Moving to the United States from Brazil was not an easy decision for Gilsolon and his family. Leaving behind a network of pizzerias he established, they moved up to Orlando, Florida with the hopes of creating a better life. Unfortunately, when Gilsolon arrived he learned that he would not be able to continue his work in pizza the costs were simply too high and the business was too risky.

Undeterred, he started a cleaning and restoration business, Solon Association of Business or SAB, in September 2013; however, that too had its own concerns. I started my business without capital Ò there was barely enough to support my family and my business.

To promote his business, Gilsolon went to every nearby residence and office building, distributing folders with information about his business. He worked every day to build his clientele, but it still wasn’t enough. It was hard to keep clients coming  sometimes they would disappear or wouldn’t be able to pay upfront.

Upon seeing an advertisement for Ascendus, Gilsolon knew that this was the opportunity he needed to succeed. After a few discussions with one of Accion’s loan consultants, Gilsolon received his loan within a week. The loan helped him purchase more equipment, pay rent, and invest in marketing. Today his business has expanded its client pool substantially.

“Ascendus was the launching point for my success. If Ascendus hadn’t given me the money, I wouldn’t have been able to continue”, he says.

His business has grown so much that he has been able to hire employees to clean for him. He has hopes of continually expanding his successful endeavor, and knows that hard work is the secret to his success: You need to work with a focus, a purpose. We focus on customer satisfaction.