Quality Partners Mean Pure Success
PureClean has risen to the top of house cleaning businesses, a welcome surprise for its Knoxville-native owners
When Lance and Brittany Ford started their cleaning business, PureClean, back in March, it was with both confidence and concern. On the confidence side, they both had ample experience which they felt would be beneficial in running the new venture. In addition, they know the area well, having both been born and raised in South Knoxville.
At the same time, they knew they’d be going up against large, well-established cleaning services and on a more personal level, weren’t entirely sure that running a business as a married couple was re-ally a great idea. With Brittany’s business background and Lance’s experience in real estate and property management, the two figured that, together, they would make solid business partners. And while some might say that it can be quite a risk to be a married couple who endeavor to go into business together – sometimes, it’s just meant to be.
“We gave that serious thought before we started the business,” says Lance. “It’s a big commitment, right? But, in the end, we were confident that what made us a good married couple would also make us good business partners. Brittany and I are blissfully opposite.” Brittany agrees with Lance. “Going into business together is like building a house together. It can either drive a huge wedge into your marriage or it can be a beautiful collection of decisions and philosophies that you get to share with others. Fortunately for us, it has been a wonderful experience.”
While the “wonderful experience” piece might be a bit of a pleasant surprise to them both, an earned surprise is the success they’ve had since opening their doors. The reception that PureClean has received in the Knoxville market has, to both of them, been extraordinary. “I knew if we committed ourselves to doing the highest quality work, treated our customers fairly, and built trusted relationships, that we’d succeed,” Lance says.
PureClean offers a full range of exterior cleaning services in both the commercial and residential markets – from gutter sanitizing, power washing, and deck cleaning to roof washing, window washing and soft washing. Is PureClean the only provider of services like these in Knoxville? Far from it. In fact, as Brittany points out, “We’re not only competing with large, established companies, but we’re also in the mix with several other capable mom and pop shops just like us. The good news is that there is plenty of work for all of us to stay busy and still support each other.”
“You can imagine our surprise,” Lance says, “when we found ourselves earning business with clients who had years long relationships with larger, much more established companies as well as generating most of our business from word-of-mouth referrals.”
In a time when taking pride in ones work and honoring agreements are more often than not fairly difficult to find, one of the greatest examples of why PureClean has seen success early on can be summed up in a social media quote from one of their residential clients: “They are EASY to work with. Reliable. Honest. DETAIL ORIENTED. Lance, the owner, is someone I would leave alone with my kids. He’s a top-notch guy and someone you can trust.” And these reviews mean something to this team. “We are so blessed with each opportunity that comes our way,” Brittany says, “and with it, the opportunities that come to build long-term, trusting relationships. For us and our customers, it’s quality over quantity. We don’t want to simply get the job done for our clients and collect a check. Our reputation is our most important asset. “Meeting your expectations isn’t enough; we are driven to exceed them. It’s personal to us. We want to do an outstanding job and build relationships based on the quality of our work and the trustworthiness of our team.”
And so far, that business plan has worked out very well for PureClean. “We are sincerely grateful for the success we’ve had and are truly humbled by the outpouring of support,” Brittany says. “Sometimes, I wonder how this leap of faith could become such a terrific way of life for us. I guess we must be doing something right.”
