OWNER OF LEGACY CONSTRUCTION CLEANING
“I want to help people, and the only way I know how to help people is through jobs.”
Family means everything to Edgar Aguilar, an entrepreneur who’s discovered the impact that business ownership can have on his family’s future.
In 2008, Edgar inherited his father-in-law’s construction cleaning company, John & Son’s Cleaning Service. Together with his wife, Yolanda, Edgar jumped into business ownership but struggled to make the company profitable enough to support his family of five. He worked a full-time job at a call center and cleaned in the evenings and on weekends to make ends meet.
Fast forward to 2014, and Edgar realized that he needed help keeping John & Son’s successful. That’s when Edgar and Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute (RMMFI) joined forces. Edgar enrolled in RMMFI’s Business Launch Boot Camp in early 2015. He attended classes and workshops, met one-on-one with his mentors, and made a plan to help John & Son’s Cleaning Service thrive.
From the beginning, Edgar impressed his RMMFI mentors, and one now considers Edgar a cherished friend and a respected peer:
“Every week, Edgar showed up. With his pen and paper in hand, he took note after note,” his mentor said. “He showed sincerity and gratitude in what was being invested in him, and he began applying all the tools to his business. His greatest success was his investment in himself. Edgar is hungry. He is willing to do what it takes to feel uncomfortable, in order to grow. He is among the most respected businessmen I know because at the core is a genuine desire to live an authentic life.”
With help from the boot camp classes and his mentors, Edgar built a new business plan and renamed the business Legacy Construction Cleaning. While the business’s name has changed, Edgar remains true to his father-in-law’s core values:
- The Golden Rule: treat others as you would like to be treated
- Service to others: help as many families, business, builders, and Colorado residents with their cleaning needs as possible
- Integrity: show an unwavering commitment to working honestly and fairly with all stakeholders
These principles have served Edgar and Legacy Construction Cleaning well. In 2016, Legacy earned over $150,000 in revenue. In 2017, that number doubled, and in 2019 it increased to $750,000. Now, Legacy Construction Cleaning is edging closer and closer to becoming a million-dollar company. With that business growth, Edgar was able to quit his job at the call center and buy a home for his wife and three children.
When asked about his secret to building a successful business, Edgar says he is a constant learner. He continuously reads books on leadership and business – and he still leans on his RMMFI mentors, with whom he checks in regularly. In addition, he lives and works by the service-to-others model.
“I want to help people, and the only way I know how to help people is through jobs,” Edgar says.
Legacy Construction Cleaning’s client list continually expands and now includes national companies such as Forever 21, the Lego Store, CycleBar, and the Hyatt Hotel Downtown Denver.
With the growth and stability of their business, Edgar and Yolanda have been able to spend more time with their kids and share the impact that goal setting and hard work can have. They help their kids set goals to focus on achievements in school as well as around personal interests.
Edgar has returned to RMMFI’s boot camp as a business mentor himself, meeting one-on-one with aspiring entrepreneurs to give them advice and a listening ear. In April 2018, he was also the keynote speaker at boot camp Class #23’s graduation. RMMFI is proud of the successful business Edgar has built and honored that he has chosen to volunteer to share his success with fellow entrepreneurs.