Small Business, Big Changes: How One Entrepreneur Used AI to Build a Million-Dollar Company

At just 29 years old, someone known as Chorney turned his side hustle into a million-dollar business—without ever finishing high school. Before that, he was cleaning offices for $14 an hour, barely keeping up with bills. His first cleaning business barely made $242, 000 its first year. But after adding AI tools to handle boring tasks like answering emails and sending quotes, his company, Echo Janitorial Services, grew to nearly $1 million in revenue last year. This year, he expects to hit $1. 3 million. Chorney’s journey started from a tough place. Adopted as a kid, he bounced between homes and struggled in school. By 19, he was on his own with little support. Instead of finishing high school, he took a job at a bus company, then later switched to selling smart home systems door-to-door. That job taught him resilience, but he still dreamed of owning a home—and he did, by 21. Later, he tried another cleaning business during COVID, but it didn’t take off. When he moved to Abbotsford in 2022, he decided to try again. The real breakthrough came when he spent four hours one day researching AI. Instead of doing everything himself—cleaning, answering calls, sending quotes—he let software handle routine work. He set up an AI receptionist that can take 15 calls an hour, an automated system for new customer inquiries, and tools that sort his emails into folders. Suddenly, he had time to take his first real vacation in years. His partner and he drove across Canada for over a month, something he never could have done before.

Experts say smaller businesses like Chorney’s are the ones benefiting most from AI. Many tradespeople like cleaners or contractors spend more time on paperwork than their actual work. AI tools cut down on that wasted time. One platform, Jobber, which powers Chorney’s AI receptionist, says businesses using AI grow 90% faster than those that don’t. For tradespeople, AI isn’t just helpful—it’s a game changer. Chorney isn’t stopping there. He’s using AI to build a national franchise, starting with cities like Toronto, Edmonton, and Calgary. He even created an AI-generated version of himself to train new employees, saving hours he’d normally spend onboarding. He believes AI is the future for small business owners, especially those without formal education or big budgets. But it’s not all perfect. Chorney admits there’s a downside: AI tools rely on collecting personal data. Every time he uses them, more of his information ends up in databases. He sees it as a trade-off—convenience for privacy. Still, he thinks it’s worth it. The bigger picture? AI might be helping people like Chorney escape the cycle of low-wage work. Instead of waiting years to build a business the old way, they can now launch and grow faster. Some economists believe this could lead to more jobs, not fewer, as new companies form and hire. Chorney’s story isn’t just one person’s success—it’s a sign of a changing economy.

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