As the new Director of Development and Communications, one of my favorite aspects of the role is sharing the work our clients are doing. From concept to launch, it is an honor to witness every client’s journey. Although…who better to tell their story than the client themselves! I hope you enjoy this inspiring story of a single mom who took a chance on herself as much as I did! – Director of Development and Communications
We’ve recently touched base with one of Ventures past clients, Gea Bassett, founder/owner of Green Cleaning Seattle – Otium-Maid Services™ (GCS), located in the Fremont area of Seattle. Originally from Ohio, Gea has been living in Seattle since 2004. She began working with Ventures (then WA Cash) in 2009, when she started taking the first steps toward starting her own business. At that time, Gea was in school for an MA in Education and was raising her toddler son. With no prior business experience, she came to Ventures seeking free or inexpensive business support and training programs. Through Ventures she also was guided toward other small business resources, such as L&I workshops, Chamber offerings, and the UW BEDC Business Assistance Program.
How did Green Cleaning Seattle come to be? Gea notes, “I started my cleaning company not realizing I was ‘starting a cleaning company’: I needed to find a way to make money and also have a schedule that allowed me to be in school full time and take care of my child. My grandmother, who my mother and I lived with growing up, was a Serbian immigrant and a housecleaner for private households. She fit in housecleaning side jobs as a way to try to make ends meet for our family. Being familiar with domestic work as an option to take care of a family, I posted free ads on Craigslist offering house cleaning services. Within months I had several clients and needed to think about my next steps: would I pursue a career in teaching and education or learn about business and how to grow my cleaning company. I chose the latter.
I started looking for business support programs that would help me learn how to start a business legally – how to obtain a business license, what business taxes I needed to pay (and who to pay them to), what advertising and marketing entailed, what a business plan was. I had no money at all. I was seeking free or low cost help. I discovered Ventures. And I enrolled in their 8 week Business Basics Course. Ventures was the key that gave me access to all the other resources that I needed; they introduced me to other organizations, training and opportunities. Aside from this 8 week intro course with Ventures, I attended several of their other workshops that offered guidance on specific topics such as taxes or marketing. Ventures also helped connect me to other start-up, small business programs – such as the free, year long Business Assistance Program at the University of Washington.”
Fast forward 15 years – Green Cleaning Seattle – Otium-Maid Services™ (GCS) is an eco-safe home cleaning company with almost 30 employees. In 2014 GCS advocated for the $15hr minimum wage – but with a gradient incline that took into consideration business size to help small businesses prepare for higher costs. GCS was also the 2018 winner of the King County Executive’s Small Business of the Year – Green/Sustainable Business award. And Gea currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Seattle Domestic Workers Ordinance.
What makes GCS one of Seattle’s unique small businesses? Gea tells us more about the company’s mission and brand, and why we need to raise awareness not just about “green cleaning” but also about domestic workers themselves: “Green Cleaning Seattle prides itself on maintaining a respectful, diverse and inclusive work culture for our staff and clients. This has always been our mission. For us, “green” and “sustainable” isn’t just about environmental rights; it is also about human rights. Caring for the earth means also caring for all of those that reside on this planet and finding ways to support and sustain life on this planet in long-term, healthy ways. If we just used eco-safe cleaning products we would only be partially sustainable. And so it is here that we know there is more work to be done: the cleaning service industry, along with other domestic work services, are areas where safe working conditions do not exist. Many domestic workers live in the shadows: because domestic work is considered unskilled labor, and workers providing these services are generally unappreciated, many worker rights laws do not cover domestic workers. This lingering stigma – especially when domestic workers are employed by private households, or by businesses that operate with illegal practices, or when the domestic worker does not have work authorization – sets the stage for tremendous human rights violations. Data shows that employers and hiring entities steal billions of dollars yearly from worker’s paychecks. Domestic Work is not the only industry where wage theft occurs; however, workers in this industry are at high risk for wage theft and physical and emotional abuse. Wage theft hits low-income families the hardest. And forces them to rely more heavily on public assistance programs. As an employer of domestic workers, we have to address these issues. We appreciate the work that the City of Seattle is doing, along with the Seattle Department of Labor, to bring domestic worker protections to the forefront of our sanctuary city” Gea continues – and highlights the intersectionality of supporting environmental practices, domestic workers workers and also the importance of taking care of our city’s small businesses: “One of the things that makes Seattle unique certainly isn’t our Costcos or Amazons; it is our locally owned & operated organizations – such as Fremont Brewing, Theo Chocolates, The Tummy Temple, Casa Latina. And as a small business owner, I am a big supporter of small businesses. Our small businesses support real people, real families, here in our community; they also bring creativity, inspiration and diversity to our city. It is important to me that small businesses are cared for and supported here in Seattle. Many small businesses start out as workers themselves. Navigating the many laws and regulations and different departments in Seattle when starting a business is daunting. I don’t want small businesses to be punished when they too are just trying to figure things out and survive. I believe we need a more simple start-up package for small businesses in Seattle: a Seattle Small Business program that creates conditions where small businesses can become established and can continue to operate in this ever-inflating economy. Seattle is expensive and starting a business requires a lot of learning, focus and motivation. To help keep our city diverse, creative and inspiring we need to also prioritize the survival and support of small businesses. For this reason, I am very grateful for the work that Ventures continues to do to support, guide and protect small businesses”
-Gea
