[swindon]

well thats it. I have decided to call it a day with the window cleaning, After waking up this morning to heavy rain, i have had enough.
This was my first attempt at self employment and its not for me.
A combination of the weather, late payments and a shoulder injury have done for me.
Although my hourly wage as a shiner has been better, the amount of time i could work has been minimal.
The bills have been mounting up and its time to go back to a guaranteed wage.
I leave this job with a real respect for all of you guys who have made this business work and if i find myself in a position to do so i will have another crack at it in the future.
On the bright side its a few more houses for you guys!
Good luck to you all.
Rich.

[jeff1]

Rich
Sorry to hear your leaving us, have you thought about doing it just weekends?
at least this way, you can still  keep your hand in, and get that extra little bit of pocket money to help ease the bills, or maybe save for a well earned holiday for the family?

What ever you decide, Good Luck for the future.

[Dave Turley]

hiya, sorry to hear you're packing it in.

to be honest i don't blame you the way the weather is at the minute.

it's doing my head in too, but i know it can't rain forever.

when it eventually stops raining i know i'll be making alot more money than i could be working for someone else. that said i'm not making a bean for too many days over the last couple of months.

and this is usually the time when you get ahead and make the money to help you get through the next winter.

i reckon there will be others who decide enough is enough.

wishing you all the best in whatever you do, it must have been a very dificult decision to make     

[Tosh]

Rich,

You haven't been going for six months yet!

This means your quality of work (as in what you charge and good accounts) will be minimal; your speed and technique will be slow and you won't've trained your customers or put in place good collection procedures.

I started from scratch and it took about three years to get a half-decent round and speed up; it wasn't/isn't easy; and even now after five years, I've still a lot of room for improvement.

Why don't you get a part time job and still stick with the window cleaning?

Good luck, mate, what ever you decide.

[Dave Turley]

it's taken me over 2 years to get to a place where i'm fairly happy with my current round, but also can see how much better i COULD do as well.

[Paul Coleman]

Rich,

You haven't been going for six months yet!

This means your quality of work (as in what you charge and good accounts) will be minimal; your speed and technique will be slow and you won't've trained your customers or put in place good collection procedures.

I started from scratch and it took about three years to get a half-decent round and speed up; it wasn't/isn't easy; and even now after five years, I've still a lot of room for improvement.

Why don't you get a part time job and still stick with the window cleaning?

Good luck, mate, what ever you decide.

It took me about 2 - 3 years to be reasonably happy with the round I had - though looking back it was a case of ignorance is bliss.
It would have been very easy to have packed up in the first nine months.  Fortunately, there weren't any jobs about in the early 90s so it was clean windows or be unemployed.  I was still applying for the rare jobs that came in the first 6 - 8 months of window cleaning.  I'm so glad I didn't get any of them.  It took me that long for it to dawn on me that my "temporary" solution to avoid unemployment was actually a pretty decent crack after all.

[mark dew]

It took me a year before i was self supporting in window cleaning.
The first 6 months were the hardest. Things didn't really get alot better until i hit the 1st winter. I picked up quite a few good accounts then. (And have done each winter since)
Do you claim tax credits? I think if your single and earning less than £14k or so, you should get £40 a week. More if you have kids.
As tosh mentioned, why not keep a finger in and work part of the weekend. Keep advertising but set a high price, target large accounts and try and fill your weekend for plum jobs.
I had so much junk accounts after 6 months that i was spending half my working hours subsidising people to have clean windows.
If your looking elsewhere for work then you have nothing to lose and could be really fussy in the work you take on.
Also, you should try stretching to ease any pain which is unavoidable as your muscles get tighter and harden.
Good luck with whatever you do anyway.
If you could get a backpack and RO, i could let you have an 18 foot ionics multipole if you paid the postage.

[Chris Cottrell]

I'll pay you the postage better still i'll come an get it    :

[vwm]

fair play if its not for you but did you pay yourself a wage each week and there is tax credits. i hear w/c saying with the rain ect they are skint if it rains all week ect. right from the start i have paid myself a wage (well the wife lol) so it doesnt matter if i take £0 or £xxxx in a week there is allways funds avaible. it is the yearly amount you need to consider and if you draw it out every week then if you dont work you will be skint but if you draw only a certain amount then the bad weather shouldnt affect you.

when working out a wage i took in account what it costs per week to live, rent, c/t, heating, water, electric, food, tv, internet ect, car costs, phone, credit card if any, added all this up and included £30per week for spare cash. this then becomes the min amount i need to draw from business and its alot less than what i turn over in a year. works out monday- tuesdays pays the bills wednesday pays for the business bills including tax/ ni ect. and the rest of the week is money put aside for these rainy days or something special.

its not easy from the start but dosnt take long to build up but its money management that is needed

sorry it hasnt worked out for you and good luck for the furture but i feel theres not alot of jobs out there that pay a w/c money.

