Executive summary
I started Home Haven in Fair Lawn in 2019. Over six years it grew to 300+ recurring clients across Bergen and Passaic counties, and 200 to 300 of them came back year after year. We did leaves, snow and lawns by season, plus attic and basement clean-outs, junk removal and basic repairs, with jobs ranging from $60 to $1,500.
My role
Founder and director of operations. I recruited and trained the team, wrote the standard operating procedures for the more complex jobs, and ran operations day to day.
The problem
Home upkeep changes with the season: leaves in the fall, snow in the winter, lawns in the summer, and clean-outs and repairs in between. Homeowners want one crew they can call back for all of it.
What I did
- Recruited 5 to 10 staff and trained them by having new people shadow me or experienced team members.
- Wrote standard operating procedures for the more complex jobs.
- Grew from Fair Lawn to towns across two counties, including Ridgewood, Glen Rock, Paterson and Paramus.
- Surveyed clients with the standard Net Promoter question: how likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague?
Results and sources
| Figure | What it measures | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 300+ | Recurring clients over six years (booked two or more times) | Self-reported (résumé) |
| 200 to 300 | Clients who came back year after year | Reported by Yuval |
| +54 | Net Promoter Score, from a client survey | Client survey |
| 91% | On-time delivery | Self-reported (résumé) |
| $17,500 | Revenue, up 550% over six years | Self-reported (résumé) |
| $60 to $1,500 | Price range per job | Reported by Yuval |
Figure under review.
Materials
Lessons
Repeat business comes from consistency more than marketing. Having new staff shadow experienced people, and writing SOPs for the harder jobs, meant a client got the same result every time, so they booked again the next season.