Green Vision Cleansing: Minority-Owned Business of the Year
by Small Business Administration Marie Teme, founder and CEO of this year’s SBA Minority-Owned Business of the Year for Vermont, Green Vision Cleansing, doesn’t see a contradiction in having an MBA and working in the cleaning business. In fact, she proudly embraces her education and professional choices.
“One of the things that I’m trying to promote in my business,“ Teme said, “is that people don’t get value from a job simply because of the label. I have an MBA, and many people can’t accept that I am in the cleaning industry; they think it isn’t a decent job.
Photo: Marie Teme has grown her business from two to nine employees. Photo: Baldwin Photography.
“But this is what I am about. I want to empower my employees so they don’t feel like, ’Oh, I’m just a cleaning person.’ It is about owning that and knowing we are doing a valuable job and fixing problems in society. That’s what businesses do.“
Born in the Central African nation of Cameroon, Teme earned an MBA from Institut Supérieur de Management de Dakar in Senegal before moving to the United States in 2018 for a summer internship for international students.
In her application, Teme’s passion for Vermont was evident: she ranked it as her first, second and third choice for states she’d like to live and work in. Her decision has proven to be a fulfilling one. She has thrived in the Green Mountain State, building strong friendships and business relationships, and expressing deep gratitude for the opportunities the state has offered.
In 2019, Teme started Green Vision Cleansing, a residential green cleaning business in Burlington. The company specializes in eco-friendly and customized cleaning solutions that are formulated for human wellness.
GVC crafts its own cleaning solutions with pure essential oils, proven to kill bacteria and offer therapeutic and purifying results. These products are free from chemical residues, pesticides and contaminants, making them ideal for environmentally sensitive and conscious customers.
Clients can choose from a number of services, including deep cleanings, move-in and move-out cleanings, even post-construction cleanings for developers.
Teme has taken advantage of several local resources to support her entrepreneurial journey. Among the most beneficial has been SCORE, the nation’s largest network of volunteer business mentors, and a partner of the Small Business Administration.
Photo: Marie Teme has grown her business from two to nine employees. Courtesy photo.
Teme began working with her SCORE mentor, David Mount, in 2019, even before launching her business. She found the business counseling she received from Mount to be invaluable. Having someone to brainstorm with, even when the ideas seemed unconventional, proved to be extremely helpful.
“I remember when I had this brilliant idea of putting brochures in people’s mailboxes,“ she said. “I was so excited about the idea, I went to David and told him all about it. And he said to me, ’Oh no, Marie, if you do that, you’re going to jail!’ I didn’t know that it was illegal to open people’s mailboxes in the U.S.“
That’s one reason why finding a local business mentor, someone familiar with the intricacies of running a business in Vermont, was crucial. Coming from a different background, Teme greatly benefited from having locals guide her through the management aspects of her business.
Around the same time Teme began working with SCORE, she learned about Mercy Connections, a nonprofit organization that supports underserved adults in education and community. She joined their women’s small-business program initially to access market research resources, but soon realized the program offered much more. The networking opportunities, information about additional business resources and the chance to connect with fellow entrepreneurs proved invaluable to her.
Teme was so impressed with and thankful to Mercy Connections that she joined the organization’s board of directors.
“Mercy Connections is a place where hope is restored and dreams become visions,“ Teme wrote on the group’s website. “I am a proud graduate of the Women’s Small Business Program. Serving as a board member is a privilege to celebrate the impact that this organization is making in the community.“
Teme is relentlessly focused on the future. She has successfully grown her initial business from two to nine employees and expanded her transportation fleet from relying on Uber to owning six cars. Yet, she remains driven, constantly seeking out new avenues for growth and expansion.
“I think the one thing that every entrepreneur has to have is courage and the resilience to keep going when things don’t go the way you planned,“ she said. “You have to keep moving forward.“
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