Member Profile: Laura Stratton
| Name | Laura Stratton |
| Name of your business: | Clean Sweep |
| When did you open your business? | 2010 |
| What services do you offer? | General residential house cleaning including dusting, vacuuming, kitchens, ovens, bathrooms, indoor windows, and hard surface floor cleaning. |
| Why did you start the business? | It started as a way to make good money and be in charge of my own schedule. |
| How many people are in your company? | 2 |
| What has been the biggest surprise, good or bad, since you started? | The longer I keep working as a cleaner the more I enjoy it. It has surprised me that I have stuck with this business and am gaining interest in growing it. |
| What is the toughest part of running your business? | Hiring good employees and pricing/charging clients |
| What is the best part of running your business? | Excitement, creativity in marketing, and the challenge of getting new clients. |
| Is there anything that you would have done differently? | Learned more about systems and procedures so I had a good foundation. |
| What is the most important thing you will be adding, doing, changing in the next year for your business? | Establishing systems, always learning more about my field, and better training for employees |
| Where do you see your business in 2 years, 5 years, and 10 years? | 2 years - systems in place and working well, tracking progress and evaluating numbers/profits well, a few more employees 5 years - same as above, adding specialties such as carpet cleaning, hardwood floor restoration etc, company cars, and more employees working well under team leads 10 years - same as above, brand name established in area as number 1 residential cleaning company |
| What advice could you give others and please don't hold back! | Don't be afraid to ask people for help and advice. I used to feel like I was bothering people who are successful, but mostly they are happy to help. The worst thing that can happen is they can't help you but someone somewhere will say yes so it never hurts to ask. |
| How do you use MyHouseCleaningBiz.com to help you with your business? | It is a wealth of knowledge that I can use to educate myself on how to clean better, run a company better, market better, and get/keep clients better. |
| School - high school, college, technical school: | Coulee Region Christian |
| What are some of your prior jobs or businesses? | Cold Stone Creamery shift lead |
| Is there a specific person or event in your life that made you decide to go into business for yourself? | I had my son who is now 4. I wanted to be home with him more so went into cleaning to have a flexible schedule. |
| Email Address: | [email protected] |
