Hi guys. I'm from Australia. And we've obviously got some serious economic issues atm.
When the fuel crisis began, and I was paying almost $4 a L for diesel (this is important because i travel long distances for clients due to rural location) some of my newer clients just flat out didnt pay me. Not because they were unhappy with the work. But for various other reasons like "oh we went on holiday and forgot about you" or "we went to *event* instead and thought it'd be ok to push the invoice back" yeah not by a freaking month man... and to top it off, one of my big contracts which makes up a decent % of my monthly income got a new admin or something, and just DIDNT pay me, and I received a shocking amount of pushback when I asked about it, considering they'd broken the contract. I found myself having to chase up and fight for literal THOUSANDS of dollars worth of work already completed. Insurances and business expenses kept piling up, fuel kept getting more expencive and I can travel up to 200km a day for clients. Usually its only about 75-90km but some groups of clients live further out.
Its just me by myself. Im a sole trader. So I dont have a big business cash stack to fall back on when things get tough or crazy shit happens. So because of all of the above, I had to use my wages and personal savings to cover operating the business while fuel was up people werent honouring their invoices (im still chasing up a shitload of invoices right now, some paid, but not all and im still down a few grand) which led to me making peanuts on the actual profit side of things. And now, it feels impossible to catch up. I feel like im working constantly, but making heaps less profit. And ive found myself thinking "why the hell am I doing all of this for essentially nothing?"
Ive been offered a potential job opportunity, its less pay per hour, BUT its steady constant work, they give you a company car and phone, and the workload is incredibly light, which would suit me as im chronically ill and domestic cleaning is taking a toll on my health. You dont have to pay insurances and the equipment is totally provided. Its a specific area of cleaning, in saying that id only be dealing with one area, not cleaning a whole house or tidying or anything like that. My expenses would be way down, so it will even out the lower hourly rate in that regard. And it'll cut out all of the admin work im currently doing.
The issue is, ME obviously. I created this business myself and worked hard, it had great success until it didnt. And im struggling with feeling like ive failed if I throw the towel in on my business and go get this other job. But at the same time, I feel stupid if I turn away from this opportunity. And I do have some absolutely fantastic regular clients who are big spenders and treat me exceptionally well. Id hate to let them down as theyve told me im the best cleaner theyve ever had and show their appreciation often.
At the end of the day, im likely just gonna go for this other job. But im just disappointed at the outcome. Has anyone else been seriously struggling lately? I feel like everyone around me is thriving and im over here barely able to put food on my table. Fuck sake.
Edit to add: I am also just a bit sick of whats being expected of me, how im being treated by some of my clients. Just people expecting miracles, leaving unreasonable messes for me (think a weeks worth of dishes on the sink filled with maggots, I had one woman wanting me to sand down her heirloom wooden table and repolish it, another wanting me to clean the outside of her tin roof of the 2 level house, people wanting yard work done, people comparing my prices with big companies or other solo cleaners with no ABN or insurances just cleaning for some quick cash between jobs etc. Its all just getting to me, and exhausting me mentally and physically. I think im done.