Happy birthday Italchimes!

To me, birthdays have always felt like reaching the end of a trail in the mountains. You stop for a moment, catch your breath, enjoy the view and then carry on. Italchimes, founded by Sandra Ricci, has reached this same point on its journey as it celebrates 40 years.

Time to celebrate

A hot day in mid-July and a welcoming location surrounded by flowers and greenery, the perfect setting to gather and celebrate Italchimes's birthday. Sandra Ricci wanted to enjoy this important day relaxing and having fun with her team, her friends, her clients and their families. And that's how the day went - exactly as she wished - a kind of 'family party', with everyone enjoying each other's company and sharing a rare moment of peace. 

Story of a female business owner

I don't like oversimplifying matters by reducing them to gender issues, as I believe that judgements should be based on what the mind (which is neither male nor female) can manifestly achieve, but in this particular case Italchimes is inextricably linked to Sandra Ricci: a female business owner.
1979 - 2019: Sandra Ricci is 64 and as proud of her age as she is of the 40 years she has spent developing her business in the cleaning industry with commitment and determination.
Italchimes has grown throughout the years and nowadays offers 200 products, with 100 consolidated SKUs, and is specialised in Private Label production.
The company is a reflection of Ricci's personality, which is one of its great strengths. customers ‘are pampered as if they were guests, and the best care is lavished on both products and customer needs: from labelling to communications, from branding to customised containers, and from fast resolutions to ongoing support.
It's no small effort, but Ricci knows exactly what she's doing: to thrive and grow, a company must have clear goals and be able to stand out.
A feat that's neither easy nor simple.

Changes

Every entrepreneur faces moments of crisis and exhaustion, when it seems it'd be best to leave everything behind. For Sandra Ricci, that moment came in 2008, when she found herself at a crossroads and decided to try something new and introduce some radical changes. For people who, like her, are passionate and determined, caring and assertive, always find it harder to 'listen to others' and introduce change.
Yet, companies can improve only if people also change, starting with those at the helm.
"I got to the point where I realised that the only way to move forward was to see things from a different perspective. So I turned to the professionals".

Teamwork

Companies are basically ‘teams’ and as such responsible for their success or failure. Therefore, the choice of collaborators is an essential one and Ricci set Italchimes on a 'new direction' with a clear vision of which qualities were required from people who wanted to engage with and develop the business. 
It's all teamwork "and having a team of professionals who believed in me and supported my decisions has been important" states Sandra. For her part, she learned to be more selective in her management, to delegate responsibilities and to head a team where everyone has clear roles and full responsibility. 

The story goes on…

Many wishes, then, to Italchimes and Sandra Ricci on this special day and the best of luck to her whole ‘crew’ for the many and exciting new challenges and victories that await them in the world of professional cleaning.

By
Chiara Merlini 
Editor-in-Chief CLEANING COMMUNITY

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