A Local Window Cleaning Federation...

« **on:** September 21, 2005, 05:06:12 pm »

I started this thread about two years ago with reference to starting a 'local federation' of window cleaners in my area. It makes for interesting reading, particularly in light of the recent posts in this and 'another forum'.

http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/forum/0161465601.html

I've just had an e-mail from someone who remembered it, sent me the link and asked me what I've been doing to start it up.

The answer is, nothing really; but wouldn't a well run Local Federation, based on the aims of 'improving each other's individual businesses, information sharing and goodwill', be of more use than a National Federation?

Once a month, I'll meet up with Ian Giles for a beer and we've offered each other accounts we want to get rid of and he's shown me his WFP set up and given me much friendly advice. I've once warned Roger (Squeaky Clean) of a dodgy customer, and he's told me one of his. So neither of us will have to take on these 'bad customers' blindly.

Also, today, a customer told me a window-cleaning canvasser offered to clean her windows for £7.00. She lives in a large 3 bed roomed semi, with a medium-sized conservatory. I charge her £11.00 and I know that price is under priced. She didn't take him on as she's had many 'fly by nights before' and knows the score. Obviously this window cleaner requires a little bit of friendly education.

Don't you think a local federation, one who you can share information with at a grass roots level, be of more help to your average window cleaner than a national one?

Tosh.

« **Reply #1 on:** September 21, 2005, 05:14:09 pm »

I thought about this about 15yrs ago.

I think as you say to share information is a good idea.

Say you get asked to clean some where, you can pass on work, or cheque by email if it is someone elses job, before qouting.

Blacklisting bad paying people ect.

Also if you put up your prices and a customer turns you down let the others know.

Roy

« **Reply #2 on:** September 21, 2005, 05:16:52 pm »

Sounds good to me.

How would communication occur?
By E-mail?
meetings?

Thing is, if it's meeting up it's going to cost us work time, and I don't know how many will bother out of work hours... $:-\$

Great way to improve business and warn others of bad jobs etc. though.

Roger.

« **Reply #3 on:** September 21, 2005, 05:23:22 pm »

Quote from: Graham Gould on September 21, 2005, 05:17:45 pm

No need to meet for beer etc.

You've put me off now Graham.

« **Reply #4 on:** September 21, 2005, 05:25:14 pm »

Aha!

Graham you're hoping us Chepstow lot bugger off to our own forum.

This would leave Clean-it-up short of two moderators...

« **Reply #5 on:** September 21, 2005, 05:26:27 pm »

One person could be the information gatherer, everyone sends him a paragraph or so monthly of whats going on in a email. Example news from Newcastle, then this paragraph is copied and pasted onto a webpage for all to see. I have alot of webspace, I would volunteer to place it on a web page, and provide a direct link, if someone wants to gather the information. The page title can be called UK Window Washing News.. each person submitting writes up a monthly brief as a reporter telling the news. If you wish also I can make this coded so only select can enter, or a special url website that you can only transfer to intrested trusted parties.

« **Reply #6 on:** September 21, 2005, 05:27:55 pm »

How about...you just send me the beer?

« **Reply #7 on:** September 21, 2005, 05:41:03 pm »

Oh one more thing, there will be no charge other than a a couple of pints shipped monthly

« **Reply #8 on:** September 21, 2005, 07:08:48 pm »

Tosh,

Seems like an idea that needs further investigation. Other than on this site how would you entice local w/c to participate ? How far from Chepstow would be 'too far' to be deemed worthwhile (ie sharing bad debts, ideas etc).

Would people travel, say from Ross, Cardiff etc ?

Like the idea (a lot) but it's gonna take someone who can pull it off to get it going and thats where the first problem arises. You and Ian are prime candidates for East Wales but will other area have problems recruiting a good co-ordinator ?

We are all guilty of criticising hte NFMW &GC but has anyone got the guts to do it ?

PS Dont ask me if I have the answers as its a resounding No. Some people dont have your mod skills !!!!

« **Reply #9 on:** September 21, 2005, 07:52:02 pm »

What we need is a national fed split into regions with a co-ordinator in each region which could have sub regions .even if it is for networking and a get together i think we can pull this off .
that is all i am saying for now .

Dave

« **Reply #10 on:** September 21, 2005, 08:00:04 pm »

Quote from: Squeaky Clean. on September 21, 2005, 05:16:52 pm

Sounds good to me.

How would communication occur?
By E-mail?
meetings?

Thing is, if it's meeting up it's going to cost us work time, and I don't know how many will bother out of work hours... $:-\$

Great way to improve business and warn others of bad jobs etc. though.

Roger.

Roger,

A website with a members only access area would be a good start. There we could blacklist bad customers and post good customers whom we would like to pass on. Also we could give some 'price advice', since I believe 'price fixing' is illegal.

Also, a weekly e-newsletter and monthly or bi-monthly meetings set in an informal environment (like a pub) would be excellent - purely to create an espririt de corps .

At the end of the day, it would only be a sharing of information and mabye six meetings per year, which would involve having a few beers together.

Ian and I do this already, and it works out fine.

If you're interested, do you know any other window cleaners in our area who would be?

« **Reply #11 on:** September 21, 2005, 08:22:09 pm »

Quote from: sarill on September 21, 2005, 07:08:48 pm

Tosh,

Would people travel, say from Ross, Cardiff etc ?

