He built a home cleaning business from $0 – $30000 in 30 days after he lost his job. John Lobb had always given his all as an F & B director of operations. But he always thought this job did not fit his dreams. He was exhausted from his 60-hour week schedule and he and his wife Layla had just had their first baby. Additionally, he was tired of bosses with no boundaries.
One thing that irritated him most about his 9-5 job was the lack of freedom that came with it. He couldn’t attend his wife’s birthday as he wished and could not adequately spend time with his son and honor other family commitments.
Deep inside, he felt he needed a different kind of life. But as he said, the veil of fake uncertainty that comes with a W-2 kept him stuck. While he dithered, in his own words, ‘the universe made a choice for me. I lost my job.”
This is the story of a man and his wife who kicked setbacks behind them to build financial freedom. Because they dared and armed with focus and business acumen, they founded the hugely successful cleaning company Swept Up Cleaning Co. LLC
Surprisingly, this home cleaning startup in Austin, Texas has performed beyond their dreams in a record one year.
Looking for Information
The amateur couple didn’t want to get headfirst into the abyss. Learning from the stories of the past, they resolved to seek counsel. In his restlessness and with no time on his hands, Robb started following leaders in the space. People like investor Codie Sanchez, to figure out what businesses to buy or open.
Lobb had never tried his hands in business strongly and was entering new territory for which he had little to no information. With no job and a baby at hand, he and his wife had to quickly take a deep dive and figure out what to do. The search for options led him to Johnny Robinson and Sergio Silesky and their house-cleaning academy, and Rohan Gilkes.
At the house cleaning program, he learned the basic steps he needed to actualize his dream and above all carried home the motivation to do so. He had asked all his questions and found the answers.
It was serial entrepreneur Rohan Gilkes, he says, who inspired him and his wife to open a cleaning business. Finally, having drank from the wealth of knowledge of those who came before him, he decided to take the plunge.
The Start of Swept Up Cleaning Co. as he launched a residential cleaning venture, scaling from nothing to $30000 in earnings in just 30 days.
On December 23rd, 2022, Lobb and his wife dipped their feet into the world of entrepreneurship and launched their business. Cautiously entering a field they felt was very crowded, they set their expectations too low. They did all they were told to do in setting up the business and sat back hoping for just one sale by the end of the year.
Miraculously, and to their astonishment, they closed the year with $5,600 in revenue. They thought it was a dream. A business was born that if handled well could give him the freedom he craved and the resources to do what he wanted, when he wanted.
The First Jobs
Robb used Google Local Service Ads (LSA) to help him generate leads. After the first good week in business, he figured out that if only he could intensify his efforts, more jobs beckoned. And they kept coming. However, not all went according to plan. A dissatisfied customer had him refund the entire amount paid to him or risk a business-threatening bad review on Reddit.
Sometimes, leads came so quickly that he could not keep up with the pace of looking for staff cleaners. But these were good problems. They helped in strengthening his learning points in the business and his resolve to soldier on. A kind of baptism by fire, but with potential teachable moments for future success.
And as with every new venture where the owner has to give himself to the venture fully, a one-time occasion called for him to do the cleaning himself.
Revenue Growth
Incidentally, since that December day when they first tested the waters, revenue growth has been steady. This has been aided by the Google LSA, recurring jobs from satisfied customers, and brainstorming with other owners running cleaning businesses.
The initial goal was to sell $5k in one month. Sold that in 6 days.
The end of January 2024 saw Revenue skyrocket to $35,340.15 and by the end of June 2024, Revenue was $38,429.39.
At the close of July 2024, against his projection, the revenue hit $41,169.8. This growth seems to be on an upward trend and Swept Up has strong prospects.
Another thing driving up revenue is converting a lot of one-time clients into recurring clients.
Tools he uses in his business.
- Google LSA to generate leads. Now he wants to move fully into SEO.
- Booking Koala, the platform for service businesses.
Lessons in Life and Business from John Lobb and Swept Up Cleaning Co.
In his short and eventful journey in the service business of cleaning, John Lobb has learned some valuable lessons.
- Being an entrepreneur is manic-depressive. Before you get in, know it’s going to be a rollercoaster. The ones who persevere love the rollercoaster.
- Take care of the people who work for you, and they will in turn take care of you.
- Figure out what you want and what it’s going to take. Make a plan to get there and get after it.
- I entered business because I wanted the freedom and resources to do what I want when I want.
- Huge believer in expediting success by learning from others who have already done it.
- The best advice every businessperson should know is to always answer phone calls. Answer phone calls anytime. The calls that came when I least expected them gave him the best jobs.
- Remember, your best clients are the clients you already have. Treat them exceptionally well and watch those recurring businesses grow.
- Go above and beyond. After three months of recurring services, John has decided to send gifts to his repeat clients.
- Build emotional currency: sometimes a call comes with a client’s narration as to why they need the cleaning. And what happened to warrant the call. Listen to them.
- John answers phone calls and texts quickly. His clients also get a text reminder about their appointments and when a provider is on the way. Most importantly, he calls after the work is done to thank them and seek feedback on the service.
- Take Notes. He keeps information on clients’ likes and likes on Booking Koala so his cleaners can know how to handle each client according to their needs.
- Follow Up: He recognizes that people are busy and never think about you. You must constantly keep connections through monthly newsletters or text messages with current offers, among others.
- Offer something too good to resist. For example, John states that recurring customers receive a discount of 25%.
Conclusion on how he initiated a home cleaning enterprise, achieving a revenue growth from zero to $30000 in 30 days.
In conclusion, John Lobb’s story shows that there exists great opportunity in blue-collar jobs that most people still shun. The billion-dollar cleaning industry is an opportunity waiting for brave men and women to take the first step in making people comfortable. As you make your money.
Armed with the right information, the right focus, and attitude, passionate people can help solve problems while changing their own stories.
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