Florida Cleaning Business Growing with Veterans in Mind

Inspector Klean Building Care LLC of Pasco County

Military veteran, Cornelius Smith Sr., started his cleaning and handyman business with a vision to provide a needed service and help veterans find flexible work. “The reason I chose to launch this type of business is because I knew there was a need for the services we offer,” he said.

With a master’s in business, Smith knew that the growth in the Tampa Bay region would lead to a greater demand in cleaning and handyman services, thus the creation of Inspector Klean Building Care.

Although the business was already created and a business plan was in motion, Smith knew that something was missing in his new business venture. That was when he decided to reach out to the Florida Small Business Development Center at University of South Florida.

“Being prior military, I understood the importance of mentorship,” he said. “Even though I attended school, did a master’s in business; having the educational experience doesn’t quite connect all of the dots, and having that mentor was the missing piece of the puzzle as to how to take the educational knowledge and apply it in the real-world scenarios.”

Once he reached out, Smith was paired with Florida SBDC at USF business consultant and Certified Public Accountant, Simplice Essou, for guidance on how to grow the business. The pair worked on expanding the business plan further and creating a strategy that would successfully extend the business beyond the state of Florida.

Since working with his Florida SBDC at USF business consultant, Smith explains that his business has grown beyond the state of Florida while simultaneously saving money that would have otherwise been a hefty business expense.

“With the help of Florida SBDC at USF and Simplice, I was able to expand this business beyond the state of Florida and it helped tremendously in creating a roadmap…I wasn’t sure what to do prior to coming here,” Smith said. “The Florida SBDC at USF has been somewhat of a lifesaver. Prior to coordinating with the Florida SBDC at USF, we were literally scheduled to spend hundreds of dollars through an outside agency to help with the [necessary business] documentation, whereas it was done at no cost as a result of utilizing this program.”

As the business continues to grow, Smith states that he will continue using the services provided by his local Florida SBDC Network center. “I will continue to use the Florida SBDC at USF, and Simplice as my mentor to keep the business on the right path to scale, to reach many other states, and impact the lives of many,” he said.

As for impacting the lives of many, Smith goes on to explain that many veterans need flexible work, and he would like to be the solution. “I really want to create something that gives veterans an opportunity for employment as well as creating a flexible work schedule for veterans and non-veterans,” he said. “I’ve had the pleasure of working with non-profit organizations, leading non-profit organizations in the past, and one of the common things that we experienced were individuals going through medical procedures and care and they were not able to work a full or part-time job because their employment needs were greater than the hours that were available so. At Inspector Klean Building Care we commit to creating a flexible work schedule for all of those individuals.”

When it comes to spreading the word about the Florida SBDC at USF, Smith has got it covered, saying, “I will gladly and without hesitation, pass the knowledge and the resource that I realize exists here at Florida SBDC at USF onto other businesses – existing or just in the idea phase – because I understand that it is truly beneficial and a necessity.”