| Name |
Paris Sakser |
| Name of your business: |
Grime Time, LLC |
| When did you open your business? |
May 2016 |
| What services do you offer? |
Residential- weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, one-time Commercial Cleaning Professional Organizing (closets, rooms, office, life organizing sessions) Spring clean Pet sitting/ walking House staging (open house, Owner sell) |
| Why did you start the business? |
We began due to frustration while Contracting for a certain cleaning platform. Being fined for more than we were making. Then our founder, Paris, was given an idea- what if started our own company and hired only women that had the same background we did? One of rape, Abuse, domestic violence... Hired them, trained them, gave them a safe environment to heal, and certified them in what we had certs in? To one day set them free to start their own women owned small business? Grime Time, LLC was born to be a service to our clients but also to our staff and the community as a whole |
| How many people are in your company? |
Currently 5 |
| What has been the biggest surprise, good or bad, since you started? |
How quickly business has grown; just through word of mouth. Within 6 weeks the two of us couldn't handle the number of clients wanting our services. |
| What is the toughest part of running your business? |
Being told no by bank after bank after bank for funding. |
| What is the best part of running your business? |
The clients we meet, their stories are so wonderful. They're a part of the Grime Time family. How much they've spread the word to their neighbors, families or friends is amazing. The women we've brought on board and began to train. We're so excited to watch their growth both professionally and personal. They're the reason we do this everyday. It's a true gift that we get to help; like we were once helped. |
| Is there anything that you would have done differently? |
Absolutely not. |
| What is the most important thing you will be adding, doing, changing in the next year for your business? |
Hiring at least two more staff members. Adding a company vehicle and God willing, getting a loan from an amazing non-profit lender. Fingers crossed! |
| Where do you see your business in 2 years, 5 years, and 10 years? |
Two years we've projected an almost 135% growth in clients and profit. Hence the need for staff. Five years we hope to be an established SB in our county. Having a full staff. The board we have planned for with the profit margin to truly be making a difference in women's lives. Ten years we pray to have multiple women graduate from our Certification courses and running or starting their own businesses. We also hope to be able to make a contribution to our community by donating our time and methods. |
| What advice could you give others and please don't hold back! |
Have patience. Don't push too hard but don't hold back either. We are proof positive that you can become a licensed Cleaning company with marketing, a logo, a website, etc by utilizing the Internet, free mentor programs like score.org or ones dedicated to women. For women? You're going to have to push harder then men. I read somewhere 65% of women owned SB are denied a loan from the top banks. Keep searching! And don't give up. Find a women's bureau for Mentorship and NETWORK! |
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| School - high school, college, technical school: |
Paris- Founder, Director of Organizing- HS and Pasco-Hernando CC-A.A.-05; University of S. FL- B.S. Biomedical Science-06; IADT- A.S. Digital Photography 07; FIU- Interdisciplinary Studies- B.A., M.S, PhD current Larissa- Director of Training- Res. Cleaning- HS 02; Medical Assitanting 04; |
| What are some of your prior jobs or businesses? |
Paris- DM of Lifetouch Portaits- 50/50 trainer- 07-13 Larissa- Lead M.A. at State Hospital in NJ- 05-15 |
| Is there a specific person or event in your life that made you decide to go into business for yourself? |
Seeing on paper I had made $715 for a competing platform, been fined $415 with $375 of that being disputed due to client cancellations. Unprofessional and underpaid. Ultimately being able to provide a place that women like myself could go and safely reintegrate into the world? That gave me the ultimate push. |
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