Source : Perth Now news
One Melville mum has turned her cleaning frustration into an award-winning business operating across Australia.
After struggling to find a cleaner she could rely on while pregnant, Tabitha Wellman decided to take matters into her own hands.
She created local cleaning company Manhattan Maids 16 years ago, and has since expanded across WA, Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast.
“I was just a mum who was frustrated about trying to find a cleaner and I thought, I reckon I could get my own cleaning service for free if I just find enough clients,” Ms Wellman said.
“I think our growth has really come from listening to the frustrations of our clients. That’s a big part of having a cleaner … having somebody who’s trustworthy, reliable and professional.”
Manhattan Maids has grown from a one-woman business to a team of 85, and received the 2026 Australian Small Business Champion Award for cleaning services last month.
Ms Wellman said her business has helped “professionalise” the cleaning industry, branching away from other more casual cleaning companies.
“It’s an incredibly professional service. We have a service guarantee to ensure people have the same maid every single clean, so it’s not a ‘come and go’ service for whoever rocks up. I’ve got maids who have been with their clients for three years and they become part of the family,” she said.
“We’re the only business that has dedicated quality managers that go out and do spot checks with all of our cleaners, which is a big overhead but it’s worth it because it means we’re always providing the service we promise.”
Despite recent success, Manhattan Maids has experienced a few setbacks along the way.
“COVID for us was an absolute nightmare. I had over 150 people on our waitlist here in Perth, and I couldn’t get maids for love nor money because everyone went back to their home of origin,” Ms Wellman said.
“We had a team of about nine at one point in Perth (during COVID), and now we’ve got around the high 40s.”
Then, in 2023, Ms Wellman was diagnosed with stage three cancer and had to step back from the business overnight as she underwent immunotherapy and radiation.
She said her team, mostly hardworking Brazilian women, kept the business growing.
“The team stepped up and took over … which was an important part of our growth strategy moving forward. Having the right team and systems in place meant it was a momentous turnaround for the business,” she said.
“People have always said ‘you must be super smart and have this incredible strategy’, but it just happened organically and because of our team.”
Their customer base is typically families, working mums, stay-at-home mums, or older people looking to treat themselves. They operate predominantly in the western and southern suburbs along the coast, but have seen growth in corporate housing and Airbnb properties.
The business was also recently named as a finalist in the Australian Trade Small Business Champion Awards, which will be held in Sydney on June 27.
“It’s just a recognition of all the hard yards. A lot of people don’t see the long nights – having your own business, it’s a seven day week, nonstop. I think it was really great for the management team to see that their hard work was recognised as well,” she said.
“I started with a new-born baby, thinking ‘I just need a bloody cleaner’. Now I’ve actually created a something that has a massive impact on many people’s lives, not just our clients, but also our maids.”
