[groundhog]

think big, be big

as long as you think your big, your big

 Have you been drinking? 

[L.J.Thorpe]

he hasnt been drinking your just illiterate

[matt]

think big, be big

as long as you think your big, your big

 Have you been drinking? 

not since last october, apart from a few glass's of "baily's with a hint of mint" for christmas

my advice to this guy is to play it safe, he isnt in a possition to risk it all on the toss of a coin ( and thats what taking over work, doing it WFP up and down straight from the work go, is doing )

[L.J.Thorpe]

groundhog it may seem like fannying around too but im after a bit of advive mate i want to make sure im going the right way about and making the right decision on what to use when i start , i dont want to waste money that ive not really got .

if you want  world domination listen to a real pro like groundhog.He believes in himself and knows what he wants(and what everyone else wants  :).If you want a start in wfp,would like to earn at least 3 or 4 times an hour what TESCO pay and only have about a grand or so to spend...well

[groundhog]

As I said before if you want to be Mr Average, then listen to the kind of advice that the likes of mat and lj thorpe give you, but if you are really serious about going into business, then listen to me, or better still listen to Paul C Smith! now he's a proper businessman. It's not an easy option, but if you are prepared to work hard then success can be yours, don't settle for average, the sky really is the limit in this game!!!

[L.J.Thorpe]

have you ever stopped to think that a view of the world based solely one one perspective may not be just a little one sided....

[groundhog]

have you ever stopped to think that a view of the world based solely one one perspective may not be just a little one sided....

Exactly, you are giving your perspective and I am giving mine, its up to Leepaton1 what advice he wants to take. Its entirely up to him, I can only advise him what I would do in that situation, just as you are advising him based on what you would do. Is that ok with you??? 

[matt]

im sure Paul C Smith has done very well, he might be living in his million poud house etc etc, he might sell a francise to unsuspecting wannabe window cleaners ( thats another dsicussion though )

this is about a guy who has 120 houses of some1, wants to keep the work and is asking about the best way

lets be honest

its not a goog idea to arrive at the work and squirt some water over them, take the money and hope they understand that for a few cleans they will not be 100 % , hope that he doesnt lose loads of work

surely in this instance you must be able to see the benefit of playing it safe

in 12 months when he is sorted and has more work, he can then look into a van mount doing WFP up and down and it will then be a choice to risk a little

but for the time being, playing it safe is the way to go

dont run before you can walk and a great oak tree out of a little acorn spring to mind

[groundhog]

its not a goog idea to arrive at the work and squirt some water over them, take the money and hope they understand that for a few cleans they will not be 100 % , hope that he doesnt lose loads of work

Who said anything about squirting water over them and hoping for the best? I'm talking about cleaning the windows properly with wfp, I never tell the customers that they may not be perfect for the first few cleans! that is asking for trouble! I always give them an extra scrub and rinse on first cleans and I never get any problems with them, and I don't get people cancelling due to wfp, I think I had one old dear cancel because she didn't like her path getting wet! Don't try to scare this poor guy into thinking that if he uses wfp he will have a mass exodus of customers! because if he cleans them properly it won't happen.  (whats goog?) 

[Paul Coleman]

I cant see any reason for a customer to wait for 3 cleans for a satisfactory result from wfp  If you follow whats said on here and it is mostly good advice then the customers will see the advantage straight away. ok so a first clean takes twice as long, "frames first then around again for the glass" you will make that up on the next clean you need to invest your time to reap the rewards later.
I have not had a compliant yet about wfp.
 

Even going around twice as you describe, I still sometimes encounter imperfections oon some jobs.  Doing it twice on the first clean does cut out a lot of it though.

