Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: kevinc on January 07, 2012, 06:46:59 pm
-
hi im james and im 15 at the moment i have been working for my dad during the school holidays and i can see that i can make a good living out of it but the one question i ask my self is do the customers think of age as experiance therfore they wouldent want me cleaning there windows and i have set a goal for when im 17 to have my own van and have a good round do you think this achivable allbeen my dad will or hope give me a fair good jobs to expand ???
-
hi im james and im 15 at the moment i have been working for my dad during the school holidays and i can see that i can make a good living out of it but the one question i ask my self is do the customers think of age as experiance therfore they wouldent want me cleaning there windows and i have set a goal for when im 17 to have my own van and have a good round do you think this achivable allbeen my dad will or hope give me a fair good jobs to expand ???
In English?!
-
Age is def on your side Kevin. If you have the maturity it doesn't matter how young you are in fact i think it's an advantage.
-
;D
This is a wind up!
-
jame's english is crap-i've had a fighting battle through the school years about spelling,(old school you see-rulers across the knuckles for bad spelling-aaahhh the good old days!!! :( :( :( :()they just say now adays that it'll improve(theres always a spell-check?)no its not a wind-up james wants to go for it,he's a little mercenery,working with me trad before crimbo and just by chatting picked up two more new jobs for us,he can see the future and its not sainbury's,he's just concerned that the age thing will set him back a bit does anyone have their young uns working with them/or for them for that matter,any advice?he's 15 now,already planned to have a van by 17 and a round by then hook or by crook as they say,just looked at his post,little poops wanting to expand ;D can't knock him for that
-
don't see why not I had my first round at 13
-
don't see why not I had my first round at 13
was that a paper one tho ;D
-
i had a good full time round when i was 16 never had a problem with age do a good job and they wont care what age you are good luck ;)
-
hi stuart,how did that come about?my old mate at 16 was given a round by his dad to get him going-he let it go though as he said as soon as he'd finished he'd start again,i guess boredom set set in-does'nt wc now but regrets giving it all away
-
saturday window cleaning round :-*
aye my dad gave me the basics and some customers, enough for a day every two weeks and I built it up so I worked every weekend, I also packed it in at 16 and regretted it big time
-
wish i had started when i was about 20 my round would be brilliant by now,im now 30 been going 2 years , if i done it as my first job dont think i would of stuck with it,need a few crap jobs to make you realise how good window cleaning/self employed is i think,
-
wish i had started when i was about 20 my round would be brilliant by now,im now 30 been going 2 years , if i done it as my first job dont think i would of stuck with it,need a few crap jobs to make you realise how good window cleaning/self employed is i think,
yes I was like that, had to try other things just to see, where my brother has done nothing but window cleaning since he was 16 and is now 48 and he doesn't want to and never even considered anything else
-
I started at 18... now 26. Age was not an issue for me, quite the opposite. Customers liked the fact that they had a youngster trying to be a success, cleaning their windows.
Also, uniform is a must at that age and not your old henleys tshirt. ;)
-
thanks for the replies,james is out at the mo playing fooball at the local astro turf,-he'll be looking though when he gets back!any advice to give him?i would like james to have a job when he leaves school for a couple of months so he can see the drudgery of it all then go self employed-but its never as simple as that is it?i too wish i'd done this at least twenty years ago-i've wasted so long working/lining pockets for someone else i do regret that-don't want my kids to go through the same,don't
-
thanks for the replies,james is out at the mo playing fooball at the local astro turf,-he'll be looking though when he gets back!any advice to give him?i would like james to have a job when he leaves school for a couple of months so he can see the drudgery of it all then go self employed-but its never as simple as that is it?i too wish i'd done this at least twenty years ago-i've wasted so long working/lining pockets for someone else i do regret that-don't want my kids to go through the same,don't
This doesnt make sense, in your first post you say your 15 years old?
