For the past 15 years, cleaning entrepreneur Seymour McKenzie has provided everything from hardwood floor cleaning and resurfacing to power washing and water damage restoration for both residential and commercial clients.
Now, the company he founded, See More Clean, has made a pandemic-driven pivot, providing personal protective equipment (PPE) and telehealth services in an effort to become a full-service operation focused on people's health.
“We want to turn this terrible Covid crisis into a plus," said Mark Sokol, an advisor to McKenzie. "We can touch a few lives by coming in as a cleaning company... but now, because of [our] technology, we can help those people that may be homebound or apartment-bound. With telehealth, we have an entree into the home, where instead of somebody going without medical advice, they can access telehealth with board-certified doctors or nurse practitioners via a smartphone or laptop."
McKenzie's Lynn-based company will soon launch two new websites: SeeMoreClean.com, a revamped site detailing See More Clean's cleaning services, and SeeMoreTelehealth.com, where the company will host telehealth services. Sokol said See More Clean has been working to add insurance providers to its telehealth system but did not disclose specific details.
Consumers will also be able to buy PPE from SeeMoreClean.com. The supplies can be purchased directly or as a subscription service, and they can be bought wholesale or retail and shipped worldwide.
See More Clean has added Covid-19-specific sanitizing and disinfecting services to its existing list of cleaning solutions. The cleaning teams at the company maintain social distancing, wear PPE and are knowledgeable on best practices to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
“I think that really encompasses how we’re separate from other companies," McKenzie said. "We took the time to learn how to use these chemicals. Anybody can spray it, but what are you spraying on? And what are you trying to prevent? It’s very important to be updated with the technology."
McKenzie launched a crowdfunding campaign at the end of January to support the growth of his company. The funds from this campaign, which has a goal of $75,000, will go toward supporting current employees, hiring new team members, expanding the company's list of board-certified providers and obtaining vehicles and equipment.
A Black entrepreneur, McKenzie said he turned to GoFundMe after experiencing difficulty obtaining a bank loan.
"I didn't have a relationship with the bank," McKenzie said. "I tried to apply for loans, and there was always a hurdle to go through. It was just one thing after another, and then you never get the loan."
With GoFundMe, McKenzie hopes to get a vote of confidence from potential customers in addition to funding. See More Clean plans to hire from the community, and McKenzie is working to increase his local involvement in other ways: See More Clean expects to donate a portion of its profits to organizations supporting Boston's homeless population.
In addition to SeeMoreClean.com and SeeMoreTelehealth.com, the company is also creating a new platform that is predicted to roll out in the fall, SeeMoreClassifieds.com. The website will allow people to list items or property they are selling, and interested consumers can purchase them on the platform. The difference between SeeMoreClassifieds.com and, say, Craigslist or eBay is that a portion of the proceeds from the company’s new platform will be donated, Sokol said.
“If you need to sell your home, or you're downsizing from your home and you have to sell your furniture, you can put it on SeeMoreClassifieds.com. It's a way to help local communities,” he said.
Emma Campbell is a contributing writer for BostInno.
