Just wondering, what did you guys do before you got into window cleaning?
Did something in particular lead you to want to have your own business & be your own boss?
It did for me, here’s my story ...
I was working in a powder coating factory for 7 years as a powder coater and team leader. The job in itself was ok but the management and supervisor were the biggest arseholes you could ever imagine!
I would graft I disagree off, do all the overtime they want, do 4 people’s jobs and it was never good enough, they were like a bunch of bullies, the whole factory morale was rock bottom, the workers were all miserable and frightened.
Two people (a team leader & packing inspector) had a heart attack in the 7 years I was there, which I know was brought on by the intense pressure put on them daily, the one bloke was telling me (months before his heart attack) that he needs to leave he couldn’t sleep and seemed a wreck but he couldn’t due to him having a mortgage and kids etc, his wife actually phoned the manager once telling him the stress he is putting his husband under and the manager told her to F off! That’s the kind of people they were.
The job made me get mentally ill with the pressure the supervisors and management put me under daily, my target as a team leader was to get £5,000 worth of jobs through the line each day with as few rejects as possible.
I would always pass the £5,000 and put through about £6,000-9,000 a day, they would praise me a lot in the first 6 months of being team leader then they just wanted more and more, then it turned to screaming in my face if I didn’t hit 9k a day, they treated everyone like this, I seen so many people just walk out over the years but they had a solid 30 people (was a small factory) that seemed to just put up with the abuse (myself included).
I eventually crumbled and had to be signed off with anxiety and depression.
The job had broken me down so bad I was honestly a wreck.
After a month off I went back but hated every minute, they didn’t back off me at all and in fact was saying my anxiety was BS and I that just wanted time off.
I eventually just told the gaffer what I thought of him and he argued back threatened me with a steel pole I said right to his face “go on then I dare ya, see what happens” he bottled it and just stormed off swearing.
I then took a bit of a much needed break and thought what I’d like to do and came to the conclusion that I don’t want to work for a boss, I’d love to do something myself where I’m my own boss and here I am 😁
I enjoy the work, I love the freedom, I am still overcoming some anxiety I have but my confidence is growing month to month, I am certainly glad I gave window cleaning a shot and am determined to make a success out of it.
How about you?