[Londoner]

Its old, its corny and its a cliche but

"When the going gets tough the tough get going"


Its SO true. You just have to go out there and do it.

Lost another one yesterday, she said she hasn't been satisfied with them for a while but her husband has a shop so I can guess whats really going on there. On the other hand I have had three enquiries from the leaflets I delivered at the weekend.

Now lets just look at that bloke with the shop, He is stuck where he is, he has rent, council tax etc to pay and he can only make a percentage on what he sells. Thats if anybody comes into his shop.

Look at me, I can go anywhere, my overheads are minimal, I can charge what I like and I can drop leaflets, knock on doors etc

Who is better equipped to survive the recession?   

[pingu]

Immigration laws being toughend up...yeah right...lets face it loads of people working in the UK from other countries are from within the EU so they have every right to live and work in the UK without hinderence.

So I would be watching who else the useless bunch of wasters that the UK has as a gov't want to let into the EU...it's not the fault of those who travel to the UK to work it's the fat gits with their snouts in every trough available who have permitted these woes to occur....

Personally I left the UK as I no longer felt happy and confident there so I sold up and moved out so I am now the foreigner

Dave.

[RO-Sheen]

So far I've only lost a few customers due to shortage of money BUT I haven't lost any customers due to house moves as houses aren't selling anymore. Therefore compared to last year I haven't lost anymore. I am still continuing to pick up new customers but as Dai (think it was him!) said, Don't rest on your laurels!
Although it hasnt affected my income yet I am scared to spend money in case it does. I was supposed to start planning permission last week for an extension but I have put it on hold for a while until this blows over. Also little things like a pair of shoes I really like I was going to buy for £115 have ben put on hold until the January sales start. My point is, although my income is ok and I can afford the shoes, extension and other luxuries I am reluctant to part with my money therefore builders and shoe shops are earning less.
FEAR BREEDS FEAR

[Oakley Windows]

I am scared to spend money in case it does.

This is refered to as latent fear in a climate-like recession, its what fuels things and makes them worse. Theres no physical evidence (as such) that things are recession-like, but we hear about it so much, its in the news, newspapers, its the topic of conversation down the pub, its spoken about at work; therefore we start to live it as if it actually is a recession, guess what, it makes it all the more likely to occur.

Im trying to ignore it, planing my next two foreign holidays.

Matt

[pingu]

Just over the water here in Holland whilst some have had money in the Icelandic issues and some lost money elsewhere....it is not all doom and gloom everywhere you turn ...I watch the BBC most days and that would just make you want to slit your throat....

Dave.

[Rob.Hall]

Talk about new window cleaners.

I live in a small town. Two main streets.

Over the past 2 months I have seen one building/shop cleaned by three different window cleaners.
The latest had a brand new A ladder. Boy was he struggling. Slow.....not the word!! Take my hat of to him though. He was going for perfection.

They seem to be coming out of the woodwork.

We must have 7/8 window cleaners now in this small area.

[Scrimble]

theres loads of new window cleaners here where i live driving round with beaten up old mondeos and escort estates with ladders on the roof

[Chris Galloway]

I read the first post on here earlier, and thought, why the hell im i reading this.. I went straight out, and delivered my new flyers to 3 massive housing estates. Some nice 3,4 and 5 bedroom detached on some, hardly any had a clean window - and one house had a bit of ground with 3 doblemans going crazy (excuse spelling - not sure how to spell it). I work in those areas already but ive not flyered so much. Im ruddy knackered, been walking all day been chatting to people and have gained extra work, including EoT cleaning jobs (save those for the rainy days or the evenings). Im yet to check the phone but ive had 3 calls on the mobile this eve already for quotes.

Obviously my new flyers are working which is more than i can say for my old ones.

I have half a days work tomorrow, and then im back to flyering to some more nice houses until it gets dark like today. At this rate im gonna need a new belt as im gonna lose weight just pounding the streets (not that i need to lose it as im only a 32 inch waist anyway).

Thanks for the encouraging thread.

Im in agony today my knees cant cope  :

Still got more phone calls from my flyers, im gonna be out all weekend delivering them too.

Someone phone me up earlier, asked how much i charge for a 4x5 metre conservatory plastic roof - being accepting for more work i said £40 (i would normally charge approx £120 incl outside gutters, finials etc, dependant on condition) - she said £40 was more than she was expecting... what do people want slave labour? I would have been on that for at least 4 hours doing it PROPERLY.

