[Paul Coleman]

I wonder if age and appearance have a lot to do with it. Teenager with hoodie and baseball cap or middle aged man with friendly face? Would youngsters have a hard time starting out?

Absolutely no question of that.

I have my hair trendy, wear young clothes and get turned down on a house for £20.
Ian Giles or Tosh turn up looking older and get the same place for £30+

If you look young people don't take you as a serious business.

I'm 34, but I get customers calling me "kiddo" or "young man", or the worst "There's a good boy"
You'll never get top prices when that's what people think of you.

Start worrying when they give you a packet of sweets for cleaning their windows   

[Paul Coleman]

Very true PJ,

However its about presentation and good marketing to get into the big stuff. I'm not talking shop fronts and alike I'm talking work that takes a team days to complete. or specialist access maybe hundreds of feet high.

It amazes me how many on here think that there bigger than they are or all they need is a pair of shinny shoes and a smile. Some even think that because there a seasoned shiner of 20+ years that they are an elite.

There are some very clever buisnessmen here and many many dreamers.

Yes I've noticed that too.  It's important to know ones limitations without feeling cramped by them.  However, I would say that it's necessary to have the dream BEFORE it can be turned into reality.  Maybe some of the dreamers are just going through the phase they need to before making the dream real whereas others are not aware of their limitations.  I know my own limitations.  I'm capable of learning business skills etc.  Where I fall down is stress management.  No point having an empire if it keeps me awake at night.

[Sir Squeaky]

Your age has absolutely nothing to do it, if Roger saw Propole in the flesh he'd probably hold his hand and ask him if he'd lost his mummy? 
Propole presents himself professionally in business, and I'll bet if he decided to move to Chepstow and start afresh, within 6 months he'd be earning more than squeaky.

Sorry, rubbish.

No he wouldn't, he'd struggle too, and I'll tell you why...

People in this area are stuck up ignorant people who think they're posh, and look down their nose at young people.

I've never lived somewhere with such disillusioned and rude people.
There's nothing "posh" about living around here, but they take big wage cuts to have a Range Rover or 5-series and think they're better than you. :

I get no problem in council estates, but I hate working in them.

[AuRavelling79]

Oh squeaky, squeaky, squeaky ...

Ian is right - you are so incredibly negative it comes across in many of your posts. No wonder you "can't" achieve like many even younger chaps do; if you tell yourself you can't, you won't.

34 isn't very young (a lot younger than me tho' ) - it's the perfect age for w/cleaning - a bit of experience, a chance to have filled out a bit and to be at the peak of strength and stamina.

Round here I know of a 28 yr old, a 25 yr old as well as older fellas, newly married into wfp and "going for it" they earn better daily rates than I do in the same area too. In fact it was a then 23 yr old who showed me wfp in the first place.

I don't mind learning from anyone - be they 17 or 70 - if it works I'll try it.

Go for it Rog, you can do it.

[Davo]

Your age has absolutely nothing to do it, if Roger saw Propole in the flesh he'd probably hold his hand and ask him if he'd lost his mummy? 
Propole presents himself professionally in business, and I'll bet if he decided to move to Chepstow and start afresh, within 6 months he'd be earning more than squeaky.

Sorry, rubbish.

No he wouldn't, he'd struggle too, and I'll tell you why...

People in this area are stuck up ignorant people who think they're posh, and look down their nose at young people.

I've never lived somewhere with such disillusioned and rude people.
There's nothing "posh" about living around here, but they take big wage cuts to have a Range Rover or 5-series and think they're better than you. :

I get no problem in council estates, but I hate working in them.

Another good excuse squeeky.


Mark

[Sir Squeaky]

Your age has absolutely nothing to do it, if Roger saw Propole in the flesh he'd probably hold his hand and ask him if he'd lost his mummy? 
Propole presents himself professionally in business, and I'll bet if he decided to move to Chepstow and start afresh, within 6 months he'd be earning more than squeaky.

Sorry, rubbish.

No he wouldn't, he'd struggle too, and I'll tell you why...

People in this area are stuck up ignorant people who think they're posh, and look down their nose at young people.

I've never lived somewhere with such disillusioned and rude people.
There's nothing "posh" about living around here, but they take big wage cuts to have a Range Rover or 5-series and think they're better than you. :

I get no problem in council estates, but I hate working in them.

Another good excuse squeeky.


Mark

Excuse for what?

[Ian_Giles]

Your age has absolutely nothing to do it, if Roger saw Propole in the flesh he'd probably hold his hand and ask him if he'd lost his mummy? 
Propole presents himself professionally in business, and I'll bet if he decided to move to Chepstow and start afresh, within 6 months he'd be earning more than squeaky.

Sorry, rubbish.

No he wouldn't, he'd struggle too, and I'll tell you why...

People in this area are stuck up ignorant people who think they're posh, and look down their nose at young people.

