Couple setting up own business after fruitless job search
PAIR OFFER CLEANING AND TIDYING SERVICES
A YOUNG Hull couple who spent months applying for jobs with no luck finally said “enough is enough” and launched their own business.
Chardonnay Christon and Liam Metcalfe, both aged 20, live on the Greatfield Estate in Hull, and felt as though they had spent endless hours scrolling on Indeed. They reckon they had applied for more than 1,000 jobs between them, which included anything from call centre jobs to dock work.
Being a close couple who share a car, they were looking for something they could do together, but Chardonnay felt as though places offering manual work were not keen on hiring a young woman.
Unsatisfied with being on Universal Credit and eager to get stuck into some hard graft, they decided to launch CL Services – an odd job business that offers services including jet washing, grass cutting and car cleaning.
The couple only went into business last week, but have already had their first customers, as well as doing jobs for family and friends to boost their portfolio.
Chardonnay said: “It’s hard to get work as a young person and we applied for over 1,000 jobs, whether it be in takeaways, on the docks or in call centres.
“I prefer doing jobs where I’m physically working hard rather than sitting at a desk, but most places like that didn’t want to hire me because I’m a girl.
“Other places just weren’t getting back to me and agency work wasn’t giving out regular hours.
“We didn’t want to be on Universal Credit, we wanted to get our hands dirty and make our own money, so that’s when we had the idea to start our business.”
Chardonnay and Liam felt they had nothing to lose and the worst that could happen is they wouldn’t attract customers. They then set to work gathering all the supplies they would need, and fixed up equipment such as jet washers and hedge trimmers bought from Facebook marketplace.
They printed flyers offering free quotes for car, garden and window cleaning services, and got an enquiry within a couple of days from a landlord, who wanted his garden clearing.
Chardonnay said: “He was really impressed with the work we did because we arrived within the hour, and did a really thorough job. As well as clearing the rubbish, we made sure every stone and tiny bits of rubbish were cleared and the garden was spotless.
“After that, we’ve been practicing valeting cars and jet washing pavements, so people can see what sort of service they will be getting from our social media pages.”
The couple say they will travel to anywhere in Hull and surrounding areas for work, and are keen to make prices reasonable. They also want to offer discounted services to elderly people who struggle to maintain their house and garden.
“I’ve seen companies asking for £150 to clear gardens and take rubbish to the tip. We have offered the same service for £50,” Chardonnay said. “We are all about attracting customers and not being greedy.”
Chardonnay and Liam have their own equipment, and only need access to water and power supplies to carry out their tasks.
To contact them about doing a job, you can message them on Whatsapp or the CL Services Facebook Page.