To answer that we need to look at what is happening in Scotland which I am sure many of you know some companies that operate this way.
The biggest obstacle for multy licences are those who employ. There are those companies that licence all their employees in each Council area they work in, put their staff on HSE training etc.. pay a decent wage and charge good rates.
On the other side of the scale you have the person who does not licence their employees, do not train them how to use a ladder charge 3 pond a house. They then run their business by saying to their employee 1 pound for you, 1 pound for me, 1 pound for my overheads, and by the way you have to clean 60 houses in a day as target.
These guys then rush through their work, bad results, often fall off ladders but are not insured, some are not fit to hold a licence and nick off customers. If these guys were licensed this would not happen as the employee would have to price high to cover his costs and he would make sure HSE rules are adhered to.
This is actually what happens in most towns and I'm sure a lot of Scottish guys will know someone who operates this way.
Therefore is it fair for the person who runs his business correctly when pricing to hear, my last window cleaner charged half that, we have no faith in window cleaners etc...
All of us run our jobs professionally and are doing great in raising the profile in our industry but those that in our industry that are dragging it down need to be either licensed so they raise their standards or removed.
What we have found where there is a high percentage of licensed window cleaners price are high around 12 pounds, but where stats are low window cleaners can barely raise their prices by 25 pence.
Look at the license as a business tool, bit like a franchise. If run correctly it will work. My whole discussions with the Councils is they have to remove the negative word window cleaner which a lot do. They have to look at us as a business and therefore we have the same rights as any business in the area.
Hope I have put this more clearer. The licence is here to stay so it has to work, enforcement is one issue but there are others etc.. which will probably come like having to attend a HSE course on ladders (free) before applying for a licence.
Doug