 So, let’s start with you are you from this local area?
Yes, I am local to the area. Why did you choose this line of business? When did it start? What Year? I enjoy the cooking aspect and seeing people smile after they eat the food that is being prepared. I went to school and trained through the Culinary Institute of VA, went to work at a restaurant and then started to do some personal catering on the side. I eventually added a baking portion of it such as pastries, muffins and cheesecakes. I first started with the catering in 2013. The cheesecakes in 2015 and then this year I started adding other pastries to it. Starting a business is a tough thing to do! What inspired you to keep going as you were getting it off the ground? I just stuck with it. There is nothing in particular that kept me going, as it was just a part-time business. If I got a call from a potential client, it was good, but once I started with the cheesecakes, it really started taking off. When would you really say your business went from a concept to an actual functional business? It took probably about a year and a half before I decided to actually hop into it and started doing the research on how to start a business. Looking back, what was the most difficult challenge(s) you had to face? Mostly getting the word out, and that’s when I started doing face to face with people telling them about my business. What is one thing you would have done differently? There is nothing I would really change, but I wish I had started a website a few years ago. What do you enjoy the most about the Virginia Beach communities your business takes care of? The excitement people have when they come up to a table at the farmer’s market and they make a purchase, like it and then come back and make comments. I have a table at Farmer John’s Market which is by the Farmhouse Brewery. If a potential customer had to pick from 3 different businesses providing the same services you provide, what would make your company really stand out, and make them choose your company over the others? I go towards what the client is looking for and work things around their financial budget and or the budget that they have in mind. Has internet technology played a big part in your growth and making your company more successful? Actually, the Farmer’s market helped more than anything and me talking to people about it via word of mouth. Do you feel that internet technology could play a bigger role in your business if you had the right tools? Definitely!! Which I hope to, next year, do a website. That is one of my goals. What is the toughest thing about being in business in 2019? The number of people that are out there that have similar businesses as I do. What do you think could possibly help set you apart from those other businesses? I don’t know, I haven’t really thought about it. Where do you see your business in the next 3-5 years and why? Continuing to grow and possibly doing it to where that is all I am doing, where I am not working for someone else but more for myself and, hopefully down the road, possibly opening my own brick and mortar. What is the best way for our readers to connect with your team and to take advantage of what your company has to offer? BUSINESS NAME: Casual Chef Catering OWNER NAME: Carl Desei PHONE NUMBER: 757-567-2372 EMAIL: [email protected] Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/casualchefcatering/ Farmer’s Market
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So, let’s start with you are you from this local area? I am. I was born and raised in Blackwater, and now I live in Pongo. Being an event planner in Virginia Beach is a saturated marketplace. Why did you choose this line of business? I chose to get into event planning and coordinating because, growing up, we always hosted parties and events for family and friends. For the last 6 years I’ve done everyone else’s birthdays, weddings, showers, etc. I am very crafty and creative. As a mom I wanted to take my career in a path of doing something from home to be able to be with my children and still being able to help people. I love seeing it unfold and all coming together. When did it start? What Year? I officially started in August of 2019. It’s brand new but I have been doing family and friends for years. Starting a business is a tough thing to do! I just kept reaching out to people and just kept going. I was asked by one of my good friends and neighbor, last year when she was planning her wedding, to be her planner and coordinator, and that’s when my heart started to lead me into starting my own business so I could also be a stay-at-home mom. What inspired you to keep going as you were getting it off the ground? I already had something started so I was already motivated to make it work and continue with it. I keep reaching out to family and friends and just keep going. Starting out you try not to go over budget but keep it perfect at the same time and putting it all back into my business. When would you really say your business went from a concept to an actual functional business? In September of this year after I did my first wedding. I had got my photography done for it and made sure I took care of everything business wise. And being local, I know a lot of local people out here, so it made it easier to reach out to others. Looking back, what was the most difficult challenge(s) you had to face? What is one thing you would have done differently? Probably the hardest thing for me was putting myself out there and being scared to not to succeed. I am the type of person that always learns from everything, and I can’t go back and change it, so I wouldn’t change anything because it is what made my business the business that it is. I learn from my mistakes. What do you enjoy the most about the Virginia Beach communities your business takes care of? Everyone is very helpful, always willing to help in the process. My community is all very connected and helpful and they want to be just as involved in everything, and they trust me to help them. They become like family. If a potential customer had to pick from 3 different event planners in Virginia Beach providing the same services you provide, what would make your company really stand out, and make them choose Teal Rose Co. as their event planner Virginia Beach company over the others? I am very good at listening and putting together what people have in their head, putting it all together and giving them what they are looking for. Has internet technology played a big part in your growth and making your company more successful? I think it’s played a good part in it. Also, word of mouth and putting myself out there as far as marketing material such as flyers, business cards, posting every day on social media. But I would say it definitely helped. Do you feel that internet technology could play a bigger role in your business if you had the right tools? Yes, I am sure it could. What is the toughest thing about being in business in 2019? Probably making myself stand out and getting myself out there along with the other people in the same industry. I like trying to help people to achieve their dream for their special occasion by making things as affordable as possible for them to be able to achieve that. Where do you see your business event planning in Virginia Beach in the next 3-5 years and why? I hope to see it grow to where I actually have a team instead of just myself and my one assistant and to where we are reaching further out and expanding, even possibly out of the Virginia Beach area. What is the best way for our readers to connect with your team and to take advantage of what your company has to offer? Website: www.tealroseevents.com Phone: 757-613-0913 Wedding wire: Teal Rose, Co  So let’s start with you are you from this local area?
