[ftp]

Following on from a now ridiculous thread, I wonder how many actually chose the job.
I know one chap who left school to become one but that's because his father did the job. Many jw's would actually choose the job as a career of choice.
I chose the job out of desperation (no other skill but printing).
I still pinch myself sometimes - I earn a decent wage and have work coming out of my ears lately.
One of my custies has a painter and decorator friend who is thinking of buying a system - word has obviously got round.

[pingu]

Desperation drove me to window cleaning...best thing that happened to me other than the g/f.

I did about 6 weeks window cleaning when I first came out of the army then went onto 'bigger and better' things and then spent a long time thinking cleaning was below me...oh how life changes...and perceptions...

Dave.

[ftp]

Funny isn't it? The stigma of cleaning for a living has finally gone completely. Took about two years for it to go. I think it's when people start phoning you for your services that you realise you are 'wanted' rather than having to beg for work.

[cozy]

I was waiting for a post from you FTP, you said you were working Saturday, and I was looking forward to hearing about your NINJA custies that run off on their hols while you're up a ladder! Or lock the gate when you are round the back.

As far as why anyone would end up a WC, I couldn't be bothered to type it all out again, so this is what I posted awhile back.

I haven't got as good a story as Ian, Left the army in 85 and stayed in Germany. Went driving trucks around Germany till I found 1 going from Tunisia /Germany, fantastic pay and long waiting times in Tunisia. So could doss on the beach all day for a few days every trip.

Did that for a couple of years, then my mate had started doing milkround/window cleaning round for the squaddies. Went out with him a day to have a look, didn't believe the stories of what he earned. What a shock I got.

Next day, typed out some leaflets with his help, went calling a couple of days later, bang, a round set up. Got all big headed when it took off and got "Mr Holliwood" about my turnover. Then branched out into comercial. That's when I started to see what work was. 2 and 3 thousand square meter schools etc.

Started to get bored and let my domestics fall away. Lost interest after 12 years and went back to driving trucks all over europe. Then realised what I had before and started again from scratch a few years ago. Best decision i ever made when you look at the economy now.

Love being my own boss and beating the dozy competition over here. They still think the future is in big com' jobs. The Germans aren't geared up to build domestic rounds like you lot, so makes it easier for me to get them.

All together, I have been in this game about 16 years full time and always had kept some custies even when I was driving, did them at weekends etc. I am now unemployable, and it's great.

I used to have a big chip on my shoulder about being a window cleaner for the first years,but now I don't give a toss about all these IT bods I meet on the job as I go through their offices cleaning windows. I think some still think, "Oh W/C, must be too stupid to do anything else". Yep, too stupid, but home usually by 3 and bank manageress (1 Of my custies by the way) thinks my business  is healthy.

It would have helped me a great deal if the internet was up and running when I started. Things like this forum help me realise that you lot are out there the same as me. We all go through the same crap as all the others, some more some less, but it helps alot to read what you bods put on here.

Even though there are 1 or 2 plonkers now and then

[tb2tb2]

same here i used to work in the print trade untill it went belly up ,then started cutting lawns /hedges for a few quid ,then one day seen a advert for a round for sale so i brought it ,i had no idea what was involved in cleaning windows , and really strugled to do it . but now in my 5th year cleaning and it would take one hell of a job to get me back in the print trade

[macmac]

I'm similar to you Dave, worked continental shifts for 13 years from leaving school. It was driving me nuts & wrecking my health, mind & happiness! I went up to the borders to visit my inlaws for the first time, who live in a quiet, rural farm cottage. My brother in-law has been w/c'ing for many years & his wife goes with him 3 days a week too. I took one look at their lifestyle & was sold!!!
After discussions about the possibility of moving up there he advised me that the work was well paid, plenty of it & with little competition!

1 week later, house on market, notice in at work! I managed to buy some work from a trusted guy up there, approx 750-800 a month to get me bye & it's just grown from there untill now where I'm begining to have more than I can regularly service!! It's time for a cull!

I earn more, have more time off, I'm happy, relaxed & life's far better now than before. My workmates used to laugh when I told them I was going w/c'ing, it didn't bother me as I knew exactly where I was going & knew I would have the last laugh!

P.S. I worked for CORUS!!!

Regards

Your little friend

[ftp]

I think the trick with cleaning windows is that the majority of customers don't know how long you've been on there property so they can't work out your hourly rate. Most other trades the custy has to be in and they can see where their money goes.
I also think that because of the stigma involved in cleaning there are a lot of missed business oportunities. So many local cleaners aren't really in it for the money.
I have no business skills and can still make a healthy living. Anyone with their head screwed on can do very well in all aspects of cleaning.
It's pretty much recession proof and you've hardly any chance of being made redundant. There's a big market of cash rich older people out there who need our services it seems.

[ftp]

I have to add - i can't believe what people will pay good money for. Did a conservatory roof yesterday that the husband who was at home (and younger than me) could easily have done with a hosepipe and a brush. They must think it's rocket science. 

[Ian_Giles]

have answered this one at length in the past...but in a nutshell; was a decorator and in a slump i starting window cleaning to supplement my diminishing income, then found that once i'd cleaned a house once I had to clean it again the following month and it just didn't blend in with being a decorator, hence I've been a window cleaner for the last 27 years.

