Favorite Parts of Working in the Cleantech Industry as an Owner and CEO
Sean, the Owner and CEO of Cleantech Inc., finds the cleaning industry appealing because, despite being a "mature industry" where "the bar's just so damn low," there's immense opportunity for growth and positive change by creating a "socially responsible enterprise" that prioritizes community impact, proper training, and ethical practices, easily setting themselves apart in a field often characterized by minimal standards and a lack of care. The low expectations and prevalent "one towel method," paradoxically, make it "wonderful to be in" due to the ease of differentiation through ethical and caring service.
Entrepreneurship, Cleaning Industry, Social Responsibility, Business Ethics, Industry Innovation
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Sean Meer
Owner, CEO
Cleantech Inc.
Arizona State University (ASU) - W. P. Carey
Finance
Consulting & Related Professional Services, Real Estate
Sales and Client Management
Scholarship Recipient, Greek Life Member, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Room for growth in a mature industry: Cleaning is an old and essential profession with increasing demand for higher standards and socially responsible practices.
2. Opportunity to differentiate: The industry often lacks proper training and awareness regarding cross-contamination and hygiene, making it easy to stand out by prioritizing quality and care.
3. Low barrier to entry and impact: The industry's accessibility allows for significant community impact and the ability to create a socially responsible enterprise focused on quality and care.
Transcript
What do you enjoy most about your industry?
I enjoy my industry because of how much room for growth there is. It is a very mature industry. Cleaning is probably one of the oldest professions in the world.
I feel people at various points in history have always demanded public sanitation of some sort. It started, I should probably do some research on this, but I think back to probably the Roman Empire, and they had to sweep the streets to prevent the spread of disease or something.
It's always been here and it's always been known as the worst thing in the world. Like, what's the worst job? The worst job is a janitor, by and large. A lot of people say that, and I think that's a terrible thing because it's so important. If all the janitors disappeared, the world would have a lot of issues.
People don't understand how much it takes to keep a big facility clean, and it's a thankless job because they just expect that it's going to be perfectly clean. I like that in my industry because it seems like no one has really come into this industry to figure out how to make a socially responsible enterprise that really cares about what they're doing for their community and how they're doing it.
The bar is just so low. All you need is a broom, which is much cheaper than a vacuum. You could have a broom and a mopping bucket, or if you don't want that, you could just buy a Swiffer and one towel.
You can use that one towel to clean all the toilets, and then you can go clean all the people's desks and kitchens with that same towel, spreading disease everywhere. You can do it for very cheap, and that's what a lot of the industry is. That's why it's so wonderful to be in.
Because the more people that are getting educated about this one-towel method and the lack of training about cross-contamination or infectious disease control, it's very easy to set yourself apart in such a s****y industry. It's not like I'm competing with aerospace companies that have multi-billion dollar budgets. This is an easy industry; you just have to be nice and caring.