Born in Newport News Virginia at the Old Mary Immaculate Hospital, which is the Riverside Rehabilitation Center. Why did you choose this line of business? I have been good with numbers and problem solving my entire life. My first job with an insurance agency – I was the receptionist. Well the lady that audited & balanced the books thought she would teach me a lesson and give them to me to figure out. I got it balanced and reconciled on the first try. That gave me a real taste for accounting. My first job ever was my own lawn mowing service, so being an entrepreneur was in my blood from an early age. I had my own mowing business with 6 customers. What made you decide to start your own business vs. working for somebody else? When did you begin your small business tax preparation services in Hampton? The month of December 2012 – I had a meeting with my boss and I was doing great and going to get my raise in January; later that week I received an award from the same boss and company for being forward thinking. One week later, I was laid off due to budget cuts and they never replaced me. The GM didn’t even know what was happening. I did a job search for a year – over 278 jobs I applied for on my own, a lot I was over-qualified for, but I was just trying to get my foot in the door and I was using recruiters as well. Finally, a software company that I had applied for a CFO position didn’t want to hire me for that position but wanted to become one of their partners. I didn’t have the money and blew if off. 6 months later, they are calling me again. My brother and I talked about it and he gave me the money to become a partner with a software company and Solution Solvers, LLC was born in February 2014. Starting a business is a tough thing to do! What inspired you to keep going as you were getting it off the ground? A promise I made to my dad on his death bed. You see I promised him that I would take care of mom and that she wouldn’t lack for anything when he was gone. I make very few promises, if any, but this one was so important and motivated me and kept me fighting and pushing and not giving up because if I failed, we would be homeless and then I would be breaking that promise. When would you really say your business went from a concept to actually functional? LOL...when I started my 2nd business. My first business, Solution Solvers, wasn’t going all that well. I had a couple of clients but it was still in its infancy and I barely made $9K in the first 3 years of the business. It was a real struggle. In June 2015, I started my notary business because my bff told me I could make good money. That was a struggle in the beginning too, BUT it became my major money maker for all those years through 2018. Now, I am focusing back on Solution Solvers because that is where my passion and my focus are at now. I worked hard to get my name at the top of lists with Title and Signing agencies and it all paid off to allow me to re-focus my efforts. Looking back, what was the most difficult challenge you had to face? Marketing; getting clients. I have a great story, BUT I don’t like to talk about myself. I just want to solve problems, implement solutions that will work and are easy and streamline to make things as efficient as possible. Also, getting “suckered” into those marketing agencies and places that are happy to take all of your money but you have to do every bit of the work and hey, if I had money to throw away, absolutely, but I have to remind myself, as I do my customers, that you spend what you can afford to spend without financing, without robbing “ Peter to pay Paul” mentality. It gets you into more trouble than it does help. What do you enjoy the most about the Virginia Beach communities your business takes care of? Diversity. You have military families, you have people that start businesses every day and need help and reach out. Some use you for your knowledge thinking they can take what you share and go it alone (NOT) and then you find some that are sweet and genuine and share their experience with their friends and next thing you know, your tax business has doubled and then doubled again for 2 years straight. You find friends and colleagues in the oddest of places, but they turn out to be the real deal, people you want to work with; people you want to help grow and flourish and you WANT to do your best for them because they appreciate all that you do. If a potential customer has to pick from 3 different businesses providing what you provide, what would make your company really stand out, and they choose your company over the others? Interesting question and here’s a cool answer. I recently bid on a job and I was one of 3 finalists. The client went out-of-country for almost 3 weeks and I responded to their “Needs/Wants Requirements” list. They have about 12 points they wanted and instead of writing something vague and general and “Yes we can do it all” type