-
his son james is using kev's login to ask questions, not rocket science
-
his son james is using kev's login to ask questions, not rocket science
Sorry, excuse my ignorance (had a few whiskys tonight ;))
-
;D
This is a wind up!
I am really sorry for this post, didn't realise it was your son posting with your account. The reason I came to this conclusion is I looked at the profile and said
Date Registered: August 30, 2007, 07:01:25 pm
So if thought it was someone on the wind up!
Best of luck to your son anyway
Sean
-
hi sean,fair do'swanted james to post his own question,in his own words-big boy,big world get use to it!saturday job could be the way to go with this one,i guess start with trad as james prefers this to wfp need as much feedback as possible so i can make a decision on this one,and no henleys shirts are allowed!he has his own uniform the same as ours,just can't change him from trainers to boots
-
wish i had started when i was about 20 my round would be brilliant by now,im now 30 been going 2 years , if i done it as my first job dont think i would of stuck with it,need a few crap jobs to make you realise how good window cleaning/self employed is i think,
jackal i had you down as early 50's lol ;D
-
hi kev and james, at 16 I would go for it full time, you/he could make more in 2 days trad even if slow than a 16 year old will get in a week in paid employment, james is asking the right questions, good luck young man, target local estates so transport is not a problem, it shouldn't be hard to build up a couple of days work a week to start with, don't under price because you are young, remember the overheads etc, money for the tax man, and keep good accounts
-
wish i had started when i was about 20 my round would be brilliant by now,im now 30 been going 2 years , if i done it as my first job dont think i would of stuck with it,need a few crap jobs to make you realise how good window cleaning/self employed is i think,
jackal i had you down as early 50's lol ;D
no mate im still wee nipper ;D
-
i had my son working for me what a lazy pain in the arse, there was 4 of us im glad he thookd off, then the weeks ahead we got all the work done in quicker time with out him and there was only 3 of us not 4 ???
-
hi its james thank you very much for your input i shall listen to all your comments and infomation and take on board and i hope im going to be a succesful window cleaner and stuart how did u feel at a young age starting your first round ??? all my hensleys tops are chucked back of the wardrobe :) :) many thanks james :)
-
hi its james thank you very much for your input i shall listen to all your comments and infomation and take on board and i hope im going to be a succesful window cleaner and stuart how did u feel at a young age starting your first round ??? all my hensleys tops are chucked back of the wardrobe :) :) many thanks james :)
B+ COULD TRY HARDER ;D
Just kidding James well done carry on this way to give yourself a headstart in life.
all the best.
-
hi its james thank you very much for your input i shall listen to all your comments and infomation and take on board and i hope im going to be a succesful window cleaner and stuart how did u feel at a young age starting your first round ??? all my hensleys tops are chucked back of the wardrobe :) :) many thanks james :)
not sure it was a long time ago james, i am 40 now, I just went out and did it and never gave it a second thought, the extra work came by it self, I never tried to expand it just happened, read the forum and pick out what makes sense and use it to gain work is what I would say, listen to the customer but don't let them take the wee, some will
I was pretty much brought up in it all so was very street wise and knew who was messing me about
it will probably be a lot fresher in jamesmiltons mind than mine, he started at 18, although I know when I employed a 16 year old a few years ago some customers would try it on with him and get him to do extra things, but he was great and said ok speak to the boss and see what he will charge,
-
thank you danny :) i was hoping for a A so im under achiving as usual' lol :) :) :) do you think a good way to start me off is a saturday doing tradititional' my dad will already give well i will nik a part of a round :D
-
thank you danny :) i was hoping for a A so im under achiving as usual' lol :) :) :) do you think a good way to start me off is a saturday doing tradititional' my dad will already give well i will nik a part of a round :D
Blag a little area off your old man, and concentrate on building up that area. Good luck
-
hi im james and im 15 at the moment i have been working for my dad during the school holidays and i can see that i can make a good living out of it but the one question i ask my self is do the customers think of age as experiance therfore they wouldent want me cleaning there windows and i have set a goal for when im 17 to have my own van and have a good round do you think this achivable allbeen my dad will or hope give me a fair good jobs to expand ???
