[Slacky]

I know a shiner who didn’t succeed but he had a drink, drug and living in reality issue.

So long as you’re not dealing with that and have adequate self-discipline it’s probably harder to fail than succeed.

[dazmond]

Lots of new window cleaners everywhere but who cares?there's lots of windows that need cleaning and you can't clean them all yourselves.ive also noticed more women cleaning windows where I work too.

[Pete Thompson]

It depends where you live and work.

In a rural area it is WAY harder (ie takes much longer) to build up a sustainable round than it is in a city. (I've done both)

I've seen many, many window cleaners start up, then give up within a year when they've run out of money before they had enough customers to sustain them.  They've had to go and get a job just to pay the bills.

Plus, this business is not for everyone.  Not everyone is a self-starter, and I'd say the vast majority of people need the threat of a bollocking from a boss to get them out of bed on a morning.  Many find this out only when they start working for themselves.

It's also so different from other types of work like a factory or warehouse or an office, it just doesn't suit some.  And a lot of people think they can do it, but just can't get used to not having a predictable pay cheque at the end of the month.

[james peters]

lots of newbies here also...... what i have noticed however, is that the name on the van  is so and so window cleaning.
but they tend to target more exterior cleaning  nothing wrong with that , its great money..... until winter.

[Smudger]

Why is it not great money come winter ?

Darran

[robbo333]

I've noticed the odd one or two new ones, but I'm in Bournemouth, so there are loads and loads of windys here anyway. In all fairness we tend to meet and chat at the watering holes and it's a very sociable affair.
You can't blame people for starting up, times are tough, jobs are disappearing and people need to find a new way to feed their families. I've actually helped a couple of guys starting out and eventhough they are my direct competition, they have become good friends.
Personally, anyone starting up is no direct threat to me; if I lose the odd few customers on price, then so be it, that's the business we're in.
To be honest I'm very grateful to window cleaning, it's given me a reasonable lifestyle for the last 15 years.
Fair play to those people starting up now, hope it goes well.

[james peters]

Why is it not great money come winter ?

Darran

it is........ but it can slow down in the winter if you are not well established.

[dazmond]

I've noticed the odd one or two new ones, but I'm in Bournemouth, so there are loads and loads of windys here anyway. In all fairness we tend to meet and chat at the watering holes and it's a very sociable affair.
You can't blame people for starting up, times are tough, jobs are disappearing and people need to find a new way to feed their families. I've actually helped a couple of guys starting out and eventhough they are my direct competition, they have become good friends.
Personally, anyone starting up is no direct threat to me; if I lose the odd few customers on price, then so be it, that's the business we're in.
To be honest I'm very grateful to window cleaning, it's given me a reasonable lifestyle for the last 15 years.
Fair play to those people starting up now, hope it goes well.

Just because someone is a window cleaner doesn't mean I want to hang out with them.😄

A nod and a wave is sufficient for me and maybe the odd 5 min chat.

[Spruce]

It doesn't cost much to get started. A backpack, a cheap pole with brush, a couple of plastic containers and water from spotless.

I wonder how much modern radio advertising influences people in general.

I'm thinking of the arena of driving instructors. In just 8 weeks, be your own boss, work when you want to, earn a good wage, etc. No advert says anything about customers or the car needed to succeed, or that a driving instructor has to work to his customer's timetable, not his.

On the outside, our job is seen as an easy one that any body can do, made so much easier by not having to use ladders.

We've seen many new starters come and go over the years. In that time I've lost a hand full of jobs to new starters under cutting my prices, but most disappear after a few months.

I've even had one asking me to give him some of my customers.

It nice to occasionally see one who has succeeded. I do make a point of talking to a cleaner who maybe is cleaning a few houses away from myself. Some talk, some don't.

[NBwcs]

I've noticed the odd one or two new ones, but I'm in Bournemouth, so there are loads and loads of windys here anyway. In all fairness we tend to meet and chat at the watering holes and it's a very sociable affair.
You can't blame people for starting up, times are tough, jobs are disappearing and people need to find a new way to feed their families. I've actually helped a couple of guys starting out and eventhough they are my direct competition, they have become good friends.
Personally, anyone starting up is no direct threat to me; if I lose the odd few customers on price, then so be it, that's the business we're in.
To be honest I'm very grateful to window cleaning, it's given me a reasonable lifestyle for the last 15 years.
Fair play to those people starting up now, hope it goes well.

Just because someone is a window cleaner doesn't mean I want to hang out with them.😄

A nod and a wave is sufficient for me and maybe the odd 5 min chat.

That's something else that's changed over the years. Back in the day  nearly every other windy in town would nod or wave when you drove past them, these days some of the newbies are more likely to glare at you like youve just shat on their Christmas Dinner. If they only knew the amount of work that has been passed on to fellow colleagues over the years. This week alone, I passed on a gutter clearing job to a fellow wc and  he passed on a new window cleaning enquiry down a road I work down to me. I quite often  pass on my one off enquiries and any work out of my area to someone. Can't be doing with ignorant people, if we're all respectful to each other it makes life alot easier.