Wendy Clark among 100 business builders featured in yearlong campaign celebrating the crucial role of small businesses in our communities

Durham, N.C. – Entrepreneurs fail an average of seven times, Wendy Clark says, but that didn’t discourage her attempts to build a business that provided quality services while providing meaningful opportunities for her employees. After 20 years at the head of Carpe Diem Cleaning, she – and her employees – have enjoyed the benefits of the entrepreneurial spirit.

Since she was a girl, Clark knew her goal in life was to help underprivileged youth. After considering her options, she realized that owning a business would help generate capital she could reinvest into the community – and provide good jobs for employees along the way. At age 20, she founded Carpe Diem Cleaning, a home-cleaning service that has grown to employ 35 people, most of them women, and service more than 600 homes in the Durham area.

Now, Carpe Diem Cleaning is getting national attention from Deluxe Corporation’s Small Business Revolution documentary project. The Small Business Revolution, which also features “Shark Tank” star Robert Herjavec, is a yearlong campaign that celebrates the vibrancy, variety and community impact of small businesses across the country. Its latest story is a photo essay profiling Carpe Diem Cleaning, one of 100 profiles of inspiring small businesses that will debut throughout 2015 at SmallBusinessRevolution.org.

Clark made a choice to locate Carpe Diem’s offices in inner-city Durham, with the goal of teaching job skills and self-confidence to communities ignored by other businesses. Clark’s business has provided meaningful employment for many women and men through the past 20 years, and she says one of her great joys has been seeing her employees grow and flourish through Carpe Diem.

Deluxe developed the Small Business Revolution to focus on the importance of personal touch and local involvement in an era when business is becoming increasingly impersonal. The campaign is capturing the stories of small businesses and their customers, families and friends – all of whom are a crucial part of what makes our communities whole.

“The hands-on customer service, the entrepreneurial spirit and the deep community involvement people find in the small businesses they frequent make all the difference,” said Amanda Brinkman, chief brand and communications officer for Deluxe Corp. “Telling these moving, inspirational stories and putting a spotlight on these owners is our way of celebrating the best parts of American business.”

The Small Business Revolution will unfold throughout 2015, as a part of Deluxe’s 100th anniversary celebration. Since 1915, Deluxe has helped small businesses and financial institutions grow and thrive by providing a range of business services, from websites and logos to social media and email marketing to checks and other financial services.

The Small Business Revolution will also award $25,000 to one small business later this year. Anyone can nominate their favorite small business at SmallBusinessRevolution.org, and Shark Tank’s Herjavec will help Deluxe choose the winner who best exemplifies the Small Business Revolution spirit. The person who nominates the winning business can see how it feels to be a “shark” by personally delivering the $25,000 prize.

In September, a longer-form documentary about the Small Business Revolution – featuring many of the profiled businesses, as well as Herjavec and other small-business experts – will be released, as well.

About Deluxe Corporation
Deluxe Corp. is a growth engine for small businesses and financial institutions. Nearly 4.6 million small business customers access Deluxe’s wide range of products and services, including customized checks and forms, as well as website development and hosting, email marketing, search engine optimization and logo design. For our approximately 5,600 financial institution customers, Deluxe offers industry-leading programs in checks, customer acquisition, fraud prevention and profitability. Deluxe is also a leading provider of checks and accessories sold directly to consumers. For more information, visit us at www.deluxe.com, https://www.facebook.com/deluxecorp or www.twitter.com/deluxecorp.