What do you get when you cross an engineer with a military spouse? Why a highly successful cleaning company of course!
Samantha Sumey, an Army National Guard spouse, mother of two, college graduate, and owner of Sumey Solutions laid it all out for us. While working as a full-time engineer and expecting her first child, she decided that she needed more flexibility with her job. Over the last two years, she launched her cleaning and organizing company, Sumey Solutions, in her hometown of Uniontown, Pennsylvania.
“I took a break during my husband’s last deployment,” she explained, “And I’ve been working this full-time now for six months.”
And wow, the success has been huge!
Cleaning was not something that Sumey had done before, but she set out on her brand-new venture with a goal in mind. She is excited that her business is already making a profit, after only just a little while. Most companies take two to three years to start turning a profit.
Sumey manages a team of four full-time and four part-time employees and has learned that supply and demand are so important. She loves leading her team and sharing her passion with her clients. Aside from cleaning houses, Sumey Solutions also provides organization and errand running services. And she’s the only one in the area doing it.
So what’s next for her? She assures us this is not a temporary venture. “This is what I want to be doing for the rest of my life,” she said. “This is my passion, and clearly people need these services.”
Sumey has big goals for 2018, including branching out into nearby West Virginia and developing a smartphone app to grow her business.
In fact, if you’re a Shark Tank fan, you may have seen Sumey recently. She’s joining the ranks of military spouses and veterans who’ve pitched their ideas to investors on this popular TV show.
Sumey knows that starting a business isn’t for everyone, but she firmly believes that it’s a great idea for military spouses.
“You could start a business where you currently live, build a client base and then hire another military spouse to manage it for you when you move. Then start again there,” she said.
She shares some tips to help those starting out. “Specifically for those interested in a cleaning business, make sure you’re fully insured,” she said. “This helps build your credibility.”
For those looking to start another type of business, her most important piece of advice? “Find that one really good friend, the one you can lean on no matter what, and lean on them.”
