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When Victoria Alves said “the heck with this” to her mentor’s tech advice, she had no idea she was about to transform her entire business — and her confidence.
Victoria Alves had been running The Castle Keepers for 20 years when she finally admitted something that scared her:
Her successful cleaning business was being held back by her fear of technology.
“I’m not a very ‘techy’ person at all,” Victoria says. “We were still on pen and paper. But we knew we needed better systems and a real change.”
She and her husband David had built their Massachusetts-based cleaning business the ‘old-fashioned way’: hustle, heart, handwritten calendars, and client info scribbled in notebooks. But after two decades in the field, their bodies were starting to feel the strain.
And they realized something that became urgent…
If either one of them got injured or had to step back, there was no backup plan.
“I didn’t want to panic when it was too late,” Victoria says. “We needed to get systems in place while we still had energy and control.”
They didn’t just want a way to stay organized — they needed a way to protect everything they had built. And, they wanted to create something that could grow beyond them.
But as self-proclaimed ‘non-techies’, they were both very nervous to make the switch to using software.
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So, Why Make the Switch?
Enter Cheryl Hajjar, a cleaning business consultant and coach Victoria met through ZenMaid’s community.
“The number one challenge for us to look for software — honestly — was our mentor Cheryl Hajjar,” Victoria says. “She pushed and I pushed back. She pushed some more, and I… well, slowly my mindset started changing. Then one day I woke up and said, ‘The heck with this! Cheryl’s right! We are worth it!!!’”
That shift didn’t happen overnight. Like many cleaning business owners used to pen and paper systems, Victoria was nervous about all of the unknowns.
- Fear that putting people on payroll would be too expensive
- A complex team structure that made tracking hours and profits nearly impossible
- Overwhelm at the idea of learning new technology
- No formal training systems beyond what she and David could teach personally
- Pricing that didn’t reflect the value of their time and service
“Victoria was petrified of making changes!” Cheryl recalls. “TONS of technology roadblocks that just scared them to death. So they avoided it completely and did things their way.”
But Cheryl knew what Victoria didn’t yet, that the right systems wouldn’t make things harder. They’d make things lighter. They’d give her more control. And, they’d help her build something that could last, even if she or David needed to step away.
“We’ve worked so hard for this business,” Victoria says. “But we didn’t want to rely on just muscle and memory forever. We wanted a future.”
With Cheryl’s guidance, ZenMaid became the tool that helped make that future possible.
Why Generic Cleaning CRMs Didn’t Work
When Victoria finally started exploring software, she was flooded with options — and instantly overwhelmed.
“Ugh, I did a lot of research and asked a ton of questions! Made a million lists of wants and needs, pros and cons,” she says. “Once you start looking, suddenly CRMs are everywhere—all over your Facebook feed. Overwhelmed is an understatement.”
But none of the generic tools felt like they were built for her. They were too broad, too complicated, or missing features that only cleaning businesses care about.
“They didn’t make the cut because—well—they weren’t ZenMaid,” Victoria explains. “A CRM just for cleaning companies! We wanted something that knew what we needed to run our cleaning company… even when we didn’t yet know ourselves.”
Learning One Feature At a Time
But, of course, Cheryl recommended ZenMaid. Once Victoria got started with ZenMaid, she didn’t overhaul her business in a single week. She didn’t binge-watch training videos or rebuild her entire workflow overnight. Instead, she made progress the way most ‘non-techie’ cleaning business owners need to — slowly, sustainably, and with intention.
For the first six months, she used ZenMaid for one thing only: organizing her client information.
“We had over 50 clients, and everything was scattered,” she says. “I needed a place to put it all — something reliable, where I could stop relying on memory or scribbled notes.”
That alone made a huge difference. Once she felt confident, she started exploring what else was possible. Here’s what the process looked like:
- Months 1–6: Entered all client information manually. Used ZenMaid as a digital filing cabinet for customer records.
- Month 7+: Added scheduling and calendar tools. “We stopped relying on our paper calendar for the first time in 20 years,” she says.
- Month 9+: Began assigning jobs through the app. Rolled out GPS tracking so techs could clock in and out easily.
- Today: Using team checklists, service ratings, and celebrations. Building internal training so new hires start strong from day one.
Her philosophy was simple: learn one thing, get comfortable, then move to the next.
“ZenMaid’s customer service has been really good with me! I just go at my own pace.”
And now, after a full year of growth, Victoria and David have officially upgraded to ZenMaid’s Pro Max plan. They’re ready for more because they’ve built a strong foundation.
