[paul mather]

I think the increasing popularity of WFP has gone to some of our heads.

Lets be honest most of us clean windows cos we make a decent living & get very little hassle from it. I don't need palm pilots (if that's what you call them) & special software, a small book is much better. I don't want to employ unreliable staff & spend all day chasing them up & I certainly don't want to spend 12 hours a day, 7 days a week working.

The reason I say this is I have only been a member on this forum for around 5 weeks & I am amazed at how many want to turn our industry into some kind of goose that laid the golden egg, or at least say they do. I suspect the vast majority of us do what we do because for the hours we work & the hassle we get, we couldn't find anything better.
I will always be indebted to this forum. I discovered it when I was searching the web for info on WFPs & through it I have gained info & help as I change over. I am also glad it introduced me to Gardiner's who supplied me with my 1st system, but I think there are a few on here who have been reading too many marketing books, & are beginning to sound like something out of the Times business pages.

Let's value what we do, but let's not kid ourselves, we aint reinventing the wheel, we just clean windows. :

[Majestic]

The WFP is just another tool, I use both WFP and  Traditional. Its what suits the job best

[supernova77]

I think the increasing popularity of WFP has gone to some of our heads.

Lets be honest most of us clean windows cos we make a decent living & get very little hassle from it. I don't need palm pilots (if that's what you call them) & special software, a small book is much better. I don't want to employ unreliable staff & spend all day chasing them up & I certainly don't want to spend 12 hours a day, 7 days a week working.

The reason I say this is I have only been a member on this forum for around 5 weeks & I am amazed at how many want to turn our industry into some kind of goose that laid the golden egg, or at least say they do. I suspect the vast majority of us do what we do because for the hours we work & the hassle we get, we couldn't find anything better.
I will always be indebted to this forum. I discovered it when I was searching the web for info on WFPs & through it I have gained info & help as I change over. I am also glad it introduced me to Gardiner's who supplied me with my 1st system, but I think there are a few on here who have been reading too many marketing books, & are beginning to sound like something out of the Times business pages.

Let's value what we do, but let's not kid ourselves, we aint reinventing the wheel, we just clean windows. 

Its true what you say... But the window cleaning market is HUGE.

I left my job in IT because I wanted to be my own boss... Now I've been window cleaning for 7 months I can really see the potential in me growing a decent business, and not just working as a one man band.

Andy

[Sir Squeaky]

Well said Paul.
Keep it simple!

[telboy]

Paul

You are soooooooooooo right
Some people on here think they are Richard Branson

Telboy 

Angel C/S

[mark f]

the beauty of window cleaning is that you can decide how big you want to go, and be either happy on your own or expand, you chose. You dont have to feel pressured into expanding like in some other industries.

[windows_chepstow]

I don't want to employ unreliable staff & spend all day chasing them up & I certainly don't want to spend 12 hours a day, 7 days a week working.

You're assuming that all staff are unreliable.

That's a bit like assuming all window cleaners just do it for an extra bit of beer money.

[paul mather]

I'm not saying that all staff are unreliable but lets be honest there is always work available out there, surely anyone worth their salt (who is worth employing) would probably leave after a few months & set up on their own.

Could be wrong on that as I have never employed anyone before.

[cybersye]

I'm not saying that all staff are unreliable but lets be honest there is always work available out there, surely anyone worth their salt (who is worth employing) would probably leave after a few months & set up on their own.

you gotta point there, thats what i did
2 years of back breaking work for an hourly rate before I felt confident enough to jack it in and go solo
never looked back
technology though is a tool like any other, if your happy with a small book then fine
I use george and have a palm but i was crap at keeping my records up to date at the end of each day and forever losing hand written pieces of paper, each to their own

sounds like you made the change for the same reasons i did paul
works now something i enjoy and do when i feel like it, it pays the bills and affords me a modest lifestyle
but no longer runs my life
god luck with it
Simon

good workmen never blame their tools because they've the right ones for the job in the first place

[beefy]

no mate its not rocket sciencebut it is the best job ive ever had have you hod carried, have you done factory time/motion.thats hard work. i havent won the lottery but i can spend time with my kids whenever  because of this job

[windows_chepstow]

no mate its not rocket sciencebut it is the best job ive ever had have you hod carried, have you done factory time/motion.thats hard work. i havent won the lottery but i can spend time with my kids whenever  because of this job

Beefy,

You're right there, mate.

As an ex-goverment employee, I was well paid; but they certainly took their pound of flesh in return; a couple of pounds of meat sometimes; my employed occupation played havoc with my life; although it was fun sometimes.

Window cleaning isn't exactly glamorous, but it does have many, many good points.

Is there any naughtier feeling (well I suppose there's a couple) than waking up on a Monday morning and saying to your Missis, 'Sod it, fancy going to the pictures?'

Okay, okay, in reality you end up trapsing round the shops, thinking, 'I'd rather be at work than shopping', but at least you've got the freedom to do it.

[paul mather]

I thought i was the only one who did daft things like that. Sadly my wife takes up a full time teaching position in a nearby school in September , so bang goes my impromptu skives. Not the same on your own is it.

[beefy]

ah but as your own man working foryourself  you can say -=-ill make time for you when you want --ill be round --women love that, normally its sorry love ive to wook overtime i8ll see you at last orders --this job, its hours & wages are the best kept secret in the world- anyone of my age still thinks of stan ogden