As the saying goes, "pay peanuts get monkeys!"

[Londoner]

Money goes round and round from one person to the next. Once one person stops spending the chain gets broken and everyone suffers.
The effect at the moment is like someone said previously "I am afraid to spend my money at the moment" or people start thinking about paying off the credit cards and getting rid of un necessary expenses.
Some people have lost their jobs but loads more are worried about losing their jobs and they are the ones that will stop spending.

[RSWindows]

I lost two customers today, they have been with me since I started, and I have known both of them for over 40 years.
One said that money was so tight they could no longer afford it, the other said it had come to a choice between keeping warm, or being able to see through the windows.
Both of these were pensioners living in ex council houses, I charge them just £6.

Two days ago I heard on the news that the government were going to introduce even tougher immigration laws. Hang on, wasn't this same government telling us six months ago that we all benefited from immigrants?
Then today I heard that unemployment is set to double.
I would usually treat such a statement with a degree of caution, but having heard what the minister said about immigration, I can see that he is putting on his Kevlar trousers, and getting into the cover your backside mode. If unemployment reaches 4 million, the tabloid press is going to have a field day, accusing the government of allowing immigrants to steal British jobs.
They say that hindsight is a wonderful thing, is it? Or is it just the way we view history after becoming aware of the true facts?
Experience, and the fact that history often repeats itself can give us a little fore site.

If we are to maintain our businesses at our present level. we must act now, we really need to work at our marketing, get out and canvass, seek new business wherever we can.
If You you haven't lost any business up to now, you will, believe me.
There are some very rough times ahead, and with 4 million on the dole there are going to be a lot of newbie window cleaners to compete with, and some of these guys will be pricing in line with their hourly rate when they were working.
We really should get out there and get whatever work we can before these guys get a foot in the door. It may sound selfish, but it could mean survival.

I know the feeling there is a pretty big window cleaning company in Scotland who covers the entire nation, and it is a polish company!!!

Not racist or anything but i dispise the thaught of these people coming to reside in this country, its not as if they were formerly from a war-torn country or anything they just see britain as an easy oppertunity because they work for pennies and put the people (us) out of work because of their slave like wage expectations.

I am accuiring some of their work due to their bad quality however the price they are currently charging is a pittence and its lower than i would like it to be, but its work i never had so ce'st la vie' (such is life)

[pingu]

Sorry but the Polish have every right to reside and work in the UK...Why would they need to be from a war torn country?

I have worked in many countries the UK as far as I am concerned is not war torn, business is business and Britains need to forget that business should be fair and cricket like...it simply is not so.

Personally I believe that new blood in an economy provided taxes and monies owed are paid can only be a good thing.

Ok illegal working is another thing but people from EU countries have every right  live and work in the UK as you do in their countries if you so chose.

I am sorry sometimes you just hear loads of whining from Brits about workers from abroad yet most want to be spoon fed....sorry but Brits are famous for winging in general...

The world is a global marketplace and yes that does include workers from abroad window cleaning and TAKING jobs from UK passport holders.

Personally I am UK passport holder and work in The Netherlands and I insist that I pay my way in every respect I ensure I pay my taxes and other items that I am required to pay...do I like it? no but being a foreign worker I think that is the right thing to do.

But to despise someone for residing & working in 'YOUR' country legally is laughable. You also make mention of their 'slave like wage expectations' yet you'll  take some of their former work for much lower than you would like and more than likely closer to their 'slave like wages' it does not sound too far from their options either....

You should really look at those who control such issues this is more than likely where issues 'lie'.

Such is life

Respectfully Dave.

[Chris Galloway]

Sorry but the Polish have every right to reside and work in the UK...Why would they need to be from a war torn country?

I have worked in many countries the UK as far as I am concerned is not war torn, business is business and Britains need to forget that business should be fair and cricket like...it simply is not so.

Personally I believe that new blood in an economy provided taxes and monies owed are paid can only be a good thing.

Ok illegal working is another thing but people from EU countries have every right  live and work in the UK as you do in their countries if you so chose.

I am sorry sometimes you just hear loads of whining from Brits about workers from abroad yet most want to be spoon fed....sorry but Brits are famous for winging in general...

The world is a global marketplace and yes that does include workers from abroad window cleaning and TAKING jobs from UK passport holders.

Personally I am UK passport holder and work in The Netherlands and I insist that I pay my way in every respect I ensure I pay my taxes and other items that I am required to pay...do I like it|? no but being a foreign worker I think that is the right thing to do.

