Pearl Stadelman, Lindsey Barber, Ashley Ramsey, Shelly Barless, Colleen Auret, Marlene Rennis and Bill Barless.
Changing the Face of Maid Service Dust Queen celebrates 25 years of serving the Greater Edmonton community
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ith a bucket in hand, Shelly Barless began cleaning two houses per day in 1989. She had no idea that 25 years later she would be sitting at the helm of Edmonton’s largest residential cleaning service. President and CEO of Dust Queen Maid Service, Barless and her team are excited to celebrate 25 years of success as they look ahead to further growth in the future. With the tireless drive of an entrepreneur, Barless expanded her cleaning service only two years later, moving into her first office and hiring additional staff in 1991. Today, that office is a stunning, bright and modern 5,200-square-foot building located in Edmonton’s south side. It is the hub of all business activity where 35 cleaning technicians and seven office staff – including Barless – start their day with the aim of being the best cleaning service in the city. “It is so much more than just going out and cleaning a house,” says Barless. “From our manuals, procedures, polices and best practices to our job descriptions it is about being the best at what we do. I would describe myself as a passionate entrepreneur with a vision and that vision is making a difference
in people’s lives, and that is what we do every day. Every day we are helping people, and our staff takes great pride in knowing that.” Barless is quick to point out that Dust Queen’s success cannot be attributed to one person. It is the result of the entire team and their enthusiasm for sharing the company’s core values of teamwork, service excellence, integrity, respect, accountability, professionalism, reliability and growth. “Yes I am leader of the company, but it certainly takes a team to get to where we are today. It is commitment and accountability that has made Dust Queen a multiple-year recipient of the Consumer Choice Award for Business Excellence and a Top Choice Award winner.” In addition, Dust Queen is a 20-year member of the Better Business Bureau and maintains an A+ rating. Barless was also awarded the 2011 Consumer Choice Business Woman of the Year Award and this year has been nominated for the Alberta Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award. “We have changed the face of maid service,” explains Barless of the company’s growth and success. “We have a very structured professional system that
Dust Queen Maid Service | 25 years