What Recession? Bad Economy Didn’t Deter Entrepreneur from Launching Successful Business

Joshua Horowitz (kneeling) with the staff of Sell My Stuff Canada

Upon graduating from Toronto’s Ryerson University with a degree in Business and Entrepreneurship under his belt, Joshua Horowitz, a 26-year-old Richmond Hill resident, decided it was time to take a trip.

It was around the time of his graduation that Josh’s grandfather, Carl, was already well into a losing battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Recently unemployed, depressed about his grandfather’s failing health, and not quite sure what his plans were in the business world, Josh travelled the world, looking for a sign.

Turns out, that sign was back home.

When returning to Richmond Hill, and seeing that zaidy Carl’s health had declined greatly in such a relatively short period of time, Josh was now his bubbie Barbara’s main source of strength and help, as her husband became less and less aware of his surroundings. Josh was particularly upset to see that zaidy Carl no longer recognized him.

“It was real rough, seeing him like that,” says Josh. “But forgotten in all this was bubbie Barbara. She suddenly had to downsize her life and move closer to the Alzheimer’s facility that now housed zaidy Carl. I realized there and then that I could provide a service for others like my grandmother. I would run content sales for elderly people who needed to simplify and downsize their lives due to illness, family death, or other circumstances, where it becomes necessary to sell a large home and dispose of most of their possessions that had accumulated over the years.”

After performing due diligence, Josh discovered that there was a tremendous need for the service he proposed than was currently available and, without hesitation, Josh’s career path was crystal clear.

How could elderly people, with no knowledge of pricing, sales, marketing, advertising, hope to sell their large possessions in a fast, efficient manner, without having to lift a box themselves?

It was precisely that very question that led to the birth of Sell My Stuff Canada.

“Our company is basically a one-stop shop for anyone needing to downsize or sell off their possessions – from the initial inventory, to advertising the sale and even cleaning up afterwards. My team and I move as quickly as possible to ensure that items are sold, removed, space cleaned up, and the money from the sale is in our clients’ hands.”

With a staff of approximately 20 employees, many of whom are family members including, of course, bubbie Barbara, and a mailing list of over 5,000 clients ranging from antique dealers to garage sale enthusiasts, Sell My Stuff Canada, which has handled everything from $500 garage sales to $200,000 estate sales, is now the largest and fastest growing content and estate sale company in Canada, and is currently in the midst of franchising into various Canadian cities.

“I am proud of myself for creating a business plan that created a profitable business, but also one that has a great social conscience. I am giving back to my community, and to the senior citizens who, like my grandparents, have given so much to me and the generations that followed them.”

And, for other young, unemployed men and women looking to get ahead in business as an entrepreneur, Joshua Horowitz has some simple, yet sage, advice.

“Just go for it,” says Joshua. “As clichéd as it sounds, ideas are easy; they’re a dime a dozen, and everyone can come up with the next ingenious business idea or invention, but that’s usually where it stays, at the idea stage. It’s really about going after that idea, about growing it from a concept to fruition. If you want something, just go for it. After all, what’s the worst thing that could happen? It’ll flop and you’ll try something else.”

For more information, visit www.sellmystuffcanada.com or info@sellmystuffcanada.com or call 647.808.3454, or toll-free at 1-855-55-STUFF.