Disenchantment with corporate cleaning standards inspired Sonja Dragic to set up her own cleaning operation – and the move has paid off for her, the business’s employees and the disadvantaged, as Cameron Cooper reports.

American author and activist Hellen Keller, known for her inspired teaching and love of helping others, is a constant source of motivation for ABKO Cleaning Services boss, Sonja Dragic.

Keller’s mantra – “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all” – motivated Dragic to leave a successful corporate career and set up a cleaning business to address what she perceived as poor commercial cleaning standards.

“I dared to leave my banking career and make a difference to businesses, their employees and clients by helping them to have cleaner and more comfortable working environments,” she says.

Dragic takes justifiable pride in her family business’s achievements and draws on about 18 years of experience in cleaning. She first started helping her husband in the sector in 1999 as a forerunner to ABKO, which was officially registered in 2011.

It was named Outstanding Owner/Operator in the Cleaning Industry – 0-10 employees at the 2017 Building Service Contractors Association of Australia (BSCAA) – Queensland Division AustralianSuper Excellence Awards late last year.

Dragic describes the win as a “shared achievement” and an acknowledgement of a loyal team of managers and employees who want to contribute to the cleaning industry while also achieving their own life goals.

“Winning doesn’t mean we have reached perfection. We’ll continue to strive to deliver a cleaner working environment for our clients and their customers, which they have every right to expect.”

This article was published in the March/April edition of INCLEAN. Click here to continue reading…