.bodytext {float: left; } .floatimg-left-hort { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right: 10px; width:300px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 10px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} Matt Preston can’t sit still for long. He has to have a project working.

“I don’t get to watch a lot of TV,” he said. “I’m always looking for what’s next.”

So when he saw a need for facility management services for smaller businesses, a light bulb went on.

“Small businesses don’t have the resources to keep up with their facilities,” he said. “Especially preventive maintenance, which can save a lot of money in the long run.”

Preston put this realization together with 25 years of experience as a facilities manager to create his new business, Professional Maintenance & Management Group.

His first client was Village Credit Union on East Court Avenue in Des Moines. Since beginning working with Village six months ago, he has taken on three additional clients.

“I want to keep the growth of the business slow,” he said, “since I also still work a regular job full time.”

Preston said his business offers a one-stop shop for companies’ needs in order to reduce the time and worry associated with owning a property.

“There are a lot of property managers out there for big properties,” he said. “I take that and offer it to smaller businesses that own their property. But I also offer many more services.”

Besides general maintenance on the property, such as on heating and air conditioning systems, Preston said he also takes on project management jobs for companies.

“If you’re remodeling your office, I can get bids, hire contractors and oversee the project,” he said. “I have done this for so many years, I have built a lot of relationships in the industry. That makes it easier for me to do.”

Preston also offers disaster recovery management.

“Small businesses don’t think about this type of thing until it’s too late,” he said.

The company generally works with properties that are 20,000 square feet or smaller, although that could vary depending on the type of services required, such as the age of the building, the type of building, etc.

“If you have a special need, we try to work with you to do what we can,” Preston said.

Preston also offers a free consultation and needs analysis for any company with no obligation.

His hope is that within a few years, his new venture will become his full-time job.

“I anticipate this becoming my career,” he said. “But that’s still a couple of years away. I just love what I do because I love helping people.”