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Tenisha Neal wasn’t intending to start her own business, but wound up on that path a few years ago after a high-risk pregnancy meant she couldn’t continue to work as a truck driver. With a baby on the way and doctor’s appointments stacking up, Neal needed a way to earn money without leaving her home for long periods of time.
Neal searched for remote roles, but nothing really fit until she found an unexpected answer in other people’s laundry, reports SLM’s Emily Adams. She found the nationwide laundry delivery-platform Poplin allowed her the flexibility to reach appointments, prepare for her son’s arrival, and earn money on her own schedule.
With service starting around $1 a pound, customers can schedule pickups through the app and independent “Laundry Pros” will pick up, wash, dry, fold, and return clothing.
“When I found Poplin, it took away the stress,” Neal tells Adams. “It took away that heavy mental load of having to think about how can I make money, buy my child things, put gas in my car.”
Go Deeper: The flexibility was essential for Neal, who continued doing laundry through Poplin after her son, Dario, was born. Soon, she noticed another service many of her customers needed in addition to getting their clothes cleaned.
“There [were] a lot of customers that when I would meet them at the door they [would] ask if I knew any house cleaners,” Neal says. “At first I wasn’t really too big on wanting to clean people’s houses, but that is something I actually love to do.”
Neal realized she’s always asking to clean when visiting a friend or family member’s home. She decided to give it a shot, eventually starting TNDC Laundry and House Cleaning Services and applying what she picked up from her experience with Poplin, such as providing photos for her customers.
“They're allowing somebody in their house that they do not know, so when they get before and after pictures, they actually can see a difference, versus them just walking into their home being like, ‘Oh, I can see somebody's been here,’” Neal says. “They're always so eager to get home, and the biggest thing that I always get when they finally do get home is a text message that says, "Oh my god, my house smells so good, and my floors look amazing.’”
What’s Next: Since starting her cleaning company, Neal now has a few employees to help when she’s booked to clean much larger homes before they get listed for sale. She’s also forming bonds with her customers. One client’s daughter actually gifted her with a nearly new washer and dryer after the woman’s death, and Neal has gotten a second hookup so she can run two loads at once, doubling her capacity. Says Neal, “That was a huge blessing.” —Eric Schmid
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