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Improving the Local Economy One Business at a Time Hands and Knees Cleaning
There’s more to Angela Johnson’s cleaning business than vacuuming floors, dusting shelves and scrubbing sinks. Johnson said she finds great happiness in her work because at its heart, her business is about helping people.
“I love the satisfaction I get from making someone’s life easier,” she said, explaining that current clients include someone recovering from hip replacement, and one undergoing treatments for cancer.
Johnson said it’s satisfying to know that with her help, clients can continue to keep their homes the way they’d like, which relieves their stress and perhaps even aids in their recovery. Even in the absence of illness or injury, Johnson’s clients can be facing a lot of challenges managing their daily lives.
“Mothers coming home to a house that’s already clean, they can spend time with their kids,” Johnson said. “This makes me happier. I enjoy the people I get to meet.”
Johnson took the reins at Hands and Knees Cleaning last March. The previous owner, Sheila Beleane, had started the business in 2009 but was retiring. Johnson had been working for the business, cleaning and bookkeeping.
Johnson now spends her days cleaning and also managing a staff of seven part-time employees. New employees will train with Johnson until she knows they’re ready to work independently. They do general cleaning for homes and offices, and deep cleaning for move-ins and move-outs. “We tackle any situation,” Johnson said.
Johnson hired two people last summer when she found she was having to turn down clients, and she’s hoping to expand more in the future. Being a business owner wasn’t always on her mind, Johnson said, but she finds she likes it, despite the work being physically demanding.
“I’ve always enjoyed people,” she said. D
Phone: (218) 349-8558
