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Carmen Montes and Carlos Barcenas contributed to this story.
Family comes first for Olga Cabrales.
So, when the opportunity to change her career path presented itself in a way that would allow Olga to see her family more, as well as work with them every day, she knew she found the right business.
Originally from Ciudad Laredo, Durango, in Mexico, Olga has lived in the U.S. for 23 years and has been an entrepreneur for most of her life. In 2009, she worked hard to open a Mexican restaurant in Wayne, Nebraska, and operated it for two and a half years.
But when the restaurant began taking too much time away from her husband and children, Olga found a better way to make a living.
With encouragement and a loving push from her sister, Olga decided to start cleaning houses. She took advantage of her free time and cleaned residential homes before and after opening and closing her restaurant each day.
“I have always done something like making food from home or taking on odd jobs,” said Olga. “I never stopped working. As a matter of fact, when I was about to close the restaurant I already had homes to clean.”
As time went on, Olga found more places to clean, and clients started to recognize her for her skills in painting, cleaning, and home repairs.
The business owner took on enough clients that she was able to close her restaurant for good in August 2011. A few months later, Olga officially opened Innovation Cleaning Services, LLC, based out of Omaha, Nebraska.
During the pandemic, Olga turned to the Center for Rural Affairs and was able to get a $5,000 loan to buy materials and equipment for her cleaning business. Center staff guided her through the process.
“I worked with Olga on a business loan,” said Veronica Spindola, Center Latino loan specialist. “She is very proactive, constantly trying to find better options for her business, and is always updating her business practices, and follows business advice frequently.”
Olga also sought out extra assistance from the Center in the form of training workshops including cleaning classes, accounting workshops, and more.
“The Center has been very helpful in all areas, from education to financial,” said Olga. “We have been fortunate to be able to work with the Center. We were not expecting help during the difficulty of the pandemic. Now we are blessed with work and are staying busy, and that encourages us to do our best.”
Olga works with her husband and son, as well as with her daughters when they have time off from college. She hopes to see her business grow commercially, as well as residentially. In addition to cleaning, they have begun doing outdoor and indoor painting as well as staining decks.
This aspect of her business has taken off so well that she recently modified the business to focus more on painting, complete with a new name—VC Star Painting, named as a way to show Olga’s appreciation of her husband, Victor Cabrales.
“I spend more time with my family because we work together,” said Olga. “I plan my schedule so that we are together at home, and we are able to plan our family time around the work schedule. That has been our priority, and that was my motivation to leave the restaurant business. I love this type of business more than any other business I’ve had.”
And even when business is slow, Olga and her family never get discouraged.
“We’ve figured out that there are slow seasons and busy seasons, and we just learn to manage it as it comes,” she said. “I think everyone has opportunities, it’s just a matter of taking them, and getting up and going for it. That’s what it’s been for us. We are at a good stage with big jobs. We do our best in offering good pricing and never forget where we started.”
Eventually, Olga hopes to expand her business to other cities and states.
“With everything we know and the recommendations we’ve gotten, I know it’s possible, God willing,” said Olga. “We want to have the privilege of managing a big company. We are saving right now so that we can invest in materials, tools, and in another vehicle, and not just get comfortable with ourselves, because we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. This is our dream, to be able to manage our company, but also help others by providing employment.”
Olga said the Center is one of the reasons she strives to continue growing her business.
“People always ask me how I did it, and I always tell them that getting to know the Center and how it helps small businesses has been of great help to me to get my business running,” Olga said. “My experience with the Center has been amazing; staff are always looking out for our well-being and our success. We are privileged to be able to receive this help—assistance in finance, education, advice, and that Center staff are our guide to help us grow as a business, and that motivates us as business owners.”
Do you have business aspirations like Olga? To learn more about the Center’s small business training sessions or to apply for a loan, visit cfra.org/lending.
At a glance
VC Star Painting, LLC
Olga Cabrales
15712 Valley St.
Omaha, Nebraska
402.419.6062
Hours: Monday through Friday, with exceptions for urgent requests
Facebook
Photos submitted by Olga.
