Heart of an Entrepreneur | Haus Janitorial Services
Photos by TYLER STRUNK
Randy Wheat, owner of Haus Janitorial Services, turned what started out as a side gig 30 years ago into a $1.9 million business through the combination of old-fashioned hustle and creative thinking.
Born and raised in Topeka and a multi-sport athlete at Highland Park High School, Randy understood the value of hard work even at a young age. His hustle earned him a reputation on the field, but it was his creative problem solving that set him apart from his peers and set him on the path to entrepreneurship.
His first job right out of school, which paid a whopping $5 per hour, involved working with traffic control devices such as barricades, lights, signs and street painting for a variety of public and private projects. His attention to detail propelled him into a supervisory position before he turned 20 and earned him a seat at the table for planning large projects for KDOT and other organizations.
“I remember the first meeting that I sat in on,” Randy said. “They looked at me and then did a double take. They didn’t take me seriously at first because I was too young. They liked my ideas though, and then my age didn’t matter.”
HUSTLE
When the company he worked for closed after a few years, he joined the grounds crew at Aldersgate Village. To help cover his bills he picked up a side hustle with Lutz Janitorial. It wasn’t long before Debbie Lutz began to notice that Randy was a little different than her other employees.
“Any time they offered overtime, I was the first to raise my hand,” Randy said. “It didn’t matter what the job was or where, I took it. Sometimes it meant I was working 20-hour days, but I never minded the hustle.”
Because of Randy’s willingness to go above and beyond, Debbie shared some of the financial aspects of the janitorial business with him and opened his eyes to the benefits of entrepreneurship. In the middle of all those numbers, Randy discovered an untapped niche business opportunity: carpet cleaning.
“I said to myself, ‘I can do this,’” Randy said. “The problem was, I had no equipment and no paying customers.”
Undeterred by what he didn’t have, Randy concentrated on what he did have: belief in himself. He found a portable carpet cleaning machine for sale for $1,500, but he only had $500 at the time. He convinced the seller to put him on six-month payment plan and then informed Debbie that he was in the carpet cleaning business (in his spare time). She gave him so much work that he paid off the machine in less than two months.
MOTIVATION
The carpet cleaning business began to take off, and like most entrepreneurs, Randy had a decision to make—stand still in the safety of the known or take a risk and move forward. Randy chose to leap.
“To take my business to the next level, I needed bigger jobs. To get those bigger jobs, I needed a bigger machine,” Randy said. “I needed a truck-mounted machine.”
That meant coming up with $15,000. Rather than asking for a loan, Randy put his head down and put his hustle to work. Still working his regular shifts for Aldersgate Village and Lutz Janitorial, Randy picked up every carpet cleaning job he could find, often working late into the night. Within 90 days, he had the money he needed.
“I starved for 90 days only eating ham and bologna sandwiches,” Randy said, “but I hustled that money up.”
Randy picked up the new machine in Kansas City and was already working his first water job on a flooded basement that same day.
GROWTH
As his reputation for reliability and quality work began to grow, Randy knew he needed to turn this side hustle into his primary business. Looking for additional revenue streams that would provide more consistent income, he bought a truck and a snowplow and added snow removal to his list of services. Then came lawn care, and eventually he began picking up some of his own janitorial clients as well.
Things were humming along pretty good, but never one to be satisfied with the status quo, Randy saw a new opportunity in owning rental property. Once again, he approached this venture from a different perspective. He purchased the house he was renting and moved into the upstairs so he could rent out the downstairs. With the rent money paying the bills for that house, he used the money he saved to buy another one, and then another. These houses needed a lot of work, so he was able to purchase them for a fraction of their value and, through a partnership with Ron Harris, fixed them up and turn them into viable housing.
At one time, Randy and his partners owned as many as 25 houses before eventually selling most of them and recouping their investment.
VISION
When Randy once again needed to upgrade his equipment with the addition of a $50,000 cleaning machine and a $25,000 van, that same hustle came into play. He amazed his banker by paying off the loan in 30 days. But it wasn’t easy.
“We happened to have a big flood right at that time,” Randy said. “I worked 20-hour days for a week to handle all of those flood jobs,” Randy said. “Other people said ‘no’ to after-hours work. I always said ‘yes.’”
That willingness to put his head down and do whatever it took to move his business to the next level once again set Randy apart from those around him because he viewed things differently. He didn’t see the impossible workload; he saw beyond it to the future of a business he was building.
MENTORSHIP
Randy built his business on hustle and creativity, but he is the first to admit that he wouldn’t be where he is today without the example of some key mentors in his life. Before he even thought about starting the business, Randy spent hours talking with Alonzo Harrison about business ownership and how to build something from the ground up.
“I am so inspired by what Alonzo has achieved, not only personally but for what he has done for the Black business community,” Randy said. “In the minority business community, he is the one I look up to the most.”
The appreciation he has for those who helped guide him as an entrepreneur has Randy looking for ways he can give back to the community and mentor those coming up behind him. Randy plays an instrumental role in the annual Community Dinner and serves as vice president of Juneteenth.
He hopes to one day see one of his three children take over the business he has created.
“I started with $500, hustle and a dream,” Randy said. “I set the walls up. All they have to do is keep the roof on.”
ENTREPRENEURIAL ADVICE
Randy Wheat has spent his life watching other people and learning from their success and their mistakes. From those observations and his own lived experiences, Randy has some advice to offer.
Don’t carry debt. The more you get in over your head and overextend yourself, the more likely you are to fail.
Don’t get drug down by the negative. Hang around positive people and positive things will happen.
Be willing to make tough choices and live with them.
Don’t let anyone else dictate your future.
The word “no” only means you have to find a different way.
Have a good lawyer, a good banker and a good accountant (shout out to M&M Accounting & Tax Services) on your team.
No matter what else you do, pay the bank and pay your taxes.
TK
