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I was telling my friend I'd be looking for some part-time work. It needs to fit around family life as well and I'm thinking evenings would be better. She offered to give me a small cleaning job. It would be two hours on Thursdays and Sundays each week. I can't make up my mind if I should take it or not. It would feel strange taking money from her and I'd never know 100% if she was doing it just to help me. Would I be taking advantage of the friendship if I did work for her? We've been friends a lot of years and I wouldn't want anyone to see it like that.
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Welcome frazzledmom. It's nice to meet you. :) I think you should go for it. It doesn't matter if your friend's doing it to help you or not. She'll feel good having a nice clean house and you'll feel good bringing in some extra money. It's a win win situation. As billeater mentioned, find out right at the start what she wants and make sure the arrangement suits you both. If you were taking a job in a store you would do all that first. This is the same. That way no one gets disappointed.
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Hi frazzledmom! Welcome to billeater.com. I can understand your reluctance about working for your friend. Years ago I wondered the same things myself before when I took on a paid babysitting job for one of mine when her usual childminder went on an extended vacation. I think my pride was getting in the way a little to be honest but it all worked out. Maybe you could agree to a trial period first but I think you're worrying about nothing. :)
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Thanks for all the advice billeater, Savannah and Kay. I think I'm making a mountain out of a molehill here. I'm so bad at that nowadays! I'll think positive and go for it. What's the worst that can happen, right? I'll let my friend know. Thank you for the encouragement. I think that's what I needed. :)
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The good thing about working for friends is that you already have a head start on knowing what they like and loathe. You've probably been to her house a million times, could find your own way to the coffee cups and know exactly where to lay your hands on a clean towel. The greatest benefit for her of course is that she can trust you not to steal or let her down. Friends should work together more often! Good luck with it. :)
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Thanks for all the advice billeater, Savannah and Kay. I think I'm making a mountain out of a molehill here. I'm so bad at that nowadays! I'll think positive and go for it. What's the worst that can happen, right? I'll let my friend know. Thank you for the encouragement. I think that's what I needed. :)
No problem! I'll eat my hat if it doesn't all work out good for both you and her. It'll give the family a chance to miss you not being around too. There's such a thing as too much of a good thing. :) When's your first day or have you not had time to arrange that yet?
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When's your first day or have you not had time to arrange that yet?
It's Thursday of next week, Savannah. :) We both wanted to get some time to organize our own days first ahead of this. I'm feeling okay about it and will give a progress report after week one. It will only take me one or two times doing the job to see if it's worthwhile.
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Here's my progress report a bit earlier than promised but I couldn't wait to tell you all how it went. Day one was fine! I did less work at her house than I'd have done if I'd stayed at home LOL. I'm relieved, she's happy I got it everything done that she asked me to which wasn't much and have extra dollars in my purse to show for it. :)
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Hey, how did I miss this thread? I would have wished you good luck for yesterday frazzledmom. I'm glad it went well. Before you know it you'll have a whole cleaning business under your belt. She'll tell her friends and get you some more I bet. I wish I had someone to clean mine! I hate housework.
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Here's my progress report a bit earlier than promised but I couldn't wait to tell you all how it went. Day one was fine! I did less work at her house than I'd have done if I'd stayed at home LOL. I'm relieved, she's happy I got it everything done that she asked me to which wasn't much and have extra dollars in my purse to show for it. :)
Thank goodness for that. I never break a promise and I don't think I'd have had enough hot sauce to make my hat very tasty. ;) LOL. That's fantastic, frazzledmom.Long may it last.
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I'd have sent you some salt, Savannah. ;) Day two also went well. I had to stop myself from sitting chatting because she was off and that would have been too easy. We agreed to do it when I was finished because I felt better about doing it that way. She followed me from room to room chatting while I worked LOL. It was nice.
Hmm. That's a tough one. I hate mixing business and friendship, but this particular case seems pretty straightforward. It's a cleaning job, so I don't see a lot of opportunity for controversy, since the work is clear cut, and only a couple of hours a week.
Just make sure you both agree upfront on some of the specifics, like:
Good for you on finding a great, flexible part time gig though!