The Fix It company began in 1987 when owner Linda A. Barr, newly single mother, responsible for two teenage daughters found herself cash-strapped. She made a business for herself, offering a service always in demand; cleaning. Her first venture, a commercial janitorial service in the Chain O' Lakes area, cleaned offices at night and bars after closing. In the morning she would return to her Evanston home and take care of her girls, making sure they were ready for school. When they left, she would sleep.

Clients were often suprised to encounter a female in a traditionally male arena. "At first they were surprised to have a woman doing the job," says Linda, "But they soon learned to appreciate my responsiveness to their maintenance problems." Linda's business grew, and her property managers increasingly requested additional services such as painting, floor stripping, electrical repairs and plumbing. The morning after an evening spent with friends bemoaning the lack of responsible, trustworthy people to do home remodeling and repair work, The Fix It Company was born.

Linda developed a workforce of handpicked craftsmen that she could send on jobs throughout Evanston and the surrounding area. Her qualification for people is that they have respectful attitude toward the client and a high level of expertise in their work, whether it is painting, carpentry, or wallpaper hanging. The Fix It Company's services are in demand in cities like Evanston, where homeowners have a tendency to want to improve on an original home as opposed to tearing down.

After a while Linda brought in a partner for behind the scenes work, Andee, fro for computer work such as typing invoices and proposals, bookkeepping, etc. Linda's work environment is decidedly informal; she works in a creatively cluttered office and dresses for comfort. Her approach toward running a small service business is traditional - long hours and dedication to the customer. The business is intentionally kept small. "If the business gets any bigger, I have to add office staff. I've tried that and you lose the responsiveness to the customer," she says.

The Fix It Company has earned a reputation for honesty, integrity, and surpeior workmanship. "If Linda says she'll be there, she'll be there! Her estimates are realistic and her jobs are completed on schedule" The Fix It Company is an Evanston based business and member of the Evanston Chamber of Commerce and Evanston Rotary. Linda herself has been a resident of Evanston most of her life.