House cleaning for hoarders, celebrities and everyone in between
"Hold on one second," Denise Duguay says as she buys three vacuums on one of her rare days off. As the owner of All Seasons Cleaning Services of Maine LLC, Duguay says she flexes easily between the demands of running a business and servicing clients who range from celebrities to hoarders and everyone in between. "It started as just house cleaning, but now we do everything," she describes. "Power washing, commercial properties, vacation rentals. People would ask for the things, and if I didn't know how to do it, I'd learn. I'd figure it out."
Duguay started All Seasons Cleaning in 2016 when, as a mom with young children, she was determined to have complete control over her income and schedule. She had considered starting a cleaning service with her mother years ago in Ohio. Life eventually led her to Mexico, Maine, where the opportunity again presented itself. While working in other roles, friends and customers would ask her for referrals to cleaners in their area. She eventually started taking the leads herself. "I said I could do it," Duguay says of those early days. "I knew it was something I could start. There seemed to be money in it. Cleaning seemed to be the thing I could do."
The business took off. Maine proved to be the perfect setting for Duguay's venture. When asked for her first impressions of Vacationland, she gushes, "I loved it. For me to come here was perfect. It's so beautiful." The close-knit community helped All Seasons Cleaning get off the ground with word-of-mouth referrals and local advertising. The increasing popularity of personal and vacation rentals created a steady demand for turnover service. "As more people asked for this service, I got better and better. Even during COVID, we stopped for about a month but then came back stronger," she says.
Duguay keeps five to ten employees at any time, depending on the season. "When we first started, it was all summer. About two or three years ago, we started getting winter clientele. We may have a month or so that's slow, but now, it's really year-round." She trains each employee personally for two to four weeks, leading by example and proofing the quality of their work before assigning them to independent jobs. "People trust us to get it right," she says. "We still have the very first client we got in 2016."
"All Seasons continues to grow in smart ways," Duguay says. A new website - designed and hosted by BBB - and improved Google searchability has brought in new leads, mainly in the commercial space. They have expanded their services area to a 70-mile radius and now take clients in parts of New Hampshire. But like so many on-site services right now, All Seasons walks the tightrope between growth and expenses. Rising operating costs, particularly for gas, have required careful planning to meet clients' and employees' needs. Still, they find ways to give back to their community, such as donating to a food pantry in Rumford.
Duguay says her clients believe she is a special person who enjoys helping others. She goes out of her way to take the burden off her clients without much fanfare. Duguay recognizes that her service provides relief and comfort; some of her clients can't do the cleaning themselves due to declining age or health. With a passion for caring for others and incredible attention to detail, she grinds it out every day.
When asked what keeps her going, "It really feels good, the accomplishment when it gets done. It's important for me to do a good job. The money is always nice. But to see someone's face when they come home, it feels really good to hear what they have to say," Duguay laughs. "I've seen some dumbfounded expressions."
Through it all, Duguay's focus is also always on her family. Her commitment to her family is at the heart of her business. When she's not working, she spends time with her husband and two children, enjoying the community she's come to love these past 12 years. She's proud of her daughter's incredible work ethic that rivals her own. When asked what the future brings for All Seasons, Duguay says she has plans to expand and eventually step away from the day-to-day. But, it has to be the right opportunity. "I'm pretty finicky," she says.
What a great quality to have in a professional cleaner.
For more information on All Seasons Cleaning Services of Maine LLC, check out their BBB Business Profile. To learn more about BBB and read more stories like this, visit Behind the Business Stories.
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