nonsense, I addressed each point – item for item, and asked questions that would help make better decisions and make suggestions of what I would use and what we would do and even addressed some items, not on the list, but that were discussed in a phone conversation. Bottom-line – I won them big because of being thorough and precise and addressing concerns and not saying “yes” to everything just to win. If I cannot do it, I provide alternatives and a work-around but I’m not going to lie to get the job. Has internet technology played a big part in your growth, and making your company more successful? Yes, it allows me to work remotely, from home, and service clients throughout the U.S. I did tax returns in 4 other states outside of Virginia, and I had access to all the state requirements for each return, so everything got filed electronically and handled properly. I will always be happy to travel to a client to perform a site visit and discuss in-person any relative information to help them be more successful but thankfully, I can keep costs down by using my wholesale pricing to help clients and work remotely and knock projects out. It allows me to handle what I need to handle at home plus take care of my clients, even if it is at 1AM in the morning because I can’t sleep. Where do you see your business going forward in 2019? My focus on Solution Solvers this year is intentional. My tax business doubled again, which was amazing, and I am getting new clients on a regular basis, which I LOVE. 1 goal is to on-board 5-10 new clients every other month. Some might ask, why not every month? Well, I want to make sure that the 5-10 I am working with have everything in place and are running smoothly before I take on another 5-10. I am working towards 6-figure growth for Solution Solvers in 2019 and double that growth for 2020 and then 7-figures for 2021. I want to be able to hire a staff and give people the opportunity to make a difference and feel confident. Thinking back to day one, can you think of anything you may have done differently to overcome challenges and to meet your business goals in a more efficient amount of time? When you are desperate, you make desperate decisions sometimes. Mine was believing these marketing companies could do what they said they could do. All it entailed was me giving $1K-$2K of hard-earned money I really didn’t have to get a program that I had to do all the work myself. Even if they offered a “review” to help make things better, the “review” was so vague, you gained no value from it at all. It was just another trick to get you to sign up for something else because you realized you didn’t have the time or skillset to really do it. I have 3 businesses and the Notary company I focused on the most because it paid the bills and grew consistently so I didn’t focus on the others as much. NOW, because of the notary business and stability, it has afforded me the opportunity to focus on what I’m truly good at and passionate about and it continues to allow me to help others be successful. Where do you see your business in the next 3-5 years? $7-figure income with a staff working remotely and clients all over the U.S. – not just in Virginia anymore. Empowering clients and staff to enjoy helping others and being focused and succeeding and learning from all my mistakes so that they get there faster and quicker than I did. I love teaching and helping people be better versions of themselves and motivating and the ever so often “kick in the pants” because you are feeling sorry for yourself. I had one of my students that I did financial coaching with text about an employee making them feel bad because management was offering him OT and not the others, and the others turned it down and he was the last one asked, but guess what – he did a GREAT JOB and now, he is noticed by said management team and they offer him the extra hours and work first. Being picked last isn’t always a bad thing, especially when it offers rewards like the ones he received BUT he was focused on the being picked last and the other employee’s negative comments and I told him – Haters will be Haters. Who cares when you got picked – you got picked and you proved yourself and now you are on top. I told him to stop whining (joking) and to go work that OT and pay off his debts. He thanked me for it. What is the best way for our readers to connect with your team and to take advantage of what your company has to offer? You can email me, call me or text me. During the day, texting is probably what I will respond to the quickest, but email is good as well. Calling is difficult sometimes but always leave a message, because I will call back. Use [email protected] or call/text me at 757-971-2219. Visit our website at https://solutionsolversllc.com Over 50 years strong, a major recent renovation and this bar & restaurant in Norfolk reeks Greek!
So let’s start with you are you from this local area?
