Well hey there! I'm so glad you've found this blog post - it's the very first one for Clutter Collect and I hope it captures the excitement I feel about this brand-spanking-new adventure we're about to embark upon together.
I thought a blog post was the best place for the back-story to Clutter Box - I'm a chatty Cathy and want to share all the behind the scenes stuff without complicating the nitty-gritty detail on the website.
Let's start with who I am - I'm Rebekah Holmes. Call me Beks if we're going to be friends (and I hope we are)! There are a few things you need to know about me, right off the bat:
- I LOVE exclamation marks!! Literally cannot write a blog post without them.
- I'm a professional organiser based in Auckland, New Zealand. I've started Clutter Collect under the umbrella of my main business, The Ship Shape Shoppe.
This is me, Beks! I love exclamation marks, giggles, and clearing clutter.
I actually came up with the idea for Clutter Collect back in 2019, but my business was still just a baby and the time wasn't right. And phew! I'm glad I didn't forge ahead because we all know what happened in 2020. Trying to get Clutter Collect off the ground in the midst of a pandemic would have been a nightmare.
The idea resurfaced in 2022 and I decided to go all in to make it a reality - which is how we find ourselves on this website... me typing words that you are reading and hopefully enjoying.
The idea for Clutter Collect came about because I've come across so many people who actually love decluttering and organising, but struggle when it comes to getting the decluttered items out of their home. They have boxes in the garage, or in the boot of the car, waiting for them to have time or to remember to do a drop-off to the op-shop. I've been asked so many times if I will simply pick up the stuff and make sure it goes to a good home. That's not something I've been able to offer (until now). I'm diligent about ensuring that everything I donate to charity is in excellent condition, works as well as the day that it was manufactured, and is actually needed by the op-shop. To add the occasional pick up of a random box o' stuff to the mix was simply too tricky - I wasn't set up to do that, and I didn't feel ready to add an additional service that was quite complex to operate. So the idea marinated for a few years.
This year, the time has felt right. The Ship Shape Shoppe is humming along and I'm confident that I can keep that afloat while I add this layer of complexity to the business. Ever since I made the decision to go for it with Clutter Collect, I've had a squidgy sicky feeling in my tummy that tells me I'm on the right track. It's good to get out of our comfort zone, and do things that feel a bit scary, right?!
So watch this space! The next few blog posts will be behind-the-scenes peeks into what has happened so far to bring us to this point of launching. If you have any questions at all, I'd love to hear from you - drop me a comment below.
