Violet Jackson is the owner of Mobile Green Auto Spa, a car detailing company that comes to you. She recently graduated from our Small Business Essentials Program.
Violet Jackson began detailing cars from a place of necessity. When she bought a car with hail damage, the dealership promised her that the interior of the car had been properly cleaned, deodorized, and sanitized. Unfortunately, a few months later, it was clear that the dealership wasn’t completely truthful. She was stuck with a car that smelled of mildew and had stains on the floors and seats. At that point, Violet decided to take matters into her own hands. She learned how to take out the seats and carpets to deep-clean them and used steam to properly lift stains from her upholstery. She placed extra importance on keeping her cleaning products environmentally friendly and after a few hours of work, her car’s interior was looking and smelling like new.
After seeing the stunning results on her own car, Violet began to work on friends’ cars at their request. She practiced the art of detailing and continued to learn more about the process. During this time, she also worked part-time at a car detailing shop to gain experience.
Recently, Violet graduated from WomenVenture’s Small Business Essentials class. This was especially significant for Violet, as she has suffered from clinical depression for much of her life. Her illness had kept her from pursuing her dreams before. Years earlier, Violet had signed up for a WomenVenture class, but was unable to finish due to complications with her mental health. These challenges were in the back of her mind when she began Small Business Essentials. She was nervous that the depression might sprout up and knock her down again – but this time Violet was ready. “I wanted to start my business, and I wanted to succeed despite the self-doubt. It took courage, and I’m proud to say I graduated,” said Violet.
Violet was able to take Small Business Essentials because of WomenVenture’s scholarship program. She lives on a fixed income, and wasn’t able to pay the regular course fees. Because of WomenVenture’s generous donors and partners, she was able to take the class at a greatly reduced rate – one that fit her budget needs. “[Small Business Essentials] was incredibly helpful. WomenVenture gave me the ability to determine if my business really was viable, and I’m grateful for that,” said Violet.
Armed with her completed business plan and a new confidence in her work, she was finally ready to launch her business. She created a new website and is proudly accepting new customers.
Violet hopes that her story of perseverance can help others struggling with mental health diagnoses. “The more failures you live through, the more successful you will eventually become,” she shared. “Whatever walls you run into, don’t give up.”
For more information on Violet’s business, check out her website: https://www.mobilegreenautospa.com/