Yes. Born and Raised in Norfolk, Va. My whole family is from here and I graduated from Maury High School. Why did you choose this line of business? After I graduated high school. I toured with my brothers band Savannah all around the country. When we got back in town I needed to decide on a real career path. I saw how much joy the restaurant industry brought my father when he opened the business so I began working along side of him. What made you decide to start your own business vs. working for somebody else? When did you begin your business? Our family was always very entrepreneurial. My father began this business in 1966 and I joined him in 1982. Starting a business is a tough thing to do! What inspired you to keep going as you were getting it off the ground? My father started the business, but after I took over there were many challenging times and obstacles that I faced. Staying current in the large community of restaurants in Norfolk is tough. At one point I started a catering company called Creative Catering of Va when the restaurant wasn’t doing so well to supplement our income. We underwent major renovations about 2 ½ years ago and have grown tremendously since! In 2018 after owning the catering company for 12 years I can happily say that I was able to comfortably sell it because of how well the restaurant is doing. When would you really say your business went from a concept to actually functional? Looking back, what was the most difficult challenge you had to face? Investing a lot of money into renovations for a business that was not profitable was very scary and a large risk, but it was 100% worth it. We have been in business for over 50 years and would like to continue the family legacy for another 50. What do you enjoy the most about the Virginia Beach communities your business takes care of? All of our customers have been so loyal and supportive of us. They are a part of our family, and are what keep us going to want to always try and be better. If a potential customer has to pick from 3 different businesses providing what you provide, what would make your company really stand out, and they choose your company over the others? Being family owned and operated we care very much about the quality and consistency of our product and you are always treated like family when you dine with us. Our customer service is one of the things that we truly pride ourselves on. Our employees work very hard to make sure every guest leaves happy. Has internet technology played a big part in your growth, and making your company more successful? Social media has played a large part in our growth. We have been able to reach a whole new clientele with the help of facebook and Instagram marketing. Where do you see your business going forward in 2019? We hope that we will continue to grow and be able to offer great food and service to the community. Thinking back to day one, can you think of anything you may have done differently to overcome challenges and to meet your business goals in a more efficient amount of time? I wish I would’ve added a bar earlier. Alcohol sales were really low for us in the past only offering beer and wine. Adding a bar changed a lot for us. Where do you see your business in the next 3-5 years? Continuing our consistency in food and service and continuing to grow in sales. What is the best way for our readers to connect with your team and to take advantage of what your company has to offer? Follow us on social media to stay in touch with new events and food specials we have! http://www.orapaxrestaurant.com/  So let’s start with you. Are you from this local area?
I am a Virginia Beach native who graduated from the University of Virginia with a love for international studies. While working for an online learning and translation company in Los Angeles, I was inspired to learn more. With only a backpack and a one way ticket to Thailand, I found my love for all things fresh, local, and crunchy. Every morning on my way to teach English in Khoa Lak, I would stop by the local smoothie and juice shop. And by local smoothie and juice shop, I mean a small hut run by a Thai lady who made the best smoothies and juice from local fruits and vegetables. I woke up happy, healthy, and energized every day. I immediately called my sister to tell her I had figured out life and wanted to own a juice shop. In 2017, I moved back to Virginia Beach to start the Crunchy Carrot, a cold pressed business. Why did you choose this line of business? Ties in with paragraph above. What made you decide to start your own business vs. working for somebody else? When did you begin your business? June 2017 Starting a business is a tough thing to do! What inspired you to keep going as you were getting it off the ground? Some days I would come exhausted and covered in vegetables and would question if I really wanted to be in the food industry. And then I would receive a text or email from a client that would make my day worth it. After one particularly exhausting day, I received this text “I am determined not to be without your juice. I’m a believer. I plan it in my budget now! When I’m out of town, you’ll know.” She orders 5 juices every week and can’t go a week without it. It’s texts like these that make it all worth it for me. When would you really say your business went from a concept to actually functional? The idea started in Thailand and no one thought I was serious. I’m not even sure I thought I was going to be able to pull it off and make it my full-time job. One week after being home, the idea came to fruition. I was at a family dinner and made a comment to my mom’s friend about being able to make fresh, local juice for less than she was currently paying ($12 bottle) and she said sign me up. She became my first client and monthly subscriber. Looking back, what was