I’d be lying if I said it was part of the plan, but the Spotlight Series is probably my favorite part of this job. Finding people, businesses, and charities that deserve more attention and helping them get it is a real pleasure.
Dan Olin, owner of Easyway Maids, is a special treat in this regards. Not only is it a top rated cleaning service, but they are also, literally, turning the cleaning service industry upside down and changing how the industry treats employees.
I really encourage you to take a few minutes and learn about Dan and Easyway and how you can get a discount on their services.
EAA: Who are your ideal clients? Who really needs to hear about Easyway?
Dan: On the commercial and property management side, just about anyone who needs a reliable cleaning service for their properties. We were originally built to serve property management companies and realtors, and so this is where we shine the most. Move-in and move-out cleanings are our specialty. Frankly, we do them better than anyone else in Austin. You just have to ask our customers.
For our standard maid service options, our best clients would be those who are looking for a higher quality of cleaning. We hold ourselves to very strict standards, and we are incredibly picky about which professional cleaners we hire. No one gets in without at least 3 years of cleaning experience, but currently everyone working for us has 5 to 15 years of professional cleaning experience. Because of this, we charge a little more than the competition. So, I would say we are best fitted for those who are looking for a superior cleaning instead of a superior price point.
EAA: I didn’t even realize there was different kinds of markets for this. What makes Easyway different from other cleaning services?
Dan: There’s a lot. Quite a lot. For one, we do not use independent contractors, and we pay all our employees a living wage, plus benefits. This alone puts us ahead of just about every major cleaning service in Austin. Happy employees do good work. We want to be on the cutting edge when it comes to fair labor practices. I’m very loyal to my cleaning teams, they mean a lot to me. As a result, they do excellent work because they know Easyway has their back in a crisis. If we were a solely profit-driven company, we simply wouldn’t be able to retain the best cleaners.
EAA: Why are you doing this? It can’t be the easiest way to run this kind of business.
Dan: Our long term goal is to be an organization that professional maids and cleaners aspire to work for. I’ve discovered this is how you build the strongest company foundation: do right by your people and they will do right by you. We’ve come a long way from the early days, and the people working for me now are some of the most consummate professionals I’ve ever met. Cleaning is grueling work sometimes, and I have so much respect for my employees and the level of service they provide.
EAA: When did you get to Austin?
Dan: We’re an Austin-grown company. We started here, and although we have plans to expand, Austin will always be Easyway Maid Service’s home. It really is one of the coolest cities in the country.
EAA: What would you recommend to people moving here?
Dan: We would recommend checking out some of the pet-friendly spots in Austin. The Home Slice Pizza on East 53rd street has what can only be described as a doggy jungle-gym, kind of like a put-put golf course for pups to play on. They have the best pizza in the city as well, hands down.
For the kids, check out the Thinkery in the Mueller Market District. It’s educational, and incredibly fun, even as an adult. You can live vicariously though your kids’ sense of wonder and amazement. Priceless, but not actually expensive 😉
For young adults, go check out the live music on the East side of 6th street. White Horse is a particularly cool venue with some powerful bands playing. Everyone knows Austin has the best music scene in the nation, do not miss out on it. If you want things a little wilder, you can party on Dirty 6th on a Friday or Saturday night at Shakespeare’s pub.
EAA: That is the most thorough answer we’ve ever gotten to that question. Thank you. What is your favorite Austin thing that most people don’t know about?
Dan: Probably the Peace Point at Lady Bird Lake Metropolitan Park. It’s a mouthful, but you can find it just north of S Lakeshore Blvd and Tinin Ford Road. It’s such a cool, tucked-away park that juts out into the lake. There’s a little gazebo there, and if you’re there alone, it feels like you’ve discovered a secret passage to your own peninsula.
EAA: Any charities or non-profits you are interested in/work with/otherwise want to give a shout out to?
Dan: Yes, we work with an excellent charity called Cleaning For A Reason. We donate a small fee each month, but most importantly we give free cleanings to cancer patients through their organization. They do great work, and have been nothing but a pleasure to work with. The clients we get from them are so grateful afterwards – some of my best moments in this business have been listening to happy phone calls from Cleaning For a Reason patients.
Incredible stuff. If you want to clean your home or office and you want to help Dan and his efforts to protect cleaning employees you can contact them at (512) 793-7861. And Everything Austin Apartments readers can get 10% cleanings with code SPOTLIGHT and 20% off gift cards with code GIFT20
