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 10
Questions with an Industry Professional
Theresa Peterson
1. When did you get started in our industry and how/why? I
started cleaning professionally in 1985 working for a national franchise
as a floater. My job was to fill in and do whatever needed to be done
from office work to estimating and cleaning, During that time among
other problems encountered I found out that our particular franchise
owner was not paying into the State disability program nor the
unemployment program despite taking the deductions from the pay of the
employees. Additionally I found that this owner was paying a lesser
percentage to workers than what the franchise recommended percentage was
& they were mis-classifying employees as independent contractors. When
any one complained or was injured this particular franchise owner
taunted them into being quiet &/or not making claims for fear of losing
their jobs completely. Therefore 5 months later I quit and opened up my
own company where I knew for sure that all employees would be classified
correctly, would receive all benefits due to them, and would receive a
proper working wage
2. What do you find to be your biggest challenge on a daily basis?
The undercutting of pricing from the illegal operators in the industry
3. If you could personally change one thing about our industry, what
would it be and how would you change it? Licensing, true licensing
not to be confused with the terminology use to refer to the registration
of a business for local taxes. Just as contractors are governed to have
to have testing to become licensed I would like to see similar done to
the cleaning industry, and just as an unlicensed contractor is not
allowed to charge over a set amount for their services I would like to
see that too in our industry. Once implemented, I believe that the
consumer can then better determine who is a truly educated provider of
services and will better appreciate the level of quality and confidence
that they seek in a provider.
4. If there was one daily or weekly task that you wish you could
assign to someone else, what would that task be and why? For me
personally I would have to say – answering the phone IF the customer is
just a lookie lou. I do not mind talking to potential persons who are
legitimately trying to get information, however I have little patience
for those who are robbing my time when they are only seeking to
determine pricing to either get the lowest bidder or to determine their
own pricing if they too are in the business.
5. If you had a crystal ball, where will our industry be in 20 years?
If regulations are not instilled soon in order to curtail the influx of
illegally run businesses, I see the industry continuing to fracture and
or failing miserably due to the consistent undercutting of pricing that
will not allow legitimate businesses to operate in the black with a
profit margin large enough to support the business. In my 21 years in
the industry I have witnessed how it is harder and harder to grow larger
than a mom and pop organization without cutting corners somewhere
because the market is constantly being under cut in pricing by the
illegally run operations.
6. How do you manage the
balance between having a business and having a life? Good Question,
I wonder myself sometimes. I personally am able to work part time (30
hours in the field) with my business only due to having a spouse who is
employed outside of the industry.
7. Give us 3 essential core values that govern your business ethics
and that you use as the basis for operating your company. 1) offer
excellent service for a fair price 2) over deliver on the services
promised 3) treat everyone with respect and fairness
8. If you had the financial opportunity to expand tomorrow, what
would you do? Add on new services? Acquire a competitor? Expand your
territory? Other? I have had many such opportunities and I have to say
no, I am happy with what I have, it has worked well for me these past 21
years
9. How do you feel about the push for Green Cleaning? LOVE IT,
LOVE IT, LOVE IT. I personally was on the green path way before it ever
became a trend.
10. Tell us something about you not related to cleaning. I
am a cancer survivor who has beat 2 different forms of cancer. Because
of this I feel committed to helping others due to my blessings of being
alive and healthy now.
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About The Author
“Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test
first, the lesson afterwards” Vernon Sanders Law
Theresa Peterson the founder of Quality cleaning, “maid to order” and
the Independent Cleaners Purchasing Alliance is definitely experienced
thru Trial and Fire. A 21+ year veteran small business owner herself,
she has learned many a lesson only after being tested harshly herself.
Having experienced the stings of these various life lessons, she now
offers to mentor others in hopes of helping to make the journey for
others a tad bit easier.
Mrs. Peterson founded ICPA (independent cleaners purchasing alliance) in
recognition that the smaller business owner is often left to their own
limited devices to attempt to successfully run their businesses and
often find that the business is in deed often running them, or running
away without them.
“I'll happily mentor anyone who wants mentoring, and most of that goes
on by internet rather than face to face. “
Bernard Cornwell
So too are the beliefs of Ms. Peterson who utilizing her past life
corporate experiences, realized that smaller businesses could benefit
from networking and combining their resources to become a more
formidable force to be reckoned with, thus blossomed many of the various
mentoring ventures that she has either implemented or participated in.
Theresa is a member of ARCSI, ISSA, & the Green Co-op of America and has
founded or co-founder several organizations Such as ICPA, SBPA and
Global Cleaning Association.
Using the power of technology and numbers She has been able to prove
that it is indeed possible to re-gain the reins and to successfully
corral the wild horses that each and every small business owner has into
one collective herd and to drive those horses to market and capitalize
on their full value.
www.petersons-maid2order.com
www.independent-alliances.com
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