Women Business Owners historically have been in the service-oriented and retail-based industries, however, things are rapidly changing…according to research on the “How to Court Enterprising Women” pdf found on Re:Invention.com Women own 18% of all construction firms with employees, 15% of all manufacturing firms and 21% of all firms with employees in transportation, communications, and public utilities.
Women are demonstrating that they can compete with “the big boys” and make a great living at it too! Enjoy the following interview with Start Up Princess Kellie Murkley of Manage It, Inc., a commercial cleaning company in Penn Township, Pennsylvania.
Brief Summary of your Start Up: Manage It, Inc. is a referral based personalized commercial cleaning company. As innovators in technology, products and services we also are a “green companyâ€. With our values based on helping our environment, commitment to our customers, safety in our workplace, teamwork, honesty, integrity, continuous learning, research and improvement in our services.
Company Email: ManageItInc <at> aol <dot> com
What inspired you? I was meeting people that were frustrated with the quality of cleaning companies available for hire and frustrated with the conditions of their buildings. On the other end I had friends that were moms or that didn’t have college degrees looking for work that paid well. It also gave them the flexibility of being home with their child during the day and work at night. This was the inspiration…I just wanted to help both out and in the process developed a business.
What Challenges have you faced as a women business owner? We as women in commercial cleaning have to be aggressive to get our foot in the door of a male dominated field. We have to offer more services, do better work and generally excel in our companies to be able to compete with the “big boysâ€. However in this business you have to first be invited to bid the jobs. One of the things as a women bidding in a male dominated industry I found that you have to work a lot harder to stand out and be noticed once you get the invitation. With this said I always wear bright colors and heels that way I stand out among the men in gray suits. It also serves as an icebreaker because the men always make comments on the clicking…it’s funny and hey it breaks the ice!
What is your ideal work day like? I work in our office Monday thru Friday from 10:00 a.m. ~ 7:00 p.m. and spend a great deal of my time between the computer, pushing paper, meetings and phone calls. My position in the company is to oversee my company as a whole, work with our employees, work with our clients changing needs, generate new growth in the company, product development, ordering, budgets, and review employee evaluations, coordinating my site supervisor on the particulars in the buildings, overseeing my office manager, public relations and advertising. Other days are busier than others as everyone knows.
Once I leave the office depending on how busy my office was with clients, employees, phone calls or meetings I work off my laptop from home a lot catching up on what wasn’t finished during the day associated with that daily phone call from some building that has a question. Since we operate the majority of our business at night my staff start after 5:00 p.m. and we offer 24/7 support to my team so between my cell and my site supervisor’s cell one of us is usually on the phone a few times in a evening.
What advice would you like to offer other Start Up Princesses? Life is full of opportunities….try anything you want to do…. there are no glass ceilings for those that have faith.
Favorite Magic Wand (tool/resource)? “My personality†which has opened many doors for me, the internet where I constantly research new products, techniques, etc…my cell phone and laptop that provide a portable office, my family that continue to remind me of how proud they are and lend their support and share their love.
Thanks, Start Up Princess Kellie for being a great example to women in business that any dream is possible…!
