EXECUTIVE SUITE: A clean career move

When Teresa Ward was pondering her next career move, she didn't have to go far to find the answer.

"I found that I was compulsively cleaning my home - timing myself, seeing how I could become better and more efficient," she says.

Ward launched Teresa's Family Cleaning in 1993, cleaning a couple homes a day. Today, the Rocky Point-based company cleans homes - using only environmentally friendly chemicals - all over Long Island. In 2009, Ward won a Small Business Person of the Year award for the state and region.

Ward, 51, serves on the boards of the Association of Residential Cleaning Services International and Long Island Advancement of Small Business.

She is married and has three children. Her husband, Kevin, handles operations for the business.What did you do before starting the company?"I didn't have experience in the cleaning industry." She worked for her family's fuel oil company (in the same building where her company is now located). "I basically worked 16 years in a service company, so I just transferred those skills, from dispatching and working that type of business to running a cleaning company."

How did you learn how to manage people?

"I think that's something that's instilled in you. I don't think you can learn that. I've always been a leader. The people that work for me are like family - I'm sure you hear that all the time."

How has the recession affected the company?

"I've been in business for 16 years, so it really hasn't affected me that badly. I know people that would rather cut off their right arm than lose their cleaning company. In fact, I've actually increased my business. I attribute that to networking and being out there."

Do you believe that the recession is over?"I believe that we're coming out of it, yeah. My phones are ringing off the hook, so that makes me very happy."

How do you deal with competition?"We're an independent company. There are franchises on Long Island - franchises can only cover a certain area. [But] I take over the whole Island. Being on the board of the Association of Residential Cleaning Services - they actually come to me and I help them in different areas if they need help. I work with them. So there's my company, franchises and small people that work out of the trunk of their car that have their ad in the Yankee Trader. We're pretty much established."

Tell me about something you have on display that's meaningful to you.

Selecting a national award in her conference room, she says, "This award I won from Cleaning for a Reason - it has my sister's name [inscribed] on the back. We serviced the most free cleanings in 2007." After her sister died of cancer in 2003, Ward joined the national organization, which provides free or at-cost services for women undergoing chemotherapy.

CORPORATE SNAPSHOT

NAME:

Teresa Ward

TITLE:

President

COMPANY:

Teresa's Family Cleaning

BUSINESS:

Residential and commercial cleaning company

LOCATION:

Rocky Point

TYPE:

Private company

REVENUE:

$1.5 million annually

EMPLOYEES:

52