[TelegraphHack]

Hi. I'm a journalist at the Daily Telegraph. I'm trying to check out a story which suggests people are leaving
"professional" jobs in the City, banking, whatever, to set up as window cleaners because apparently it is not too difficult to earn more than £60k in the trade in London..
This may be someone exaggerating to sell a story, i don't know..
Can anyone give me examples of people who have given up supposedly prestigious jobs to become window cleaners?
I can be contacted on 020 7538 6068 or at nic.fleming@telegraph.co.uk
Cheers,
Nic Fleming

[Terry_Burrows]

;)Hi Guys I would just like to say I have spoke to Nic this is not a joke or a prank,he is for real this all come by the Federation office,your help would be most greatfull


Terry

[seanc]

a chance to get your name in the paper maybe if nothing else

[riz]

60K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[matt]

60 K

thats a fair amount, i dont earn even close to it

BUT

im not in london, so p.haps the people from the smoke might be earning that

[Londoner]

I'm in London and Im not earning that.
However, some people work it out like this.

Say £10 per house, thats £30-40 per hour which in an ideal world works out to £xxx per day and £xxxper year.

The truth is that in the real world it does not happen in that way.

Thousands of professionals have lost their jobs in London because of masive changes in the City and no doubt some of them have ended up cleaning windows.
Probably to save face and keep their self respect they are telling tales of vast earnings and saying things like "I wish I had done it years ago old chap"
But its rubbish

[TelegraphHack]

so what is a more realistic rough annual salary in London?
And do you know anyone who has left a job in the City/banking to window clean?

[riz]

If they muck the fire service around any more you'll have lots of firefigters cleaning windows full time!! Me for one!

Riz

[Philip Hanson]

£60k is quite possible, especially if you had a few people working for you.

Assuming that:

a) You had mainly commercial work
b) You worked even if it rained
c) You used WFP
d) You lived in London
e) You were very good (had high prices)

The problem I see here is that a newspaper article about how well paid window cleaners are, and what a great job it is, might well make a good newspaper article.  But will it do our industry any good?

Won't that encourage even more so the cowboyism that already plagues the window-cleaning industry?

I can't see many bankers or stock brokers resigning from their London jobs to windowclean on the strength of a newspaper article, but I could imagine Joe Dole thinking "here is a way I can make a few easy quid - Look! window cleaners make a fortune!  Anybody can do that job"

However, maybe such an article may help to raise the status of the window cleaner, in which case it would be a good thing.

-Philip

[TelegraphHack]

any chance you can give me a phone number so we can discuss it?
my email is nic.fleming@telegraph.co.uk

[Philip Hanson]

A PM has been sent.

[easycleanwindows]

I dont live in london either but it is possible to earn that sort of money not per year per month.

[seanc]

Posted by: easycleanwindows Posted on: Today at 18:44
I dont live in london either but it is possible to earn that sort of money not per year per month.

???ummmmmmmmmmmm

[poleman]

Nick,

If you are interested in the window cleaning Industry then there is more important issue here? i.e. serious injuries and deaths involving ladders and the soon to be implemented European Directive on work at heights? And how the industry is adapting new methods of cleaning windows i.e WFP, not only does us window cleaners have to play apart but also householders, workplaces, Building owners, designers. I was recently ask by ARMA to place an article in there quarterly newsletter (ARMA Quarter Day) and would be happy to help in any way.


Andy

Dorset

Fed member  

[Londoner]

Thats true, the traditional window cleaner with his ladder and bucket  will soon be a thing of the past. You have a story there if you want it.
And all down to another of those hated European Directives.

[Old_Master]

Vince
Its all down to "The Industrial Revolution"  Window cleaning with WFP. Other industries went through this two hundred years ago with looms and seed drills.
Hey were catching up
3 x More work completed  in the same time = 3 x more money in window cleaners pockets. Whats the problem in that?
To earn £60,000 a year you need to clean one window @£1.00  every two minutes for eight hours a day
easy stuff

[easycleanwindows]

It is easily possible to turnover 60,000 with the right people and contacts in a month

[easycleanwindows]

.

[replacement]

Totally agree £60k is a target that can be easily reached if you plan and charge the correct amount per home. Ones that will never achive this kind of figure are the ones that clean house for £3 ago. Charge a fair price for a top quality job your be a winner all the way.

I would say within 2 years time i will earn over £100k a year or even more. Thats not just cleaning windows thou.

Good luck

Justin

[Old_Master]

In Justins case you need to clean 1 window for £5.00 every 10 minutes
way ya go Justin