April 2017 Winner – Bass Coast Cleaning & Property Maintenance
We are pleased to advise the winner of the April 2017 3AW Momentum Energy Small Business Success Award is: Bass Coast Cleaning & Property Maintenance
This business was started as a necessity in this regional area as there were no other businesses of this kind. The owner started out in the garage of her own home with herself and one employee. It very quickly grew with new clients wanting their homes cleaned, so more employees were hired and this business had to lease an office in Koo Wee Rup, the home garage was no longer a viable option to operate from.
From residential homes (through word of mouth) it gained the Lonsdale Building Group and Metricon Building Group cleaning contract and the Bass Gas contract for 5 years.
Bass Coast Cleaning & Property Maintenance has now moved into Garden Maintenance.
It originally started as a local area business, but has now expanded to Bass Coast, Phillip Island, Cardinia, Casey, Bayside, Mornington Peninsula and Melbourne.
Bass Coast Cleaning & Property Maintenance also manages bed & breakfast properties in and around the Bass Coast area, Cowes, Phillip Island, Inverloch etc.
The company also provides a service to the homeless in the Bass Coast area, through Clean as Casper which is a business that provides showers and launders the clothes of the homeless people so that after they shower they have clean clothing to put on, giving them some self-respect and self-esteem. The laundry service is provided free of charge as a community service.
Staff that work for Bass Coast Cleaning all have mental health issues, from anxiety, depression, bi polar etc. The owner of this business found that people with these issues were stigmatised and found it very difficult to find employment.
Through word of mouth, people who were looking for work found that this business would employ them. At the moment Bass Coast Cleaning & Property Maintenance employs 10 people with mental health issues who would otherwise still be on unemployment benefits. More importantly it gives these amazing people, a chance to contribute back to their local communities. It gives them a reason to get up in the morning. It also shows these people’s children that mental health issue’s does not stop you from achieving your goals. Owner of Bass Coast Cleaning herself has mental health issues so identifies with her staff about theirs.
This business is more than a “work place” it is a “home environment” for the staff eg: if a staff member can’t find a babysitter so they can go to work, the owner will babysit the child in her office for that staff member.
Our reason for selecting this business is in acknowledgment of the growth of their business in a regional area and their unique contribution to the local community in providing practical philanthropic help to homeless and their use of people who are disadvantaged as employees.
Name: Lanie Lawer
Business Name: Bass Coast Cleaning & Property Maintenance
Address: 276 Rossiter Road, Koo Wee Rup, Australia
Phone Number: 0421 948 225
Email: basscoastcleaning@gmail.com
Left: Paul Geason – Managing Director Momentum Energy, Centre Left: Rohini Kappadath – representing Victorian State Government, Centre Right: Lanie Lawer – Bass Coast Cleaning & Property Maintenance, Right: Denis Walter – 3AW Afternoon Announcer