[Paul Coleman]

this is what i did, i was in the same situation as you, i did the round the first few times with ladder and WFP system, the hard to reach windows i did with WFP ( inc the bath room ) i then did the windows i was sure i was safe enough on ( i also used a rojik ladder stopper and a sand bag )

this served to purposes to me, 1. i met the customers and got to know them a little, 2. it got them used to seeing the WFP trolley, i explained about the WAH regs AND MY SAFETY and i would as soon be going over to WFP upstairs ( now they had seen me use it on the hard to reach windows, above porches etc etc , so it wasnt that much of a shock )
i would also just do the upstairs WFP, then you can do the downstairs and get it right first time ( non of this, it'll come good in a few cleans ) by hand downstairs you know it'll look good

What a lot of fannying about, start as you mean to go on, clean them properly with your wfp and let them see what a good job you can do with your system, don't p*ssy foot around apologising that you have to use wfp because of health & safety ect, tell them you use wfp because it is fantastic, that there frames and sills will be cleaned everytime and that the windows will stay cleaner for longer!!!

Personally, I leave out the bit about staying clean for longer.  I don't want them trying to reduce the frequency.

[Paul Coleman]

groundhog it may seem like fannying around too but im after a bit of advive mate i want to make sure im going the right way about and making the right decision on what to use when i start , i dont want to waste money that ive not really got .

I had about a 5% turnaround in my customers base through switching to WFP.  Some of it was my choice as some of the access was trickier once I started with it.  I could afford to lose the moaniest 5% though.  However, I've gained a lot more than I've lost through switching because there are lots of places that are not accessible by cleaning the trad way as well..

[Paul Coleman]

OK Leepaton follow these two amateurs advice and build yourself a very nice little average round, peronally I think you would be better off getting a job in Tescos, now thats really playing it safe!!!

When I first decided to take the plunge into full time window cleaning I asked for advice from a chap called Paul C Smith on another forum, he advised me to get straight into wfp, to go for an 800 ltr (min) van mount system and not to waste time messing about with trolleys and backpacks, to get my van sign written and to wear a uniform. To employ at the first opportunity so that you can concentrate on canvassing and growing your business, to set a high minimum charge and stick to it...... I could go on.

Where is Paul now? He now owns the massive Powerclene window cleaning business, and makes a fortune selling franchises in his business!!!

I wish I had listened to Paul from the start, so my advice is if you want to be average listen to mat or lj thorpe, if you want to be the best... listen to Paul!!!! 

My own preference is somewhere in between (at the moment anyway).  Being an employer is stressful for a lot of people.  No point being wealthy if you have a mental breakdown or a heart attack.  I think window cleaning is great because we can build our businesses to suit our own personalities and/or perceived limitations.  Some are happy with it as a part time supplement to a regular PAYE job. Others like myself are content with (for now) trying to maximise their incomes as sole traders.  Other people are more driven and wish to employ several people.  A few are extremely highly motivated and want to build a major business.   For me the important thing is to only break out of my comfort zone a little piece at a time because that way, I find that the stress levels are more manageable.  More chance of me maintaining good mental and physical health that way.  Although many have thicker skins than me, I believe that most people are affected in some way if they try to run before they can walk.  And even if they cope with it themselves, they may find that their home life suffers.  Not much point in building an empire and feeling stress-free to suddenly notice the the wife and kids have gone because they haven't been getting enough attention.
Building a window cleaning business (or any business for that matter) isn't just about crunching numbers and working hard.

[Paul Coleman]

its not a goog idea to arrive at the work and squirt some water over them, take the money and hope they understand that for a few cleans they will not be 100 % , hope that he doesnt lose loads of work

Who said anything about squirting water over them and hoping for the best? I'm talking about cleaning the windows properly with wfp, I never tell the customers that they may not be perfect for the first few cleans! that is asking for trouble!

I don't tell them that either.  I just tell them that although it's often possible to obtain a good quality job on the first clean, on some windows, it sometimes takes two or three cleans achieve a top notch job.  Exactly the same thing but sometimes, how you word things can be important.   

