I mentioned this in a previous post, but I have hired a summer intern for my business, Town Hall Trinkets, LLC. I was overwhelmed with the positive response from my family, friends and customers who wanted to "help" me fill this position. I had offers of "I'll work for free" even, silly people...(smile).
For me, I wanted to work with someone who didn't really know me, my mess, my hoarding or even care about it...or want to buy it...some items I want to keep. I didn't want to try to make any excuses or impress someone I knew by cleaning up my mess or house before they were hired to help me. So, I chose to actually work with someone I didn't really know, Shannon. She recently moved to our area and had been to a sale or two of mine. Her "real job" is working for one of our school districts. She had the right availability that worked with my schedule for the summer. We started working together this week. I was so impressed with her attitude and work ethic. In all full disclosure, I showed her all the buildings and mess before we started - she didn't leave - haha.
What I liked was, we just started and did it. Opened boxes, made new boxes of groups of items, organized tubs, made a garbage and burn pile and filled my van with inventory to take to a small flea market the next day. I packed it with the plan of, if I don't sell it at the flea, I will mark it and take it to one of my booths on Thursday. Either way, it wasn't coming back here.
If we could do this same routine each week - we might actually get somewhere. I'm not sure though because, as we were working, I had a call for an estate sale. This is my problem, I just get to working on cleaning up my mess and I get a call to clean up someone else's mess (but that is more fun).
Shannon also was very supportive. She would say, "is this something you want to sell?" I would look at it, sometimes it was only worth $.50 or had a chip or broken and I would say, "would you or someone buy that?" If it was a no - it went in the garbage, after a few hesitant tosses I said, "you know, the old Jacky would have fixed that or dug in that...(pile she swept off the floor...there were still buttons in there) she said, "you probably have a thousand(s) other buttons" - I do (wink, wink)! I "let it go" and as I did she cheered me on. I know I do this for my clients, but I had no idea how empowering those cheers were until they were used on me. So, "good job Jacky" you have begun to purge and clean out. Thanks Shannon for helping me.
Also, I bounced some of these things off my daughters. Anna, said something to me that I have quoted to myself at least 3 times this week...."Mom, you can NOT help everyone, you are running a business not a charity." BAM - it was what I need to hear. Thanks Anna. With that advice, I was able to say NO to some prospects that were not the right "fit" for me. In turn, I have freed up some time to work on my own stuff. We will see what the new referral turns up - if it's worth my time or not - because, right now, my time is worth more to me.
Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.
For me, I wanted to work with someone who didn't really know me, my mess, my hoarding or even care about it...or want to buy it...some items I want to keep. I didn't want to try to make any excuses or impress someone I knew by cleaning up my mess or house before they were hired to help me. So, I chose to actually work with someone I didn't really know, Shannon. She recently moved to our area and had been to a sale or two of mine. Her "real job" is working for one of our school districts. She had the right availability that worked with my schedule for the summer. We started working together this week. I was so impressed with her attitude and work ethic. In all full disclosure, I showed her all the buildings and mess before we started - she didn't leave - haha.
What I liked was, we just started and did it. Opened boxes, made new boxes of groups of items, organized tubs, made a garbage and burn pile and filled my van with inventory to take to a small flea market the next day. I packed it with the plan of, if I don't sell it at the flea, I will mark it and take it to one of my booths on Thursday. Either way, it wasn't coming back here.
If we could do this same routine each week - we might actually get somewhere. I'm not sure though because, as we were working, I had a call for an estate sale. This is my problem, I just get to working on cleaning up my mess and I get a call to clean up someone else's mess (but that is more fun).
Shannon also was very supportive. She would say, "is this something you want to sell?" I would look at it, sometimes it was only worth $.50 or had a chip or broken and I would say, "would you or someone buy that?" If it was a no - it went in the garbage, after a few hesitant tosses I said, "you know, the old Jacky would have fixed that or dug in that...(pile she swept off the floor...there were still buttons in there) she said, "you probably have a thousand(s) other buttons" - I do (wink, wink)! I "let it go" and as I did she cheered me on. I know I do this for my clients, but I had no idea how empowering those cheers were until they were used on me. So, "good job Jacky" you have begun to purge and clean out. Thanks Shannon for helping me.
Also, I bounced some of these things off my daughters. Anna, said something to me that I have quoted to myself at least 3 times this week...."Mom, you can NOT help everyone, you are running a business not a charity." BAM - it was what I need to hear. Thanks Anna. With that advice, I was able to say NO to some prospects that were not the right "fit" for me. In turn, I have freed up some time to work on my own stuff. We will see what the new referral turns up - if it's worth my time or not - because, right now, my time is worth more to me.
Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.
Good luck cleaning out. We had a garage sale a few weeks ago, and when Bob put back what did not sell...the garage was still full. We have the disease too! Janice
ReplyDeleteOh the struggle is real!
ReplyDelete