech ecosystem.
Why did you launch in New York?
New York has such a rich community of busy people in need of our service. We’re born and raised in Brooklyn, NY…. Growing up here gave us an empire state of mind, the city also matches our high energy and optimistic spirit. Besides, who doesn’t love launching a startup in NYC?
What’s your favorite rooftop bar in NYC to unwind?
We enjoy Skyroom on West 40th as our rooftop bar of choice. Their classic margarita helps with relaxation and fun. We’re a very hard working team that really enjoys letting loose on our free time. Work hard, play harder.
