Million-dollar startups: These firms scored big sales their first year

For nine years, Michael Scharf had a trusted housekeeper who cleaned his home every two weeks. After she moved on to another job, he struggled with finding a replacement. He searched cleaning services websites, Craigslist and even asked friends for recommendations, but still had trouble finding a cleaner who seemed trustworthy and worked for a reliable company.

Knowing he probably wasn't the only person with this problem, he started MyClean, an online platform for finding housekeepers in New York City and Chicago.

The firm strives to provide a great experience for customers and cleaners, says Scharf. Unlike many services that rely on part-timers, all 250 of the firm's cleaners are full-time employees with benefits including health insurance, 401(k) matching and other perks. The idea is that when employees are treated fairly, they'll treat customers fairly in return, Scharf says.

After eight years in business, the company is averaging 2,000 cleans a week, creating some $9 million a year in revenue.