the most difficult challenge you had to face? Cold-pressed juice is labor intensive. The most difficult challenge was finding the most efficient way to juice hundreds of pounds of produce while still keeping everything fresh. I finally invested in an amazing industrial Goodnature juicer and that has helped a lot. I want to offer the highest quality juice that is made fresh so doing that and still having a life was the biggest challenge : ) What do you enjoy the most about the Virginia Beach communities your business takes care of? Every day I am amazed by the love and support from the community in Virginia Beach. One of my regular clients came to pick up juice and saw how much I had to make and decided to just start helping. If a potential customer has to pick from 3 different businesses providing what you provide, what would make your company really stand out, and they choose your company over the others? I partner with local farmers and that makes a big difference. You can taste the difference in our Beet Street when I use beets from Cromwell produce. They are so sweet and full of flavor. I have yet to try a beet juice that tastes like mine. Has internet technology played a big part in your growth, and making your company more successful? Yes. Friends posting about Crunchy Carrot on Facebook and Instagram have brought a lot of referral business. Where do you see your business going forward in 2019? I would love to grow my subscription service which provides clients weekly juice deliveries at a discounted price. I also just finished my 200 hour yoga teacher training and would like to start incorporating yoga into my business. I am working on programs that will help calm and restore the body from the inside out. Thinking back to day one, can you think of anything you may have done differently to overcome challenges and to meet your business goals in a more efficient amount of time? No. Every challenge and mistake taught me a lesson or at least made for a good story : ) Where do you see your business in the next 3-5 years? I am launching a new product line, Crunchy Hydration. This new product line will feature Adaptogenic Herbal Waters. I would really like to grow this part of the business as well as my subscription service for Crunchy Carrot. What is the best way for our readers to connect with your team and to take advantage of what your company has to offer? Readers can order and pay online at crunchycarrotvb.com and the website explains all our juice and cleanse offerings! They can also use our messenger bot to receive coupons, more information, and links to all upcoming events.  So let’s start with you are you from this local area?
I am, I was born and raised in the Red Mill area of Virginia Beach. Went to high school at Ocean Lakes and also played football for the dolphins. Why did you choose this line of business? I have had a passion for NASCAR since a little boy. I have always dreamed of being in the top divisions and competing to win races! What made you decide to start your own business vs. working for somebody else? When did you begin your business? I began this business in 2016 because I wanted to pursue the passion of racing while also helping local companies with their marketing campaigns at Langley Speedway. Starting a business is a tough thing to do! What inspired you to keep going as you were getting it off the ground? I am motivated by my determination to win and the team that surrounds me. We are a tight-knit team so when I see them motivated to win it motivates me to do the best I can on and off the track. Performing at the top level for my sponsors and team members is what inspires me because without them, I would not be able to do what I love. When would you really say your business went from a concept to actually functional? While in school at Hampden-Sydney College I envisioned starting Tillman Heuer Motorsports in an effort to be able to compete at Langley Speedway in the Pro Wing Champ Kart and Enduro Divisions in 2016. The concept developed into a functional team at the beginning of the ’16 season and it has grown to great heights! 2019 is going to be our biggest year yet thanks to: Pitbull Tobacco Company, Jose Tequilas Mexican Restaurant, Atlantic Shoreline Company, and American Do It Yourself Garage. Our #14 Pitbull Tobacco Company Chevy Monte Carlo is ready for a great year! Looking back, what was the most difficult challenge you had to face? There is a lot of hard work that goes into owning a race team. There are many long nights and early mornings, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I have the best partners in the world and I owe it to them to make sure we are performing at a top level every time we are on the track. What do you enjoy the mostabout the Virginia Beach communities your business takes care of? Virginia Beach is such a beautiful city and the people that live here are amazing. My team enjoys brining business to the local companies that are in our communities because when we are helping local companies we are in return helping the communities as well. I take pride in bringing brand-loyal fans to the local businesses that are within the community that I live. If a potential customer has to pick from 3 different businesses providing what you provide, what would make your company really stand out, and they choose your company over the others? Our social media marketing plan is the best in the market and our race team is one of the hardest working teams that there is at Langley Speedway, if not the East Coast. I would choose our company over the rest because we have produced great results for the partners that we currently have and we are looking to give them even more results this year. I have had 100% return on all my marketing partnerships and I cannot wait to see what 2019 has to offer for our team. Has internet technology played a big part in your growth, and making your company more successful? Of course, team website, our social media campaigns, Facebook, and Instagram pages all play a significant role in our success. Where do you see your business going forward in 2019? 