Going GreenHouse, the Tempe-based residential housecleaning company that uses exclusively non-toxic products, announced its acquisition of Essential Cleaning, another cleaning company with a similar business model and mindset. This acquisition will allow Going GreenHouse to expand its reach throughout the east valley, Phoenix and Scottsdale and to increase its client base, a longtime goal of company Founder April Prothero.

“I started cleaning houses just to get out of my cubicle a few days a week and at the time I was using non-toxic products that I made myself to clean my own house,” says Prothero on the humble beginnings of her business, which is on target to reach $1M in revenue with the recent acquisition. “At the time, I wasn’t sure what my vision was, but I knew I loved being active as well as the freedom and autonomy of working for myself.”

In less than a year she had enough clients in her housecleaning side business that she was able to quit her corporate job; soon after, she brought on her first employee. In the 12 years since she started her business, she has continued to maintain her mission of cleaning with non-toxic products and developed a culture of taking the best possible care of her clients and her employees.

“Using all non-toxic products is really important to me,” she says. “I don’t want to expose our team or our clients to chemicals,” she says, whose own allergy-induced asthma inspired her to go green when it comes to cleaning supplies that are non-toxic but still very effective.

But as her company grew she also wanted to be a good steward in other ways. She developed six core values as the foundation of her company — with communication with both her clients and employees being one of the most important.

“We really want to blow our clients away with personalized service,” she says. “We can take excellent care of our clients as long as we know exactly what they want and how they want it.”

That begins with a very comprehensive pre-consultation with clients so Going GreenHouse staff understands their needs and their specific intricacies — right down to where their cat curls up. Taking the stance that a house transformed with a thorough cleaning can help transform people’s lives, Prothero also wants her employees to feel proud of their work — and to enjoy their jobs. With that in mind, she schedules regular meetings with each employee so they can express any concerns — and even rate the company.

“I want them to feel valued and heard,” Prothero says. “I also want them to be able to communicate if they are unhappy.”

Since its inception, Going GreenHouse has grown to include 20 employees and with the recent acquisition, the company has adopted the non-toxic method of cleaning floors with a steam cleaner using essential oils, a concept Prothero had been wanting to add to her breadth of services.

With the acquisition, Prothero intends to add another important element to her company — giving back. As she has been grinding to grow and with that $1M revenue goal in close sight, Prothero wants to create a non-profit element of her company that helps people with mobility issues and seniors that are unable to clean their homes for themselves. She also hopes to join the Entrepreneurs’ Organization to learn more about being a leader, and to become an even better business owner — all with the goal of serving her clients, her team and her community to the best of her ability. A graduate of Arizona State University and a proud Sun Devil, Prothero is honored to be a four-time recipient of the Sun Devil 100 Award for the Top Sun Devil Entrepreneurs, which is based on annual revenue.

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