[lee_dewing]

Just thought i'd try to gather some info all in one place while i'm off.

Not going to bother this week pavements still pretty dicey where i am.
I know i'l get stick for this

Hats off to the guys that are out working in it.
I have done it in the minus conditions before xmas but plus snow and ice no.
I asked myself if i had a nice winter emergency fund would i be out answer/no.
A slip and injury would be worse (that's me though!)

Was looking to add some thoughts.
Starting say emergency fund.
Save £20 a week for this.

Also try to get 30-50% of custies on standing order; work out average cleans to custie a year divided by 12 monthly instalments.
So every month money coming into bank.

Get a L5/similar gas heater (links please )
Not going to fit in my small van, but have in my garage en/bloc to run barrels through so nice warm water to get out on them 0-minus days.
(I do but not til 11am til 2-3pm at present)

Clothing Feet upwards. (i am fairly well kitted out/but room for improvement.)

Yak Trax or better (traction spikes that fit on boots for ice)
Boots furry lined with zip (so take off easy to drive/not with spikes)
Ski Socks or similar/thermal.

Ski Pants; keep legs warm (tip from Daz)
Thermal underwear(got some )
Ski jacket (some have zips on armpits to vent)
Oh yes recently swapped to tesco black rubber gloves have medium and large; Large a quite roomy so can fit my merino wool gloves underneath)

I wear medium rubber gloves when not cold they are quite tight but i find that is good for dexterity.
Tried all gloves some dear, tried showa 377 good but make hands smell, i don't want to be putting nitrile ones underneath.(just my findings)

Any other ideas guys?

Also someone on here text aload of custies offering inside cleans as they were in front/on schedule.
Could be used on days where to dangerous/unpleasant  to work out doors.

As said by someone on here to me: Plan for 2 weeks disruption by snow from Nov-March.

I'l add the last 2 nasty winters have taught me a lesson still not perfectly prepared but better than i was(which wasn't at all really )

Also as Daz said emergency fund is for sickness/injury and winter.

Any thoughts guys on clothing, heaters, saving.
Ps. you could use premium bonds as a saving scheme as bank giving F.A. in the way of intrest
Would you still do a bit of window cleaning if you won a MILLION! 

Thanks Lee.

[Pro-Poler]

Always put money away for bad weather, stupid working in this the millionaire window cleaners are still going out, gave that up years ago what with all the "leave it this times" and "it's not worth it" then there's undercover dog cack, pipes freezing, cold feet, vehicle getting stuck, snow everywhere and wet hose for the sake of one or two weeks a year stick it out. Then you get some who only do 3 day weeks go on holiday all the time then moan they can't get out beggars belief really :

[James archell]

Would you still do a bit of window cleaning if you won a MILLION! 

Absolutely. £1,000,000 dosen't offer the level of comfort Id want if I was to retire. If I had a million I'd buy a nice car, have more holidays a year, and also invest some of it the business. A couple or three extra vans and, more staff. That'd be that. The rest would go away for cold and frozen winters 

[dazmond]

lee i have an emergency fund built up throughout the year for all sorts of emergencies!

AND GUESS WHAT?I STILL GO OUT AND WORK IN ICE AND SNOW(obviously not if its blizzard conditions or really heavy snow on the ground!).but anything else i work.

just go out a bit later and try and get 5-6 hours "on the glass" time.heater in the van overnight and im sorted.im well organised and just crack on.

ive been wearing my neoprene gloves with liners underneath.my hands have been very warm and dry.great for freezing work days.

goretex boots and jacket,ski pants,fleece etc.

