Cleaning up as business model
Wofford College student to compete for startup funds
When growing up in Minnesota, Cohen Kellogg was fascinated with his father owning his hotel and his uncle owning a restaurant.
Kellogg, 20, knew he wanted to have his own business but wasn’t sure what he wanted to do until he started his own window washing business, Window Washing Guy.
He worked in his business while also being a sophomore at Wofford College. Since the start up of his company in September 2023, Kellogg has serviced 30 homes.
“The biggest challenges are the multitasking, keeping a social life with school work and running a business,” Kellogg said. “It’s good for me to grow and learn. The best advice is to stay consistent and understand that it’s a long road and process.”
From a side-gig to full time
Kellogg moved from Minnesota to Spartanburg on a basketball scholarship, which was his dream. He said he always wanted to play college basketball but realized he was more interested in window cleaning and creating his own business.
“Last summer, when I went back to Minnesota, I started working for my cousin who, at the time, owned his own window and gutter cleaning business,” Kellogg said. “I was working with him for a couple of months, and I just realized how much I really liked it.”
Kellogg’s window washing business was meant to be a side gig for him, helping save money for college expenses. He grew passionate about his business, wanting to continue to grow with it and make it a full-time career.
“I wanted to expand it, something more than what it was at the time,” Kellogg said. “I just stayed consistent with it, and it helped that I had a lot of mentorship and support from my parents. They’ve really helped me with keeping my mindset open and that it’s possible to achieve the highest of heights.”
Family inspires Kellogg to pursue business
Kellogg is also participating in Wofford’s Terrier Startup Challenge, a competition that allows students to share business pitches with the chance to win $10,000. The event is at 5:30 p.m. March 7 in McMillian Theater in the Mungo Student Center on campus.
“I will be pitching my business to investors, which will be a good process that will help me get good feedback on my business and business process,” Kellogg said. “The whole process [of business] is so fascinating with how you can make something happen out of it.”
When Kellogg first enrolled at Wofford, he was unsure of his career path. He grew up around a family of business owners, but didn’t know what business idea would fit his plan.
Kellogg said he loved the idea of owning his own businesses while growing up and having something built from the ground up.
“Since I was a kid, being around the businesses like my dad bringing me to his hotel,” Kellogg said. “I would run around the pool and think, ‘wow, I can’t wait to have something like this,’ or seeing my uncle make food at his restaurant. It’s really inspiring, especially as a kid.”
Once Kellogg realized washing would be his idea, he took out a loan, ordered his equipment and set off to build his brand. He began his journey by offering free window cleanings, going door to door, and making connections within the community.
Kellogg said his family played a big part in helping him with his ideas.
“I’m out in the community, knocking on doors,” Kellogg said. “Just being out and about in the community has opened my eyes of how great the people are in the city have been. It started with an idea that needed a name and a logo. I couldn’t have done it by myself. It took my dad, my cousin and my other cousin as a team to help me out.”
Joanna Johnson covers community news for the Herald-Journal. Reach her via email at jjohnson@shj.com.