Meet April Prothero of Going GreenHouse in East Valley

Today we’d like to introduce you to April Prothero.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story?
Throughout my childhood, my mom and her best friend owned their own small housecleaning business. I didn’t plan to follow in her footsteps until after I graduated from ASU and spent 4.5 years in Corporate America. I felt the itch to get out and be active and independent, so I started cleaning homes and offices on the weekends using my own green cleaning products. I opted for green products because I suffer from asthma and it’s all that I could tolerate when cleaning my own home and I figured others would appreciate it as well! Word of mouth quickly spread and I was able to quit my “real” job to own and operate Going Greenhouse full time within the first year of business! We are now in our 7th year with a team of 12 and hundreds of happy clients!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has definitely not been a smooth road! Some of our greatest struggles have involved learning not to take feedback personally and using it to improve instead. The perfect example of this is a time, early on, when a client was dissatisfied because we did not clean items that they thought should have been a part of the service. It kept me up at night wondering how I could manage each client’s different expectations and how we could customize each service to the client’s liking. From this, the standard Points of Polish checklist was born! This is a standard list that we review with each and every client prior to their first service to ensure that we meet expectations. This is the same checklist that is left behind after every service, signed off on by the crew leader to ensure accountability.

Other struggles also include the hiring and retention of AWESOME employees. We have implemented many monetary and non-monetary benefits to entice employees to work and stay working for Going Greenhouse. We are constantly striving to improve our hiring, training and benefits so that we can attract the best people for the job. Unfortunately, turnover is a part of the business and we use it as a learning opportunity as well.

Going Greenhouse – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Going Greenhouse is proud to be affiliated with the Tammy D Foundation. The foundation provides services for women who are fighting breast cancer and we are honored to be their chosen housecleaning service. Our products are safe for people with compromised immune systems and we pride ourselves on taking very special care of our Tammy D ladies.

We specialize in weekly, biweekly and monthly repeat services as well as one time deep cleans, move-in/out services, and vacation rental services. We focus mainly on residential services.

What sets us apart is our outstanding customer service provided by our compassionate and hardworking staff. We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee and will come back to correct any service if something is not up to par. We send feedback emails after every single service in order to be sure that we always keep it fresh! We cater to all different lifestyles and schedules in order to make the best day of the week the day that Going Greenhouse comes to clean!

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
To me success has a few components:

Smooth operation – providing the tools for my cleaning and administration staff so that their daily operations are smooth and time is optimized. Also providing the leadership to allow my staff to feel empowered to make decisions that will impact the company as a whole in the most positive way.

Positive impact on the community – creating a community of people that support and care for each other, staff and clients alike. This includes participating in community events, raising money and awareness for causes we are passionate about and overall keeping a positive outlook on the business and community. Healthy margins – optimization of the operation resulting in 10 – 15% profit margin

Contact Info:

• Website: www.goinggreenhouse.com
• Phone: 6024769321
• Email: info@goinggreenhouse.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goinggreenhouse/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GGHCleaning/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/going-greenhouse-tempe-2?osq=green+cleaning

Image Credit:
Leo J Photography (Leonard Herndon)

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