[rugby]

i dont blame you one bit rich,i have been wfp for over 3 years but like you i am sick of the late payers,non payers, locked gates,awkward houses,ignorant customers and in general  the way us window cleaners are looked down  and rain bloody rain rain rain etc etc . yes some months wc can be a great little earner,but if you have a mortgage,family comitments etc you need a regular income.

i move back to wales in a few months but will be leaving window cleaning behind, but then never say never again,i may be tempted in the future.

[ronnie paton]

good waterproofs and work on through, i lose very little days due to the weather!

[pylofm]

Rich ....if your really going to jack it in...I am sorry...but late payers can be sorted or dumped....the weather is the weather so we'll have to live with it and your shoulder..lets hope you can get it sorted....

So with the exception of the weather you can more than likely sort the other two issues...

I too get 'down' about things..I am just starting to pay my monthly bills...without dipping into my savings...I have been going 45 weeks now..so imagine that..

But things are starting to look better...and I see a time when MY round is giving me and my family the sweeter things in life...all I can say is do what you will but I too felt like that at 6months and thought the world was caving in on me....but as I near the 1 year mark...I can see the pot of gold. And as much as I do not really know anyone on this forum...many of them have given advice or a listening ear as a best mate would do...so you do have the benifit of 'friends' here to help out.


Perhaps if you can see past the 'dark days' like today...you'll see the sunny money days....and the time off you'll be able to have...

Like I say ...upto to you...

Good luck with whatever you do but I'm digging my heels in and fighting the dark days...wanna join in?

Cheers
Dave.

[tacky]

hi rich sorry to hear ur probs . but most of us have gone through that good week bad week period .untill i picked up enough work to keep my head above water .i worked as a cleaner in aldi,s for 2 years .  7 -9 only 2hrs .5days a week didnt pay a lot but it coverd me untill my round built up . try the same n then u will see the benifits .ask the guys on this site.n u will always have good advice  good luck

[Mike 108]

Rich/Swindon

(1) Now might be a good time to put up all your prices!!!  You've nothing to loose if you are thinking of packing it in anyway.  If most of your customers accept a substantial increase, it might make you think about sticking it out a bit longer.

(2) If you do go for a 'regular' job, why not keep a small round of customers whose houses you enjoy doing. If you have done a good job for them in the past, they won't be bothered if if you are unable to keep to a tight schedule because of bad weather or ill-health.  This will keep your hand in and would be something to fall back on if the new job isn't up to expectations.  You may decide to give it another go sooner than you think.

Best of luck!

Mike

[Paul Coleman]

hi rich sorry to hear ur probs . but most of us have gone through that good week bad week period .untill i picked up enough work to keep my head above water .i worked as a cleaner in aldi,s for 2 years .  7 -9 only 2hrs .5days a week didnt pay a lot but it coverd me untill my round built up . try the same n then u will see the benifits .ask the guys on this site.n u will always have good advice  good luck

There is something in what you say about doing other work while you build up the business.  I had a driving job (self-employed) where I went away one week in about 4.  It paid quite well because they would send me 200 or 300 miles away and pay me all the travel time - even from digs to location and back each day.  That lasted about 6 months.  By the time that contract finished, I had half a window cleaning round and it was Spring so I just kept on going.

[gordonswindows]

Pylofm

What a wonderful reply, such a refreshing change.

C,mon Rich live up to your name , accept a helping hand, no its not easy, no you can't ,control the weather but YES you can make it.

Living in Scotland i can appreciate how difficult the weather can be but thats the time to clean those gutters.

Always accept the gutter jobs just tell them you will do them soon, then wait till it rains and you can still make money when the others are hiding inside moaning that they can,t work.

C'mon the rest of you guys (and girls) get those tips out for Rich and the others who need a little lift. How do you collect the money from the slow payers how do you pass the rainy days,how did you get pass the early dark days

Rich you can make it
Don't go back to that" regular job" go forward grit those teeth and come out the other side stronger happier and RICHer

We are all here

[simonwonder]

hi rugby
when you are about to leave for wales call me
or send me a message to 07725679380
would be interested in your round
regards
simon

[pylofm]

I for one see these 'building' years as the fun times...will it all be as exciting when I have a 'nearly' complete round....

 

[rugby]

hi rugby
when you are about to leave for wales call me
or send me a message to 07725679380
would be interested in your round
regards
simon

sorry simon, my round is already sorted.
 cheers
             kevin

[mark dew]

I'll pay you the postage better still i'll come an get it    :

chris its yours if you want it. I have a gardiners 18 foot, but i use a 12 foot extender and a 5*5 pole for all my work. Have a 38foot as well for the odd window. It;s your's mate.