Member Profile: Wendy Finkbeiner

Your Name: Wendy Finkbeiner

Name of your business: Spotless Spaces, LLC

When did you open your business? April 2010

What services do you offer? Residential, commercial, vacation home, post construction, one time, special event, move-in/move-out, spring & fall, green cleaning and other services.

Why did you start the business? I was an independent cleaner for 8 years, and was looking for a way to take vacation and/or sick time without losing money. I also really enjoy being my own boss, corporate is in my past, and I prefer to leave it there if possible.

How many people are in your company? 4

What has been the biggest surprise, good or bad, since you started The amount of countless hours that go into creating and managing the business. I have had to re-balance my priorities several times in the last year and a half. The business can be all consuming if you are not careful.
Good, I have such a great family, friends, and community. Everyone for the most part is very supportive.

What is the toughest part of running your business? Balancing family and work. Learning what you do not know, accepting that you don't know, and not being afraid to ask.

What is the best part of running your business? I love being my own boss. The creative side of me likes the idea of marketing. Taking time off when I need to, and knowing that it is still functioning without me for that hour, day, or whatever it happens to be.

Is there anything you would have done differently? I would have researched my business name a little more, keeping in mind that I may need a website domain name to tie in with it. I really struggled with that in the beginning. I did not have the vision in the beginning that I would actually be putting my business on the www. I had the opportunity to rebrand and go with a slightly different name, I decided not to, and I wish I would have.

What is the most important thing you will be adding, doing, changing in the next year for your business? Marketing and adding new FULLTIME staff.....

Where do you see your business in 2 years, 5 years, and 10 years? In two years, running the business, really diving into conferences to get a better handle on the industry. In five years, I hope to have many key people in place, getting out of some of the day to days stuff like, estimating and scheduling, and maybe even a part-time manager. In ten years, I will be the face of the company, but I would love to give back to the community that supported me for those ten years. I hope to be more involved in the charitable side of my business, whether it be cleaning for a reason, or something I have a passion for, such as supporting our troops and veterans.

What advice could you give others and please don't hold back! Don't let what I call "fear junction" be your hang-up. It is not easy to overcome, but you can do your homework, bounce the idea off of some people whom you trust, and make the decision without too much emotion :)
Remember what your priorities were before you started, if you feel you are straying away from "your true north", get back on the right path. For me it is family, and striking a balance.

How do you use MyHouseCleaningBiz.com to help you with your business? I am always on MyHouseCleaningBiz.com to use the residential calculator. I love the audio sessions that are available to listen to, and they partner with some pretty amazing people. I personally love to listen to Debbie Sardone, and subsequently started reading some of her material. The resources that MyHouseCleaningBiz.com offers is quality stuff, and because I am just starting off it is something that I refer to weekly. It has been a priceless purchase for me personally, and I expect that I will continue to be an active member for a long time to come.

What are some of your prior jobs or businesses? Banking, Mortgage, HR Training, Technical training for different universities.

Is there a specific person or event in your life that made you decide to go into business for yourself? I have a Dr. friend who said to me a few years ago when the economy started to decline "why don't you open a cleaning business where you could hire some people, which would help out with our local economy." I took his words to heart and started working with an entrepreneur friend of mine, and well....here I am :)

Email Address: [email protected]

Your Website: www.SpotlessResults.com