How I Became a Minimalist

During these unprecedented times, we take our role as an essential service provider seriously and we remain open to service our customers. We understand that everyone is very concerned with the potential spread of the Coronavirus. We’re following the guidelines put in place by the federal government, local governments and the CDC.

Below are some of the safety precautions we’ve implemented to protect our team and our clients:

We’re offering discounts for our customers who are able to stage their items outside of their property for pickup
We’re vetting our customers before scheduling appointments and while en-route to make sure they’re not showing signs and symptoms of illness
If the customer has access to masks or face covers, we ask that they wear them (if masks are unavailable, please maintain a safe distance of 6 feet at all times)
We are sending home any staff member exhibiting any symptoms of illness for the recommended period of time established by the CDC
All team members have been assigned masks and gloves
We are not assigning more than two team members to a truck
Our trucks and equipment are being disinfected daily
We’ve shut down our office from outside visitors and anybody who can work virtually is being encouraged to work from home
The company continues to hold regular team-wide virtual meetings to emphasize transparency and keep the lines of communication open
The decision to come to work remains 100% voluntary

About three years ago I moved from an apartment to a single family home and I had nothing! The home was over three times the size of my apartment. “Furnishing it would cost me a fortune” I thought to myself. But then I remembered I owned a junk removal business. One of the perks of the jobs, of course, is the sheer volume of quality, usable furniture that we come across on a daily basis.

These “Platinum Finds,” as we sometimes term them, are especially appreciated by new employees who begin working here unaware of the quality of junk their first day will present to them. It’s entertaining for veterans at 123JUNK to observe how overwhelmingly excited these rookies get when they inevitably discover their first treasure. New hires are always reminded to pace themselves and to make sure they get the clients permission if there is something they want.

Over the five-plus years we’ve been in business, I’ve witnessed a lot of waste! On several dozen occasions, we’ve cleaned out upwards of 5 trucks from a single home. For reference, one truck equals 10 sofas! When you’re involved with jobs like these, it changes your perspective. You begin to realize that “stuff” is not really all that important, after all. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t motivated by money. Money buys nice things. Nice things make you happy. Or atleast that’s what I used to think.

But as I’ve come to learn, “things” have a way of getting unimportant pretty quickly. So a word to the wise from this 28-year-old junk man — save your money and focus your energy on those intangable things in life. It’s a far better long term investment. The good news is, if this message doesn’t get through to you, atleast you know of a company to call when your stuff becomes unimportant and you need to have it hauled away!

Related: How I Became a Junk Man