[james peters]

Talking of Tesco’s you want to see there Windows you ain’t seen dirt and filth like it,they’ve gone down the national tuppence per clean route too. I saw a bloke cleaning em a while back he looked like he’d just walked out of a hostel 😂

you been drinking?
I do to a certain extent agree with what you say on many topics , but your last few posts ? well a bit OTT!
It is quite simple realy
some have built a buisness . each employee makes a small small profit. but when totaled all together it makes a nice nice profit!
why does it bother you so much ?
you are coming across as a wolly 

[NWH]

The most annoying thing about employing is when you spend 30 - 45 mins planning next day’s work, sorting equipment, filling water etc,etc then you get the dreaded phone call in the morning from employee to say he won’t be out.........30 - 45 mins wasted

Been there so many times I know where your coming from,the most annoying thing is when they say I’m on my way give me half an hour and then they text and say I won’t be coming. That’s almost an hour gone out of the day without the planning the day before,you’ve planned jobs that take 2 people so you then have to rearrange that too which is more time,then they wonder why there’s an atmosphere the next time there into work

[NWH]

I come across as a wally I like that 1 lol,all I’m saying is you don’t need 10-12 employees to earn a 100k from window cleaning.

[Marc Stock]

I come across as a wally I like that 1 lol,all I’m saying is you don’t need 10-12 employees to earn a 100k from window cleaning.

Yes, but thats not the debate is it.

You are sounding like a wolly. No one said you cant earn 100k with less than 10 employees. But i dont want to be on the tools, i want to be running the show, so for me i need employees.

Are you sure you have employed before NWH because you are sounding like someone who hasnt.

[NWH]

Yes I have done m8 for over 10 years drove me mad nearly,it all looks lovley on paper. I’ve always said if I could have 2/3 like myself I’d be able to lay in most days and get paid for doing nothing. The trouble is this job attracts idiots that just don’t treat it the same as is as it’s our business,I’ve always said you need someone without to much ambition anyone with any sense won’t work for someone cleaning windows long term. As an employer now let’s be honest about this is a bright bloke going to chose window cleaning as a long term career working for someone,there’s one simple answer to that. It’s works for most because they work for thereselves earn more or as much as someone with untold qualifications,you are not going to get 5-10 bright blokes working for you cleaning Windows it won’t happen.

[Dane]

I don’t think it’s all about “being bright” from what I’ve read on this topic.

If you can provide a good wage and amount of work to -

a family man who wants a decent paid job without all the hassle so he can go home to his family and have his weekends to himself? he might just have different ambitions in life (to watch his kid play football on an evening maybe) - not doing paper work, van set up etc but to shut off.

Are they hard to find? Sounds like it based on the majority of experiences in here.
Are they out there? They must be for some people to have got where they are.

I imagine you have to go through a load to get there but sounds like it depends how much you offer and how hard you look.... maybe some people’s rounds generally are better then others and that’s why they attract the right people.

I dunno...... I’ve never tried it

[Marc Stock]

Yes I have done m8 for over 10 years drove me mad nearly,it all looks lovley on paper. I’ve always said if I could have 2/3 like myself I’d be able to lay in most days and get paid for doing nothing. The trouble is this job attracts idiots that just don’t treat it the same as is as it’s our business,I’ve always said you need someone without to much ambition anyone with any sense won’t work for someone cleaning windows long term. As an employer now let’s be honest about this is a bright bloke going to chose window cleaning as a long term career working for someone,there’s one simple answer to that. It’s works for most because they work for thereselves earn more or as much as someone with untold qualifications,you are not going to get 5-10 bright blokes working for you cleaning Windows it won’t happen.

Wow ok. So tell us what issues you had to become so cynical.

[Stoots]

I don't agree that "anyone who has half a brain" will want to go it alone.

There's Millions employed on low wages in dead end jobs and they stay there because they don't have the ambition or the self belief to take a risk and become self employed.

Just because we (all self employed people) have the vision to go out and take risks etc not everyone has it in them.

