ForConstructionPros.com

Five years ago, when Freddy and Lisa James took on their first parking lot as Big Easy Parking Lot Maintenance, the entire company nearly fell apart after 20 minutes. "It was a hot, hot, hot night," remembers Freddy James. "Lisa was pulling the Tow-Vac behind the truck and I had this little hand-held blower. I was about 20 minutes into blowing and I was pouring sweat and I flagged Lisa down and said, 'What in the world are we doing out here blowing trash in the middle of the night? Put me in the truck, we're going home!' And she said, ‘Freddy, we've already committed to Wal-Mart, we've got to sweep this lot.' I said, 'I don't have to sweep anyone's lot, this is not the kind of job I want.' And she talked me into staying in that parking lot, and the rest is history."

Today Big Easy has moved up from the Tow-Vac Freddy and Lisa started the company with to four sweeper trucks and 10 employees. The Big Easy crews maintain close to 100 lots in the New Orleans metro area, and on average sweep about 75 lots any given night. Most of Big Easy's customers are commercial retailers.

The couple is deeply involved with the day-to-day affairs of the company. Lisa handles the "inside" work - taxes, payroll, and paperwork - while Freddy manages the crews, marketing, and covers the "outside" work. Their dedication has helped Big Easy grow to be the second-largest parking lot sweeper in New Orleans.

"To have a business like this, you really have to be a part of it," Lisa says. "I don't care how big you get, nobody will ever run your business the way you do."

Freddy credits much of the company's success to the organization of his sweeper operation - two men to a truck, a blower and a driver.