Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Crystal Zismer. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Crystal, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?
I hope people remember me for my heart and my drive. I hope the ones that we’ve helped and the volunteer work we’ve done leaves a legacy that others can look up to. I hope my legacy is being kind, hard working, and relentless in success not only for my family but for everyone I employ as well. I want to be remembered for helping my employees and my clients win.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am a proud mom of two. And lucky to be in a relationship with the most supportive and caring person imaginable. My family is what pushes me to keep growing and fighting the small business battles everyday.
At Honest Maids we strive to be compassionate, trustworthy, and hardworking. Our clients vary drastically. We have residential clients who may need deep cleans, maintenance, hoarding assistance, or organization among many more services.
We also have commercial clients from office cleanings, warehouses, showrooms, management companies, retirement communities, apartment complexes, and construction companies, etc.
We’re committed to changing and growing for our clients. We’re always adding more services to meet the needs of everyone we clean for.
Our cleaners are well trained and vetted before going into a home or establishment on their own. We’re proud of our cleaners in general. We hire empathetic, caring, hard working cleaners. We make sure they’re earning a living wage and keeping all tips. Each cleaner receives bonuses for reviews from happy customers and we will always make a point to make sure they are succeeding financially and feeling appreciated for their hard work.
I would not be successful in this business without the amazing cleaners, management (Chanelle Clark), and HR and scheduling, (Taylor Smith) I am one piece of the puzzle. Without all of them I would not be able to clean for so many amazing businesses and individuals.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
When I started Honest Maids I was a single mom and I had $300 in my bank account. I spent all of it on supplies and I believe I had 3 regular clients starting out. Clientele grew steadily and I ended up needing to hire other cleaners to juggle it all. I never expected it to go so well but I prayed for it everyday. And I worked hard.
I think the key to anything good in life is consistency. If you don’t give up. Stay persistent. And show up even when you feel like giving up. You will not fail. You’ll never fail anything you’re still trying for.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Under bidding jobs in the beginning was a huge downfall. While I had worked in residential cleaning since high school as a side job, I had no idea how to bid jobs.
Through the last two years I have learned what is needed to cover costs of supplies and equipment, cleaners, advertising etc. cleaning as an individual is a completely different experience versus running a business of 7 cleaners. A lot of trial and error.
I’m still learning. I hope I’m always someone who is teachable because I admittedly, will never know everything. But I am learning everyday.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Honestmaidskc.com
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?mibextid=LQQJ4d