But to despise someone for residing & working in 'YOUR' country legally is laughable. You also make mention of their 'slave like wage expectations' yet you'll  take some of their former work for much lower than you would like and more than likely closer to their 'slave like wages' it does not sound to far from their options either....

You should really look at those who control such issues this is more than likely where issues 'lie'.

Such is life

Respectfully Dave.

to be fair, many talk the talk but dont walk the walk, to the polling stations that is.

If the British were really that ped off with emigration, they would out the government, and remove ourselves from europe. But as usual its only a minority that really go to vote when it comes election times. There are many spongers out there not willing to find jobs who will just wait for their dole money.

The European community allows integration of workers, so if the british spongers wont get off their backsides, the eastern Europeans will. Why? because the money is worth it to them. Full respect to them they are willing to move hundred/thousands of miles away from their family, friends and home to make a better life for themselves.

[Oakley Windows]

I worked abroad a few years, in another European country, does that mean I was sponger?

What makes me laugh is that so many people winge aabout those that have come from abroad to work in the UK but forget the figures are probably fairly balanced one way or another as you seem to forget that we as Brits also travel abroad taking jobs from those whose countries they reside in.

In does work both way you know.

However, I still get peed off when the town centre is full of gorgeous looking  Polish girls on a Saturday night, I mean what is the world coming to??   

[dai]

In my original post I was only referring to what was being said in the news.
I emerged victorious after a two year battle with our immigration dept, two years of hell for my Indonesian wife and her two little daughters.
It is extremely difficult for non EU citizens to come to the UK, we had to go before an immigration judge at tribunal.
The press annoy me so much , they lead people to believe that we let any one in, this is just not true,
I had the human rights act in my favour, thank God for that.
I am just a true born Brit who wanted to live with his wife, we do still have some rights.

[peter holley]

Sorry but the Polish have every right to reside and work in the UK...Why would they need to be from a war torn country?

I have worked in many countries the UK as far as I am concerned is not war torn, business is business and Britains need to forget that business should be fair and cricket like...it simply is not so.

Personally I believe that new blood in an economy provided taxes and monies owed are paid can only be a good thing.

Ok illegal working is another thing but people from EU countries have every right  live and work in the UK as you do in their countries if you so chose.

I am sorry sometimes you just hear loads of whining from Brits about workers from abroad yet most want to be spoon fed....sorry but Brits are famous for winging in general...

The world is a global marketplace and yes that does include workers from abroad window cleaning and TAKING jobs from UK passport holders.

Personally I am UK passport holder and work in The Netherlands and I insist that I pay my way in every respect I ensure I pay my taxes and other items that I am required to pay...do I like it|? no but being a foreign worker I think that is the right thing to do.

But to despise someone for residing & working in 'YOUR' country legally is laughable. You also make mention of their 'slave like wage expectations' yet you'll  take some of their former work for much lower than you would like and more than likely closer to their 'slave like wages' it does not sound to far from their options either....

You should really look at those who control such issues this is more than likely where issues 'lie'.

Such is life

Respectfully Dave.

to be fair, many talk the talk but dont walk the walk, to the polling stations that is.

If the British were really that ped off with emigration, they would out the government, and remove ourselves from europe. But as usual its only a minority that really go to vote when it comes election times. There are many spongers out there not willing to find jobs who will just wait for their dole money.

The European community allows integration of workers, so if the british spongers wont get off their backsides, the eastern Europeans will. Why? because the money is worth it to them. Full respect to them they are willing to move hundred/thousands of miles away from their family, friends and home to make a better life for themselves.

hi chris just noticed you are in swansea.... i,m based in ammanford..

[Paul Coleman]

I worked abroad a few years, in another European country, does that mean I was sponger?

What makes me laugh is that so many people winge aabout those that have come from abroad to work in the UK but forget the figures are probably fairly balanced one way or another as you seem to forget that we as Brits also travel abroad taking jobs from those whose countries they reside in.

In does work both way you know.

However, I still get peed off when the town centre is full of gorgeous looking  Polish girls on a Saturday night, I mean what is the world coming to??   

Yeah.  That p's me off too but only because I can't speak Polish 

[RSWindows]

Well dave you would know why i posted such a post if you went to price a job because the old cleaners had been sacked for being terrible at cleaning windows, and you submit a quote for £150 for a large commercial site and get laughed at because the company who had polish window cleaners were charging £27. They spoil the industry for EVERYONE!!!  im pretty sure that if this happened to you then you would be of similar thinking to my statements. I at no point said i "Dispise" the polish or anything even close to that comment but as the situation develops the industry is being ruined thanks to these people. Of the £27 paid about £15 of that will be sent to the country of origin and britain is worse off. The window cleaning industry is worse off. For me it is a lose - lose situation.

