[The Jester of Wibbly]

Well I have noticed over the years that the stigma of being a window cleaner has improved a little (only a little) with the help of wfp.

Instead of a giggle when you tell people what you do seems to have been replaced by questions and admiration on how the wfp system works.

What do you guys think about our stigma?

[John Mart]

Well I have noticed over the years that the stigma of being a window cleaner has improved a little (only a little) with the help of wfp.

Instead of a sblack person when you tell people what you do seems to have been replaced by questions and admiration on how the wfp system works.

What do you guys think about our stigma?

My dad was a window cleaner. At school it was an ongoing method of insult to say "your dad's just a window cleaner". I reckon I probably have the "inferiority thing" more than most on here because of it.

[Richard Groves]

I fully embrace the "stigma".
People can think what they like. At the end of the day I'm self employed and free from the shackles of an employer and the 9-5 hum drum. I have as much free time as I like,, a nice home and a good quality of life. People can think I'm thick as sh£t and scraping by a living for all I care 

[dazmond]

who cares?i dont....is "wide boy" a term of endearment?as quite a few of my customers have called me this in the past!

[Richard Groves]

Any perceived stigma says more about you and your insecurities than anything anyone else thinks.

[nathankaye]

When I left my previous work backgrounds and went back into window cleaning my kids had that problem at school. So I told them some truths and basically they turned round to the other kids and said we don't care because we know how much he earns in a day being his own boss and your dad's would be jealous!
My kids weren't afraid to say their dad's a window cleaner.    I'm not fussed either, for many years I  have successfully run my own business which has grown each year dispite turbulent times.

But I agree, over the years and esp since wfp. People seem to take more pride in their work and appearance which all goes towards changing the general opinion of the public, compared to the trackie bottom, smoking / drinking, scrim tucked in trouser trad cleaners (tho sadly these ones are still around)

[John Mart]

Any perceived stigma says more about you and your insecurities than anything anyone else thinks.

I agree totally. 

[AuRavelling79]

Daz gets so upset with the stigma of being a window cleaner he has six foreign holidays a year to get over it. 

[Richard Groves]

Any perceived stigma says more about you and your insecurities than anything anyone else thinks.

I agree totally. 

My advice to anybody feeling that way would be not to let what you do for a living define you. What defines you is your work ethic and courage. Many have to be quite brave to take those first steps to being self employed. Leaving behind  job security and salaries, paid holiday, sick pay etc.
For that reason alone you should have respect for yourself and from  others. The ones who look down on you are all about status and materialism and tend to  be in the least admirable professions anyhow. Be proud that you're not like that.

[Slacky]

Daz gets so upset with the stigma of being a window cleaner he has six foreign holidays a year to get over it. 

Daz is away on holiday so much he’s beginning to think he actually works abroad in the U.K.

[Stoots]

Just go ltd.

Then you can be the director of a cleaning company. 

[dazmond]

ive noticed more people taking an interest in window cleaning due to WFP but not enough to want to start up themselves....

its a simple straightforward business....too simple for most people...

[Marc Stock]

Just go ltd.

Then you can be the director of a cleaning company. 

Ditto.

 

[Marc Stock]

When i started window cleaning way back in 2002-3 i had prev held a well respected job in the city of london.

When my peers heard about me becoming a window cleaner; it did alienate me a bit from them as i no longer had anything in common as we all had similar careers at the time; and they found it strange.

And you can kind of see why, its like a doctor deciding to become a rag and bone man, you sort of take a double take..and wonder why; and it is amusing tbh.

Window cleaning is a good job, but even more so its a simple business model.

Nearly 16 years later; am i a bit sick and tired of window cleaning? Yes of course but any job for 16 years becomes tedious.

To be honest with you all, until Lee Pryor started with his plans to sell his house and invest the money into his business, and show us all what can be done even with a simple humble window cleaning business i was looking for a way out of window cleaning all togther as i hit a wall.

I have an engineering business with my father as well, and for a period of time i focused on the engineering business as a possible way out of window cleaning. Tell you what isnt fair, engineering companies struggle to turn over £25-40 per hour per job, as its so competitive, you really need a lot of work and machines running at the same time to make any profit, and then you got materials costs and breakages, and you break a tool in a mazak lathe, or a haas mill, its not £50 down the drain, or even £500 sometimes it's a couple of grand you have to swallow on the job to replace that tool and keep it going. Window cleaning i easily turn over £60 to £120 per hour on some jobs..now thats not fair is it??.

In conclusion, you are either a business owner or a worker. Im sticking with my goal to grow my window cleaning business, and eventually have some other fingers in pies aswell.

Btw i am less than 5k off my 60k target now..

😁😁😁😁

[joe34]

I use to be a Tower crane Driver and people thought I was crazy to leave that job to become a window cleaner. Fact is I earn more doing this I have loads more time to myself i love it. Let people think you don't earn much

[John Mart]

Mrs 8weekly would never say I’m a window cleaner, but rather she’d say “we run a window cleaning business”. Bearing in mind she’s from Patchway it’s rather amusing.  I say I’m  a window cleaner if asked.

[alank]

It don't matter what you do for a living or what business you run some people may try and look down on you, let them it's there problem not yours. 

[Phil J]

Long may the stigma continue. I'm only a window cleaner, don't have two pennies to rub together and I'm dumb as dirt.

[Johnny B]

I couldn't care less what anyone thinks about what I do for a living.

I've been in this game 21 years, I love what I do (how many people can say that?) and it has made me  quite proud to think that I built my current business up from scratch in a foreign land in the middle of a recession, when I was told I was wasting my time and I would fail.

John

[robbo333]

The stigma of being a window cleaner doesn't bother me in the slightest.

I have 300 customers who have a much higher opinion of me! That's what's important