As a small business owner, navigating the massive changes brought on by the pandemic has been challenging. What started last year as a suspension of business, then a re-start with new safety procedures, has grown into a thriving business that is seeing a surge in opportunities for bringing in new clients. Ivy League Cleaning is a small residential and commercial cleaning business started in 2010 and based in Cinnaminson. It seemed easy in the early years to find people who wanted to work cleaning houses. I would list the job on Craigslist and get flooded with responses.
As the pandemic raged on and schools shifted to online, we lost an employee, a single mother with no support for her two children who had to be home with her girls. The need for employees grew. Listing the job on Craigslist yielded next to nothing, so I tried Indeed.com, a hiring service that quickly became my new hope. Applications came in and my hopes were lifted, but as I’ve experienced over and over again, many people who apply for jobs on these services are not interested in working! It sounds crazy, but I’ve had people apply for the job, I reach out to contact them and they don’t return the call. Some have accepted the job after a great interview, agreeing to start with excitement and enthusiasm, then not show up for work, no call, text or email. I don’t get it. It’s so frustrating and disheartening.
Maybe the stimulus checks and additional unemployment benefits are a disincentive. I see help wanted signs everywhere, so I’m guessing it’s not just my business. Maybe I will get lucky and the right person will read this and contact me for a job. I am waiting for you!
Rita Strough
Ivy League Cleaning
