In November 2019, Emma Heseltine came to the CDC Enterprise Agency looking for advice on how to start her own cleaning company. Emma had always enjoyed cleaning and decluttering, and she felt that running a cleaning business would fit nicely around bringing up her daughter, who was 7 years old at the time. She created Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo Cleaning Services, a household cleaning company in County Durham. Emma faced significant challenges while starting her business, as it coincided with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and the first national lockdown in the UK. She found a creative solution to these challenges and added additional services to expand her cleaning business, such as shopping for essentials and picking up prescriptions for customers in her local area.
Once Emma was able to get back to providing cleaning services, her diary quickly filled up with new and existing clients. She gained most of her customers through building a successful social media presence, and through word-of-mouth referrals from previous happy customers. Fast forward to today and Emma is running a successful cleaning business and is even considering employing another cleaner to work alongside her. She has recently been awarded her first commercial contract and has also secured multiple end-of-tenancy house cleans after getting in contact with local landlords.
When the CDC Enterprise Agency caught up with Emma recently, we reflected on the support she received from the Agency while making the transition to self-employment. She told us how grateful she was for the help she received from the Agency, since it built her confidence and motivated her to take the leap and start her own business. Emma still stays in regular contact with the Agency today, and is planning to attend more of our workshops to refresh her existing business skills and develop new ones.
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