[telfordwindowclnr]

IMHO that part of the forum now a quiet place and a loss to the forum.

Will it happen on the windows section -

No, because this a window cleaning forum, not a business forum.

They can go here, it's for entrepreneurs http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk they'll be in their element, ducking and diving with those who are bigger and better than them.

I've already been a member for a few years and it has taught me much.

[Mick Kent]

Good post Steve, I agree with all but the last paragraph. There are plenty on here that are happy being "just a window cleaner". You don't have to be in the 5 or 10 percent that you strive for to live a happy and fulfilling life.

I agree. But I have also met loads of people whose pensions have failed or who have never REALLY pushed themselves in their life to do anything, not just in their work life. When they get older, they have regrets and not just those of a financial nature.

But I personally don't own a house, or a pension that will benefit fo any benefit should I hit retiring age, nor do I have rich parents whose fortune I can live off when they die. I grew up in a divorced household on a poor council estate, got into petty crime aged 10, and had little direction in life. Nor am I content to just live off benefits should something happen to me now or when I am older.

From a young age I was determined to better myself, my circumstances and hopefully along the way help those I love. I have a sickening dedication to whatever I turn my hand to in my personal or business life. So why not push as hard as I can push, read all I can read, see all I can see, help all I can help and improve all I can improve?

I am not happy just 'being'. It is not about the money. It is about my own feelings of accomplishment and self-worth.

Im sure you will get there 1 day

[telfordwindowclnr]

My observation about the use of open forums is the same people that talk about different types of business models/opportunities usually start threads like this one. In doing so they also have an ultimate motive to flog something be it a solar panel cleaning training course, franchise business package etc. They also have no intentions of being a standard helpful contributor to a forum as they are only interested in using forums as a passive marketing tool to make more money.

Need I say anymore 

For me, it has been an excellent recruiting and networking tool.

[telfordwindowclnr]

For those of you who know who Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy and other people of that type are, being part of the 10% is an important part of what they teach. How does this apply to window cleaning?

After many threads read on here and writing a number myself, it seems the same people tend to post the same types of comments. So here is my theory:

It seems we all fall into different types of brackets:

1. Window Cleaners
2. Those who run window cleaning businesses
3. Businessmen who's current business happens to be window cleaning

What are the differences?

It seems window cleaners are obsessed about brush type, length of pole, getting a new 'custie' (I find that derogatory) etc. They also tend to post the most negative comments and are quick to pick fault, insult, have bad grammar and make spelling mistakes. I'd say they are about 20% of the makeup of the forum.

Then you have those who run window cleaning businesses, those who discuss what vehicles to buy, tax issues etc. They are more focused on making middle of the road comments on threads, weigh things up equally and are not offensive to virtually anyone in any way. They are probably 70% of the forum population.

Then there are those who are businessmen, whose current business is window cleaning. These tend to discuss expansion, accomplishments, market trends, new ideas etc. They run their business by principles that they could apply in other businesses and tend to have multiple revenue streams. These tend to be the most disliked and controversial people on here. Their posts may come across as big headed and filled with braggardocio, when actually they are pioneers, willing to be different and put their head above the parapet, knowing they may be shot down. They do it anyway, not to have their egos massaged, but to try and inspire others and show what can be accomplished. I think these are what make up the 10%.

All are needed, but not all are appreciated. We probably all know what category we fall into if we are honest and where we aspire to be.

I want to be part of the 10%. I want to find out the mindset of the masses and avoid it, read the books that the masses read and not read them. The masses do not attain success and live a fulfilling life, the masses are disgruntled with their lot in life. The 10% is the place to be.

I have just noted some spelling mistakes and grammatical impossibilities you have put in your post Steve. So if you want to be in your rather arbitrary "10%" you'd better shape up in the spelling department.

One of the best salesmen/inspirational businessmen I worked for couldn't spell for toffee. He didn't know how to spell one of his best customers names. He spelled it "Mapisco" instead of "Nabisco". Oh how we supercilious grammar nazis laughed.

We didn't laugh when he sold more stuff than the next three salesmen put together though.

