Cleaning up after making a career change

T odd Borom was in the music business and later worked for a major pharmaceutical company. Christine McGowanwas a nurse, and Annemarie Noone worked in the direct marketing industry.

All three are now in the housecleaning business and say they are, well, cleaning up.

Despite the poor economy - or maybe because of it - people in the business say they are awash in work. That's because an increasing number of households need two incomes to get by these days, leaving less time for housecleaning.

Molly Maid, of Ann Arbor, Mich., one of the largest franchisers in the industry, has seven franchises on Long Island and plans to award six more, said Alex Roberts, a company vice president. Nationwide, cleaning services has grown to a $46-billion industry. Nationally, the average two-hour cleaning is $106, up from $95 in 2005.

For Molly Maid, the sour economy has opened the door for a new pool of franchisees - former executives.

"Displaced corporate executives are looking for their next step," Roberts said. "The majority of our new franchisees come through our relationship with the corporate world."

Borom, of Sea Cliff, was a music writer and producer who worked with Alicia Keys. He later did Internet marketing for a big company. When he was downsized last year, after 15 years, he decided he wanted his own business, which employs five people.

"I really wanted to be in a business that couldn't be replaced by computers for awhile," Borom said.

McGowan, of New Hyde Park, worked in health care most of her life and was last a nurse at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset. She also has five employees, after only a few months in the business. "The business is growing," McGowan said. "You would think certain things would get sacrificed [by homeowners], but there is a demand for home cleaning."

Noone, of Massapequa, spent 35 years in direct marketing. She got a franchise in July and now employs eight people. The cleaning business, she said, involves marketing and advertising, and so it fit her skill set. She is so busy, she said, she sometimes takes on cleaning jobs herself.

"My business is growing so rapidly, tomorrow I could be looking for three more" people, Noone said. "We're always looking for people."