[alank]

I'm taking a week off at the end of August if the months work is finished when I start my holiday then that's great . If its not I just start back in September where I left off and continue from there.
I clean calendar monthly and two monthly.
Most five week months I get a day or two off at the end of the month.
If I want or need time off I take it and most of the customers understand.
I tell all customers from the start that we are regular give or take a week or two for holidays and bad weather etc.
Holidays/time off are important I try to always have my work completed in any given month but if I've planned time off its not always possible  to get round all the jobs .

[Stoots]

I don't get this.

So you have a set round every month and if you take time off that work just gets skipped  and missed out completely ?

Why not just take 2 weeks off and when you come back start where you left off ?

What does frequency have to do with it 

[Shrek]

I don't get this.

So you have a set round every month and if you take time off that work just gets skipped  and missed out completely ?

Why not just take 2 weeks off and when you come back start where you left off ?

What does frequency have to do with it 

Yeah that’s how iv always worked- although July was the 1st time iv ever not got to a few jobs, so they got completely missed and I started a fresh at the beginning of august as they have now missed Julys clean, il get to them next time I’m in their area at the end of august .

I work on a calendar month which isn’t flexible, if I was 4 weekly , I could do a clean that’s due at the end of July , at the beginning of august

[Jonny 87]

This is honestly over complicating things.

People do not care wether you are a day or two late, early, or even longer.

Just make sure each day is as profitable as it can be, and work each day you want to. When you go on holiday, pick up where you left off.

I work on a “monthly” schedule, but I tell everyone it’s roughly 4-6 weeks depending on holidays, stormy weather etc.
People DO NOT care. They are just happy I’m regular.

Don’t put yourself under pressure. Window cleaning should be the opposite.

[Smudger]

Your overcomplicating it  - you’ll be 2 weeks behind regardless of what schedule you use - if. It’s a planned holiday just tell them your next clean will be 2 weeks later than normal

Darran

Tbh I think this is why I find it stressful. Having a monthly round , I can’t clean 2 weeks later than normal as my round starts fresh on the 1st of each month. To take a week off at the end of July was pretty hard work , I worked 6 days a week so I could get all regular windows done before I went away so I could start again from job no.1 on the 1st august

Just move your whole schedule forward 2 weeks to give yourself a holiday!

1.no rushing around trying to cram work in!
2.simply start again where you left off(2 weeks later than usual)...

Stop complicating this business!it's easy!

I don't notify any customers either apart from the odd one if I see them....if I get any phone calls/texts I simply say I'll  be late getting round due to holiday....

It's never an issue!🙂👍

That’s what you can’t do with a monthly schedule- say for example you have 20 days work and there are 20 business days in a month , if I take the last week of the month off , that week has now gone and I can’t do it at the beginning of the next month because I start the month with job no.1 .
If I was 4 weekly , I could carry on where I left off…..
This does sound complicated 😆

Ok ok , so let me turn this around on you guys - why isn’t your work on a monthly schedule?

Come on man - 4 weekly clean is the same as monthly - the advantage for me is - cleans are on the same day of the week every 4 weeks - with monthly ie.. the 3rd of the month that day maybe a Monday one month Tuesday the next etc..

which ever system you have - go on holiday and move the schedule 2 weeks - no one will care

if your after more time off/shorter days then move 4 weekly/monthly cleans into an 8 week service - and if your that hard pressed tell the bi-monthly its now once every 3 months ....

Your stressing over nothing - people expect you to have time off - and no fussed your schedule is moved back 2 weeks

I do it every Christmas when we have a shut down - a couple of years back we had a complete 3 week stoppage

no complaints from customers

CHILL OUT!

Darran

[zesty]

I work monthly but purposely only have 2 days window cleaning on the last week of each month. This enables me to schedule in extra work such as soft washing etc.

It also means we plan our holidays for that week, meaning I only ever have to catch up on 2 days window cleaning, which I usually do just before the holiday .

It’s worked great for years, and I’m never short of work that week, I fill those extra 3 days with all the extra jobs, and keep it clear for holidays.

We’ve all got different ways of making it work 👍🏼

[Shrek]

Ok cheers guys - I will start doing this from now on, just spill over to the next month and stop trying to get everything done by the end of the month. I think I kinda got stuck in the routine of getting everything done. Years ago I only had a couple of days work and was great , but now on average iv got maybe 25 days work and it’s started to get too much to enjoy, especially over the last year or so. Much appreciated everyone 👌

[windowswashed]

Ok cheers guys - I will start doing this from now on, just spill over to the next month and stop trying to get everything done by the end of the month. I think I kinda got stuck in the routine of getting everything done. Years ago I only had a couple of days work and was great , but now on average iv got maybe 25 days work and it’s started to get too much to enjoy, especially over the last year or so. Much appreciated everyone 👌

As we get older we slow down. Window cleaning is a physically tiring job and we need to be making it more flexible as we age, that's one of the advantages of this job, flexibilty.

