Hidden Gems: Meet Dawn Hollier of Sparkleyard

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dawn Hollier

Hi Dawn, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started Sparkleyard Outdoor Maids to address a personal problem. I like to entertain, and before every party I would spend hours cleaning the furniture and grooming the plants in my yard. Neither my indoor maid nor my gardener had the skills or inclination to do the work, and there was no company I could find to handle these “in-between” requests.

So, in 2014, I launched Los Angeles’ first outdoor maid service with my gardening acumen, maniacal attention to detail, an old RAV4, and plenty of dreams!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Maintaining a consistent team of workers is the first thing that comes to mind, it’s been a constant challenge. I’ve been in business for over ten years, and during that time finding, training, managing, and keeping workers has often been difficult. That said, I am lucky to have several long-term employees, and I couldn’t have done it without them.

Another challenge is the findability of my business, since there are no other companies offering the combination of services with a white glove approach, people don’t know how to search for me or even realize that this type of business exists. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Sparkleyard Outdoor Maids is the only service of its kind in Los Angeles. We fill in where your housekeeper and gardener leave off. It’s women-owned, offering equal opportunities and customizable service plans for white glove detailing and cleaning of backyards, patios, decks, furniture, grills, play structures…basically if it’s outside we clean it! From a spring cleaning to a party prep to weekly maintenance, we’ve got your back…yard!

Our clients have high expectations, and we strive to exceed them. We’ve got a great team! You can trust us to communicate clearly, to be transparent and fair in our pricing, and to keep all your exterior spaces looking their best. Who else is going to make it happen without having to worry about it yourself? We’re here to alleviate your stress and help you relax and enjoy your yard!

We offer FREE QUOTES to all potential clients. This entails sending one of our sales representatives to your home, who will walk through every area and discuss your needs…often times we will even notice things to sparkle that are off your radar!

The quotes we send are itemized, so you can pick and choose a la carte. It’s so cool when our clients realize the full service potential that Sparkleyard can provide, including pride of ownership, protection of paint, fabric, vinyl, metal and other surfaces for longevity, plus the freedom from the sheer amount of time, effort, and stress that managing outdoor living spaces requires.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I started by offering the service for free to other moms at my kid’s school and grew from there. It was nice to have a supportive community to give me feedback as I figured out what I was doing. Since there weren’t other businesses to model Sparkleyard on, I chose to learn about indoor housekeeping services, searching them out on social media. I also did plenty of googling such as “how to start a cleaning business,” which led me to pros offering their training programs (for a fee).

There’s also a program called SCORE that offers free business advising throughout the city, basically it’s retired business people providing advice (giving back, which is cool!) It was hit-and-miss, but it was definitely a great resource. I have also attended the annual cleaning convention a few times, and there were excellent networking opportunities there. So, I guess open-minded research and networking is my best advice.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sparkleyard.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sparkleyardla/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sparkleyard
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sparkleyard-outdoor-maids-los-angeles-2