Hello,
In honor of the woman, this story of courage and perseverance.
Nothing destined X, a single mother of a 13-year-old son and a long-term unemployed woman, to open her small cleaning business, 3P Nettoyage, in Auterive in the Haute-Garonne department. If not for her fierce desire to fight.
Sales talent
When I was young, my dream was to become a sales representative, to travel the roads. But with my family background—daughter of immigrants, of Algerian origin, a violent father, refusing the tradition of arranged marriage—and studies that let me down, I didn’t think I could make it. In the end, fate had other plans. After working as a factory worker in a shirt factory, I had the opportunity to do door-to-door sales for insurance products. Then, I was hired as a medical representative. I also sold home appliances and sewing machines. I also worked as a housekeeper and then as a sales representative in an industrial cleaning company. In the meantime, I met the father of my son, a restaurateur whom I helped out, and I had my son, Adam.
The ordeal
After a redundancy, I went through a long professional wilderness, compounded by a severe depressive episode. I took on odd jobs and helped out friends who gave me a room to stay in. As a long-term unemployed person with a very low social status, no longer in a relationship, and on top of that having to cope with a bereavement in the family… well, it all just snowballed. On the work front, every door was shut in my face. I was either too old, or too Arab, or too much of a mother. And then one day, I had enough. Since no one wanted to give me a job, I decided to give myself one.
The end of the tunnel
When my son turned 12 in 2003, I walked through the doors of ANPE (now Pôle emploi). I asked to take any training course that would allow me to reconnect with the world of work, from which I had been completely cut off. I underwent a skills assessment with Retravailler Midi-Pyrénées. It was extraordinary. It helped me see things more clearly. I discovered that there was only one thing I could do, on my own and with few resources: cleaning. All I needed was a bucket, a mop, and a broom. The machine was my arms. I am not lazy. Moreover, I had practiced this trade and had worked as a sales representative for a cleaning company. At 46, for me, it was this or nothing.
The rage to get out
Thanks to a small personal contribution and the 4,000-euro grant for unemployed people starting a business (Accre), I was able to get started. The application was complicated to put together, but I received excellent support from Retravailler. It wasn’t easy. But I had the drive. Starting my cleaning company was like a boxing match, the last one for me. I was already knocked out; I couldn’t fall any lower. By chance, I found a 12-square-meter commercial space for rent right on the main street in Auterive. In the meantime, I was prospecting for clients who signed me up with quotes. On August 22, 2003, I filed the statutes for 3P Nettoyage: 3P standing for Propreté, Produits, Professionnel…
One year later
Every morning, I shed tears of happiness! I was able to hire a part-time secretary and three part-time employees, mainly women over 40 who, like me, have experienced their ups and downs. Right now, my biggest challenge isn’t financial; it’s finding staff. I’m having trouble recruiting cleaning ladies and a window cleaner. Competition? I’m not afraid of it. The market is promising. I make sure to uphold an image of professionalism as well as cleanliness for my company. I want to fight the bad reputation of industrial cleaning. I also dream of setting up a reseller depot for cleaning products aimed at professionals and individuals. That would save people from having to travel 35 kilometers to restock. Maybe in a year or two…
Act instead of lamenting
We must not limit ourselves to saying “I think that” or “I will.” We have to go for it, take charge, and charge ahead. Talking makes people laugh, but acting makes them shut up—that’s my motto.
