Clean Scene
A few years ago Anthony and Deborah Edwards constantly struggled to make ends meet. They lived in a housing commission home on their combined yearly income of $22,000, and a lack of formal education and confidence seemed to prevent them from moving forward – they also feared their sons were destined to live the same life.
But Deborah and Anthony had a business idea and determination. They completed NEIS through Mission Australia Campbelltown and, as Deborah explains “developed a confidence within that we have never known before which feeds our drive to succeed.”
Clean Scene, a business which offers cleaning and maintenance services to commercial, industrial and residential clients was the result of their period on NEIS. It’s a little different to the original idea that they went in with – that of cleaning and maintaining artificial plants – but it’s one that is now turning over around $100,000 per year.
“NEIS has literally changed my life by forcing me to push through my fears and go out into the world to being making money immediately,” said Deborah. “Without that push I have gone back home and stayed their and never known just what I am capable of!”
Deborah and Anthony found the training and business plan process and the mentoring to be very beneficial to their business.
“Our mentor has always been a great help and the lessons we have learned from him have not only helped our business, but our life in general. He taught us how to set goals and create a plan to achieve them, start a savings plan, manage GST and create a budget,” said Anthony. “We have a lot of respect for him because he seems to have created the perfect balance between family and work, which is another one of our goals.”
Thanks to NEIS, Anthony and Deborah have developed a successful business and in turn the business success has turned around their private life. They are in the process of moving out of the housing commission home into a private rental and are giving back to the community through the charity organization which once they needed.
“We have officially broken the cycle of poverty and now our sons have the opportunity to learn from us as we can now given them the skills to create a future to be proud of,” they said.