Biz Startz ~> Biz 'Treps ~> Next Article (Ken's Pens)
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| Jessie Heenan, owner of Neat & Pretty, cleans up after construction crews. |
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By Karen Barbier
Let’s face it — no one likes to clean house.
Well, maybe some people do. Cleaning is exactly what 13-year-old Jessie Heenan does, and she doesn’t
mind it one bit now that she’s discovered a way to make cash with her skills. Jessie is the owner of
Neat & Pretty, a business that cleans new houses during various stages of the construction process.
“Before, when I thought of a business I could start, I had huge ideas like a roller rink or a restaurant, but I realized those were too big,” explains Jessie. “Then I thought about selling candles, but that idea was too small and there was too much competition.”
Jessie says that she soon noticed a lot of new homes being built in her neighborhood. Then the idea of keeping those houses clean just came to her. That was the beginning of Neat & Pretty.
What about Customers?
While Jessie knew that her service was important, she had to find a way to tell people in
construction about her business. So she launched a marketing campaign.
“A lot of my advertising is word-of-mouth, but I also send letters and business cards to builders in my area,” says Jessie, who lives in Raymore, MO. After a builder receives information from Neat & Pretty, Jesse calls on the phone to explain her business. She admits feeling nervous the first few times she made calls, but “I just explained to them what I do and how I could help them,” says Jessie.
Freebies for Starters
To get started, Jessie cleaned a few houses for free, just to let people know that she could do a
good job. Her three stages of cleaning include:
the rough-in
cleaning after the frame of the house has been built, which includes picking up scraps of wood and
shingles;
the drywall cleaning
after the sheetrock has been installed, which includes picking up discarded insulation and
electrical wire; and,
the final cleaning
after the builders are finished, which includes picking up carpet scraps, vacuuming, mopping, and
cleaning fixtures.
Jessie called several local competitors to find out what they charged before coming up with her own prices. The average rate was $0.62 per square foot, so she decided to charge $0.58 per square foot. She also offers special discounts. “If they hire me for all three cleanings, I go over to the house once a week to sweep and straighten up,” adds Jessie.
| Grand Opening So you’ve got a great idea for a business and you’ve written a dynamite business plan. You know where to get start-up money, so all you need now is customers. Where do you start? Talking face-to-face with customers is the best way to sell a product or service. But there are many more ways to capture a buyer’s attention. Try some of these ideas. They really work!
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