[Perfect Windows]

Not specifically an answer to your question but people don't seem to realise that an overfull round serves no purpose whatsoever. If you're always running late all you gain is stress.

There are a certain number of cleans you can carry out in a day/week/month, whatever.  It doesn't matter if you're so overflowing with work that you're only getting round your customers once a year, you're not earning a penny more than if it was just full - you can only earn the same amount per day.

Bemuses me when people tell me they're always running late.

The secret, of course, is to flog off or drop the customers you don't want.

Vin

[Smudger]

Or employ/franchise

Darran

[Shrek]

Not specifically an answer to your question but people don't seem to realise that an overfull round serves no purpose whatsoever. If you're always running late all you gain is stress.

There are a certain number of cleans you can carry out in a day/week/month, whatever.  It doesn't matter if you're so overflowing with work that you're only getting round your customers once a year, you're not earning a penny more than if it was just full - you can only earn the same amount per day.

Bemuses me when people tell me they're always running late.

The secret, of course, is to flog off or drop the customers you don't want.

Vin

That’s a very good point Vin , I never thought of it like that

[tlwcs]

Make it work for you, the customers will fall into place.
Most expect you to have a holiday from time to time.
There is also the stress of complete accountability when there is no flexibility

I started 4 and 8 weekly, moved them to monthly and bimonthly to gain a little time off and now I’ve moved everyone to 6 weekly working 3 days a week. I have been trading 22 years. The bimonthly were dearer than the monthly so on paper the turnover was the same. Lost a few  as they only wanted 6 cleans as against 8 but they were easily replaced. Most were happy to retain the service and fitted in with me.
Just do what’s best for you
Tony

[richard connett]

You’ve set your round up without thinking that you might need regular time off.
You can run your round how you like.
When I started up I had everything on 6 weekly but wasn’t full  so I used the 6 th week as regular holiday week. Over the years I realised that if I worked harder and longer days I could work 4 weeks on 2 weeks off .
That’s how I’ve kept it . It’s better for your sanity and body . Never have to worry about getting time off .

[Stoots]

I don't get this.

So you have a set round every month and if you take time off that work just gets skipped  and missed out completely ?

Why not just take 2 weeks off and when you come back start where you left off ?

What does frequency have to do with it 

Yeah that’s how iv always worked- although July was the 1st time iv ever not got to a few jobs, so they got completely missed and I started a fresh at the beginning of august as they have now missed Julys clean, il get to them next time I’m in their area at the end of august .

I work on a calendar month which isn’t flexible, if I was 4 weekly , I could do a clean that’s due at the end of July , at the beginning of august

I dont think being monthly rather than 4 weekly has caused your issue, its simply the way you are looking at it. You could work your way on a 4 weekly cycle and leave customers out for example do week 1, 2 then go on holiday so skip week 3 and continue at week 4 when you get back....its the same thing.

For me it doesnt matter what schedule customers are on, 4 weekly, monthly or any other, i simply start at job A and finish at job Z then round again..... Although im supposed to be 4 weekly in reality its usually between 4 and 6 weeks to get round due to all the variables of weather, holidays, sickness etc.

[Stoots]

Not specifically an answer to your question but people don't seem to realise that an overfull round serves no purpose whatsoever. If you're always running late all you gain is stress.

There are a certain number of cleans you can carry out in a day/week/month, whatever.  It doesn't matter if you're so overflowing with work that you're only getting round your customers once a year, you're not earning a penny more than if it was just full - you can only earn the same amount per day.

Bemuses me when people tell me they're always running late.

The secret, of course, is to flog off or drop the customers you don't want.

Vin

Thats very true but to have a surplus gives security knowing you can lose quite a few and still have the same yearly turn over on tap.

[Perfect Windows]

Thats very true but to have a surplus gives security knowing you can lose quite a few and still have the same yearly turn over on tap.

I agree. It's sensible to be slightly overstocked but when I read of people on four-weekly cycles whining that they always seem to be a week or more late, I despair. Who is going to lose 20% of their customers in a short time? They are piling on stress for no benefit.

[DJW]

I become a JW every Christmas so I don’t have to stop work.