What mileage from your area would make this meeting unuseful Tosh ?

« **Reply #12 on:** September 21, 2005, 09:16:09 pm »

Looks like I'll have to set up my own Federation with just one member - me.

Mind you the meetings in a pub just so as I can give me a newsletter sounds a great idea.

Seriously though, I think a member only website is a good idea.

I live miles away and apart from another w/c 15 miles down the road in Worthing, I don't think there are any other forum members in our neck of the woods.

Cheers

« **Reply #13 on:** September 21, 2005, 09:17:25 pm »

Quote from: sarill on September 21, 2005, 08:22:09 pm

Quote from: sarill on September 21, 2005, 07:08:48 pm
Tosh,

Would people travel, say from Ross, Cardiff etc ?

What mileage from your area would make this meeting unuseful Tosh ?

I suppose that would depend on the perception of the member. I guess if you did not have any business around where the majority of members worked, ie Chepstow, Caldicot or surrounding areas, there wouldn't be much point, apart from a social meeting.

« **Reply #14 on:** September 22, 2005, 10:36:28 am »

Tosh

Would you promote the web site so that the general public could access it to find a local window cleaner in their area.

If so how would you go about it and also how would it be financed?

« **Reply #15 on:** September 22, 2005, 12:00:35 pm »

Quote from: david@ St-Ives on September 21, 2005, 07:52:02 pm

What we need is a national fed split into regions with a co-ordinator in each region which could have sub regions .even if it is for networking and a get together i think we can pull this off .
that is all i am saying for now .

Dave

What a good idea. In fact, that is exactly what used to be the case with The Federation, it used to have several branches, with their own little meet-ups and so on.

However, they were one-by-one closed, and despite a former committee member trying to establish more of them (he was eventually kicked off the committee), the Fed fiercely resisted the formation of any other branches, and now they seem to have been phased out completely.

Why? Hmm, just speculation, but the power sharing got them worried. A branch "delegate" could represent the whole branch at meetings, and therefore had considerable voting power - especially at the AGM, and potentially could out-vote the committee. So, no more branches.

-Philip

« **Reply #16 on:** September 22, 2005, 12:23:14 pm »

That is one of the ideas i would like to push for at the forum weather it is with the fed or without.

When i first started out i wanted to go to the get togethers but they were just too far away .and there was no training available at all .You could get master status with no training at all.I did not aproach the fed for years ,because on the surface i thought you had to have years of practice to become a master. I was totally on my own ,i was self taught and had nowhere to turn to for advice .Newbies have got it so easy these days ,especially with forums and manufactureres always on hand to give advice .I suppose i am a bit jealous really,because i had to figure everything out for myself .
Can you believe i turned up for my first job with a bucket and sponge.
The fed held me back at first by suggesting i aim to earn £10hr and as for gutter clearance they stated .clear gutters while you are there and tell the customer you will do it for a few quid as long as you can throw the debris to the ground and let the customer clear it up themselves.

That just goes to show that the fed think we are just odd job men who would risk life and limb for a fiver.

Dave

« **Reply #17 on:** September 22, 2005, 02:42:33 pm »

I'm already a member of the Staffordshire Local Window Cleaners Fed.

It only has one section - the beer section - and I hold meetings in my local several evenings a week with Paul, Len, and Arthur, [Arthurs dog was a member too, but it died]

Of course, the other three are not Window Cleaners, but we don't let that bother us,.

"Whose Round is it?"

Seriously, I think that there should be something along the lines of a local organisation.

When I started, just a few months ago, I wrote to the "Fed" and got some information from them.

I believe that "Trades" organisations are, generally, good things to belong to, but I got the impression that the "Fed" was a bit "Wheel Tappers and Shunters".

I imagined it led by a figure rather like the late Colin Crompton, large cloth cap, fAg, and whippet.

My apologies in advance to any whippets out there who live with fAg smoking, cloth capped W/C's !!

Baldeagle

« **Reply #18 on:** September 22, 2005, 03:27:44 pm »

I can see some advantages in this idea. Looking good in theory.
I have a similar situation to Rosscadaver, nearest w/c to me on this forum is 30 miles away. Plenty local w/cs but, not sure I'd share a round with 'em!
Is it me?

Pj

« **Reply #19 on:** September 22, 2005, 03:34:02 pm »

The nearest w/c to me is over 70 miles away so i will be just representing myself .

« **Reply #20 on:** October 01, 2005, 10:03:34 am »

Lets re-think this idea,(as it seems that new assosiation will only benifit about 5% of window cleaners)

Local area's/regions, linked to national set up,
make it internet based, with membership fee kept low,all comunication by internet,

as part of the membership package members can join in web style conferences/meeting/agm's, saves traveling = more involvment?
any deals discounts can be arranged as a security code sent to members when they renew,

All we need now is a computer wiz kid to help set it up...

What do you think

« **Reply #21 on:** October 01, 2005, 10:53:43 am »

http://windowcleanalliance.forumsplace.com/index.html

its only a temp home

lets see if people are interested etc

a bit of a national group with roots with the locals

i would hope this will be for the normal guy who cleans HOWEVER he wants,

anyways, just set it up, i am not the leader, just this idea has been banded around for a while