It is based on a conversation with the founder and owner of the-to-to-story amber Starling Good witch cleaningThis piece is edited for length and clarity.
Image Credit: Courtesy of good witch cleanliness. Amber Starling.
When I arrived in “Little Apple,” or Manhattan, Kansas, I had a five -year management experience, including a frontline firefighter in the Swayamsevak Department. I had a seven -year office experience and a high school diploma. So when I went here, I did not have a big social network to draw, and I had a difficult time to find a job. Nobody wanted to hire me because I either had very little education or had a lot of experience. I got fed up after seven months after that and it was so, I can hire myselfIt was 2017.
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I decided to start a cleaning business because it is a service that is always in demand, and there was a difference in our market for professional companies. In our industry, it is rare to reach the point where you hire employees. At the other end of the spectrum, large companies often use a large box approach that lacks sympathy and does not work for a lot of families.
I started my company with only vacuum from my home. I saved around $ 100 from my grocery budget and bought a cleaning supply from the discount store. I gave the name of cleaning good witch of business because for some time, I lived for just four minutes Wizard of oz archive. It is very fun from the perspective of a branding and marketing: we place a pink witch hat on a black car, and it just pops up.
I was not initially insured, so I have to tell my customers, ,Hey, this is something I want to do, but I have to earn enough money to get there, and if you are ready to take risks on me, I will provide you with a good rate and great service. “I found my first customers by posting on Facebook, $ 99 advertised the entire house. I had a lot of crow in those days.
I hired my first employee within the first year of opening the business. Our employees are not subjected. We provide all equipment and supply, and I also invest with extensive training in my team. Many members of my team and I conduct IICRC House Cleaning Technician Certification. This goes to avoid chemistry, safety and harmful surfaces. Sometimes people ask me, “What if those employees leave with that knowledge?” But I say, “What if they live without it?” We have a staff breakfast after training every Friday.
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Jawber grant The program has helped me to make my business. When I originally applied for the grant, my goal was to open a branch in Wichita. However, at that time, I was also inside SBA Emerging Leaders ProgramWhich is like a mini-MBA, and I learned that expanding very quickly was the main cause of death for middle-sized companies. In addition, we lost 60% of our customers overnight during epidemic. Fortunately, I was able to return to the jorber and was recovering money for certificates in disinfection and hygiene.
Among the epidemic, during which we saw businesses closed and right, it also solved that our business could not be everything for everyone. If we went down, I wanted it to be in the form of ourselves. We became an openly progressive company, openly fourth-wave feminists, LGBTQIA-favorable and immigrant-eager. There was a lot of hatred in the world, and we were going to embodiment love, even if it had killed the business.
To be a successful company you do not need to be an evil corporation. It begins how I treat my employees. He has a living wages, healthcare and mental healthcare. When I treat them like a career for his job, they want to stay with us by training them and behaving them like humans, ensuring that they pay their bills and spend their family with their family. This is not a difficult concept to understand.
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In 2017, we were at $ 11,000 in revenue – before I hired anyone. In 2018, we reached $ 57,000; $ 119,000 in 2019; $ 216,000 in 2020; And $ 467,000 in 2021. Since then, we have stabilized in that revenue range, and it is from choice. We could continue aggressively, especially in commercial janitorial, but we wanted to focus on residential and work with the working class and middle class families.
Our poverty rate is almost double the national average, so we had to work hard and listen to the needs of our team members and customers. Instead of going after rich and rich customers, our strategy has been to diversify our offerings so that we can still help them with things like cleaning the refrigerator or making dishes.
It has always been very important for us to give back our community. We donated counseling services to the Housing Authority and Emergency Shelter during the epidemic. We donated to the sports teams. We are donating Boy Scouts; Last year, we donated $ 5,000 to true colors in match funds, a local LGBTQ youth program. Last November, we also opened a free store in our office, where people can donate and receive items in good condition.
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I grew up 50% below the poverty line in Deep South, and it really shaped the way I contact the business. In my industry I had increased a lot of tornado. I network and asked for a lot of certificates, and I met the successful people who were surprised by how the humble start. They find me unique, and makes me uncomfortable. I knew and still know very bright, talented and hardworking people growing up. It is not rare to find persons of the working class who are amazing. It is only rare that they receive till now.
This article is part of our ongoing female Entrepreneur® series, exposing stories, challenges and victory to run business as a woman.
