[Viscount]

Thinking of returning to window cleaning after over ten years away from it. For very misguided reasons, I sold my round turning over a very decent amount in 2011 to become a teacher.Been nearly broke ever since. After ten years at it, top of the pay grade - I can only go up by becoming a deputy head- I take home about 500 quid less a month than I did in 2011.

What's changed? I was wfp since 2005. Slx poles just came out and I had an l5 gas heater which I never used because it was a pain in the arse.

Any advice for jumping back in?

[Splash & dash]

Thinking of returning to window cleaning after over ten years away from it. For very misguided reasons, I sold my round turning over a very decent amount in 2011 to become a teacher.Been nearly broke ever since. After ten years at it, top of the pay grade - I can only go up by becoming a deputy head- I take home about 500 quid less a month than I did in 2011.

What's changed? I was wfp since 2005. Slx poles just came out and I had an l5 gas heater which I never used because it was a pain in the arse.

Any advice for jumping back in?

Go for it would be my advice , kit is much better now than back then , unless your area is saturated with cleaners .

[tonyoliver]

Welcome back my advice don’t work near Croydon
 keep doing the school stuff but part time so you have an income until you build the round back up when you earn more on the glass than the school  give that up
the business has changed dramatically since you left
 cleaners are less friendly   In fact the  camaraderie has gone lots of start ups and custies  are getting harder to please no one has come up to me in the street in years  like they used to  equipment isn’t cheap any more
But most of all pension and sick pay are valuable benefits to a regular job  best of luck but it takes years as you know to build a paying round 

[Viscount]

Thanks for the advice. Hadn't really thought of the part time option tbh. And yes, the pension is something to think about, but private pensions are out there. I pay 9.6 percent into the teacher pension, which isn't really cheap. But if you invested 9 percent of your turnover each year, it would become a tidy sum.

[richard connett]

Slx are still the go to poles for most , update your pricing ! Same old really . It’s not a complicated business just need decent customers which as you know probably takes 2-3 years

[richard connett]

Oh and get a univalve

[Spruce]

Welcome back my advice don’t work near Croydon
 keep doing the school stuff but part time so you have an income until you build the round back up when you earn more on the glass than the school  give that up
the business has changed dramatically since you left
 cleaners are less friendly   In fact the  camaraderie has gone lots of start ups and custies  are getting harder to please no one has come up to me in the street in years  like they used to  equipment isn’t cheap any more
But most of all pension and sick pay are valuable benefits to a regular job  best of luck but it takes years as you know to build a paying round

^^ what Tony Oliver says.

[Slacky]

Whereabouts in the country are you?

[Viscount]

Huntingdonshire.

What's a univalve?

[richard connett]

A valve that goes inline on your pole hose near the top. 1 tug turns the water on and off.
You can buy them from exceed innovations , wcw and others

[Viscount]

Sounds better than the gas tap thing I used to use

[dazmond]

Thinking of returning to window cleaning after over ten years away from it. For very misguided reasons, I sold my round turning over a very decent amount in 2011 to become a teacher.Been nearly broke ever since. After ten years at it, top of the pay grade - I can only go up by becoming a deputy head- I take home about 500 quid less a month than I did in 2011.

What's changed? I was wfp since 2005. Slx poles just came out and I had an l5 gas heater which I never used because it was a pain in the arse.

Any advice for jumping back in?

6k a year less than 10 years ago is quite a considerable chunk of money...

It'll be hard going to get your window cleaning business anywhere near your old income if your starting from scratch..

Are you planning on buying some work to start you off again?

[dazmond]

I thought most teachers were earning around 45-50k a year once they've been at it for 5 years or so....

[deeege]

I thought most teachers were earning around 45-50k a year once they've been at it for 5 years or so....

Nowhere near that amount Daz. You’d need to be teaching a good 12-15 years or more to get anywhere near those numbers.

Teachers pensions are very good though.

[dd]

Worth doing some calculations on your pension and when you could benefit from it.

However much you pay into a private pension it is very unlikely to match the income you will get from your teacher's pension.

[DJW]

Most teachers work just under 60 hrs a week, windowcleaners work about half that but have to spend another 30 hours a week on here. Could you cope with that? Teachers get less holidays ( only about two months and not five star either). Pensions will never match the public sector so that could be a worry. Mine are absolutely crap!

[Viscount]

All good points. It's not just the money to be fair. I know teachers whinge, but it's emotionally draining and I don't know how much more I can take. And you can't actually do much with your holidays... You're not paid enough. I keep myself entertained, but you're just off work, not really on holiday. And yes, I work a huge amount of hours. Then you turn up and the same mentally unstable kid needs restraining again (yes, it is like that) and all you want to do is quit.

Anyhow, thanks for the advice. I need to balance everything and think about how long it will take to build a business again.

[dazmond]

All good points. It's not just the money to be fair. I know teachers whinge, but it's emotionally draining and I don't know how much more I can take. And you can't actually do much with your holidays... You're not paid enough. I keep myself entertained, but you're just off work, not really on holiday. And yes, I work a huge amount of hours. Then you turn up and the same mentally unstable kid needs restraining again (yes, it is like that) and all you want to do is quit.

Anyhow, thanks for the advice. I need to balance everything and think about how long it will take to build a business again.

I know how stressful it can be...I went out with a high school teacher for 5 years...she was constantly working even in the so called holidays,red tape and constant new curriculums plus you couldn't physically hit the kids with the cane,etc....

You have my respect mate,they reckon teaching is one of the most stressful jobs you can do....

Ironically window cleaning is probably one of the least stressful and well paid(for hours worked)

Good luck

[Smudger]

All good points. It's not just the money to be fair. I know teachers whinge, but it's emotionally draining and I don't know how much more I can take. And you can't actually do much with your holidays... You're not paid enough. I keep myself entertained, but you're just off work, not really on holiday. And yes, I work a huge amount of hours. Then you turn up and the same mentally unstable kid needs restraining again (yes, it is like that) and all you want to do is quit.

Anyhow, thanks for the advice. I need to balance everything and think about how long it will take to build a business again.

I know how stressful it can be...I went out with a high school teacher for 5 years...she was constantly working even in the so called holidays,red tape and constant new curriculums plus you couldn't physically hit the kids with the cane,etc....

You have my respect mate,they reckon teaching is one of the most stressful jobs you can do....

Ironically window cleaning is probably one of the least stressful and well paid(for hours worked)

Good luck

That's an interesting take on teaching .....

Darran

[Richard Groves]

How old are you Viscount if you don't mind me asking ?
Its just you've been out of window cleaning 10 years. If you're starting from scratch again, how many working years do you see yourself having left unless you plan on employing ?
I'm 52 , been going 17 years . I'm still reasonably fit but I won't lie, I do feel the wear and tear of a manual job on my body and am certainly a bit slower than I was 10 years ago.
Through choice and circumstance I'll be working until I drop.
If, however, I had job security, sick and holiday pay plus a good pension such as teaching provides I'd give it serious consideration before jacking it in.