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Ms. Grace Cleaning Services Director of Marketing Angie Lee has worked with the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and Director Jo Ann DiMaggio May since July 2019 to fulfill the company’s marketing, networking and labor needs.

Ms. Grace Cleaning Services has a mission to clean with humility and precision “knowing that your trust is the key to our success, our value is placed on creating a lasting relationship proven by our diligence and dutiful work ethic that is timely, expeditious and immaculate.”

The business began with three sisters, Rita Johnson, Blossom Stewart and Sharmine Stewart. They opened in March 2016, serving the Fairview Heights and St. Louis metro area. Ms. Grace Cleaning Services offers exceptionally affordable pricing that allows any customer to enjoy their services.

Chief Executive Officer Andrea Turner explained that with her mom and two aunts in the midst of retirement, her family knew they wanted to give back to the community and began brainstorming to see what they could collectively achieve. They created the cleaning business concept centered on serving others through cleanliness and environmental awareness.

After starting as a residential service, Ms. Grace Cleaning Services has expanded to serve commercial businesses and churches, as well.

Ms. Grace Cleaning Services has capabilities that are in demand and are not typically met by the routine commercial cleaning business. In addition to stripping and waxing floors, general cleaning, and deep-cleaning, the sisters offer customized services based on the customer’s needs. Quality of care services like closet arrangement, folding clothes, and move-in and move-out assistance provide comprehensive cleaning.

DiMaggio May also connected Lee with the Illinois Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) at Western Illinois University to focus on certification and bid matching for potential contracts.

“Jo Ann has been extremely helpful when it comes to marketing our business,” Lee said. “She has provided ideas to reach more customers, for hiring, has connected us with PTAC for government contracting, and more. She is eager to help and is always timely in responding to our needs.”

The PTAC has provided one-on-one technical assistance to Ms. Grace Cleaning Services for obtaining a DUNS (Dun & Bradstreet) number, SAM (System for Award Management) registration and building a capability statement.

The Ms. Grace Cleaning Services leadership feels blessed. It is meaningful to know they are helping others. It is about more than just the services they offer, it is about encouraging everyone involved and giving others a sense of pride.

 “We are so thankful for the amazing people we serve,” Turner said. “It is more than just going in and cleaning. We are seeing people’s lives change through these interactions. This is something we do out of love, and it has brought our family so much closer in the process.”

Their goal is to bring out the best in those who are in need through their services by being charitable, supportive, helpful and affordable.

“That is what excites and fuels this passion for my family,” Turner said. “It is what our hearts want to do, and Ms. Grace Cleaning Services affords us the opportunity to do it and do it well.”

In the future, they plan to focus on using green products and being ecologically friendly. They expect to expand their brand, and truly be a service that clients can relate to, work with and use. The business vision is limitless.

“Angie Lee and her team of family members are extremely dedicated and hard-working,” said DiMaggio May. “They are so motivated and passionate, willing to do everything necessary to be successful in the cleaning industry. It is my honor to work with them and help them grow.”

Ms. Grace Cleaning Services’ hours of operation are 7 a.m.-7 p.m., Mon.–Sat., and Sun. by appointment only.

For more information, call 618-416-5666 or visit msgracecleaning.com. Find Ms. Grace Cleaning Services on Instagram at cleaningmsgrace, and Twitter and Facebook at MsGraceCleaning.

The Illinois SBDC for the Metro East assists start-up ventures like Ms. Grace Cleaning as well as existing businesses headquartered in the nine-county region of Calhoun, Jersey, Madison, Bond, Clinton, St. Clair, Washington, Monroe and Randolph. It is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and SIUE as a service to Illinois small businesses.

By aiding entrepreneurs and companies in defining their path to success, the SBDC network positively impacts the Metro East by strengthening the business community, creating and retaining new jobs and encouraging new investment. It enhances the region’s economic interests by providing one-stop assistance to individuals by means of counseling, training, research and advocacy for new ventures and existing small businesses. When appropriate, the SBDC strives to affiliate its ties to the region to support the goals and objectives of both the SIUE School of Business and the University at large.

To learn about the SBDC, contact theIL SBDC for the Metro East at SIUE at 618-650-2929.