Opportunity is everywhere for people in the cleaning industry. The two contractors featured in this month’s issue of Cleaner are great examples.

Vi McCoy was no stranger to the industry when she and her business partner formed C-More Pipe Services in 1998. Her pipeline sales and management background meshed well with his experience in the field, so together they set out to provide inspection services. They targeted the municipal market, where demand for these services was growing as older infrastructure deteriorated.

It wasn’t long before they started expanding, adding personnel and new services to better serve their growing customer base. A solid reputation and plenty of referrals brought in more business, so there was no need to put any focus on marketing activities. Their work spoke for itself.

In 2013, a new opportunity arose, and the company added a new division dedicated to repair and rehabilitation of manholes. They had always done inspections, but they didn’t handle any of the repair and rehab work until that point. After just a year, the manhole division already accounts for 30 percent of the company’s overall business, and it continues to grow.  

Steve Dabney, owner of Drain Line Services, wasn’t even working in the industry when he found his opportunity in the classified section of his local newspaper. He had a wealth of business experience but he wasn’t happy with his career track, so the opportunity to take over an established drain cleaning business was appealing.

Dabney went to work for the small operation — it was just him and the owner — working in the field learning all he could while deciding if this was the direction he wanted to take his career. It didn’t take long to realize it was a good fit, and he reached a deal with the owner to take over the business in 2008. In the six years since, he’s added three staff members and new services, including CCTV inspection, expanded jetting capabilities and bioremediation for customers with large kitchen facilities.

The latter is of special importance, because it was another opportunity that played a big role in his business strategy. He’d been serving smaller commercial accounts, but bioremediation, along with the expanded jetting services, helped him go after larger accounts like hospitals and retail and industrial facilities with big kitchens. These types of accounts are now a significant part of Dabney’s business.

Opportunities to build, expand and improve your business are out there; you just have to be open to them. In this month’s Money Manager column, Erik Gunn discusses how and when to reinvest in your business. He provides some good tips for getting the most from your money.

Sometimes a new piece of equipment that allows you to take on different jobs presents the biggest opportunity. This month’s Money Machines feature describes how a trailer-mounted hot-water jetter has played a huge role in a Colorado contractor’s success.

So keep your eyes open for the next great opportunity. It might be a jetter that expands your service capabilities, or an industrial cleaning job that positions you to serve a whole new clientele, but you’ll never know if you don’t keep your eyes open.

Enjoy this month’s issue.