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Organized ‘Go-Getter’ Started Cleaning Business As A UWGB Student

Published July 16, 2019

Jim Fitzpatrick, a Green Bay SCORE mentor, was enthusiastic when describing his client, Margaret Hanna Kraft of Green Bay, and suggesting that she be featured in this column.

"She is a go-getter, very organized, and focused on her business," he said. "She has started a residential cleaning service from scratch and currently is cleaning 50 homes and has five employees. As I said she is a go-getter."

One thing Fitzpatrick didn’t mention is that Kraft is just 21 years old, and started the business only a year ago when she was a student at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

"I went to school for accounting and finance, but wasn’t sure what I wanted to do," Kraft said. "I was always the person who had new ideas, from starting a bakery to opening a vitamin shop."

Even as a youngster, she sold her Halloween candy and learned how to keep an inventory of her stash. She tried selling chewing gum in middle school but was stopped by the principal because students weren’t allowed to profit off of other students. But that didn’t stop the dreams and ideas. "I always liked cleaning and organizing so I thought cleaning was something I would really love doing," she said. "I had a friend who put up a note in a pool house that said I was interested in finding houses to clean. Within a month, I had 10 clients."

With quick growth, Kraft selected the name, Hello Clean Services. She formed an LLC, designed a logo, set up social media accounts, and started to put together a business plan. She consulted with Fitzpatrick and sought information on www.score.org.

The SCORE website had an excellent business plan template that provided the basics.

"I have gone through about four or five business plan drafts, but I have found that it isn’t hard to build this business. When people find a good cleaning person, they tell other people. That’s how it has grown," she said.

Her niche is using all-natural cleaning products that she says to improve the home life of her customers. She relies on essential oil cleaners and vinegar. Bleach, which is known to erode fixtures, is never used. The other niche is offering an expanded list of services including help with gardening, washing sheets, or mowing the lawn.

Each client’s profile is recorded so that their preferences and requirements are noted. That has been especially important as employees are added.

The addition of employees and rapid growth has provided challenges. Kraft has been trying to do it all herself — accounting, human resources, marketing, purchasing supplies, bidding, developing customer profiles, and setting strategy.

In her meetings with Fitzpatrick, it is an area that has been addressed. Kraft said, "The advice

I received from Jim and other business owners that I need to value my time. Obviously, I am very busy right now, but I need time to plan and manage the business. The hardest part is finding workers because I’m picky about who I hire and want to make sure they do a great job."

To attract good workers, she said she is paying a little more and offering flexible schedules. Each worker is bonded and she does background checks. She has written procedures and protocols; something she never did before starting a business.

"I am always learning. For each month, I set different goals. I have goals for hiring and for what kind of customers I want to attract. One of my strengths is my ability to strategize and pick out trends in the market," Kraft said.

She also says that she is level-headed, determined, and financially savvy. She paid off her student loans and hasn’t needed to take out a business loan. With that attention to smart growth, she hopes to add employees, including a manager, in the coming months.

"It is easy to get discouraged in business, but I think each problem is an opportunity to learn something new about myself or the business. I have the mindset that everything in my life is a result of what I have put there," she said.

Tina Dettman-Bielefeldt is co-owner of DB Commercial Real Estate in Green Bay and past district director for SCORE, Wisconsin.

 
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Green Bay Press-Gazette

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