It was getting late in the week.  I had accomplished a couple of cleaning jobs but certainly had room in my schedule for more.  I have been putting a lot of thought and planning into marketing recently which inevitably turns one's attention to the competition in your given line of work.   What do the other carpet cleaners do to get seen?  What specials are they offering?  Why is such and such higher in search rankings than I am?  As a newcomer to the area of floor care it is easy to start seeing the business landscape in a "me vs. them" mind set.  I admit it, I am competitive.  But my overall goal is to earn a living, not to take away someones else's living.  

It was with these type of thoughts in my head that I answered my phone that Friday.  "Hello, James with Pristine Floor Care, how can I help you?"  The caller explained that his name was Scott and he also ran a cleaning company.  I knew right away who it was.  Scott, of Scott's Services, is a long time floor care provider in Traverse City.  He is an expert in the field and specializes in cleaning high end rugs as well as top quality carpet care.  I was honored to take his call, but a bit intimidated wondering why he was phoning me.  He explained that as a long time service provider in the Grand Traverse area he liked to keep up on who was working in the field.   We discussed my training and equipment and Scott explained several ways that he has been able to work with other local carpet cleaners.   He even offered several words of advice for me as I start out and a job referral that I could follow up on.  

As a young company I can't tell you how valuable this kind of interaction is.  Of course advice and job referrals are huge, but it really reset my paradigm in thinking about others who provide the same services that I do.   It is easy to look at others in the same field as you are as competition.   But Scott is secure enough in his own reputation to see other cleaners as brothers in the same business.  It challenges me in how I think, how I might speak, and act towards other businesses.  Since that day there have been several conversations with Scott that have blessed me, set a good example of collaboration, and have lifted my spirit's as I continue to plug along in my small business journey.

It's Holy week, the week leading up to Easter.   The weather continues to be cold and snowy which in the floor care business translates to a slow week.   So I opted to take the van out for some pro-bono work for several local area churches.   I know that donations at many churches have been down in the last few years and figured carpet cleaning might be one of the things that has been put on the back burner.  I called several smaller church in Traverse City and offered to clean their entry ways for free.   The response was great and I suddenly had a full day ahead of me.   After cleaning the carpet at the church of the Nazarene the secretary was so thankful that she gave me a big hug.   Second, I stopped at Grace Episcopal church in downtown Traverse City.  Like the church of the Nazarene, Grace Episcopal does a lot to serve the poor and downtrodden in Traverse, including offering community meals and hosting the Safe Harbor overnight ministry to the homeless during the winter months.   These might not have been paying jobs but giving back to those that serve our city has a certain satisfaction that money can't match.  Next up was a stop at Bayview Wesleyan church.  Their foyer was tile so I had a chance to bring out my spinner and wash away the winter's salt and grime.  The last church I visited was the Journey, a Wesleyan church on South Airport Rd.   Pastor Chris helped move the furniture in the foyer and again the spinner came through in cleaning the tile foyer floor.   After these four jobs I was ready to head home and prepare dinner for the family.  A satisfying day's work that might not fill the bank account but certainly filled my soul.