This week we heard about I.S. Cleaning – a Holland-based company started by a St. Maarten student – collaborating with officials from the Commercial Enterprise branch of the Chinese government. WEEKender was curious to find out more about this company and its amazing success.
The company began in The Hague in 2013, the realization of a vision by Leandra Leslie-Cyntjie. Her background in Web Design and Accounting gave her the tools to take on this enormous challenge. The company was restructured in 2016 when it gained two additional partners, Luis Hurtault and Kimberly Nijon, both also young St. Maarten students studying in the Netherlands.
Hurtault took the position of Operations Manager, which requires overseeing the day to day operations and administrative duties. Nijon took on the task of marketing and managing the human relations. Leslie-Cyntjie kept her oversight as the Chief Financial Officer. The company holds a one-million-euro general liability insurance policy, in case of damages.
I.S. Cleaners has developed a wide client list, including homes of residents, many of whom are ex-pats and students, but also offices, schools, day care centres, hostels and guesthouses (Air BnB) and villas. They also sell cleaning products and appliances through their web-shop.
Company partners consider the strength of their business to be the professionalism and dedication of their cleaning staff. High on their list of attributes are their honesty, fast-paced work ethic, punctuality and the ability to be discrete. The in-house training stresses these qualities and many others, and often takes on interns into their ranks.
Commercial clients can opt for daily, weekly, or monthly cleaning contracts. The services extend to homes, offices, hostels, vacation villas, and include the cleaning of all areas, including vacuuming and sweeping, polishing all surfaces, mopping floors, washing dishes, cleaning inside the refrigerators, ovens, kitchen cabinets, sinks, mirrors, restrooms and stairways. The laundry services include ironing and organizing closets.
The Chinese delegation visited the company in The Hague earlier this month, seeking to exchange ideas and gain some expertise regarding running a cleaning company. The group comprised representatives from some 20 enterprises, including environment protection technology companies, cleaning companies and property management companies. Executive Vice President of the Cleaning Branch of China Commercial Enterprises Management Association, Ms. Gong Na commented, “China has a very large market of cleaning, environment protection technology and property management companies that has developed; however, studies have recently been carried out that show China has much room for growth in this sector.”
One of the delegation’s stated goals was to understand the I.S. Cleaning operating system, the daily management organization and the company’s ideas of cleaning standards. Marketing Manager Nijon gave a presentation of I.S. Cleaning’s organization and web-shop activities. The delegation got to tour I.S. Cleaning’s facilities and was introduced to I.S. Cleaning products and technologies. I.S. Cleaning founder Leslie-Cyntjie shared, “I am delighted to have the opportunity to share our business expertise and success with the China delegates and to also explore opportunities of working together in the future.”
At the end of the visit, the groups exchanged gifts, and Nijon thanked them for their visit and their generous gifts. The delegation hopes to further promote investment and economic exchanges for both parties, and to pursue other cooperation opportunities. Leslie-Cyntjie says she hopes to explore similar business opportunities in St. Maarten.
Want to know more about these young St. Maarteners making success look easy? Check out their facebook page iscleanup or their website www.iscleanup.com