Despite the potential customer getting a much better service/quality they just refuse to pay the average price after always being charges a measly £27, even if i dont ammend my price there is someone out there who will take the job on  at an under-average price. I by no means feel sorry for myself but i do for the poor guy who takes the job on who is clearly just desperate for the work to put food on his table.

~That is the angle i am coming from. Dave i fully understand your comments and believe it or not i agree with almost all of them but without you experiancing the situation of being laughed at because you charge, what is...competative prices then you should not interprate my comments as me "dispising" such workers. For me to dispise such people that could/would be interperated as racism.....something which i whole hartedly diss-agree with!

[Oakley Windows]

Well dave you would know why i posted such a post if you went to price a job because the old cleaners had been sacked for being terrible at cleaning windows, and you submit a quote for £150 for a large commercial site and get laughed at because the company who had polish window cleaners were charging £27. They spoil the industry for EVERYONE!!!  im pretty sure that if this happened to you then you would be of similar thinking to my statements. I at no point said i "Dispise" the polish or anything even close to that comment but as the situation develops the industry is being ruined thanks to these people. Of the £27 paid about £15 of that will be sent to the country of origin and britain is worse off. The window cleaning industry is worse off. For me it is a lose - lose situation.

Despite the potential customer getting a much better service/quality they just refuse to pay the average price after always being charges a measly £27, even if i dont ammend my price there is someone out there who will take the job on  at an under-average price. I by no means feel sorry for myself but i do for the poor guy who takes the job on who is clearly just desperate for the work to put food on his table.

~That is the angle i am coming from. Dave i fully understand your comments and believe it or not i agree with almost all of them but without you experiancing the situation of being laughed at because you charge, what is...competative prices then you should not interprate my comments as me "dispising" such workers. For me to dispise such people that could/would be interperated as racism.....something which i whole hartedly diss-agree with!

Its nothing to do with the Polish guys.

Its the Scottish firm theyre working for, we all know Scots are as tight as a ducks arse 

[matt]

I am scared to spend money in case it does.

This is refered to as latent fear in a climate-like recession, its what fuels things and makes them worse. Theres no physical evidence (as such) that things are recession-like, but we hear about it so much, its in the news, newspapers, its the topic of conversation down the pub, its spoken about at work; therefore we start to live it as if it actually is a recession, guess what, it makes it all the more likely to occur.

Im trying to ignore it, planing my next two foreign holidays.

Matt

this is my thought, just get on with it, im off tomorrow to disney for 2 weeks, should i be going ? ? ? ? should i be saving the 6 - 7 K it'll cost me ? ? ? ??

life's for living, lets just get on with it 

[RSWindows]

Well dave you would know why i posted such a post if you went to price a job because the old cleaners had been sacked for being terrible at cleaning windows, and you submit a quote for £150 for a large commercial site and get laughed at because the company who had polish window cleaners were charging £27. They spoil the industry for EVERYONE!!!  im pretty sure that if this happened to you then you would be of similar thinking to my statements. I at no point said i "Dispise" the polish or anything even close to that comment but as the situation develops the industry is being ruined thanks to these people. Of the £27 paid about £15 of that will be sent to the country of origin and britain is worse off. The window cleaning industry is worse off. For me it is a lose - lose situation.

Despite the potential customer getting a much better service/quality they just refuse to pay the average price after always being charges a measly £27, even if i dont ammend my price there is someone out there who will take the job on  at an under-average price. I by no means feel sorry for myself but i do for the poor guy who takes the job on who is clearly just desperate for the work to put food on his table.

~That is the angle i am coming from. Dave i fully understand your comments and believe it or not i agree with almost all of them but without you experiancing the situation of being laughed at because you charge, what is...competative prices then you should not interprate my comments as me "dispising" such workers. For me to dispise such people that could/would be interperated as racism.....something which i whole hartedly diss-agree with!

Its nothing to do with the Polish guys.

Its the Scottish firm theyre working for, we all know Scots are as tight as a ducks arse 

Read my ealyer post about the POLISH COMPANY numbnuts.

as for your other statement....you couldnt be more wrong or more hypocrytical my friend.