Streak Free Window Cleaning funded with ECDI microloan

When Paul Gomez found himself out of a job in 2014, he told himself, “You don’t go forward all the way just to end up where you started.” Due to his employer going out of business, he made the choice to turn his 26-year window-cleaning career into his own venture – Streak Free Window Cleaning.

By 2015, Gomez had essentially cashed out his savings to buy equipment for the business and soon realized it would take more capital to make success a reality as the challenge evolved into securing funding for payroll, a work vehicle, commercial insurance, and licensing.

“I hired one of the employees who I used to work with at the old company before it went out of business, as well as an office person, and from there we started the business. But after getting all of the equipment, a vehicle, licensing, etc., I knew we needed financing to stay ahead,” said Gomez.

Armed with his experience in the field, his access to an already established client base through his previous employer, and his willingness to seek out help, Gomez found himself in the hands of the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce. He was then pointed in the direction of ECDI and the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, who work together closely in northwest Ohio to support local entrepreneurs like himself.

One of Streak-Free Window Cleaning's workers cleaning the windows on a high-rise using special equipment

ECDI, a statewide SBA lender, provides small business loans – ranging from $500-$350,000 – to help low-income, low-wealth, and other disadvantaged people and communities join the economic mainstream.

“The ECDI program is designed to address the needs of aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners in the creation and expansion of their businesses. Since 2013, the microlending partnership between ECDI and the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority has distributed more than $1 million to 43 businesses in northwest Ohio,” said Craig Teamer, manager, finance and special projects, Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority.

According to Gomez, ECDI was there to provide the capital he needed to get going, and combined with the business classes that the Port Authority offered, Streak Free Window Cleaning exceeded projections after its very first year in business.

“You have to have good people like ECDI that will help you succeed, and you have to be open to that help. You need to have cash flow and payroll set in place, and ECDI helped us with that. It was very important to us because it helped us move forward and without it, we would be in a much different situation,” said Gomez.

Since securing the microloan in 2015, as well as two other loans from ECDI for payroll, Gomez has fully enjoyed being his own boss and is committed to business growth and sustainability, now having approximately 130 accounts in the northwest Ohio area and adding a few more employees.

“I think what sets us apart is we are one of the only companies in the area that specialize in high-rise, and we perform that on ropes. A lot of companies will do what they call stage, but we do rope work. We’re a dying breed, honestly. And on top of that, our customers always tell me that my guys are great and if they need anything, we’ll do it,” said Gomez.

Gomez is equally as committed to the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority and understands the integral role that it played in helping him establish his business and knows that there are other local entrepreneurs like himself reaching at success.

“I would recommend that all small companies that are just starting out go to the Toledo Chamber of Commerce, ECDI, and the Port Authority. They are there to help you and can point you in any and every direction that you would need. If I don’t know something, they are there to help. Even if they didn’t know something right off the top of their head, they will go find the answer for you. A lot of companies are part of the Chamber of Commerce, and they help you make connections. Without them, I wouldn’t have the information, the connections, the financing, and ultimately, I wouldn’t have survived and they have been great to this day,” said Gomez.

The future is bright for Gomez as he looks to continue to grow the business and purchase an office to house the business. His formula of hard work and openness to collaboration has been Streak Free Window Cleaning’s lifeline, noted Gomez.