Spelling and grammar do not a happy and fulfilled and successful person make.

Granville, mistakes duly noted and corrected, thank you.  I'm happy to be corrected.  That's how to learn and grow. 

Not sure your head can grow any bigger.
Maybe you could use the inches elsewhere though?

Guess which section you just proved to put yourself in! 

[supernova77]

Good post Steve, I agree with all but the last paragraph. There are plenty on here that are happy being "just a window cleaner". You don't have to be in the 5 or 10 percent that you strive for to live a happy and fulfilling life.

I agree. But I have also met loads of people whose pensions have failed or who have never REALLY pushed themselves in their life to do anything, not just in their work life. When they get older, they have regrets and not just those of a financial nature.

But I personally don't own a house, or a pension that will benefit fo any benefit should I hit retiring age, nor do I have rich parents whose fortune I can live off when they die. I grew up in a divorced household on a poor council estate, got into petty crime aged 10, and had little direction in life. Nor am I content to just live off benefits should something happen to me now or when I am older.

From a young age I was determined to better myself, my circumstances and hopefully along the way help those I love. I have a sickening dedication to whatever I turn my hand to in my personal or business life. So why not push as hard as I can push, read all I can read, see all I can see, help all I can help and improve all I can improve?

I am not happy just 'being'. It is not about the money. It is about my own feelings of accomplishment and self-worth.

With a story like that you'll be auditioning on X Factor next!

[telfordwindowclnr]

For those of you who know who Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy and other people of that type are, being part of the 10% is an important part of what they teach. How does this apply to window cleaning?

After many threads read on here and writing a number myself, it seems the same people tend to post the same types of comments. So here is my theory:

It seems we all fall into different types of brackets:

1. Window Cleaners
2. Those who run window cleaning businesses
3. Businessmen whose current business happens to be window cleaning

What are the differences?

It seems window cleaners are obsessed about brush type, length of pole, getting a new 'custie' (I find that derogatory) etc. They also tend to post the most negative comments and are quick to pick fault, insult, have bad grammar and make spelling mistakes. I'd say they are about 20% of the makeup of the forum.

Then you have those who run window cleaning businesses, those who discuss what vehicles to buy, tax issues etc. They are more focused on making middle of the road comments on threads, weigh things up equally and are not offensive to virtually anyone in any way. They are probably 70% of the forum population.

Then there are those who are businessmen, whose current business is window cleaning. These tend to discuss expansion, accomplishments, market trends, new ideas etc. They run their business by principles that they could apply in other businesses and tend to have multiple revenue streams. These tend to be the most disliked and controversial people on here. Their posts may come across as big headed and filled with braggadocio, when actually they are pioneers, willing to be different and put their head above the parapet, knowing they may be shot down. They do it anyway, not to have their egos massaged, but to try and inspire others and show what can be accomplished. I think these are what make up the 10%.

All are needed, but not all are appreciated. We probably all know what category we fall into if we are honest and where we aspire to be.

I want to be part of the 10%. I want to find out the mindset of the masses and avoid it, read the books that the masses read and not read them. The masses do not attain success and live a fulfilling life, the masses are disgruntled with their lot in life. The 10% is the place to be.

100% agree with you Steve.

The air is fresh when your at the top - Earl Nightingale

Can I put your post on my blog?

Where is your blog James?

[telfordwindowclnr]

I ignore people who are big headed who put others down. There are all types on here. Some I totally ignore, others I read their opinions and advice.
I have run businesses before besides window cleaning. I'm window cleaning as I have three life changing illnesses and this job allows me to continue working for as long as I'm able to perservere. My only real goal business wise is to hurry up and pay off my mortgage so I can work less hours than I am now. I try to balance work with a healthy attitude towards a social life. Don't wish to be rich at window cleaning or build an empire.
Balancing work, health and a life outside of work whilst my health deteriorates is a challenge in itself.
When I started this job I just wanted to be good at my job and grow which I did. Then my health stopped me working completely and I ended up being cared for 24/7. Getting my health and independence back was my goal in life when I defeated doctors and specialists telling me my life was virtually over and almost resorted to a one way holiday to Switzerland. I have determination and stubbornness like you wouldn't believe.
My main goal in life is to do enough to get by with everyday needs and to live life to the full as much as my health allows. Time passes quicker than you realise sometimes, why miss the things that are important in life. Window cleaning is a means to an end and how you use it to achieve what you need out of life is your choice.

