[dai]

This last 2 years have seen more people coming into window cleaning than ever before. Have you guys noticed this in your area? All of a sudden the place seems awash with them.
Most make the same mistake though, they have to have a mate in tow, so my guess is they won't last long.
Why do most new window cleaners have to have someone holding their hand. It's hard enough for a newbie to get a round together, a hell of a lot harder for two. Dai

[Jon-scwindows]

i have noticed a rapid increase in my area, from the 10 or more people i know as window cleaners within a 6 mile radius, to about 25, i see more and more people walking around town with ladders on their shoulders and squeegees in there belts. More people are catching on...

[Pj]

It's because factories/production lines etc. are shutting down constantly in this country because of cheaper imports.  so people who have worked for 10 years or more for them are getting some kind of package which they decide is worth investing in something they can afford.
Window cleaning is a common choice
According to statistics these "fallout" guys last about 3 years on average.

[geefree]

its because people on here tell what they are earning ( even if some are white lies) so the new guy thinks he can earn that two..... so he tells his mate and so on and so on.

but i must say if you are two people, putting in double the imput of one guy .. then why cant it build the same?

Gary.

[Londoner]

Window cleaning must be the easiest business to get into. Buy a bucket, borrow a ladder and you are away.

Its like Pj said, industry is shutting down in this country and loads of people are having to look elsewhere for work.

Thats probably how / why most of us got into it. How many of you told the Careers teacher at school you wanted to be a window cleaner when you grew up? Not many I'll bet.

There was a thing on the radio yesterday on LBC saying that even the Polish are going home because they can't all  find work. So what chance do the people who live here stand?

[d s windowcleaning]

ive recived 4 diffrent flyers since last friday from diffrent window cleaners . on the street i live theres 3 of us who are all sole traders the theres a lad and his mate who live at the back of my house who have just started up .

[Londoner]

Where abouts are you ?

[S.A.J]

they are coming out of the woodwork in plymouth 

[Central Window Cleaners]

There seem to be loads coming out of the woodwork in Nuneaton Warwickshire, much more that the normal fair weather cash in hand guys.

[BVC]

its because people on here tell what they are earning ( even if some are white lies) so the new guy thinks he can earn that two..... so he tells his mate and so on and so on.

Gary.

Exactly : What do you expect? When I started out, what you earned was your own business. It was considered bad form to ask someone what they earned. Now we dont seem to be able to shut up about what we earn. I am even guilty myself, I mentioned my earnings last month in a post. If you tell someone who slogs their guts out for 5 quid an hour that you earn 20 quid an hour cleaning windows. Dont bitch when they are out window cleaning next time you see them.

[Blackbushe Windows]

Dai, they probably like company, or think it will be easier with 2, not realising they are halving their earnings.


Peter

[NWH]

It all sounds good to other people when they hear what you earn then they go out and try it for thereselves and realise it`s hard work,this is the reason for all these fair weather WC`s you get to a point in your business when you need to work that little bit harder to get to the next level,not many have the drive and ambition to get there,if you have an established business with a good name i don`t think you need to worry.

[d s windowcleaning]

ive recived 4 diffrent flyers since last friday from diffrent window cleaners . on the street i live theres 3 of us who are all sole traders the theres a lad and his mate who live at the back of my house who have just started up .

Where abouts are you ?

                                                                                                                     im in barnsley mate

[frames to panes]

I picked up four new builds today, they had already been canvassed and cleaned once by someone who hadn't bothered to come back for six weeks. Poaching maybe, but if he can't be bothered to take their numbers and call or doesn't leave a card, then there seems to be room for more proffessional types (like me   )
 One customer said her cleaner used wfp and left the windows worse than before they were cleaned! I said why didn't you phone him and complain - she didn't have his number.

[vivaro 013]

its the same in northeast and around darlington were do there come from

[johnny_h]

i saw 2 guys yesterday i have never seen before one was the scruffiest individual you have ever seen massive builders bum hanging out of tracksuit bottoms ! they were working together and had brand new shiney pointers on top of their old banger i think its time to diversify

[MJH]

I have noticed a load around Leeds, not sure if they are new ones or maybe i just haven't seen them before!!
Maybe we are just been paranoid

[dai]

I have pointed a few new guys in the direction of this site, not so they can see what we earn, but so they know what to charge.
I had no idea what to charge when I started, and fell into the trap of comparing with my previous wage. If this site had been round at the time I would have priced far higher.
One guy I spoke to had the cheek to tell me that he was trying to build his round up so that he could sign off.
I'm not afraid of losing work to these guys, but it makes it bloody difficult to put my prices up with so many new guys canvassing my round, and offering to do the job for less. Dai

[Wayne Thomas]

There's 5 live a couple roads from me. Even worse down Torquay. I'm always bumping into new ones there, mind you half of them are the £5 brigade trad.

[simon knight]

I keep seeing pointers strapped to the roofs of cars around where i work.

I'm not sure if they're new on the scene or whether I'm now noticing because I do the same job.

Either way there does seem to be a load of w/cers in SW London, but then there are loads of houses to go round.

Have lost 1 custy (so far) to the oppo'...but she was always looking to shave a few £ off when I was doing them so I'm not sorry to see the back of her.