“That’s such a cool idea, Kerry! I think you should give it a try. You can pull it off, no matter what anybody else says!”

If I ever needed positive energy and support, I knew I could expect it from my friend Valery. We went to high school together, but we were polar opposites even back then. If I was the disappointing kid totally disinterested in the school program, Val was the “straight-A” super student who participated in competitions and was certain to go to college. But she was one of the few people who understood my struggles and broke through my wall of anxiety, disappointment, and teenage anger. We remained close friends ever since.

A few weeks have passed since the UKG festival at Streatham Common (if you haven’t read my first post, you can check it here), and the older lady’s words still stuck in my head. I was absentmindedly sleepwalking through my shifts in the store, not sure what my next step should be. Back then, Valery had just finished her MBA at Birkbeck and was about to start her career in one of London’s best-known business consulting firms. So, I decided to use her expertise and get some free advice on how feasible it would be to launch a new business.

“Most people have that wrong notion in their head that you need piles of cash to start a business. That’s not at all true – but you do need a good idea. You also need expertise and experience in the field, a good team, and dedication. So let’s see what you’ve got. A good idea, check. Expertise – let’s say semi-check. Experience – pass. A good team – pass. Dedication – check. In other words, you are halfway from where you want to be. If I were you, I would work on expertise and experience – find as much information as you can on outdoor events cleaning, how many companies in London provide it, what their rates are, etc. No pun intended, but you will need to do your homework.”

We both laughed out loud – a testament to how far away I have come from my high school failures. Then, Val made one of her trademark dramatic pauses and said: “There is an alternative, but I don’t think you are going to like it.”

“Tell me anyway”, I said between bites from my croissant.

“You can find a big cleaning contractor that does not provide the service and pitch them the idea. However, you must make it clear from the start that you are not looking to be their employee. Instead, you will be offering them a partnership – you can be their subcontractor and use their workforce and contacts while you do the heavy lifting and everyday management.”

“You know what, I think you can do this for a living!” I commented, and we laughed even louder.

Contrary to what Val thought, the second idea appealed to me instantly. I had to be realistic – I was not ready to create and run my own business, not yet. But if I could convince an established company to run with my idea, the opportunity could be huge.

I spent the next few weeks in a frantic search for information. There were hundreds of cleaning companies in London – large and small, limited in a few local areas or operating city-wide. But those with “event or post-event cleaning” in their service portfolio mainly specialised in indoor events and venues. Furthermore, I hadn’t realised there were over 200 annual outdoor events in London, including music concerts, local festivals, literary contests, sporting events, and God knows what else. And I hadn’t even considered indoor events – if I added them to the mix, the niche would have become monstrous.

I started reading about cleaning requirements, best industry practices, cleaners’ hourly rates, and how to plan a cleaning budget for a large-scale event. The more I read, the more I became immersed in my project.

After careful research, I picked a cleaning contractor with great customer feedback. They were operating city-wide, offering an extensive range of services, and I finally summoned enough courage to send them an email asking for an appointment. To my astonishment, I got a response within two days with their office address and a scheduled visit.

The next three days were arguably the most nerve-wracking in my life. I had prepared a thorough presentation of my idea (“Brilliant” was Val’s assessment, but she was hardly objective), and I ran through the numbers over and over again. I hadn’t studied so hard in my life – but if I were going to fail, it would not have been because I hadn’t done my homework.

I stepped into the cleaning company’s office as nervous as a first-time soldier on a battlefield. The person I was supposed to meet turned out to be an affable gentleman in his mid-40s, the operating manager. “Hi, my name is Robert. Look, I’ll give you fifteen minutes, but if you don’t grab my attention in the first five, I’ll cut you short.”

“Fair enough”, I thought, took a deep breath, loaded the presentation on my laptop and jumped into the shark tank. Robert reclined back in his chair and listened politely. Still, I could see the combination of amusement and condescension on his face. A few minutes into my presentation, however, his expression began to change. It became sharper, more intent, paying attention to the numbers I was spitting in quick succession. The five-minute mark passed, and he didn’t stop me, so I knew I had my chance.

When I finished, he sat silently for a few seconds. “I am afraid we’ll have to reschedule the meeting. I’ll be frank with you – I expected this to be another hare-brained idea of a young cleaner who wants to make it in the business. What I heard is anything but hare-brained. Unfortunately, I cannot make this call. You are offering us a full-fledged partnership, and only my boss – the company’s owner – can decide.”

I looked at him dumbfounded. He hadn’t laughed me off, he wasn’t sending me away with polite nonsense. Robert was actually telling me my idea made sense!

“I can come back and meet your boss at his convenience. You have my number and email.” We shook hands, but before we left, he patted me on the shoulder and said: “That’s the best presentation I have seen in a long while. Don’t sweat it, you are almost there. My boss knows a winner when he sees one.”

Had I just made the most crucial career step in my life?