I feel that starting this thread in coming in for some snide comments has all been worth it, just to read this. Thanks for sharing.

[Smurf]

My observation about the use of open forums is the same people that talk about different types of business models/opportunities usually start threads like this one. In doing so they also have an ultimate motive to flog something be it a solar panel cleaning training course, franchise business package etc. They also have no intentions of being a standard helpful contributor to a forum as they are only interested in using forums as a passive marketing tool to make more money.

Need I say anymore 

For me, it has been an excellent recruiting and networking tool.

I bet it has Steve...That should read "For me, it has been an excellent FREE recruiting and networking tool."

[David Kent @ KentKleen]

I can see where this one is going already.

Yep me to.

Steve its a good post but I really think its more like 70%, 25%, 5% which is why your about to be shot to bits.

I dont think Steve said anything about fulfillment in his post. Im sure that is different for everyone. How does anyone know if one person that works 14 hours a day or not is more or less fulfilled than the next person?

I know how this will sound but I would like to see either a new forum or a new section to the forum for those with the larger businesses just because topics of interest would be different. For example im not interested in the latest brush, pole ect.... Im more intested in the issues of a bigger business, which are a million miles from the day to day of a single opperator. I can say that with confidence as I have been a single opperator. A friend of mine with a 30 van courier business has given me a lot of advice over the last year which is helping me to grow right now. Its not about poles and brushes, its about, tax,vat,employment, marketing, accountants, dividends, premises, office staff, finance, so on and so on. It would be useful to have discusion like that on here but it seems if you want to be bigger or are bigger you get cut down. Funny how you dont get cut down asking about a new pole!

The 'best' comment I have read on here in a very long time. I rarely contribute/post on here now. (busy building my business and fed up of the snipers)
Can anyone advise me of the best cheap leisure battery to buy?
 

[Plankton]

Still got seats to fill Steve?

Well?

[Dave Willis]

Snobbery on a windowcleaners forum - who'd have thought it?
Sob stories and no doubt a 'Roller Coaster' ride too.

[andyM]

Snobbery on a windowcleaners forum - who'd have thought it?
Sob stories and no doubt a 'Roller Coaster' ride too.

I'm sure some of them have been doing it for as long as they can remember, wouldn't want to do anything else and couldn't go back to their boring day job.
"It's been a journey and I wanna thank me mam, me dad, gerry the budgerigar, harry the hamster and pat the postman for believing in me oh and miss tittley my careers advisor at skool." xxx


 

[Tom-01]

Good post Steve, I agree with all but the last paragraph. There are plenty on here that are happy being "just a window cleaner". You don't have to be in the 5 or 10 percent that you strive for to live a happy and fulfilling life.

I agree. But I have also met loads of people whose pensions have failed or who have never REALLY pushed themselves in their life to do anything, not just in their work life. When they get older, they have regrets and not just those of a financial nature.

But I personally don't own a house, or a pension that will be of any benefit should I hit retiring age, nor do I have rich parents whose fortune I can live off when they die. I grew up in a divorced household on a poor council estate, got into petty crime aged 10, and had little direction in life. Nor am I content to just live off benefits should something happen to me now or when I am older.

From a young age I was determined to better myself, my circumstances and hopefully along the way help those I love. I have a sickening dedication to whatever I turn my hand to in my personal or business life. So why not push as hard as I can push, read all I can read, see all I can see, help all I can help and improve all I can improve?

I am not happy just 'being'. It is not about the money. It is about my own feelings of accomplishment and self-worth.

That's all good. However, It seems like those who go on about fulfilment, bettering themselves, striving for this, that and the other, giving 110% are always looking for something and never truly content. They can't sit still, always looking for the next fix which never lasts that long. Constantly thinking about bettering oneself means you're never going to get there.

