Somerset’s Jenny on Spot fills a demand for professional cleaning services
By Staff Writer
Jenny on the Spot offers full, deep-cleaning, and partial cleaning services for residential, commercial and Air BNB properties across Cambria and Somerset Counties. The Somerset-based small business started as an idea for filling a need that owner Jennifer Queer discovered in one of the two jobs she was already working. Growing interest has her setting her sights on expansion.
Last summer while vacationing in Myrtle Beach, Jennifer Queer told her husband she wanted to start a cleaning business. She wasn’t sure how he’d react given that she was working two jobs—one as a realtor and a full-time job managing a cleaning crew in a large retail space. “He said, ‘Jen, I am behind you 100%.’ I should have known since he’s always supportive of me,” she said.
Plus, Jennifer’s idea was grounded in real-life experience working with clients in real estate.
“As a realtor, I discovered that my clients who were trying to either buy or sell property needed help with cleaning. I wanted to provide them with the help they needed,” she said. “My full-time job is to manage a group of people in cleaning a retail space, and this experience gave me the confidence to tackle this problem.”
Once she got started, Jennifer quickly learned that there was a larger demand locally for cleaning services and word of mouth was sending people her way.
“My business was intended to be for my real estate clients. But before I knew it, I had other people calling about cleaning their homes, offices and Air BNB properties,” Jennifer said. “That’s really when Jenny on the Spot cleaning became a reality.”
“My biggest challenge so far was just getting a small business started. I did not know what to do or what steps to take to make it official. I contacted Startup Alleghenies and did a lot of research. I worked diligently on making sure I was compliant with the local laws and relied on guidance from Matt.”
Despite growing interest in her services, Jennifer wasn’t exactly sure how to proceed, so she sought help from Startup Alleghenies coach Matt Reckner who focused on Somerset County small businesses and entrepreneurs. Matt shared important information with Jennifer about business accounts and taxes, and also helped her to access free resources through local colleges for marketing and promotion.
“My biggest challenge so far was just getting a small business started. I did not know what to do or what steps to take to make it official. I contacted Startup Alleghenies and did a lot of research,” she said. “I worked diligently on making sure I was compliant with the local laws and relied on guidance from Matt. I also have been reading books to help me understand how to be a successful entrepreneur.”
The future looks bright for Jenny on the Spot. Jennifer has set some exciting goals for growing her business, helping more clients and offering opportunities to prospective employees.
“My first goal for the near future is to market my business on social media platforms, through continued word of mouth and referrals. I am a small business in the community right now but plan to grow statewide in the next few years. My second goal is to gain enough clients to hire employees. My vision is to have a company where people ‘want to work’ rather than one where they ‘have to work.’ I believe this is one way I can make a positive impact. I want my clients to see that there are good people who care about doing great work with a lot of pride.”
Startup Alleghenies helps startup and emerging small businesses succeed by providing free coaching to entrepreneurs in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon and Somerset counties. To access personal, one-on-one support from a coach in your county, including guidance, resources, tools and networking opportunities, sign up at startupalleghenies.com.
