#116: How Marko Lazarevic Bought and Modernized a 36-Year-Old Cleaning Company

A cleaning business acquisition that goes from 0 to 25 cleaners overnight? That’s exactly what happened in Chicago to Marko Lazarevic! In this episode, Stephanie talks with Marko, a former finance professional who acquired Manic Maids (a residential-heavy cleaning company operating since 1990), to talk about what surprised him after taking over and how he’s been modernizing an “old-school” operation. After growing the business by 20% (already!) since taking over, he breaks down what he looked for during due diligence, and how he's giving internal systems a huge facelift without wrecking culture, retention, reputation, or client trust.

 

📌 What You’ll Learn

— What to prioritize in due diligence, and why “customers + employees” is the whole game

— How Marko approached price increases without causing churn

— The operational risk of technical debt in long-running cleaning companies

— Culture integration tips when you become the new owner

— Why incentives work for things like attendance bonuses, cancellation fees, and behavior changes

— Hiring and integrating a great VA

— How tight service areas and supply policies can simplify operations in a big city

 

Resources Mentioned

— Manic Maids: https://manicmaids.com/

 

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🎙️ Listen to the Podcast:

📖 Read the full transcript: (link)