But that's just my opinion and I only have one van so it probably doesn't really count. Very good work and very good profit margins though for not a lot of stress at all.

[jonboywalton75]

Snobbery on a windowcleaners forum - who'd have thought it?
Sob stories and no doubt a 'Roller Coaster' ride too.

I'm sure some of them have been doing it for as long as they can remember, wouldn't want to do anything else and couldn't go back to their boring day job.
"It's been a journey and I wanna thank me mam, me dad, gerry the budgerigar, harry the hamster and pat the postman for believing in me oh and miss tittley my careers advisor at skool." xxx

Ha ha,  love it.

I know I'm only  a window  cleaner,  but I work when I need to and when I want to,  mostly for WHO I want to.
Oh and I didn't miss my lads growing up like some who think work is fun

[chris turner]

For those of you who know who Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy and other people of that type are, being part of the 10% is an important part of what they teach. How does this apply to window cleaning?

After many threads read on here and writing a number myself, it seems the same people tend to post the same types of comments. So here is my theory:

It seems we all fall into different types of brackets:

1. Window Cleaners
2. Those who run window cleaning businesses
3. Businessmen who's current business happens to be window cleaning

What are the differences?

It seems window cleaners are obsessed about brush type, length of pole, getting a new 'custie' (I find that derogatory) etc. They also tend to post the most negative comments and are quick to pick fault, insult, have bad grammar and make spelling mistakes. I'd say they are about 20% of the makeup of the forum.

Then you have those who run window cleaning businesses, those who discuss what vehicles to buy, tax issues etc. They are more focused on making middle of the road comments on threads, weigh things up equally and are not offensive to virtually anyone in any way. They are probably 70% of the forum population.

Then there are those who are businessmen, whose current business is window cleaning. These tend to discuss expansion, accomplishments, market trends, new ideas etc. They run their business by principles that they could apply in other businesses and tend to have multiple revenue streams. These tend to be the most disliked and controversial people on here. Their posts may come across as big headed and filled with braggardocio, when actually they are pioneers, willing to be different and put their head above the parapet, knowing they may be shot down. They do it anyway, not to have their egos massaged, but to try and inspire others and show what can be accomplished. I think these are what make up the 10%.

All are needed, but not all are appreciated. We probably all know what category we fall into if we are honest and where we aspire to be.

I want to be part of the 10%. I want to find out the mindset of the masses and avoid it, read the books that the masses read and not read them. The masses do not attain success and live a fulfilling life, the masses are disgruntled with their lot in life. The 10% is the place to be.

I have just noted some spelling mistakes and grammatical impossibilities you have put in your post Steve. So if you want to be in your rather arbitrary "10%" you'd better shape up in the spelling department.

One of the best salesmen/inspirational businessmen I worked for couldn't spell for toffee. He didn't know how to spell one of his best customers names. He spelled it "Mapisco" instead of "Nabisco". Oh how we supercilious grammar nazis laughed.

We didn't laugh when he sold more stuff than the next three salesmen put together though.

Spelling and grammar do not a happy and fulfilled and successful person make.

Granville, mistakes duly noted and corrected, thank you.  I'm happy to be corrected.  That's how to learn and grow. 

Not sure your head can grow any bigger.
Maybe you could use the inches elsewhere though?

Guess which section you just proved to put yourself in! 

??

I just you heard you had exceptionally small feet for such a 'big man'.

[SeanK]

I can see where this one is going already.

Yep me to.

Steve its a good post but I really think its more like 70%, 25%, 5% which is why your about to be shot to bits.

I dont think Steve said anything about fulfillment in his post. Im sure that is different for everyone. How does anyone know if one person that works 14 hours a day or not is more or less fulfilled than the next person?