I know plenty of friends in low paid jobs, they've been there years. I was one of them.

[NWH]

There is no big secret to employing if you ask the opinion of others all they say is you must be either not paying enough or treating them badly,that’s not the case. Things have not changed much even in recent years towards window cleaning,people still see it as a stop gap in employment window cleaning that is,we don’t because we’ve built it and it’s our baby so to speak. A hell of a lot of well established businesss in window cleaning are handed down son worked with dad etc as did I,we knew in the end it would be ours to run and develop it as we wanted to whether it be by expanding it or staying solo we have a connection to it. Getting that level of commitment from someone is like looking for hens teeth you’ll look forever,I love the job because it’s my business I can do what I want day to day with next to know stress,now look at it from an employees perspective they have no connection with it no history it’s just a job cleaning windows to them,hence the lack of commitment to it. Like I say if I had 2/3 like me with my commitment I’d be able to semi retire,when you sometimes speak to other WCs with there own business they still lack enthusiasm to get out on a dull day what chance will you have long term with finding an employee in my experience it’s very very hard. Some have done it good luck to them but it’s not easy to do without loads of hassle.

[NWH]

I think a lot of people look at it in a way that if I can get someone out doing what I’m doing on a daily basis I’d be getting an extra X a week,if I had 2 doing it I’d then have another X a week. In practise this is very difficult to achieve like I say people don’t have the same commitment as you it’s your dream not there’s it’s just a job. Money doesn’t motivate all employees they want job satisfaction and if they are cleaning Windows day in day out it’s very hard to keep them keen enough to be reliable.

[dazmond]

Talking of Tesco’s you want to see there Windows you ain’t seen dirt and filth like it,they’ve gone down the national tuppence per clean route too. I saw a bloke cleaning em a while back he looked like he’d just walked out of a hostel 😂

i agree with you there nigel!i seen 2 guys cleaning our local tescos a while back!they looked like they needed a good meal!(capitol cleaning)and they did a crap job....they looked totally disinterested  and had scruffy trainers/jeans on.no logo d uniform or anything

[Lee Pryor]

I think like most things in business it's about having a formula and processes in place  that works.

[Smudger]

The most annoying thing about employing is when you spend 30 - 45 mins planning next day’s work, sorting equipment, filling water etc,etc then you get the dreaded phone call in the morning from employee to say he won’t be out.........30 - 45 mins wasted

Been there so many times I know where your coming from,the most annoying thing is when they say I’m on my way give me half an hour and then they text and say I won’t be coming. That’s almost an hour gone out of the day without the planning the day before,you’ve planned jobs that take 2 people so you then have to rearrange that too which is more time,then they wonder why there’s an atmosphere the next time there into work

And there is the problem - in a nutshell

As you say your a father/ son business so have you any real experience of the wider world other than what daddy told you ? - small, medium, large, international companies all employ some do it well some don’t
Many, many people probably the majority are employed and a case can be made for every one of them to have their own business - they just don’t want it !

I expected an employee to last 18 months to 2 years ( from week one we say window cleaning is boring ) yet I have staff who have been with the company 5 years and 4 years I have a chap who left after 3 for “more job satisfaction” 6 months later he asked to come back even though he was earning more - just hated the stress and pressure


I don’t employ to be mega rich, but I did employ so I had a built in safety net for my family, this business provides a wage for myself and wife - we pretty much plan our day to suit us and the kids, recently I spent 8 days in hospital and soon to be facing an op that may put me out of action for 3 months - but I didn’t lose a penny and all the bills got paid because the work kept on turning over - as a single operator where would I have been ? - we’ll short of income at the very least.
I see the business as a retirement fund - seeing as my company pensions are worth jack sh!t€

Darran

[NWH]

Darren you are so wrong m8 I’ve been working separately from the old man for 15 years,I’ve had a couple with me fulltime at once over the years 1 guy was with me for 8 years. It’s not about how many vans you have driving out of your rented cow sheds everyday it’s what works for you,You can bang on that your blokes are happy and it’s all about the right formula blah blah blah window cleaning is not a career choice for 99% it’s where they end up inless it’s been family etc,this is my point most people that you’ll get are idiots not all I agree but most of em hence the reliability problems

