Connecting Company and Customer Values for Success

In 2001, Steven Harper made the decision to leave the corporate world after working for several fortune 500 companies. He chose to start his own commercial cleaning company, Spectrum Building Services of America. His goal was to build a company where he could leave his mark, instill his core values, and achieve personal and professional balance. While working in the corporate world, he endured 60 to 70-hour work weeks and did not take a vacation for 10 years. He realized that to achieve his goals, he needed to grow not only as a leader but also by acquiring new customers and providing career opportunities for employees. Recognizing that flexibility was crucial, he understood that he had to spend his time working on the business, not just in the business. Steven credits his employees, continual growth as a leader, and flexibility for the company’s continual growth. In 2023, he realized they needed to spend time focusing on their branding effort. The epiphany he had was understanding his company’s “why.” His realization was that companies don’t buy from customers because they do a good job; they buy from them because they buy into why they’re doing what they’re doing. They bought into their “why.” From this, his company was able to create their mission. One of the biggest takeaways was being able to attract the right customers through digital marketing and account-based marketing. But most importantly, they want to align themselves with companies that share their values. The mission they came up with is to be “caretakers and stewards, restoring and enriching spaces so businesses can thrive.”