I've never lived somewhere with such disillusioned and rude people.
There's nothing "posh" about living around here, but they take big wage cuts to have a Range Rover or 5-series and think they're better than you. :

I get no problem in council estates, but I hate working in them.

I have never found any problem with the people of this area,they are no more stuck up than people in any other parts of the country, those that are are usually in the minority.

And you are wrong about Propole too, he is young - and looks it - but he has done very well for himself and he would have no problem building a business in this area, as Malc says, your negatively holds you back, you look for problems and not solutions.
If you really do want to succeed then you need to look within, not without, you have to learn to change your mindset dude.

Ian

[windowwashers]

I wonder if age and appearance have a lot to do with it. Teenager with hoodie and baseball cap or middle aged man with friendly face? Would youngsters have a hard time starting out?

Absolutely no question of that.

I have my hair trendy, wear young clothes and get turned down on a house for £20.
Ian Giles or Tosh turn up looking older and get the same place for £30+

If you look young people don't take you as a serious business.

I'm 34, but I get customers calling me "kiddo" or "young man", or the worst "There's a good boy"
You'll never get top prices when that's what people think of you.

I am not getting probs with my age I am 31
and dont look old.

if they call me a kid so be it I have three of my own.

[Davo]

Your age has absolutely nothing to do it, if Roger saw Propole in the flesh he'd probably hold his hand and ask him if he'd lost his mummy? 
Propole presents himself professionally in business, and I'll bet if he decided to move to Chepstow and start afresh, within 6 months he'd be earning more than squeaky.

Sorry, rubbish.

No he wouldn't, he'd struggle too, and I'll tell you why...

People in this area are stuck up ignorant people who think they're posh, and look down their nose at young people.

I've never lived somewhere with such disillusioned and rude people.
There's nothing "posh" about living around here, but they take big wage cuts to have a Range Rover or 5-series and think they're better than you. :

I get no problem in council estates, but I hate working in them.

Another good excuse squeeky.


Mark

Excuse for what?

As to why he couldnt build up a good business in your area, its the people according to you.

But other cleaners from the same area you work tell a different story. They cant ALL be wrong can they??

Quote

My competitors around here have no more in the way of acumen and business skills than me, they're just older so they're taken more seriously.

Squeeky  I think you are misstaken. I think you use age as another excuse.

Mark

[peter holley]

in a nut shell........ you get out what you put in .....or "work smart not hard"

set realistic goals......be positive.... and if something works ...stick with it.....

[*foxman]

Isn't it supposed to be dissing?


Dishing?

[Moderator David@stives]

Whats dish post about

[Mike_G]

Going back to the original post. The old window cleaner may have stopped turning up because the customer is one of the ' not today types ' and got fed up with them as opposed to not turning up because the money was not great.  Time will tell... Over the years I have picked up lots of these type of customers and in time you realise exactly why the other guy stopped turning up

[Wayne Thomas]

Going back to the original post. The old window cleaner may have stopped turning up because the customer is one of the ' not today types ' and got fed up with them as opposed to not turning up because the money was not great.  Time will tell... Over the years I have picked up lots of these type of customers and in time you realise exactly why the other guy stopped turning up

I agree with that comment totally. If you quote double the 'old' w/c the customer's face says it all. If the custie is 'irregular' or a 'bad payer' or a 'FF' you'll soon find out.

[Pj]

Whats dish post about

Probably means Ditching

[mark dew]

Your age has absolutely nothing to do it, if Roger saw Propole in the flesh he'd probably hold his hand and ask him if he'd lost his mummy? 
Propole presents himself professionally in business, and I'll bet if he decided to move to Chepstow and start afresh, within 6 months he'd be earning more than squeaky.

Sorry, rubbish.

No he wouldn't, he'd struggle too, and I'll tell you why...

People in this area are stuck up ignorant people who think they're posh, and look down their nose at young people.

I've never lived somewhere with such disillusioned and rude people.
There's nothing "posh" about living around here, but they take big wage cuts to have a Range Rover or 5-series and think they're better than you. :

I get no problem in council estates, but I hate working in them.

there's a good boy. 

[Sir Squeaky]

 

 

[elite mike]

looks like its open season on squeaky??

[frames to panes]

Blimey, started something there, i was only commenting on the domestic scene in my area. I wondered if it was difficult to pick up work because many householders are so scared of the whole youth culture that's about today. A couple of my customers were broken in to and the windowcleaner automatically became the first suspect. I think trustworthiness becomes an important issue.

[elite mike]

Blimey, started something there, i was only commenting on the domestic scene in my area. I wondered if it was difficult to pick up work because many householders are so scared of the whole youth culture that's about today. A couple of my customers were broken in to and the windowcleaner automatically became the first suspect. I think trustworthiness becomes an important issue.

one of my custys
 got broken into and she asked me if the police had been to see me ?
i said no why ? she seemed to think i was the prime suspect.

i walked away in disgust and never went back, never even asked for payment

i had been cleaning her windows for 16 years