[NWH]

I had 1 bloke got RSI in his thumbs from constantly texting his Mrs 😂 where are you now I need you to pick the kids up at 1-30 don’t forget love,ok I said I’m between running your life shall we clean a few windows in between what do you reckon numb 🥜

[Stoots]

I had 1 bloke got RSI in his thumbs from constantly texting his Mrs 😂 where are you now I need you to pick the kids up at 1-30 don’t forget love,ok I said I’m between running your life shall we clean a few windows in between what do you reckon numb 🥜

I used to work with a lad like that. Always on the phone to the Mrs about one thing or another.  Can you pick kids up can you get some shopping, blah blah. Full blow family discussions shouting and arguing etc .

I don't know how some people can have the cheek to do it.

[Dry Clean]

NWH I dread to think what would have happened to you if you didn't live and work in an area where window cleaning is money
for old rope, I don't employ but I rent a number of properties where you can have similar problems ( a bad tenant would be similar to a bad employee ) don't do it, they will mess you about, you wont be able to get them out, will wreck your house and so on, yes this can happen but with a bit of common sense you can weed out the trash before any problems start.
If you have been constantly taking on bad employees then its your judgement and recruitment skills that you need to looking at and not the measure of the available workforce.

[NWH]

Alan this is my point they wouldn’t have the cheek to do it with most other jobs but window cleaning is looked at differently,it is still in a lot of people’s minda that uh it’s only helping a bloke window cleaning I ain’t gonna be doing that long. They won’t tell you that but most of em think that way,I’ve even had a bloke that seemed decent when I started to show him and ask him questions he just said how hard can it be it’s only cleaning windows,we finished that job and I dropped him off home and that was that.

[NWH]

The most annoying thing about employing is when you spend 30 - 45 mins planning next day’s work, sorting equipment, filling water etc,etc then you get the dreaded phone call in the morning from employee to say he won’t be out.........30 - 45 mins wasted

Been there so many times I know where your coming from,the most annoying thing is when they say I’m on my way give me half an hour and then they text and say I won’t be coming. That’s almost an hour gone out of the day without the planning the day before,you’ve planned jobs that take 2 people so you then have to rearrange that too which is more time,then they wonder why there’s an atmosphere the next time there into work

And there is the problem - in a nutshell

As you say your a father/ son business so have you any real experience of the wider world other than what daddy told you ? - small, medium, large, international companies all employ some do it well some don’t
Many, many people probably the majority are employed and a case can be made for every one of them to have their own business - they just don’t want it !

I expected an employee to last 18 months to 2 years ( from week one we say window cleaning is boring ) yet I have staff who have been with the company 5 years and 4 years I have a chap who left after 3 for “more job satisfaction” 6 months later he asked to come back even though he was earning more - just hated the stress and pressure


I don’t employ to be mega rich, but I did employ so I had a built in safety net for my family, this business provides a wage for myself and wife - we pretty much plan our day to suit us and the kids, recently I spent 8 days in hospital and soon to be facing an op that may put me out of action for 3 months - but I didn’t lose a penny and all the bills got paid because the work kept on turning over - as a single operator where would I have been ? - we’ll short of income at the very least.
I see the business as a retirement fund - seeing as my company pensions are worth jack sh!t€

Darran

And there’s my problem having the arse cos I’ve been messed about,what am I supposed to say are you ok my darling do you need to pick the kiddy’s up again today that’s ok we can do that kinda thing whenever you like I’m only paying you money for working for me. I think not if someone comes to work they are on your time so yeah I do get the arse if I walk round the corner and they are texting or picking there arse,I think so many people get so deep with work they end up having to bow down to there employees coz they know if they offski they are in the poop.

[NWH]

I bet there’s a few out there with 5-6 tails wagging the dogs 😂 I’d rather let the dog wag the tail thanks