Arkansas Small Business Gets A Clean Start

In 2019, when Healthcare workers were in high demand due to COVID-19, Tabatha Vail from Marion, Arkansas, earned her Master’s in Healthcare Administration. She aimed to further her healthcare career and eventually started working as a healthcare administrator at a nursing home.

However, Tabatha’s vision for her future quickly changed. In 2019, when she was finishing her education and getting ready to start her new career, Tabatha endured a personal tragedy. After a few months into her new role, Tabatha took a break.
Tabatha took time off work and even moved to another state to focus on herself and her family. She decided it was time for a change in her life, and the next part of her journey took her down a new but very familiar path.

Instead of leaving her family with childcare to go to a healthcare facility to care for someone else’s family, Tabatha decided she wanted a change. Tabatha knew her dream was to work for herself and be more involved in her children’s lives, so she started thinking.

When Tabatha was a child, her grandparents owned a professional cleaning business. Tabatha’s family had been in the cleaning business for several generations. Her grandfather owned a van, and as each child turned twelve, they would pile into it; her grandfather would drop each family member off at one of the businesses, and they would clean. Tabatha said her grandfather would reward them with a meal. She continued working at the family business through college.

Tabatha knew that if she returned to the cleaning business, she would be happy and gain some normalcy. In March of 2021, she formed T&J Cleaning Services LLC., an independent, licensed, full-service cleaning company that provides detailed cleaning for healthcare facilities, offices, Airbnb, and residential customers.

She used the initials T & J to represent her family members. Tabatha admits that starting a business was overwhelming, especially during a pandemic. She received her first contract in May of 2021 and kept busy behind the scenes with everything that goes into starting and maintaining a business.

In May 2023, Tabatha contacted Communities Unlimited (CU). She started working with Senior Economic Development Loan Officer Glenda Johnson on a loan to purchase new equipment and operating capital to expand her business.

Before her loan was finalized, Tabatha said she saw Glenda at an event on a panel, and her presentation was very detailed. “I took it as a confirmation that I chose the right lender. I had never been through something like this before, but I knew it would prepare me for something greater.” Tabatha concluded.

Glenda continued to assist Tabatha with her loan, and in the process, Tabatha was referred to CU’s Entrepreneurship Team. They worked with her to obtain minority certification status, which will help with financial reporting and contract negotiations.

Tabatha is continuing to grow her business by expanding from a one-person team to recently hiring two new staff members to become more efficient. The goal for her involvement is for Tabatha to transition to a point where she does all the networking and recruiting to promote T&J Cleaning Services even more.

Her drive, determination, and tragedies have paved the road so far, so she wants her business to continue to reflect where she has come from. Tabatha has made a point to connect with a local funeral home to provide assistance to families that are grieving a loss and work with people and businesses that have faced similar circumstances such as hers.

Tabatha’s plans for expanding T&J Cleaning Services include acquiring government contracts and employing more people. Her entrepreneurial drive will surely make the future of T&J Cleaning Services spotless.