Meet Taja Bell of Thee Clean Queen Cleaning Company

Today we’d like to introduce you to Taja Bell.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I had the idea to start my own cleaning company in 2018 but at that time, it seemed unrealistic. My husband and I were just married and not too long after had to move in with my mother-in-law with our seven years old daughters. Six months of just needing to play “catch up” quickly turned into 2 1/2 years and then COVID hit! I was furloughed from my job early March and not long after found out my husband and I were expecting our 2nd child! I felt excitement and worry all at the same time. Returning back to work wasn’t an easy transition because I did not have child care for my daughter and I did live with family that were considered high risk of the Covid virus. That wasn’t received well with my job and I was then presented with an ultimatum to either return to work or forfeit my employment at the company.

I did return and after two months, I realized that I feared losing my job more than I do my own health, mental and physical. It was then I knew what I needed to do for my family and myself! I left my job and decided I am going to start my cleaning company and I will be successful! It has been overwhelming to say the least, with lots of up and downs, but I am overjoyed by the amount of support that I have received from my community! I thank God for showing me what direction to take because I do believe if I would have ventured out on this journey without His guidance, I would be lost and probably still at my job, unhappy and unappreciated. And my community (black women) have shown me so much support! I have an amazing clientele and I love how we all are black women helping black women. I want to use my story and my company as well to encourage young girls and women to follow your dream and always believe in yourself. Never count yourself out or sell yourself short. This is only the beginning for me and it is nothing but up from here, stay tuned!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have definitely been some bumps along the road. I have those weeks where things are a little slow and I may hear more no’s than yes. In the beginning, I really struggled with not having a job to report to. I still didn’t fully see the vision and where things could go. I considered getting a part-time job and tried to figure out ways to make that work. Quickly snapping back to reality and realizing that this is the reason I made this decision! I need to have the freedom to promote and grow my business and I can’t do that while also worrying about my full-time employment. Now, if you can work your full-time job and use those funds to fund your business then keep going! That is very helpful. Even though starting a cleaning company is one of the most affordable small businesses to start, fuel and supplies add up quickly! I also had to come out of my shell and learn how to feel more comfortable talking to people and networking. Now that I am still working on, but I know it will come the more comfortable and secure in my position that I get.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are black-owned, family-oriented business with the goal to service our community and provide top-quality cleaning services as well as customer service to everyone that we encounter. We specialize in disinfectant and organizing cleaning services for residential, commercial and vacation properties. We are a detailed oriented company. We want to take the standard of what clean is and raise the bar by providing grade A cleaning supplies as well as home fragrance lines that we are in the works of development. I am most proud of the satisfaction that I provide to people after they experience a cleaning from Thee Clean Queen. It definitely gives a feeling of accomplishment. Be on the lookout for other services and products coming from Thee Clean Queen!

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My husband is my absolute biggest support system. He literally encourages me daily to stay motivated and reminds me of how proud he is of me. That alone helps keep me motivated. Anything that I need, he is there. He will clean homes with me, he holds down the kids for me when we are short on child care, he cooks, he is literally my lifeline. That’s my better half. My clients are AMAZING!! I love them all so much. They are so supportive and all about black women helping black women and to me that is so important! They keep me busy and motivated and have even introduced me to new business opportunities. They are just simply amazing. And then of course, my family is always giving me words of encouragement and letting me know how proud they are of me and that just gives me so much energy to keep going!

Pricing:

• * Residential home cleanings start at just $105

Contact Info:

• Email: theecleaningqueen@gmail.com
• Website: https://squareup.com/appointments/book/LG2MH0M11WPR4
• Instagram: _theecleanqueen
• Facebook: @theequeencleans

Image Credits
Tayla Berry – Cloudten Photography