We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Anna Williamson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Anna, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

My mission is simple. Have more time to spend doing what you love.

My mission started once I was deciding to go back to work after having my daughter. I didn’t want to return to my last job behind a bar, I refused to miss the evenings with my family and the money was worth giving up to create memories with them. .
I had always cleaned houses on the side and now it seemed to be the most flexible thing I could do to have the time I wanted. So I began business on my own, led with compassion and understanding my business has grown like wildfire. Within the span of a year Anna’s Cleaning Service has over 150 clients and 8 Cleaning Specialists with 2 Seasonal Workers. We are blessed to give our clients more time by taking the cleaning load off of their hands. I am blessed to give my staff the gift of time by allowing flexible schedules and a family first atmosphere.

Anna, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Anna Williamson and I own Anna’s Cleaning Service located in Knoxville, Tennessee. I’m originally from Clarksville, Tennessee and began cleaning residential and commercial properties when I was only 15 years old. I have always had an eye for cleanliness, and a knack for organizing spaces to reach their maximum potential. Currently, my business provides residential and commercial cleanings, ranging from reoccurring services to deep cleans and move in/out cleanings. We use EcoFriendly products that won’t leave harsh chemicals or smells.
Most of all my business provides jobs to amazing women who require flexible schedules to meet the demands of life. My business truly would not be where it’s at without the help of all of my staff.
I truly think that Anna’s Cleaning Service is different than most because I lead my company with love and understanding that a job and a career come second, our first most important task in life is to love and take care of our family and neighbors; thus my Cleaning staff feels appreciated and exudes love and compassion in every job they do.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

Cleaning was my side hustle for many years.. I got started working with a friend and her mom cleaning local real estate offices. I didn’t mind the work at all even at a young age. I’ve gained a lot of knowledge and confidence working next to my own mom, who paused her nursing career to open her own cleaning business. I moved to Knoxville a few years later and began to clean for a few people while I worked at a local steakhouse. Eventually, my husband and I wanted to start a family and I always knew my biggest calling in life was to be a mom. I’d say my biggest push was definitely my daughter. I wanted to be able to spend as much time with her as possible but also still be able to provide for my family. The restaurant I worked in for so many years definitely helped me as far as creating relationships with people that would in the future help my business continue to grow. I also realized that having relationships with people was very important to me, and I was still able to create a similar relationship with my clients that I had with my bar patrons.

Any advice for managing a team?

I believe managing a maintaining a high morale is so important in business. Your staff are sometimes the face of your business. I believe constantly praising your staff in public is so effective in making them feel appreciated, valued and SEEN! Talk to your staff about their personal lives (and yours!). Every manager or owner will have to have difficult conversations, but those conversations should always be done in private and never discussed amongst other people. Having a team built on respect and admiration is key to running a successful business. Noticing the key assets to each player on your team and recognizing it can only further boost your business to the height of success.

Contact Info:

• Website: Coming Soon! AnnasCleaningService.net
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnasCleaningServiceKnoxville

Image Credits
Sara Senn Photography