IMO you dont need a hot water system.ive managed just fine with cold for 2 and a half years with minimal downtime.i like to keep my overheads low.

working in the rain is a must as well to keep the cash flowing and my round ticking over.


see the difference between me and you lee is im very self motivated.you need to be when you have your own business or you lose money and dont earn anymore money year on year.

dont get me wrong i have my fair share of days off here and there but like ive said before im earning over £10,000 more a year than 3 years ago without working any harder.

thermobore hose is also very good with a cold system in freezing weather and is more managable and doesnt freeze up like other hose ive used.

as for winning a million?would i still window clean?

damn right i would although i would just clean 3 days a week.buy a house,new car and brand new van for work and take more holidays as matt said!!


best wishes lee


dazmond

[lee_dewing]

thermobore hose is also very good with a cold system in freezing weather and is more managable and doesnt freeze up like other hose ive used

Good tip that, was looking at that on gardiners the other day, does hose take same fittings as my current 6mm microbore? ez snap connectors?

Yep could have gone out from wednesday.(but there is still 60-70% coverage of ice on pavements! combine this with -1 to 2c max temps + light wind chill)

But the BIG THAW starts Saturday.
high risk i could injure myself at mo (Risk assement )

You won't Daz as you have decent emergency fund (all them wads of cash in your ski pants wouldl cushion your fall )

I do work in drizzle but if i'm getting wetter than windows i get back in the van for a bit, I know if it was raining harder than drizzle i would get into debates with custies, if i start leaving em til next time as custie not happy with weather; then my main concern is they will see this as a green light to miss cleans.
(You could argue this is an imagined fear.)

I work as much as I can I feel; speaking to other windies in my area, they were indoors during the last freezing spell before xmas when -6.
I did 11-3pm, was lucky as no wind otherwise would have froze up.

Did the other year november time.

[G Griffin]

Just thought i'd try to gather some info all in one place while i'm off.

Not going to bother this week pavements still pretty dicey where i am.
I know i'l get stick for this

Hats off to the guys that are out working in it.
I have done it in the minus conditions before xmas but plus snow and ice no.
I asked myself if i had a nice winter emergency fund would i be out answer/no.
A slip and injury would be worse (that's me though!)

Was looking to add some thoughts.
Starting say emergency fund.
Save £20 a week for this.

Also try to get 30-50% of custies on standing order; work out average cleans to custie a year divided by 12 monthly instalments.
So every month money coming into bank.

Get a L5/similar gas heater (links please )
Not going to fit in my small van, but have in my garage en/bloc to run barrels through so nice warm water to get out on them 0-minus days.
(I do but not til 11am til 2-3pm at present)

Clothing Feet upwards. (i am fairly well kitted out/but room for improvement.)

Yak Trax or better (traction spikes that fit on boots for ice)
Boots furry lined with zip (so take off easy to drive/not with spikes)
Ski Socks or similar/thermal.

Ski Pants; keep legs warm (tip from Daz)
Thermal underwear(got some )
Ski jacket (some have zips on armpits to vent)
Oh yes recently swapped to tesco black rubber gloves have medium and large; Large a quite roomy so can fit my merino wool gloves underneath)

I wear medium rubber gloves when not cold they are quite tight but i find that is good for dexterity.
Tried all gloves some dear, tried showa 377 good but make hands smell, i don't want to be putting nitrile ones underneath.(just my findings)

Any other ideas guys?

Also someone on here text aload of custies offering inside cleans as they were in front/on schedule.
Could be used on days where to dangerous/unpleasant  to work out doors.

As said by someone on here to me: Plan for 2 weeks disruption by snow from Nov-March.

I'l add the last 2 nasty winters have taught me a lesson still not perfectly prepared but better than i was(which wasn't at all really )

Also as Daz said emergency fund is for sickness/injury and winter.

Any thoughts guys on clothing, heaters, saving.
Ps. you could use premium bonds as a saving scheme as bank giving F.A. in the way of intrest
Would you still do a bit of window cleaning if you won a MILLION! 

Thanks Lee.

Lee, just type that out again and it'll be summer  .
And then you can do one for hosepipe bans.

[lee_dewing]

I type fast

Yep there will be hose pipe bans

Captions and Phrases to look out for in winter "Coldest winter in 100 years"

Winter of 63.

