Steven Pajevic, 39

Steven Pajevic and his wife, Kristina, did a good job cleaning their own home, so they thought, what if they did it for other people too?

A business analyst at the time, Pajevic thought a residential cleaning service could be a good side hustle. The couple took a $100 gift card and bought equipment at Walmart. The business was born.

That was 2012. Now Sarasota-based Crystal Clean Green Cleaning has grown into a company with eight employees and clients throughout Sarasota and Manatee counties. “I remember the excitement and electricity I felt going from operating in the garage to a 1,700-square-foot warehouse,” Pajevic says.