This month’s issue of Cleaner features profiles on two companies that began when their owners were at a crossroads. These small, family-owned companies are the epitome of this industry, and they shine a glowing light on the success that can be achieved with a dream and some hard work.

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, there were approximately 9.7 million small businesses (employing less than 20 people) in the United States. Those companies produced an approximate total annual payroll of $1.45 trillion, so clearly small businesses are still an important piece of the American economy. They represent the entrepreneurial spirit of this country and the core values of this industry.

Kenyon Pipeline Inspection, profiled in this issue, is a great example. When brothers Jake and Josh Kenyon were laid off from their jobs, they didn’t wait for an opportunity or sit around feeling sorry for themselves; they started their own pipeline inspection business. In two years’ time they’ve taken on four employees, and revenue is growing exponentially.

At the outset, they struggled to even attain funding for the startup business. Banks didn’t want to work with them even though they had a clear business plan, but they didn’t let that stop them. They turned to a local equipment dealership and were able to work out a rent-to-own arrangement for the equipment they needed to get started.

Several factors helped fuel their professional rebound: a willingness to embrace and invest in new technologies, the rent-to-own deal, the ability to develop and nurture business relationships, and top-notch customer service. Kenyon says that every customer they’ve worked for has provided at least one qualified word-of-mouth referral. As a result, KPI was able to hire another crew to man its second vacuum and camera trucks in May.

“Emergency” Mr. Plumber is another example. Ted Curtis had worked for his uncle before joining forces with his sister to form their own company in 1990. Curtis initially handled all the fieldwork, with his sister, Tammy Owens, overseeing the office and marketing efforts. The business has grown from one truck to a fleet of 10 vehicles, and they have developed a strong reputation in their service area around Toledo, Ohio.

By their 10th year in business, Curtis had segued from standard residential plumbing to a broader range of services because he saw that as the path to a better future. He says the company might not even still be in business today if he hadn’t made that shift. A solid 50 percent of the business is now generated from work they didn’t perform at the outset.

I’ve talked about it in this space before, but it’s one of the things I really appreciate about this industry. There are big companies that exemplify growth and success, but for every one of those, there are multiple smaller companies that exemplify the American Dream – to open a small business, be your own boss and provide for your family on your own terms. No one in that position, who has built their own business and steered it to profitability, feels any less successful than the CEO of a large company. This industry is full of self-made people who built their businesses from the ground up with hard work, good service and respect for their customers.

Those are the types of stories we’re trying to tell in Cleaner, and it’s a pleasure to be a part of it.

Enjoy this month’s issue.