Customers who look up at the sky and say "there's snow up there!" in a dramatic voice.

Not been out for a few days so on here.

[birdymiller]

Always put money away for bad weather, stupid working in this the millionaire window cleaners are still going out, gave that up years ago what with all the "leave it this times" and "it's not worth it" then there's undercover dog cack, pipes freezing, cold feet, vehicle getting stuck, snow everywhere and wet hose for the sake of one or two weeks a year stick it out. Then you get some who only do 3 day weeks go on holiday all the time then moan they can't get out beggars belief really :

Good point enrique

[Mike #1]

Always put money away for bad weather, stupid working in this the millionaire window cleaners are still going out, gave that up years ago what with all the "leave it this times" and "it's not worth it" then there's undercover dog cack, pipes freezing, cold feet, vehicle getting stuck, snow everywhere and wet hose for the sake of one or two weeks a year stick it out. Then you get some who only do 3 day weeks go on holiday all the time then moan they can't get out beggars belief really :

So i take it you dont work when it rains either so you maybe only work 6 months a year .

Running a business consists of providing the service you promised your customers at the outset if you like letting your customers down and are frightened of a customer turning you away ,

They accept that  after years of maintaining a regular service they are used to me turning up when the weather is not at its best which is most of the time . Mike

[telfordwindowclnr]

I have sealskinz extreme cold weather gloves. I wear north face boots with 100% merino wool socks. A 100% merino wool base layer and gill OS2 jacket and OS2 trousers and that's it. I'm warm as toast. Before gill, I wore Keela kit. 

I have not missed any work at all this winter except last Friday afternoon when the snow was too bad. The temperature thing can be beaten.

[Mike #1]

That is the spirit Steve to many Shandy Drinkers on here adapt and survive or go under .

watched weather forecast and no let up yet the heavy rain that was forecast for sunday will miss most of the country and heavy snow for North of the country today i can see it staying for another 2 weeks yet .

I will be out all day today snow is due about 11 am wont stop me then 1 hour on commercial tomorrow .

I am wearing some Geox waterproof boots feet totally dry got them for £15 from TKmaxx  .

Normally work trousers with thermals .Then thermal top that keeps body temp at 21 degrees sweatshirt and outer waterproof layer of North Face jacket .

Even working in -3 conditions toasty warm but temps have got up to 4 degrees at times this week so it has been sweltering . Mike

[Pro-Poler]

Always put money away for bad weather, stupid working in this the millionaire window cleaners are still going out, gave that up years ago what with all the "leave it this times" and "it's not worth it" then there's undercover dog cack, pipes freezing, cold feet, vehicle getting stuck, snow everywhere and wet hose for the sake of one or two weeks a year stick it out. Then you get some who only do 3 day weeks go on holiday all the time then moan they can't get out beggars belief really :

So i take it you dont work when it rains either so you maybe only work 6 months a year .

Running a business consists of providing the service you promised your customers at the outset if you like letting your customers down and are frightened of a customer turning you away ,

They accept that  after years of maintaining a regular service they are used to me turning up when the weather is not at its best which is most of the time . Mike

Rubbish! That's not providing a service for your customers that's you trying to justify getting money, if I'm late I turn up early next time, yes! that means if I am 2 weeks late I'll be 2 weeks early next time, I carry out 12 monthly cleans a year no matter what that's why you should never run at full capacity, the busuiness is never just about 100% cleaning windows time has to be allocated for leafleting, canvasing, paper work, equipment maintenance and yes "catching up" as for rain that's bull too. you have to be flexible when you work for yourself and if it rains when it's light in the summer til 2 you have to be prepared to go out at 3 til 7 it's called "flexibility" and I've got that I'll even work Sundays do you?

[dazmond]

enrique we all run our businesses differently.

i wouldnt run mine like yours thats for sure!

honestly mate i work in most weathers and have for years with no problems from customers.their used to it.i dont work sundays generally although i have on the odd rare occasion.

my working day is usually between 9am-4pm

[Mike #1]

I have a similar balance to you overall , I am just not scared of going out in bad weather or getting cold feet .

