Today we’d like to introduce you to Raheel “Rondo” Momin.
Hi Raheel, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
After I graduated from high school, I was taking classes at a local community college and applying to nursing schools across the state. When it was finally time to enroll, my gut just wasn’t in it. I wanted an opportunity to be creative, to innovate, to be an entrepreneur. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew nursing school wasn’t for me. Following my instructions, I dropped out of college. Around the same time, my dad, who owns dry cleaners across Houston, became aware of a vacancy in a shopping strip in Midtown. Given his age, my dad didn’t have the capacity to take on any new ventures, but this was a really great opportunity for me to make a career shift. Within a few months, I opened my first store: Upscale Cleaners in Midtown. I wanted this to cater to our modern customer base in the area, so I made sure that our store design reflected the sleek, clean, “upscale” vibes of downtown Houston. Learning from my dad’s successes and struggles, I knew I wanted to offer cleaning and care services that focused on each customer’s unique needs. I believe in the power of relationships, and I made sure that at the first Upscale locations, my cofounder and I developed personal connections with our customers. We did this by actually working at the front desk and register at our store every single day from open to close for over a year. We talked with our customers about their families, their jobs, and what they hoped for from their local businesses. Not surprisingly, people loved being able to connect with the owners of their local dry cleaners, and Upscale soon developed a loyal customer base.
My business partner and I replicated this model in each of our subsequent locations. Each time we opened a new location, we make sure to work the store ourselves before hiring any staff so that we could develop relationships and build trust in the communities in which we are located. Fast forward to 2020, which has been a tough year for all businesses, and mine is no exception. Thankfully, all of our locations are still operating and serving our customers. Adding to the challenges of this year, Upscale Cleaners also went though was a change in ownership. My business partner and I decided it best that Upscale has solely one owner. As of the summer of 2020, I am the sole owner of the company, a responsibility that hasn’t come without its own challenges. But with the help of family and supportive friends, I have been able to keep this business running through this challenging year, and I have made sure to continue to develop new relationships with local communities, businesses, and organizations in Houston.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Every business has its challenges. The coronavirus has been a major obstacle for almost every small business owner I know in Houston. People stopped going in to work and started working from home, which means that they stopped needing their work clothes cleaned and pressed. Given that our business mainly serves professionals in downtown Houston, we were really hard hit.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Upscale Cleaners is a small, local, family owned dry cleaning business with six locations across Houston (Midtown, EaDo Heights, Montrose, West University, and Sugar Land). Other than cleaning clothes for our regular customers, we also provide corporate and special cleaning services for local companies such as the Houston Grand Opera, the Houston Police Department, and the Magnolia Houston Downtown. For new customers, we offer 50% off their first dry cleaning order!
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Business is in my blood. Feeling like my business is succeeding will of course, make me happy. Positive reviews, ratings, and posts let me know that Upscale is doing well in the eyes of the community, and as an entrepreneur, this makes me very happy. Outside of work, being active and competitive in any sport makes me happy! My favorite team sport is flag football, and as a bonus, I get to relieve some work stress on the field.
Contact Info:
- Email: Upscaledrycleaners@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.upscalecleaners.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/upscalecleaners?igshid=j3bg5v8cx1ui