2019 is going to be our biggest year yet. I am excited for our partners and team. Pitbull Tobacco Company, Jose Tequilas Mexican Restaurant, Atlantic Shoreline Company, and American Do It Yourself Garage. Thinking back to day one, can you think of anything you may have done differently to overcome challenges and to meet your business goals in a more efficient amount of time? Since establishing Tillman Heuer Motorsports, our business has evolved and progressed faster than I would have ever imagined. Sure I have made my mistakes but who hasn’t? I have a great team and great sponsors who support me 100% and together as one we can defeat any adversity that is thrown our way. Where do you see your business in the next 3-5 years? The sky is the limit. I would like to see us in one of the three top levels of NASCAR. Of course we will need the partners and funding to do so, but I do feel as I have the talent and determination to make it there. What is the best way for our readers to connect with your team and to take advantage of what your company has to offer? Our business phone number is 757-724-7097 or you can reach out via email- [email protected] on Instagram- @T_Heuer_ or on Facebook- @TillmanHeuerMotorsports or @TillmanHeuer Thank you for your support and we will see you at Langley Speedway! Also check out my awesome sponsors: Pitbull Tobacco Company, Jose Tequilas Mexican Restaurant, Atlantic Shoreline Company, and American Do It Yourself Garage!  So let’s start with you are you from this local area? I am originally from New York. I have been living in the Hampton Roads area for the last 5 years. Why did you choose this line of business? I have been a Speech Language Pathologist for 32 years and always wanted to have my own practice. I started ‘The Language Literacy Doctor, LLC’ in order to specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of children with speech, language, and reading challenges. What made you decide to start your own business vs. working for somebody else? When did you begin your business? I still work full-time for a local school district. My business is part-time. I decided to start the business because I wanted to reach more children who are struggling with their speech, language, and reading skills. I have a specialty in working with children who have dyslexia. I have been working with children privately for awhile, however, I officially began the business in January 2018. Starting a business is a tough thing to do! What inspired you to keep going as you were getting it off the ground? It is tough. I am inspired by the children who I already work with. Seeing them progress and develop a love of reading and learning serves as a great source of inspiration for me. When would you really say your business went from a concept to actually functional? The concept has been in my mind for awhile. The business became actually functional in January 2018. Looking back, what was the most difficult challenge you had to face? Marketing and getting more clients. I want more people/parents to know about me and my areas of expertise. What do you enjoy the most about the Virginia Beach communities your business takes care of? Virginia Beach is a diverse community. Being from New York, I enjoy working with children and families from diverse backgrounds. If a potential customer has to pick from 3 different businesses providing what you provide, what would make your company really stand out, and they choose your company over the others? There are many Speech Language Pathologists out there in the community. What sets me apart are a few things:
Has internet technology played a big part in your growth, and making your company more successful? Yes. I am continually working on my website, and facebook page. I have recently began to work more on my social networking presence. Where do you see your business going forward in 2019? I am looking for my business to grow by reaching more children in the community. I know there are children who are in need of my services. Additionally, I recently began to accept insurance as an option for parents. I am a provider for Tricare East, and Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield. I also will be adding Telepractice to my business. Telepractice is an up and coming option for providing therapy services to individuals who either cannot travel to see me in my office, who prefer staying home for their therapy, or who live in other geographical areas and wish to work with me remotely. Thinking back to day one, can you think of anything you may have done differently to overcome challenges and to meet your business goals in a more efficient amount of time? Not really. I have spent a lot of time planning and organizing my business. If I had to think of something, it would have to be making my website more visible. I would like more parents and professionals to become familiar and aware of my services. Where do you see your business in the next 3-5 years? I hope to devote more time to my business. As of now, the business is part-time. I would like the business to become busy enough so that I can decrease my hours at my full-time job and offer more hours in my private practice. What is the best way for our readers to connect with your team and to take advantage of what your company has to offer? The best way to connect with me is either through my website https://www.languageliteracydoctor.com Email [email protected] Facebook Page or by phone (757) 632-0704 
So let’s start with you are you from this local area?