You obvisouly have and are scared of custys chasing you off  you will be singing a different tune when the snow and ice is here in 2 weeks .

We have had 2 weeks of it already were I live -3 at the minute just about to give it a go but better when it starts snowing and it warms up.

Good luck to you enrique. Mike

[AuRavelling79]

enrique we all run our businesses differently.

i wouldnt run mine like yours thats for sure! ;D

honestly mate i work in most weathers and have for years with no problems from customers.their used to it.i dont work sundays generally although i have on the odd rare occasion.

my working day is usually between 9am-4pm

+1

[tompoole]

I pay myself x amount per month based on previous year turnover,
Pay 20% into premium bonds for tax and let rest build up over
Year and pay bonus out of pot after I submit tax return in April.
That way I've always got wages covered even if off for month, which
I have to say has never happend even in 2010 I only lost 10 days in the winter
Mainly due to cold snap either side of Xmas.

[lee_dewing]

Solar Steve.

Thanks for the mention of Gill and Keela.

That Keela gear looks top draw.
What made you switch ti Gill.

Do you find their Stuff better/value?
Thanks Lee

[telfordwindowclnr]

That is the spirit Steve to many Shandy Drinkers on here adapt and survive or go under .

watched weather forecast and no let up yet the heavy rain that was forecast for sunday will miss most of the country and heavy snow for North of the country today i can see it staying for another 2 weeks yet .

I will be out all day today snow is due about 11 am wont stop me then 1 hour on commercial tomorrow .

I am wearing some Geox waterproof boots feet totally dry got them for £15 from TKmaxx  .

Normally work trousers with thermals .Then thermal top that keeps body temp at 21 degrees sweatshirt and outer waterproof layer of North Face jacket .

Even working in -3 conditions toasty warm but temps have got up to 4 degrees at times this week so it has been sweltering . Mike

Nice one. I was out in -12 last winter. Did houses first thing with single glazing. The heat in the house prevents the water freezing. When it warmed up a bit we did double glazing. Had the odd conservatory freeze, but told customer to put heating on in there for an hour and if there was any problems with the quality, to call me. Didn't have a single call, even from the more fussy folks.
I buy expensive clothes and boots but am ALWAYS dry. Stay dry and you will stay warm. If anyone knows what wicking is, they will be warm and dry however cold it gets!

I love working in the snow. The air is fresh, the snow covers the horrible looking things on the landscape and all my hoses stay clean! What is not to like? 

[telfordwindowclnr]

Solar Steve.

Thanks for the mention of Gill and Keela.

That Keela gear looks top draw.
What made you switch ti Gill.

Do you find their Stuff better/value?
Thanks Lee

Keela stuff is excellent. Snowboarders wear it. It has to be warm, waterproof, flexible and durable which makes it ideal for window cleaning. The salopettes are mint. 

So why change to Gill? Very, very occasionally, the wind got through Keela, but only very occasionally. Gill is what hardcore, ferry-crossing, fishing trawler, out in absolutely all weather sailors wear. They are not clark kent, they wear decent kit to cope with the elements.  It has to have the above qualities of Keela, but has a lifetime guarantee. It's thinner too, not that Keela is thick. 

It cost me £600 for the fleece suit, jacket and salopettes. I've not worn the fleece suit at all yet because with just the base layer and jacket, I've been warm enough. I am 32 and even with a lifetime guarantee I admit it will not last until I'm 65! But if I get 5 years out of it, that's a bargain at £120 a year. But I reckon it will last longer.

For me, my clothes are more important than the £665 extreme 25 I bought from gardiner a couple of months ago. If I get cold, that pole will sit in the van, while I sit in the house!  Stay warm, stay earning! 

Hope all that helps! 

[tonyoliver]

i wear my summer kit with an extra tee shirt on underneath yes freezing most /all of the time stupid is as stupid does