In this article, I’m going to share with you what I learned from my dad, William “Bill” Krajovic, about being a small business owner.
I was raised on small business. My dad started his window cleaning company in 1953. When I was a little girl, the office was in the basement of our home. There wasn’t enough income to pay the mortgage, feed a family of six and have a commercial property. While raising four kids under the age of five, my mom was responsible for the invoicing and bookkeeping.
I remember the excitement when my dad won the bid on a big job. I remember my parents talking quietly about a problem with an employee or my dad talking at length on the phone with a customer who had a complaint. I remember how well he listened and then proceeded to deliver on customer satisfaction. I remember my parents having the freedom to make their own schedules which allowed them to attend all our school sporting events.
Sometime in the early 1970’s, my dad bought a commercial property that had two small offices and a garage large enough to park the company trucks. When I was too old to have a baby sitter, my sister and I used to go to the office every day during the summer with my mom. The personal computer hadn’t been invented yet, so all the office work was done by hand. My job included organizing the alphabetical customer cards and filing the job cards in a tickler file. I also helped with billing by folding invoices and stuffing the envelopes. Occasionally, I had to answer the phone if it rang while my mom was on the other line.
Owning your own business is hard but my dad seemed to handle it all, growing the company into a business that provided a modest middle-class standard of living. My dad passed away February 29, 2020. As I‘ve been reflecting back on his life and work, I recognize some valuable tips that may help you whether you are thinking about starting a business or already have.
Work your strengths
My dad’s first job growing up in Pittsburgh during the late 1940’s was working in the steel mills just like his brothers. His family was poor and all the boys were expected to quit school and get a job to earn money to support the family. Like most, my dad hated working in the steel mill; it was hot, dirty and exhausting. He didn’t mind work that required physical exertion but he preferred to be outside. He was hired by a window cleaning company because he was tall, had an expansive reach and wasn’t afraid of heights. In addition to his ability to do the job, he also realized he was good with customers. He took pride in his work and enjoyed talking to happy customers.
In the early 1950’s when he was sent to Greensburg, just east of Pittsburgh, to clean the Westmoreland County Courthouse, he saw an opportunity. A good window cleaning company didn’t exist in the area. He knew not only could he do the work, but he knew he could sell. So he decided to leverage his sales and skill cleaning windows as the foundation to start his own company.
Start with very little
When my dad started Clear-Pane Window Cleaning Company, he had a few supplies – ladders, buckets, squeegees. But most of all he had a willingness to work. When he got one job, he would do the work and then call on the businesses right next door or in the neighborhood. “Hi, it’s Bill from Clear-Pane Window Cleaning. I just cleaned the windows at the dry cleaners next door. Would you like your windows cleaned? Clean windows tell your customers how much you care.” Hu built the company one job at a time. A few years after starting the company, his bid on the Greensburg Courthouse job and won the bid. He knew a few window cleaners in Pittsburgh who he hired to help with the job. My mom remembers the Courthouse job was about $300 or $2842 in today’s dollars. That was a big job for company with one employee but by growing step by step, and hiring only as the job required, he was able to save, reinvest and grow the company.
Know your brand
With ideas from his brother John, Dad created his brand Clear-Pane Window Cleaning. Two simple words (clear- pane), conveyed the standard on which the company was built. The company didn’t just clean windows they made sure your windows provided a clear view. If windows were sparkling clear, they were also clean. Dad put the company name and phone number on the sides of his truck so that wherever he went, people would see and know the company. Since he didn’t have any other employees, he contracted with a 24/7 answering service to field incoming calls. Anyone could call at any time. This provided the level of service he wanted for his customer – that from the first call, no matter the time of day, Clear-Pane would be there to help.
Live with integrity
In order to grow the business, Dad got a $500 loan from his older brother and sister-in-law, Pearl. Faithfully every month, Bill would send Pearl money to pay back the loan. He never missed a payment and always paid whatever he could with the goal of paying it back sooner than later.
My dad also made sure customers were happy. He knew a happy customer meant more customers. If a customer was dissatisfied with the work, dad would spend as much time as needed, maybe evening going out to see the problem first hand, to deliver on the promise of customer satisfaction the company stood for.
Save for slow downs
Window Cleaning is seasonal work. Some windows need cleaned year round especially in the food and restaurant industry as well as businesses with window shoppers and lots of foot traffic. However, winter conditions such a freezing temperatures made it impossible to clean windows when a thin wipe of water quickly turned to ice. So my dad had to manage cash flow so that there was a cash reserve for the winter months and fixed expenses could be paid.
Look for opportunities and diversify
Because of the reputation of the company, work quickly expanded to include other services such as wall washing, floors and carpet cleaning. My dad had built a reputation as the best window cleaners in town. He knew if he expanded to other services, his loyal customers would want those services as well.
He stayed knowledgeable on the industry and bought the best equipment. While at a trade show, he saw a demonstration of a carpet cleaning machine. As wall to wall carpeting was becoming popular, this was clearly an opportunity to diversify into a service that also offered a higher average sale per job.
Know your why
My dad loved his work. Did he grow up thinking “I’m going to clean windows one day?” Well, no. But the work gave him the opportunity to use his skills – not afraid of heights, loved being outdoors, strong people skills, ability to sell. But the greatest satisfaction was in hearing the customers call the office to say how beautiful the carpet looks, how much better the building looks. He wasn’t in the window cleaning business, he was in the make people happy business. That was his why. And by making people happy he built a good successful business that allowed him to be happy. His happiness was best expressed by putting me and my three siblings through college. He only had about nine years of schooling and knew he wanted his kids to have the best start of life and getting a college education could do that.
Making sense of it all
Here are the things my dad taught me about small business:
Work your strengths - Do what you do and do it well.
Start with very little – The minimal supplies or tools and a willingness to work hard.
Know your brand – what does your company stand for?
Live with integrity – Follow through on what you say and the commitments you make.
Save for slowdowns – especially if your work is seasonal at times.
Look for opportunities and diversify – Adding on the right new product or service can exponentially increase sales to already loyal customers.
Know your why – what truly drives you to own and build this business?
Did these tips resonate with you? Make you go back and think about how your business is doing? These are simple concepts and yet sometimes even the best companies overlook them. I hope my dad’s story has inspired you to refocus in a particular area or ask some good questions to help you move your business froward.