Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Nathanael Jones on October 31, 2010, 09:12:48 am
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The new sign-up form for 2011 Guild membership will go live on the Guild website at midnight tonight. ;D
http://www.mgwc.org/index-5.html
As per usual, the first to sign up will be listed at the top of the page on the member listings,.. but this year we will also have the option of an "Enhanced Listing" with space for a photo or company logo (Max 675 pixels wide by 200 pixels high). Enhanced listings will cost an additional £20, but will automatically be placed above standard listings on the page.
From Jan 1st 2011 onwards, all Guild memberships will last 12 months from the date of joining,.. this will be the last year that all renewals happen on December 31st.
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;) :-*
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So, do we get the same sticker/cd pack when we renew?
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I am fairly new to window cleaning, what is guild?? how much does it cost and what benefits do you get??
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So, do we get the same sticker/cd pack when we renew?
Yep,.. the docs are slightly updated on the CD, and of course there will be logo's with "2011" on them.
I am fairly new to window cleaning, what is guild?? how much does it cost and what benefits do you get??
I don't want to get told off for advertising, so keeping it short,...
The Master Guild of Window Cleaners is an international non-profit organisation, (NOT a trade association) run for window cleaners, by window cleaners. The membership fee is small, as we are nothing like the FED and other big outfits (yet!), but we aim to help all our members look more professional, have a better understanding of the H&S work at height rules, make sure all members are insured & licensed if they live somewhere that requires licensing.
You get some stickers for your van and logos to use on your stationary & website etc etc, as well as a listing on the Guild website (which gets a lot of traffic),...
We don't promise the world,.. but there would be very few ppl who'd say it isn't £20 well spent.
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its worth £20 compared to af few of the other which are in the 000s
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Think i might join then :)
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Nat
Have a problem with this statement
have a better understanding of the H&S work at height rules
You quoted on a previous post about cherry pickers and cleaning windows just to climb out of the picker and go over the balcony window to clean window (Against all the safety regs I know)
You say you have a better understanding of the WAHR 05, can I ask what H&S safety experience and qualifications have you got, and what involvement you have had with the regulations, from the white paper in 2000 to finished regs 2005
Bryan Dolby
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nat do u just do it auto or do i have to do it my self, or can u just send a paypal thing
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Just like last year, the FWC disciples jump on Nats back because hes having a go at helping fellow window cleaners and not just taking their money. And yes, i have been a member of both.
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Bryan,
We all make mistakes,.. even the FED:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_4250000/newsid_4254900/4254988.stm?bw=nb&mp=wm&news=1&ms3=6&ms_javascript=false&bbcws=2
Because my personal knowledge is undoubtedly flawed on this subject,.. and also in an effort to make sure that we always give the correct information to our members, last year the Guild obtained a license from the Health & Safety authority to reproduce its publications and distribute them to our members.
There are now many relevant documents included in the welcome pack that every member receives (In electronic format on the CD) that will help each member individually assess the methods that should be employed when cleaning windows.
It isn't the intensive training from health & safety officials we would like to offer,.. but that is something that we hope the future will bring for Guild members, and this is a step in the right direction.
Nat
Have a problem with this statement
have a better understanding of the H&S work at height rules
You quoted on a previous post about cherry pickers and cleaning windows just to climb out of the picker and go over the balcony window to clean window (Against all the safety regs I know)
You say you have a better understanding of the WAHR 05, can I ask what H&S safety experience and qualifications have you got, and what involvement you have had with the regulations, from the white paper in 2000 to finished regs 2005
Bryan Dolby
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nat do u just do it auto or do i have to do it my self, or can u just send a paypal thing
Renewals are not automatic (But you will get an e-mail reminder in December if you don't pre-register before),.. just go onto the website tonight/tomorrow & fill out the form. :)
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Nat
I just cannot see what this guild as achieved
You have been going for quiet a bit now but i have never seen you attend any window ( industry meetings ,trade shows )
Is it a internet guild
Bryan
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The Guild has been going for 2 1/2 years, and it is still a fraction of the size of the FED.
Our 200 odd members to you 2000 odd combined with a membership fee of 22% of the FED's means that the Guild has about 2% of the funding available that the FED does, so obviously our achievements will be smaller & slower coming initially.
