Anthony Thomas was on the road every week. “I hardly ever saw my kids,� he said. “So I thought, ‘What can I do to get a bit more flexibility and time for my family?’� The answer was cleaning.
Thomas started All-Clean Services three years ago. Initially, he focused on residential and commercial janitorial services, but he discovered that market was saturated.
Then Thomas discovered his own niche: cleaning newly constructed homes and businesses just before their occupants move in.
There’s more of a margin and less competition in construction cleaning. Construction cleaning, particularly of high-end homes, turns out to be a labor-intensive job that also requires specialized knowledge, said Chuck Davis, owner of Chuck Davis Construction Inc. Davis hired Thomas to work on several of the homes he’s built over the past year.
“You can’t just come into these homes with a bottle of Mr. Clean,� Davis said. “You have to know how to clean newly-grouted tile, marble and stone. You have to know how to get rid of Sheetrock mud.�
“I traded in my khakis for dirty jeans,� Thomas said. “I’m still really busy, but I have more freedom.�
He says his biggest challenge is managing employees and being flexible.
Photo by Anne Fitten Glenn.
Elizabeth on September 13th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
I am on my first new construction job this weekend, pay is good(I think) $425 for 3 townhouses. I was told I needed to have this done in one day. Is this possible??? What am I getting into?
Thanks:)