17. Now complete the following statements by choosing the correct missing word:

1- If I ___ studied harder, I would have passed the exam.

a) have b) could c) has d) had

2 - If it hadn't rained, we ___ gone fishing.

1. would b) could have c) must of d) must have

3 - If we had saved more, we could have ___ a better car.

a) buying b) buy c) buys d) bought

4 - If I'd ___ it was going to be sunny, I would have brought my sunglasses.

a) had b) have c) known d) think

5 - If I ___ them, I would have invited them to our party.

a) have seen b) had seen c) would seen d) seen

Module 5 Setting up a business in household service industry

1. Cleaning services

Reading

1. Match the words:

c leaning lay off from nature hire keep learn handyman pet get obvious install trustworthy became

robust lessons insurance one’s job services sitting nut advantages look business confidence straight employees

2. Look at the collocations in Ex. 1 and the title of the text. What do you think the text will be about? Read through and check.

3. In pairs, fill in the questions (1-7) in the interview.

1. What is the most important lesson you learned? How did you learn this lesson?

2. If you could give one piece of advice to someone interested in starting their own cleaning business, what would it be and why?

3. What do you feel was the secret to your success as a cleaning business owner?

4. Which parts of the cleaning business are your least favorite? Why?

5. What niche or specialty do you offer clients that set your cleaning business apart?

6. What do you consider the best or most enjoyable part of the cleaning business? Why?

7. For what reasons did you get into the cleaning service business?

Starting and Maintaining a Cleaning Business

A) …………………………………………….

At the time I started my cleaning business, I was married to a woman that had a few clients she did on the side for extra money. I worked in the automotive industry and could see a problem arising at the business that I worked for. Planning for the future, I began to use my paychecks from my job to pay for advertising for her cleaning business. As the amount of clients began to grow, we started using income from the house cleaning business to pay for the advertising. I was laid off from my job about 6 months later and I went to work full time for the cleaning business.  

B) …………………………………………….

I enjoyed seeing my clients and enjoyed the freedom of  being self employed. Many of my clients were elderly and consequently, also lonely. As sad as that was, I really wanted to spend more time just talking with them. I remember one of my clients was a nature nut (as I am) and we would talk about so many fascinating things, I didn’t even want to leave. As the cleaning service business became more robust and we hired employees, I would leave the cleaning to them and I just did the talking. I became known as the “Rent a Friend.” But I didn’t see it that way as I really enjoyed the conversations with my clients. My “nature nut” friend lost her hearing and we were no longer able to communicate except for writing things on paper. Soon after, she was removed from her home by her family and put into a nursing home

C) …………………………………………….

Bookkeeping was always my least favorite thing to do. It takes a lot of time to keep the books straight and I felt like I was not focusing on cleaning or customer services as I set out to do. I certainly didn’t want to hire a bookkeeper as I felt the cleaning business never got to that point where I couldn’t just do it myself. 

D) …………………………………………….

I learned many lessons during my years of owning the cleaning business. Advertising in the right places was probably the most important lesson I learned because I lost so much money advertising my cleaning services in the wrong places. I tried radio and TV advertising and found that it just didn’t work for me.

E) …………………………………………….

I would offer my clients handyman services and pet sitting for when they went on vacation. I found that the clients already felt comfortable with me in their home, so it was easier for them to hire me for other services than it would be for them to go find another company to provide those services. I did very well with that end of the business and it was a nice break for me.

F) …………………………………………….

Get insurance! Without insurance, you are taking enormous risks with your future and your clients home and belongings. Besides the obvious advantages, it is also a great selling point for your cleaning services. I would send my potential clients an insurance binder. The insurance company I used would even mail it directly to my customer at no charge. Even if my client didn’t ask for it, I would still send it and they loved that.

G) …………………………………………….

Advertising your cleaning business in the right places and being insured has always proven important. Always make sure you install confidence in your abilities with your clients. Having a professionally built website that people can read about your cleaning business installs confidence and gives your cleaning service business a trustworthy look. Your clients will know that you are not a fly by night uninsured cleaning person looking to cash in. It shows that you are serious about your cleaning business.

b ) Explain the highlighted words. What facts can you remember from the text?