NAMC Member Highlight
12
LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP
Rashidah Abdul-Khaliq President AK Commercial and Construction Cleaning 2907 Shelter Island Drive Suite 174 San Diego , CA 92106 ( 619 ) 347-2434 rashidah @ akcommercialcleaning . com www . akcommercialcleaning . com
By Angela Carbone
L essons in leadership can come from unexpected places . For Rashidah Abdul-Khaliq , President of AK Commercial and Construction Cleaning , one instance of learning to lead and not follow came during the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles .
An African-American woman who owns the certified DVBE firm whose offices are at Shelter Island Drive in San Diego , Abdul-Khaliq remembers an early indication of wanting to become an entrepreneur . She was young , and her family had moved to Oceanside CA , a community hours away from the Olympic venue . But she saw an opportunity , and she and her brother capitalized on it , designing and making Olympic-themed T-shirts .
“ When I got into selling the shirts on street corners one morning , I had over $ 350 in my pocket in less than 45 minutes ,,” she said . “ I thought : This is sweet . I can ’ t work for anybody else .”
This realization led Abdul-Khaliq to understand that she needed to own and operate her own business . The wish for independence , an abiding faith , and a family legacy of determination and hard work resulted in her becoming the business leader she is today . She leads by example , helping others realize that they need to reach out to other businesses to grow their own business , she said .
When she began her enterprise , Abdul-Khaliq obtained her real estate license . That didn ’ t initially
work as well as it needed to , so she devised Plan B . She had worked as a cleaner for her cousins in
Los Angeles and started finding cleaning jobs herself ; in 2002 , she incorporated as AK Commercial and Construction Cleaning , working as a subcontractor to other businesses . Abdul- Khaliq became a licensed independent contractor in 2006 .
From this modest start , Abdul-Khaliq built a commercial cleaning business that now hires seven independent sub contractors , is looking to take on an administrative assistant , and signs long-term contracts with multi-million dollar entities . AK Commercial provides a range of professional cleaning services , including construction cleaning , office cleaning , janitorial services , and carpet , wood floor , tile , and grout cleaning . Her clients are from throughout San Diego County , and her subcontractors work at construction sites , construction trailers , places of worship , and office buildings .
“ You ’ ve got to be positive ,” she said . “ I don ’ t complain . God woke me up this morning ; I ’ m a happy camper . I ’ m loving San Diego .”
Abdul-Khaliq credits for inspiration her mother ’ s perseverance and work ethic as well as her father ’ s business sense and streak of independence . Her father was a landscape gardener who would travel nearly 30 miles from their home in Compton to Beverly Hills ’ clients so he could maximize his profits .
Those influences and serving in the United States Marine Corps certainly enhanced her tenacity and forged a can-do character and resolute willingness to grow her business that serves Abdul-Khaliq well .
She now is certified as a Disabled Veterans Enterprise , Underutilized Business Enterprise , a Small Business Enterprise , and a Small Local Business Enterprise . Just recently , AK Construction became OSHA construction certified and OSHA marine certified . These qualifications enhanced her company ’ s capabilities as well as help her win contracts .
Abdul-Khaliq has further plans for AK Construction , determined to grow her business into Northern California and beyond . In addition to national expansion , Abdul-Khaliq is talking with 30 women in Afghanistan who are looking to start vital businesses in their communities .
The entrepreneur said successful business people seize opportunities as they arise .
“ I hear people say : I don ’ t want to be labeled as disadvantaged ,” Abdul-Khaliq said . “ I say : Let me ask you . Is ( Bill ) Gates your uncle ? Is ( Donald ) Trump your brother ? Then , you are disadvantaged . You don ’ t have anybody who can hand you money to get your business going .”