In February 2019, as a single mother facing financial challenges, Tandra Jordan was determined to find a solution. Initially, she sought a quick fix by working with Jan-Pro, a commercial cleaning service in Little Rock, Arkansas. She secured her first accounts but soon realized it wasn’t enough to sustain her.

Determined to learn more, Tandra researched how the company secured its clients and discovered they worked with larger facility maintenance companies. Inspired, she followed their lead, and soon, by the grace of God, her phone started ringing with new opportunities.

This success motivated her to start her own business, Ms. Tan’s OCD Cleaning Service, offering commercial and residential cleaning services, including carpets, windows, pressure washing, junk removal, and floor maintenance such as stripping, waxing, and buffing. Tandra manages contracts, billing, and human resources, hiring employees and contractors as needed. She also offers janitorial services to contracted locations.

As her business grew and new contracts poured in, Tandra encountered a major cash flow issue. Despite the influx of work, her contract receivable turnover stretched beyond 30 days, leaving her unable to cover the rising payroll costs. To address this, she connected with the Entrepreneurship Team at Communities Unlimited (CU), who helped her set a cash goal to cover payroll and catch up on delayed receivables.

With technical assistance from CU Management Consultant Tracy Cook, Tandra implemented accrual accounting, which accurately tracked her revenue and accounts receivable. As they corrected her books and generated reliable financial statements, Tandra realized she had surpassed $300,000 in revenue during the first three quarters of the year — something she hadn’t known. Tracy then developed financial projections to determine how much cash she needed to keep the business running smoothly.

Looking ahead, Tandra faced a new challenge:

“I’m getting ready to take on three new buildings. I’ll have to get them staffed, but I won’t get paid for probably 45 days.”

Understanding the strain this would place on her cash flow, Tracy referred her to CU’s Lending Team. Tandra applied for a loan, which she closed on in September 2024. The loan from CU will help her manage cash flow from her previous growth and provide the funds needed to staff and operate her new contracts.

Tandra explained that CU’s assistance wasn’t just about gaining financial freedom — it was about eliminating the stress of waiting for payments. Previously, she often faced slow-paying customers, which left her in limbo. The loan brought much-needed relief, allowing her to make payroll while waiting for payments to come through.