Meet Mandy and Andy Long of Cleaning with a Meaning

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mandy and Andy Long.

Hi Mandy and Andy; thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstories.
Well, this is a story of two people, tired of the rat race, ready to turn the American dream into reality. Mandy is a hairdresser by trade and worked in accounting before we started Cleaning with a meaning. I worked a dozen jobs or more after I got out of the military in 2013 and realized that working for somebody wouldn’t be the last chapter in my book. Flashback to July 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic. We both had talked about wanting to start a company for years, but after my last job took a sharp left off a cliff, we both decided that now was the time. We started Cleaning with meaning as a junk removal/clean-out business but realized fast that trying to get banks to give you work is a good old boy gig. At that point, we didn’t have any skin in the game, and with me not having a steady income at the time, we had to figure something out quickly. My good buddy John Quakenbush, the owner of Good Wood construction, had heard that we started our own business and asked if we did carpet removal and demolition. That day, we started doing carpet removal and demolition, lol. We knocked out a 4000 sqft doctor’s office in a few days, and John was ready to remodel ahead of schedule. That was our first job, and carpet removal and demolition were separate from our game plan. That all changed. John told me about a website called thumbtack and said he used it a lot when he started, and it helped him when business was slow. We looked into it and realized you could add various services to your profile. We had a few hits for house cleaning come around. I knew we needed anything we could get our hands on then, so I bought a vacuum and some household cleaning items and went to work. My wife was a little apprehensive, but I assured her that this was a good move and that we needed to do anything we could to get our name out there. At the time, Mandy was still working her 9-5 as an accountant because we didn’t know if this would work. I told her to give me six months, and if things didn’t work out, then I would go back and find a job again, but we didn’t want to lose the little bit of income we had coming in and take the risk of her quitting her job as well. Word of mouth picked up quickly, thumbtack started hitting big for house cleaning, and that service became our bread and butter. 6 weeks later, I told her to quit, and it was full speed ahead from that point on. Every customer we contacted was so encouraging, and they always asked, “What else do you guys do?” Our answer was always the same. “We do it all” Cleaning with a meaning went from a junk removal company to offer over 15 different services almost overnight. Being able to cater to the different needs of the homeowner is extremely fulfilling, and our customers love not having to call 10 different companies to have different jobs done. We are growing daily and have made many meaningful relationships along the way, which is why we do what we do here at Cleaning with meaning. We are so thankful and blessed to be able to do this, and we look forward to the next chapter in our story!

Would it have been a smooth road, and what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The struggle is real! Lol. No, it is. If success were guaranteed in business, then anybody would do it. The first step to success is the good old leap of faith. Once you get past that, prepare for the winding road ahead. We have good and bad weeks, but my wife’s background in accounting and amazing money management skills is how we have overcome adversity. I’m amazed at what she does for us. I’m the bulldog, and she’s the glue. If any business owner says it’s easy, I will call them bold-faced liars. I will say this. We have made excellent choices in this endeavor, which have been calculated and discussed multiple times. We have a good marketing team, and our word of mouth and promotion has been on point. We have been in business for under 3 years and have grown each year substantially, which is amazing and something we are both very proud of. Put yourself in positions to succeed and be smart with how you spend your money. Those are my 2 best pieces of advice. Also, if you can, don’t start your company in debt.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us more about your business.
Cleaning with a meaning is the top-rated 5-star cleaning company in the triad, specializing in junk removal, residential and commercial cleaning, pressure washing, and organization. We have over 15 different services, and I guarantee that number will go up as we grow! We are a veteran and woman-owned company and pride ourselves in the “Hero Discount,” which is always 10% off any service discount for veterans and active duty military, nurses and doctors, first responders, firefighters, police officers, and teachers.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting?
As I stated before, start your company with a manageable debt. I understand that each situation is different, but the less debt you have when you start, the better off you will be. It takes money to make money, so make sure the money you spend is worth it. Be smart about promotion and marketing. Take notes on everything and be visual, as in watching the world around you and seeing what is needed when thinking about your startup. Also, this is critical. Make sure you research SEO optimization for your website. This will help you rank on Google and other search engines. You’re welcome, lol.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.cleaningwithameaningnc.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/cleaning_with_a_meaning_nc
• Facebook: Facebook.com/cleaningwithameaningnc