Today we’d like to introduce you to Tonya Loy
Hi Tonya, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Well I would like to go all the way back to my childhood. My parents didn’t have a lot of money but we had love. Family is everything over here. We spent Saturday nights playing board games. Our summer camping trips and holidays were packed with family, fun, food and an overwhelming amount of decorations, especially Christmas. Hard work was instilled in me at a young age. My brother and I had daily chores and spent our summers helping my dad install carpet and other types of flooring. I also started babysitting at a young age then by the time I was 15 I got my first official job at Molly’s Flower Pot in Oak Ridge, TN. I learned about customer service, how to use a register, signage and a bunch about annuals and perennials. I had so many of different jobs during my 20’s then I had my first daughter in 2011 and started to take life more serious. It wasn’t until i was attending college and working for a cleaning company, in 2015, when I realized I could work for myself while in college. So I quit my job, cleaned houses on the weekends and attended Roane State in hopes of getting into the Dental Hygiene program. Long story short, I didn’t meet the requirements to get into the program so I finished off some classes so I could receive my Associate of Science degree. Once my daughter watched me walk the stage is when I dove head first into Cottage Keepers. I started with about four clients and by 2018 I had my official Cottage Keepers name. In 2020 I had my second daughter and thought I would never be able to support two kids without government assistance. After the many ups and downs, especially during Covid. I am still going strong and pushing myself to get this company stamped and sealed in Oak Ridge for many years to come. January of 2024 I made my company official and filed for my company name and LLC. That opened the door for my biggest client, Bir Luxury Landing, to contact me. I will be at my ten year anniversary mark in January of 2025 and I have to say I’m going into this anniversary with a bang. I have an official office space now and some exciting contracts coming up in January. It has been an exciting year and can’t wait to see what next year holds for Cottage Keepers cleaning service.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Oh man! My favorite phrase is “how can you measure success without a struggle?”. There are many bumps along the road of entrepreneurship. Years ago I was heading to a clients house in south Knoxville with my v8 Ford Explorer completely on E just to realize I was locked out of the clients house, therefore I wasn’t getting paid. I have the ability to always find a way out of no way. I found a way to get myself back home and unpaid but at least I made it home. I learned to appreciate the small things. Then in July of 2023 my brother, Jeremy, passed away and it hit home like no other. At that time I felt like my company was stagnant and struggling. Overwhelmed with grief and a hustle mentality I hit the ground running. Call me crazy but I truly believe my brother played a huge part in my growth since his passing. He was a lot of things but he really believed in my business and would brag to friends about it. So my struggles have showed me how to become successful and without them Cottage Keepers wouldn’t still be here.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Cottage Keepers is a cleaning service that covers Anderson, Knox and Roane counties. We specialize in post construction/remodel, deep and reoccurring cleans. We are a detailed oriented company and pay particular attention to the small details. We offer high quality work at a reasonable rate. Reliability and consistency is the backbone of this company. We want your home to feel like something in a home and garden type of magazine. We also offer many other services like window and oven cleans.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My clients deserve the credit all day along with my parents. Word of mouth has been my biggest marketing move. Basically, my work speaks for itself. Most of my clients live in Norris simply because of referrals. Susan Gates, owner of The Velvet Pug in Clinton, TN has been with me the entire ten years. A special Client named Barb moved to Memphis years ago. She has a special place in my heart and we still speak every once in a while. She knew I would make something of myself with this cleaning business. My mom, Brenda, has always been my motivation and my biggest supporter. She is the woman that made me as strong as I am. I’ don’t know where I would be in this world without her love, help and support. My daddy, Eddie is the man that raised me to be the hardworking lady I am. He also played a huge part in teaching me how to manage my money which is something that still plays a part in my life.
Pricing:
- Deep Cleans start at .17 cents a square foot
- Oven Cleaning $65
- Turkey Time Promo: $10 off Oven Cleaning until December 9th
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Cottagekeepersllc.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cottagekeeperscleaningservice
