Blog #12: Safe with Me

I am the owner and operator of my own shredding business:  Safe with Me Paper Shredding Services, Henry Bockstael, the Better Shredder

I was first introduced to the skills of paper shredding at a Continuing Education Program I attended.  The program was set up to teach job skills and workplace readiness. There were multiple different classrooms and each classroom had its own subject.  One of them was a teacher’s library which we got to use as a resource room.  That’s where office skills were taught.  I had never done anything like this before.  But then I realized I really liked it, especially shredding old paper and documents, teacher’s stuff.  

Some of the skills involved in paper shredding are knowing what to shred in the first place, to make sure you remove all of the things that might potentially jam the shredder, and to know what they are so that you can look for them.  You need to know how many pieces of paper a particular machine can handle at one time and do your best not to exceed that, in fact to try to go for a lesser number than the maximum.  You must learn how long your machine can run at one time without overheating.  If you don’t you might damage the machine.  Other jobs I did there included book binding, using a special machine to create a report-style book; sorting papers into what should or should not be shredded.  The “should not” pile is extremely valuable and important, a mistake can be costly and I know from personal experience.  But mistakes are how we learn, and I only did it once.

Roll on a couple of years, and now I have my own business with multiple satisfied clients and more on the way.

Why did I decide to start my own business? I wanted to work.  And I wanted to get paid more than the extremely part-time jobs I had at the time, one that was seasonal with only 10 shifts in a season, and one only 3 hours a week but good pay.

I decided to see if I could start my own shredding business. The first thing I did was conduct research on what was the best shredding machine available with the features I wanted, and at a good price.  Unbeknownst to me, my mother, using my research, decided to buy me the machine as a Christmas present!  My shredder is a cross-cut style machine, this is important because if I get sensitive information nothing can be pieced back together post-shredding and therefore I am able to guarantee a higher level of security.  It turns one single piece of paper into 400 pieces! The end result looks like confetti.

The next piece of equipment I needed was an industrial weigh scale, similar to one you might find at a post office.  It can weigh up to 400 lbs of paper.  I use the machine to weigh my client’s paper to be able to determine what I will charge them, the weight of the paper equals their rate of pay.

Next I had to set up a space in my house for my business.  We opted for a corner of the basement.  My Dad helped me to organize the space making sure that I had enough room for everything, including extra cupboard space for storage of client materials in the case of a big job.  Beside my desk I have an in-basket for the job that’s next.  Above my head I have three columns: To Do, Doing and Done.  Underneath I put stickers with names and contact info to keep track of my clients and where I am with any given job. 

Part of my business plan was to create a client base, to get customers.  With that in mind we set about creating a flyer to advertise my services.  We thought about what to say about the services I offered and what would be important to clients.  We tried a few different versions and settled on the final product.  Once I was happy with the design, we printed some flyers and I handed them out in my neighbourhood.  After talking with my team members, we all agreed that the most successful businesses start small and grow steadily. 

The client drops off their paper and I weigh it to determine the price for the job.  I take a picture of the digital weight which I use to generate the invoice.  I then set about removing all the staples as well as any other things that could get in the way like glue strips or anything sticky to prevent jamming.  Then I get down to business with the shredding.  I have tried a few different set ups to contain the shredded paper, and now have a set up that works well.  We have curbside pick-up for paper recycling and so I can take advantage and ensure that nothing is sent to land-fill.  In this way my business encourages eco-friendly behaviour through direct recycling.  Once I am done, I move the name to the Done column.  

If things go well, some day I hope to expand, and may be in a position to hire other people to work in my business.  I would offer a living wage instead of a minimum wage, with increases over time spent with the company.  

Over the years I have had a lot of different bosses and supervisors, in work placements and co-ops and now in paid jobs. I want to be a good boss, so I have been thinking about what makes a good one. 

I once worked at  a cabana and the boss I had was amazing.  They were patient, they knew my strengths and exploited them, in a good way.  They didn’t mind if it took me a bit longer to finish a task.  They gave me lots of different jobs to keep things interesting for me.  They appreciated my unique ways of doing things, and encouraged my own interpretation.

I really appreciated my direct supervisor at a grocer I was working at as part of a job placement co-op.  She was very clear with instructions.  She knew what she wanted, was clear about what I was not allowed to do and what my rights were as a co-op student.   She was downright funny too; she was direct and loud when she needed to be.

I volunteered at a working farm that provided support for young adults in difficult circumstances, my boss there was also very good.  She was extremely competent, she knew her field very well.  She was open to questions, gave clear direction and if you didn’t understand, she was okay and would explain again.  She remained calm while others got heated, she was very patient.

My current boss is direct and knows what he wants.  He shows you how to do something first, he leaves you alone while you are working, which shows respect and trust.  Also, he pays a living wage; he walks the walk.

For me, being a good boss means that I need to be patient, trusting of my employees, that given clear instructions they will do their job.  And if they don’t understand or if there is a problem they will come and get me to ask for help.  If there is anything that is Health and Safety related, I will always take that seriously and will take appropriate action. I hope to expand my business in the future, and look forward to the day when I am able to hire many employees.

Happy travels!