Post the Covid-19 pandemic, sanitation and hygiene have become a critical part of our ‘new normal’. Businesses as well as home owners are going the extra mile to adopt the best cleaning practices in their environments, thus boosting the profile of the facilities management industry.
However, ten years ago when the industry was in a nascent phase, Goan entrepreneur Rinaldo Rozario observed that the country was moving towards adopting hygienic practices, and immediately sensed a business opportunity.
“I envisioned that the country was moving into more hygienic practices which was the need of the hour, and I just capitalised on it,” says Rozario who went on to launch Super Shine Facilities, which is now one of the top facilities management companies that employs more than 700 employees and caters to five-star properties.
People often mistake facilities management to a manpower supply agency, says Rozario.
“It’s a fairly new concept for clients. I wanted to implement international standards and introduce these processes in Goa. I got the needed exposure through my travels abroad. When I started the housekeeping business, I noticed that my clients wanted everything under one roof, and that’s how I started an integrated facility management services,” says the 31-year-old entrepreneur.
Rozario holds a BBA in HR from DMC College, Mapusa and has completed his MBA in Finance from Manipal Institute of Management Studies. Before taking the plunge in business, Rosario worked as the Business Development Head for Dusters Total Solution Services.
“I had to ponder for years before making the decision to start my first business. After completing my MBA, I landed my first job for an MNC, but then it wasn’t enough. I wanted to build an enterprise, a people-friendly brand,” he says, and credits his uncle for planting the entrepreneurial seed in him.
Like every business, the initial phase is always tough, and it was no different for Rozario.
“It’s never easy. But I bagged an opportunity on the second day after registering my business. Negotiations with clients were tough as I was a beginner. I did not sell a service, nor did I sell the company module. I sold my process, and this has helped me distinguish myself from my competitors,” says Rozario who now specialises in creating and providing customised cleaning solutions to valued customers.
The pandemic was a turning point for his company. “It helped us grow. Hygiene became a priority and opened more dimensions of the business. It gave us an opportunity to educate our clients,” he says.
One of the major challenges of the industry is manpower, for which the company has established networks in major pockets of India. As far as the overall industry, Rozario says competition is intense with major brands entering the Goa market. “But our consistent and process-driven approach has given us sustainable growth over the years. Today, we serve clients in Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka,” he points out.
On maintaining a healthy work-life balance, Rozario’s strategy is fairly simple.
“I work on the system, and not in the system. One needs clarity of goals, and for a business owner like me, it’s important to strive on doing things efficiently. That’s how I have time for business as well as family, ” says Rozario, who considers Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos as role models.
Rozario says the best business advice he got was ‘Spend 5% of your time on the problem and 95% of your time on the solution’.
“Business is all about solving people’s problems. I spent most of my time creating strategic, functional goals and systems to build a profitable and sustainable business module. Invest into systems, win your business first in your mind and then in your business. And more importantly, motivation is what gets you started and habit is what keeps you going,” he says.