I don't live in the UK myself, so haven't personally attended any of the trade shows etc yet, though I do hope to in the future.
The Guild does not intend to undermine the good work of the FED or any of the other great organisations out there,. its just an alternative option for those who want one.
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Nat
Thanks for the reply
I hope to meet you one day
Bryan
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Nat
Thanks for the reply
I hope to meet you one day
Bryan
After looking at your post in this topic and in my topic i can see you are very dedicated fed member i only joined cleaned it up last night and new nothing about any groups i can know see postives in both guilds i am looking forward to my next topic tomorrow lol should be a bit more straight forward ;D
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MM
Yes very dedicated to the industry,i get very frustrated that some people do not see the bigger picture about who is doing all the work in our indusrtry
But FWC chairman 16 years
I hope i have not confussed you
Bryan
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quote from bryan
"I do not think you could ever win the ones who do not want to join
or the negetive ones" ;) ;)ok bryan
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Push and poke Bryan. You must be up for a fight.
I am a member of the guild as it was value for money and I watched the video on the feds thoughts on water fed poles. (Newsnight I think it was) That coupled with the infighting (was it Dave Morris some years ago?) proved to me just how far behind in this industry you are.
Regards
Lee
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Lee
Join what you think is best for you
Bryan
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Lee
I am fully behind the fwc, they have fully modernised in the last few years, also support the guild.
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Hi Dave,
I know that now, Although I thought that there was history between you.
I found Bryan's comments tonight to be provocative against the guild and perhaps on another night would not have bothered me.
Lee
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Lee
I have always been friends with bryan and have the utmost respect for him, if you remember even though me and Bryan were on opposite sides, we never really had a cross word. Andrew Mullen and Bryan well that was a different story
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Its already open, so join it
Darren
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I think it depends on the kind of work you are after. If you are mostly residential then the Guild is great, proof of insurance, some nice stickers that the custies wouldn't understand anyway, a friendly family of fellow cleaners all trying to show they are professional with a good forum and loads of advice at a basic good value price.
If you want the big commercial jobs then go for the stickers and bodies that the jobsworths like to check up on in their management positions. So much of the commercial work seems to be down to certificates and qualifications these days.
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I've just renewed again with the Guild.
I looked at The Fed carefully when I was starting last year(the window cleaner organisation, not the US crimefighters). I thought it looked expensive and stuck in the 80's. I like the small, friendly approach of the Guild and have had nothing but help from before Day 1. Nothing has been too much trouble for them, with info and advice. I surf Clean It Up and www.acsforums.com and enjoy both.
I'd recommend the Guild to anyone.
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I am going with the guild seems to suit my business run by window cleaners for window cleaners and Nath seem very helpful on forums
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How's the sign up going?
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How's the sign up going?
Keeping me very busy!! Much better uptake than last year already. :)
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I think the only thing wrong with the guild is that it does not have an automatic direct debit renewal as I hate "paperwork".
I meant to renew last year but didn't get around to filling out the form etc.
I will be rejoining this time.
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im newing just gonna let nat get sum
of the backlog done first ;D ;D ;D
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im newing just gonna let nat get sum
of the backlog done first ;D ;D ;D
Remember the sooner you sign up, the higher up the page your listing will be on the website. ;)
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sounds like a good product the guild......i might even join them.
hold up i just checked.....i am listed as a co founder.
so whats in it for me? 8)
just kidding, i cant believe how much the guild has grown in the last couple of years, i for one am very proud to be associated with it, not just for the stickers and free advertising on the guild website and the right to use the logo on websites/stationary etc, but because i know the guys behind it are a really good bunch of blokes (and me :D) who really have the interests of professionally minded window cleaners at heart whether they are a one man band or a national contractor, every one is equal in the guilds eyes....long may it continue and go on to greater things. ;)
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Thanks to everyone who's already pre-registered. The first batch of 2011 member packs will be posted tomorrow,.. a few of you who requested white decals will have you packs delayed by 2 days as I get a new batch printed, as take up has been much higher than expected & I ran out!! :)
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Nat, what distinguishes a Guild member?
ewan, what distinguishes a fwc member?????
