The Squeaky Cleaning Company
Cory Liese started The Squeaky Cleaning Company in December — but unofficially, she’s been in the cleaning business more than a decade. Search homes for sale Flying Horse Colorado Springs at www.rehava.com
“When I was about fifteen, I started cleaning with my mom,” said Liese, 28. “She owned her own cleaning company and mostly work on new construction up in the mountains towards Red Feathers Lake. I was cleaning for her for a little bit. On and off my dad bought properties and flipped them, so that was another opportunity for me to help with the flipping and cleaning.”
Through her cleaning work with her family, she decided to take a leap of faith by starting her own company in what she admits is already a saturated and competitive market.
The whole reason I started my own business was because I was getting a lot of clients, but had no official company of my own. I started my own LLC and I’ve had a lot of good luck since then. I have a couple of regular clients already built up and I’m doing pretty well.
Liese believes her company will succeed alongside her personal growth.
“My dad has always shared this Jim Rohn quote with me: ‘Your level of success will seldom exceed your personal development, because success is something you attract by the person you become,’” she said. “This quote has stuck with me and continues to drive me in my business.”
Liese talked with the Business Journal about building trust with clients, the challenges of starting a business, and the impact of COVID-19.
How long have you been in the Springs?
I started my business officially at the beginning of December. I moved here about four years ago, but I was still commuting to Denver. You could say I moved out here and also began working out here about two years ago.
What’s your educational background?
I actually did not graduate high school. I dropped out as a sophomore and got my GED at seventeen. I haven’t gone to college yet just because I haven’t decided what I want to get my degree in. I have had a lot of life experience throughout all of the jobs I’ve held. I’ve worked in several fields from the food industry, to management in sales, to management at a collections agency. I’ve also worked as an assistant at one of the top law firms in Denver.
What is your business philosophy?
My philosophy on the business is obviously to satisfy the customer to the best of my ability. I specialize in deep cleaning. I work with anything from new construction to move-ins, move-outs, residential and commercial buildings. It does take me a little bit longer to finish the job because I want to make sure that every task is completed to the best of my ability. That is pretty much what makes me and my business standout — because I do such a deep clean.
What was the most difficult part of starting your own business?
The most difficult part that I’m still struggling with is finding clientele. I lucked out because my brother and dad are both real estate agents and they’ve been in the business for quite a bit. Through them, I was able to get some clients from their offices. Real estate agents are my crowd that I’m trying to appeal to. I’m still trying to connect with and meet people here in the Springs, but finding clients has definitely been the most difficult part.
What hurdles have you faced in business specifically because you are younger?
I feel like a lot of people don’t take me seriously as a professional because I look younger. It has been a little bit harder to connect with people in the age range that I usually go to networking events with. That age range is between 20 to 50. I connect more with a lot of the younger people and I’ve had some difficulty connecting with older people.
Another hurdle that I’ve had is competition. I was an independent contractor for a little bit cleaning houses and I decided to break off on my own mainly because of finances. With the competition I have, I want to make sure I don’t step on their toes and steal their clients. Most of the competition has been here for a while, so they have businesses that are more built-up, while I’m still just starting.
What advice would you give to younger people trying to start their own LLC?
It is difficult, but I would encourage people to keep working towards their goals until they achieve them. As you reach your goals, set higher ones to keep your business going. That’s what I’m doing right now. I’m constantly on the go and hustling trying to meet new people to fuel my business. When you’re first starting out, I think the first step to take is to get out there and meet people and network to obtain clients and keep your business open.
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I am an active Realtor specializing in the Douglas County /El Paso County areas. I have experience listing and selling residential properties throughout Douglas County including: Castle Rock, Parker, Highlands Ranch, Franktown, Sedalia, and Larkspur. I am currently expanding my business to; Black Forest, Monument, Colorado Springs, Peyton, Falcon, Woodland Park, Divide and Cripple Creek.
