State of confusion. Make sure the cleaning services you consider comply with state regulations before hiring one. Rules for cleaning services vary by state. For example, some states have stringent policies for workers compensation or unemployment.

You get what you don't pay for. Beware of any cleaning service that attempts to underbid competitors or severely cut costs just to gain your business. They may be doing so because of inexperience or a lack of insurance coverage. If they destroy your desks - or worse, your floors - you'll run into big problems.

Put your wallets away. In some cases, you don't even need to find your own cleaning service. Some companies that operate in office buildings have their cleaning service subcontracted to them from the building manager. Check with your building manager to see if they already provide a cleaning service for you.

Franchise insight. Consider and evaluate franchised cleaning services as carefully as you would any cleaning company. While a franchise may carry a familiar brand name, an entrepreneur operates each one independently and may not have extensive experience in the cleaning industry. However, franchises do have the advantage of having time-tested advice and thorough training on how to run their businesses successfully. As long as you apply the same due diligence to selecting a franchise as you do a regular cleaning service, they can be a reliable option.