Nowadays, thanks to the internet and forum's such as this one, many people get into it because they think there is easy money to be made, they see posts of people earning big money...and it's true, if you are a "business man" then you can build a fantastic round...but the flip side is that although there is good money to be made it takes years to build a truly good round, with top prices, good customers and a reputation to boot.

And of course the more that start up in this business then the harder it actually becomes to build that kick-ass business that is netting you 30k+ a year (income not turnover!)

In our area there now seem to be window cleaners oozing out of the drains! But there is only so much work to go around, any one area can only sustain just so many window cleaners.
Potentially prices can get pushed down and down and down, and then prices are so low, earning big bucks gets way harder for the newbies...

Ian

[cozy]

Good point, there is an even bigger flipside to this business. It took me about 4 or 5 years to get into com work and I went from strngth to strength. However, most of that was subby work and my biggest contract supplier started to go down hill, that was a Swedish company called ISS (Still operate in UK I think).Virtually half my work dried up over about a month. Because I had neglected my dom work, I was nearly bust. Had a mortgage to cover and a young family. That woke me up.

I had alot of dom work, half of which was military contracts and squaddie custies. I upset a custy one day, a lt General, He made a point of making my life difficult and had me classed as a "Security risk" in Minden, a local garrison. More work whipped from under my feet.

Now I build steadily and split my custy base between German and Brit with no job so big that it would knock a hole in my business that I couldn't handle or replace quickly.

some would say I have lost my nerve, so maybe that's right, but I sleep well now and have a comfortable standard of life. If somebody wants to make a good business out of this malarky though, then they are in the right place, good luck to them.

[Moderator David@stives]

I told my Teacher just before i left school i was going to leave and not take my exams to become a window cleaner.

He gave me the biggest hiding of my life, so i still left school without taking my exams and ended up in a carpet warehouse.

14 years later I became a window cleaner and have been one for the last 11 years, started with nothing and now probably the biggest window cleaning company in Cornwall (Please dont take as bragging) sounds good but Cornwalls a small place.

[Martin-Swinscoe]

I got made redundant 3 years ago from a local factory. Then got a part time job as a postman which earned me £170 a week and it was nothing but hard graft !!
My wife nagged me for months about cleaning our windows, so after the umpteenth time of asking i cleaned them. Using a pair of wooden ladders a car windscreen scraper/squeegee thing with a bit of sponge stuck on the back. As i was up the ladders a women walked past and said "oooooooo a window cleaner can you do mine after?" so i did didn't know how much to charge so i said "£5 is plenty"
Fortnight later their was a knock at my door with another women standing there she said " excuse me you cleaned my friends windows the other day - could you possibly do mine sometime?"
So off i went and did hers.
2 years later i jacked the post in and decided to throw my lot in on the windows.
12 months further on i have a customer base of approaching 500 custys. employ one young lad, just about to switch over to wfp and having the time of my life. And yes i still do those 2 ladies houses for £5 but i ain't got the heart to put the price up
Been a window cleaner is the best job i've ever had the pleasure of doing . And i just thank God my wife nagged me for weeks or else i would still be on the Post;D

[dave.e]

My son witch he is now 13 come's out with me on his days off from school and on saturdays was asked the other day what he wanted to do when he left school and he said window cleaning and yes he had the p taken out off him thay would keep calling him a window licker but i told him some off them would end up on the dole. i told him be proud off it as i am and i wish i had started this work when i left school. dave

[Dean Taberner]

Im only doin this job until i win the lottery.

Dean

[R W C]

Im only doing it till i find a proper job.

[peter holley]

Im only doing it till i find a proper job.

i'v found a proper job, but i cant afford totake it ...lol

[geefree]

I was late at a house , about 2 weeks, the lady said to me, " oh i did not know if you were going to come again, thought you had got a job......!!

sign written van, all professional looking etc.... the stigma will always be there with some people.

[R W C]

I had a woman tell me her last cleaner charged her £14 till he got a proper job, he priced the job well it only takes me 10 mins, he went to tescos

[seandyer2003]

MAybe he only had 7 jobs though lol

thats the only issue with this game, its ok having amazing work one day but you need enough of it to cover whatever outgoings you have plus more to live on so it takes a while to get there and if you dont have the knack for finding new work you will end up looking for a nice warm minimum wage job

suits me - more windows for me

[Fieldsy]

I chose the job out of desperation (no other skill but printing)

Same as you mate, was totally getting fed up with printing, always asking myself and fellow minders what else could we do. Too bloody expensive to start up on your own, and most trades..i.e plasterers, bricklayers, electricians etc...could get a small van and start up on their own.

Always wanted to work for myself and knew I could achieve it.................but never sure of what avenue to take. Once I was pushed out of the trade (printing) it gave me the kick up the backside to start something. With the help of people on here started as trad and have now entered into WFP and thorougly enjoying it. Need a few more customers or buy another round, but within reason earning an hourly rate higher than I ever was on permanent nights in the print industry and not answering to any overseer, management or works manager (who knew less about the print industry and work involved than the minders running the machines.)

This is something I want to build and with a bit of initiative and hard work I'm sure it can be a rewarding and worthwhile choice of employment.