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I would like to here an answer to both questions frankybadboy from the representatives.
but you never asked that did you
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A Guild member is distinguished from the crowd by:
1. Simply caring enough about their business to investigate/join an industry association, something that 9 out of 10 shiners don't do.
2. All members insurance details are publicly viewable on the website.
3. Guild members agree to a "code of conduct" when they join.
4. They have a pretty logo on their stationary/websites/vans.
Ok,.. not the longest list in the world,.. but it will improve with time!
One further measure that has been suggested is that Guild members should have in place a "Ladder minimisation policy" (This can be enacted even for trad cleaners) for their company. Its a measure that would force each member to personally look into the appropriate regulations and consider them carefully before drafting up the document,.. and in the process we hope it would help reduce the number of accidents within our organisation.
If we decide to go ahead with this idea it will be optional to begin with,.. perhaps in a year or 2 it would form one of the requirements for membership.
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ewan are you trying to have a good at the guild, becasue i had a go at the FWC
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ok, just seemed funny thats all i apologise
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While we want the Guild to grow,.. our number one priority is to keep it accessible to the average sole trader window cleaner,.. and to do that we have to keep it cheap & as much as possible, keep it simple. This means that any changes will be smaller & perhaps slower than some people expect,.. but we are still constantly improving. :)
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Nat
This is not a dig, I know you will be asked in the future.
The guild is privately owned I think, so heres a couple of questions
1. What is your legal status ?
2. What happens to your profits ?
I have more questions but will ask them later
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While we want the Guild to grow,.. our number one priority is to keep it accessible to the average sole trader window cleaner,.. and to do that we have to keep it cheap & as much as possible, keep it simple. This means that any changes will be smaller & perhaps slower than some people expect,.. but we are still constantly improving. :)
And that's why it's been so succsessful. ;)
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Nat
This is not a dig, I know you will be asked in the future.
The guild is privately owned I think, so heres a couple of questions
1. What is your legal status ?
2. What happens to your profits ?
I have more questions but will ask them later
I will attempt this. 8)
1. in the UK and internationally we are a non Government recognised entity unlike the FED, for us to be legally established we would need to register in the countries where we have members (the guild is not just for members in UK), and thats why any talk of being a UK Government recognised entity would be out of the question as it would be appear that while we claim to be an International Guild it would sideline our members in say America or Australia (they would quite rightly take the hump) so in short whats the point of having an International Online Guild if we think that only the UK is important to us?
2. All monies that come in to the Guild are fed (not FED 8)) back into the guild, this is used for operational costs such as postage/buying stickers etc....if there is any money left in the account each year (remember we are still relatively recent) then it goes toward a prize for our members (using proper bonafide supplier, with receipt, International postage if required). Going forward if the member count goes up significantly and the Guild is awash with spare cash then we will need to look at our legal status as an International Online Guild and liabilities for tax etc (for the country where the Guild was formed and is managed from).
I hope this answers the questions Dave. :P
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Scrimmy it does, thanks
Dave
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Thanks for fielding that one Scrimmy,.. had a mad busy day and only now looking at the PC!
We have been giving away any excess funds in the form of prizes for members so far,.. but again for an organisation to grow it needs funding, so we haven't made plans for our usual January give-away this year. Instead we're going to let the funds grow a little & see what we can do with it that will be useful to ALL the members instead of making just one happy. :)
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Only the philistines would be bothered if you made a profit. Why shouldn't you and good luck to you if you did/do.
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Cheers guys
Dave the arrogant philistine
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If we ever get to the size of the FED, then the paperwork etc will require too many hours to be done unpaid, so we might have to change the non-profit thing. That's something that we'll ask members their opinion on should it ever become necessary,.. until then, what little is left over after costs needs to do as much good as possible, so admin taking a wage is not going to happen.
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It wasn't personal Dave! Trying to be impartial. :)
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It's ok that's what I am hear for, to push buttons, I expect a lot of stick and am used to it.
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In the end.
Just be a member of all the associations, i.e. FWC, BWCA and MGWC that way everyone one wins.
And all professional window cleaners get the benefits whatever they are!
Regards. :)