[jaykie]

Im in the a similar position, im turning 30 this year, worked hard since 16,  been a Kitchen Manager for 6 years, and now a carer for 4 years, now decided to set up my own business but im in the lucky position of keeping my current job while i build a business as i work 07.15 till 08.30 then back at 15.30 till 21.30 so ill start dropping shifts as i grow, I know ill be tired due too 2 jobs but im giving myself a year to sort, Im a ambitious person so i want to get maximum as poss, I dont want to drive a car with 25L tanks with Ladders etc (thats not a dig at people out there that do this) as Im in the lucky position of having 7k to start and a job that pays the mortgage and bills so know it wouldnt be easy for other people.I decided a year ago that this is what i wanted to do so done lots of overtime with the backing of misses and spending quality time with kids on the days i have off (kids cant wait till i get van, 8 year old son has already asked if when hes 16 he can come work with me) I'd have to say that The Shiner has given great info along with everyone else as i see everyones side. I thought about starting just trad but thought what a pain it would be to then have to go around all custys (already picking up the w/c slang) and let them know i've changed to wfp, so why dont you you introduce yourself to the custys and at the same time tell them the method you will be using (wfp) instead of introducing yourself then going back a few weeks later to tell them about the change. sorry to go on and good luck to you as your in a great position, just go for it and hit it hard. keep us posted on how you get on.

Chris

[matt]

its not a goog idea to arrive at the work and squirt some water over them, take the money and hope they understand that for a few cleans they will not be 100 % , hope that he doesnt lose loads of work

Who said anything about squirting water over them and hoping for the best? I'm talking about cleaning the windows properly with wfp, I never tell the customers that they may not be perfect for the first few cleans! that is asking for trouble! I always give them an extra scrub and rinse on first cleans and I never get any problems with them, and I don't get people cancelling due to wfp, I think I had one old dear cancel because she didn't like her path getting wet! Don't try to scare this poor guy into thinking that if he uses wfp he will have a mass exodus of customers! because if he cleans them properly it won't happen.  (whats goog?) 

i was tired, goog

the thing is though, we know WFP can do a good job, sometime it doesnt, these new customers will not have loyality to Lee, so after a first clean that isnt 100 %, they could well say " that brush thingy doesnt work well ", we have read a fair few cases on here when customers dont liek it

i know my "Play it safe idea" might be boring and will not earn the guy 500 quid a day, but it'll help him get known by the customers, it'll help them come to terms with change and it'll help him keep the customers he has

i guess though, thats the way i have, play it safe,

[BVC]

"My own preference is somewhere in between (at the moment anyway).  Being an employer is stressful for a lot of people.  No point being wealthy if you have a mental breakdown or a heart attack.  I think window cleaning is great because we can build our businesses to suit our own personalities and/or perceived limitations.  Some are happy with it as a part time supplement to a regular PAYE job. Others like myself are content with (for now) trying to maximise their incomes as sole traders.  Other people are more driven and wish to employ several people.  A few are extremely highly motivated and want to build a major business.   For me the important thing is to only break out of my comfort zone a little piece at a time because that way, I find that the stress levels are more manageable.  More chance of me maintaining good mental and physical health that way.  Although many have thicker skins than me, I believe that most people are affected in some way if they try to run before they can walk.  And even if they cope with it themselves, they may find that their home life suffers.  Not much point in building an empire and feeling stress-free to suddenly notice the the wife and kids have gone because they haven't been getting enough attention.
Building a window cleaning business (or any business for that matter) isn't just about crunching numbers and working hard. "

I would say this guy knows what he is talking about and I for one agree with him.

[BVC]

What you have failed to account for is the Groundhog charm

strange ....cos ya keep it well hid on here

genius

[matt]

What you have failed to account for is the Groundhog charm

strange ....cos ya keep it well hid on here

genius

fair play, it was

[groundhog]

What you have failed to account for is the Groundhog charm

strange ....cos ya keep it well hid on here

genius

Genius is not a word that I would associate with Mr Thorpe!!