Patricia O'Neill/Owner manager, About Time: Difficulties finding cleaners for her own home led Patricia O'Neill to take the leap from her job as an accountant and set up a house-cleaning service on January 2005.

Around half of her business comes from landlords who want houses cleaned on a tenancy changeover - or tenants contact her to clean a house so that they can secure their deposit. People moving house also use her service to have their old house cleaned for their buyer, their new house cleaned before they move in. Patricia employs around 20 regular cleaners.

"We offer a very professional service and it's not cheap. We charge €30 per labour hour and a fairly good estimate is one labour hour per 100 sq ft of house."

She also offers a regular weekly cleaning service with self-employed cleaners who work for her agency for €15.90 per hour with a minimum of three hours weekly.

"We plan to go countrywide in the future. The typical client is a working couple with a young child who just find that they have no time."