Nope! Originally from the Chicagoland area, I ended up enjoying the Hampton Roads community and staying after my last duty station was Langley Air Force Base. Why did you choose this line of business? There was not yet a company that does what we do. I am OCD and cleaning can sometimes be really therapeutic, so I knew that money would easily follow this business model I have created. We specialize in move out and move in cleanings because they are a more thorough cleaning as we are hardly housemaids! What made you decide to start your own business vs. working for somebody else? When did you begin your business? It began in April, the 10th of 2017, to be exact as we finalized our LLC papers and fillings with the state. I was still active duty at the time but on terminal leave as my time in service was coming due to either reenlist or get out. Being an entrepreneur with what I had acquired in the military as a more rounded skill set and outlook on life I opted for the latter. By the time I had fully separated in May, I was wheeling and dealing in this business and have been satisfying clients ever since! Starting a business is a tough thing to do! What inspired you to keep going as you were getting it off the ground? As tough as it might have been starting from nothing I always have the outlook in life that nothing good comes easy and inspiration is all around me to continue. From postcards of gratitude to chocolates, and even tears that have been shed (all good ones) has really solidified that we are making a difference and helping when people are in need. I know how stressful it is to move having been stationed in several states being moved many times. When would you really say your business went from a concept to actually functional? It was about a month of figuring out what paperwork had to be filled for my LLC and getting my online presence started, figuring out what payment methods I was going to use etc. so quite quick I reckon. Looking back, what was the most difficult challenge you had to face? Ugh, getting my own customers.. I knew the marketplace in the Virginia Beach area I was going into was very competitive, so I started buying leads from Home Advisor which was a huge mistake. What do you enjoy the most about the Virginia Beach communities your business takes care of? I love that the Hampton Roads community makes up 25% of the U.S. military (active, reserve, and veterans) there is a genuine diversity and feeling of security being a part of this neighborhood. I love that we help a lot of military families that PCS (move). If a potential customer has to pick from 3 different businesses providing what you provide, what would make your company really stand out, and they choose your company over the others? When you search for move out cleaning services in Virginia Beach and find a list of 20 plus cleaning companies we not only stand out by being pinned to the top of the search engines, So Clean Virginia Beach are the only ones who specialize in move in/out cleanings. We do this all the time it is all we do we do not come to dust a shelf, clean a toilet bowl, wipe a counter and leave we are instead a deep cleaning service that will set you up with an appointment for more than just an hour or two of playing maid. I think our reputation as a 5-star cleaning business across numerous platforms also has had a major role in the public feeling more rest assured with us. Has internet technology played a big part in your growth, and making your company more successful? Absolutely. Without it and the phone would not ring multiple times a day by word of mouth alone, no way. We're the best of the best but though we're coming to clean you're still not writing home to your mother about us! Facebook Ads are the best thing a business can use going into the future as platforms like this will never stop taking your money in exchange for results like the ones we were able to amass in our first year in business! Where do you see your business going forward in 2019? We look to grow more than a handful of employees but it is hard to find dedicated workers who can perform to the standards I have set for this business. So while we may remain on the smaller side of the businesses out there at the top of the search results the quality of work will NEVER be compromised. Often times it is assumed we are a lot bigger in team members then we are because of our rankings in the search results! Thinking back to day one, can you think of anything you may have done differently to overcome challenges and to meet your business goals in a more efficient amount of time? Yes, not signing up for Home Advisor would have saved me a lot of headache and money as it is a through a dog a bone type of platform where they have you and five other businesses pay upwards of $30 (of course this would depend on the niche you're in) and that does not guarantee the job. When you have a business and you are proud of the services you offer because they are the absolute best you do not need to win over your customers your customers will find you. Well, ok if your online presence is not yet there they will have a hard time finding you making you run to places like Angie's List, Home Advisor, Thumbtack, Yelp etc. and throwing away your hard earned dollars. I should have taken all that money and invested it into more of a plan to scale my online presence to where it's at now and I could have avoided MONTHS of "bidding" on jobs trying to win customers over. Now they call us first, some have stated, "I don't care what your prices are I have seen your reviews and need to hire your cleaning service." Customers coming from Home advisors, and Thumbtack etc. are looking for the most services for the least amount of money which is another reason you should refrain from putting your business on any of those sites if you want to draw quality customers. Where do you see your business in the next 3-5 years? The possibilities are endless and I see this brand I have created taking off into a possible franchise so that we may branch out of Virginia Beach and across the U.S. because there is a need for this quality service and there are a lot of people out there who can clean! What is the best way for our readers to connect with your team and to take advantage of what your company has to offer? You can call us @ 757-707-8071 or visit our website where you will find our 40 point move out cleaning checklist we use at each cleaning and can request an appointment right from our website! |
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