I know how this will sound but I would like to see either a new forum or a new section to the forum for those with the larger businesses just because topics of interest would be different. For example im not interested in the latest brush, pole ect.... Im more intested in the issues of a bigger business, which are a million miles from the day to day of a single opperator. I can say that with confidence as I have been a single opperator. A friend of mine with a 30 van courier business has given me a lot of advice over the last year which is helping me to grow right now. Its not about poles and brushes, its about, tax,vat,employment, marketing, accountants, dividends, premises, office staff, finance, so on and so on. It would be useful to have discusion like that on here but it seems if you want to be bigger or are bigger you get cut down. Funny how you dont get cut down asking about a new pole!

The 'best' comment I have read on here in a very long time. I rarely contribute/post on here now. (busy building my business and fed up of the snipers)
Can anyone advise me of the best cheap leisure battery to buy?
 

In other words you feel you have nothing more to learn and have no interest in giving anything you have learned back,
if you have no interest in contributing on here then fair enough that's your choice but don't use a bit of snipping as
an excuse, the battery remark just shows what type of person you really are.

[Dave Willis]

Funny how people get this overwhelming desire to drive themselves onwards and upwards. When I got cancer I had a short spell in hospital and looked around at the guys who wern't coming out. Strangely it never occurred to me that should I not recover I would regret not being the biggest bragger on CIU (actually I was a printer at the time). It had the opposite affect on me.
Material things don't mean a lot at the end of the day, to me seeing my family meant far more. When I got home I vowed never to work overtime again, spend more time with my kids and have more sex. I've achieved nearly all of those points.
So to me most people have a skewed way of looking at life, success, fulfilment and money mean bugger all to me. As long as I've got enough to live, eat, have the odd holiday is all I need. I have no mortgage  on my main house and live a fairly comfortable life.
You also become more tolerant and less selfish when you witness people going through life threatening illnesses.
To pretend you are superior to everyone and even categorise them and ridicule their spelling ability makes me laugh.

[Tom-01]

I can see where this one is going already.

Yep me to.

Steve its a good post but I really think its more like 70%, 25%, 5% which is why your about to be shot to bits.

I dont think Steve said anything about fulfillment in his post. Im sure that is different for everyone. How does anyone know if one person that works 14 hours a day or not is more or less fulfilled than the next person?

I know how this will sound but I would like to see either a new forum or a new section to the forum for those with the larger businesses just because topics of interest would be different. For example im not interested in the latest brush, pole ect.... Im more intested in the issues of a bigger business, which are a million miles from the day to day of a single opperator. I can say that with confidence as I have been a single opperator. A friend of mine with a 30 van courier business has given me a lot of advice over the last year which is helping me to grow right now. Its not about poles and brushes, its about, tax,vat,employment, marketing, accountants, dividends, premises, office staff, finance, so on and so on. It would be useful to have discusion like that on here but it seems if you want to be bigger or are bigger you get cut down. Funny how you dont get cut down asking about a new pole!

The 'best' comment I have read on here in a very long time. I rarely contribute/post on here now. (busy building my business and fed up of the snipers)
Can anyone advise me of the best cheap leisure battery to buy?
 

In other words you feel you have nothing more to learn and have no interest in giving anything you have learned back,
if you have no interest in contributing on here then fair enough that's your choice but don't use a bit of snipping as
an excuse, the battery remark just shows what type of person you really are.

That's a good point. People often forget how they started.

I was with my wife once and saw a window cleaner working out of a tatty car and I made a disparaging comment. She told me off and reminded me of the car I used to have and low paid work I had and how I was in a fortunate position now, and maybe that guy could be en route to getting there as well.

Now if I get too big for my boots I try to remember how I started off. I'm sure most of the guys with multiple vans, offices etc started off on their own and didn't know it all back then. So to be on a cleaning forum and take the mick of people who ask for the help that could easily be provided, be it which brush, battery, van etc is a bit hypocritical. I think I should get my wife an account on here so she can tell everyone off 

[David Kent @ KentKleen]

There is always plenty more to learn Sean K.
I gave advise on 'batteries' a year or so ago, guess what? I then got shot down. (Ex autoelectrician but that didn't matter to all the snipers)
I do think you would be good for the government as a psychological profiler. Deducing my personality from one comment about a battery is outstanding.

[Walter Mitty]

Sorry - couldn't resist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usYgf8cVfvU