“We knew what we needed. We had the confidence. So we said, let’s go all in.”
It’s worth noting that Victoria didn’t start on the Pro Max plan. She started with a free trial and then moved to the Starter Plan to learn the basic features. The ability to grow into the system at her own pace made it all feel doable.
For business owners who are nervous about switching to software, Victoria’s story is proof: you don’t need to learn it all at once. You just need to start.
Victoria’s Favorite Features for Growth
Once Victoria got past the initial overwhelm, she started discovering the specific tools in ZenMaid that felt like they were built just for her business. Each one added a layer of clarity, professionalism, and confidence she didn’t realize she was missing.
- Client information was the first breakthrough. For years, she’d juggled sticky notes, texts, and mental notes about each client. Now, every detail—preferences, gate codes, safety concerns—is stored in one place.
“That was the biggest win. I can add notes, preferences, safety concerns… anything I want. Everything is just a click away.”
- Next came the booking forms, which gave her cleaning business a more polished, professional presence online. Even when she and David weren’t actively marketing, the forms were working in the background to bring in new leads.
“I also love the booking forms—genius. They made us look so professional and they work 24/7.”
- As the team grew, GPS clock-in and clock-out became the tool that brought accountability and simplicity together. Victoria could see who was where, when, without constantly checking in. Her team appreciated it too.
“Our techs love it. They’re able to punch in and out right on the app. It’s smooth and saves so much confusion.”
- Another great moment was learning how to use the checklists. Around the time ZenMaid launched the feature, Victoria was independently building her own internal system for quality control. When she saw she could upload her “Castle Keepers Commander Checklist” directly into the app, something clicked.
“It aligned perfectly. I was creating systems and ZenMaid gave me the tool to roll them out—professionally, and without a bunch of back-and-forth texts.”
Now, every house has a checklist attached. Team leads know what to check.
Techs know what will be reviewed. Quality is no longer guesswork because it’s built in.
5. ZenMaid didn’t just help Victoria organize her business. It gave her the tools to build a more intentional experience for her clients, like the Celebrations feature where you can track birthdays and anniversaries.
“Just today,” Victoria says, “ZenMaid told me it was a client’s 2-year anniversary with us. I got to surprise them with a thank-you. They were so touched.”
Before ZenMaid, gestures like that were nearly impossible. Dates slipped through the cracks. Client milestones were buried in notebooks or forgotten completely.
The Results
Here are the biggest results Victoria has seen from working with Cheryl and switching to ZenMaid, in her own words:
Revenue DRASTICALLY increased in Just 15 Months
To respect their privacy, we won’t mention the exact numbers. But, it’s safe to say that Cheryl and the team at ZenMaid were blown away by increase in revenue in such a short time.
“Wohoooo! Our revenue has definitely increased a lot. I think just being organized gives you the confidence to keep growing!”
Peace of Mind (Victoria’s #1 Metric)
“Peace of mind, again! Knowing that everything I need to know is in one place. We’re growing, but at a controlled pace. And that is so gratifying!”
Confidence That Compounds
“As my company grows with ZenMaid—so does my confidence in myself and my company. Priceless!”
Looking Ahead: What’s Next for Castle Keepers?
Today, The Castle Keepers has 8–10 team members and is actively hiring. David, currently recovering from a foot injury, runs the backend with ZenMaid while Victoria leads the field team.
They’re building repeatable systems. Training team leads. Creating onboarding experiences that don’t rely on sticky notes or memory.
“I used to be in the field every day. Now I pop in when I want to. We’re building something sustainable.”
And what’s even more exciting: Victoria isn’t just thinking about the next job on the schedule — she’s thinking years down the line.
“We’ve been doing this for over 20 years. We love it. But we want a future. ZenMaid is helping us build one.”
That future includes:
- Hitting 100 active recurring clients without sacrificing their personal touch
- Empowering team leads to run day-to-day operations independently
- Launching ‘Castle Plumbing’, a family-run extension of the business when their son finishes his plumbing certification
- Creating community service projects that give back to their town and neighbors
The Final Takeaway: You’re Worth It
Victoria didn’t become a software expert. She didn’t suddenly transform overnight.
What she did was even harder, and way more meaningful.
She asked for help. She trusted a mentor. She took one small step forward, then another. Here’s what Victoria has to say for anyone who is still on the fence:
“Just do it. One step at a time. You don’t have to know everything. The support is there. The peace of mind is so worth it.”
QUICK TIP FROM THE AUTHOR
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