Now then, now then, young James.
You wrote to me- your uncle Jim- to see if I could fix it for you to have your own window cleaning round.
How's about, I can fix it for you to to clean the Duchess and I's windows at our humble abode and then fix it for you to do a bit of commercial with the water fed pole thingy on Stoke Mandeville hospital?
How's about that, then? Jangle, jangle......a hoooooooooooooo
-
area already blagged by my dad im trying to blag a little old lady apartments and its a cup of tea and a biscuit nearly every flat' now you dont get that with any job :)
-
this jim will fix it him self ::)
-
area already blagged by my dad im trying to blag a little old lady apartments and its a cup of tea and a biscuit nearly every flat' now you dont get that with any job :)
could you come down to birmingham and kick my youngest
up the backside he could do with motivating.
fair play and good luck to you kid! :)
-
thank you :) i joined the aircadets a year ago and since then ive been a changed man this made me think about my future then i realised i might end up working in macdonalds this is when i spoke to my dad nicely to consider letting me into the buisness i already saw the potential of window cleaning but didnt do out about it but air cadets rearly sorted me out so i recommend highly :) many thanks james
-
jame's english is crap-i've had a fighting battle through the school years about spelling,(old school you see-rulers across the knuckles for bad spelling-aaahhh the good old days!!! :( :( :( :()they just say now adays that it'll improve(theres always a spell-check?)no its not a wind-up james wants to go for it,he's a little mercenery,working with me trad before crimbo and just by chatting picked up two more new jobs for us,he can see the future and its not sainbury's,he's just concerned that the age thing will set him back a bit does anyone have their young uns working with them/or for them for that matter,any advice?he's 15 now,already planned to have a van by 17 and a round by then hook or by crook as they say,just looked at his post,little poops wanting to expand ;D can't knock him for that
The Future's Bright.
The Future's Not Orange.
-
this jim will fix it him self ::)
Nice one ;).
Ps. Rolly eyes doesn't work. Get Jim to fix it.
-
why wont rolly eyes work :o
-
BRING BACK THE ROLLY EYES!
-
Evening Kev n James
Go for it. I started with my cousin at the age of 16. We worked with a guy who was 25 at the time and the worst thing we ever did was not buy his round when he was selling. By starting early, you'll give yourself the opportunity to grow whilst not having too much responsibility.
I snapped my achillies tendon, so trad finished for me at 18. 14 years out of the game and I came back to WFP last April-canvassed my whole round from scratch and within 3 months had over 250 custys. I had to make it work as I hvae wife, 3 kids, moetgage and a labradoodle to feed. I did have to canvass for 3/4 hours every night, but a really good return can be gained by dedicating time to growing your own little business.
All the best gents. Hope it all works out.
Steve
-
thanks every one so far i have learnt so much in the last few hours its gave me a good insite into window cleaning' by what i have seen by all of your experiances its best to start young but my dad is making me learn the hard way and learn for myself within reason he sez' my dads making me do trad its hard work but its fairly easy to get use to but ive got a lot more learning to do before my dad lets me use a wfp' my dad's a git hes making me use a squeegie while hes whizzing away with his wfp doing the top windows
-
I started when I was 35 and am now 40. I really enjoy my job but often wish I had started when I finished school when I was 18. Definately go for it! with your Dad as a mentor you will be very successful and before you know it you will be employing your Dad as your personal tea-boy hahaha...
-
hopefully a very highly paid tea bitch!
-
This sounds like quite an inspirational story. A lot of youngsters think that work means sitting down all day sippings coffee and emailing "What are you wearing?" to the pretty PA down the corridor.
James is prepared to put the effort in and I've no doubt he will get the rewards out. Well done :)
-
many thanks for replys :) every thing has been taken in' but going back to the main question could i be taken seriously as a window cleaner at my age (15) on a weekend basis (saturday, sunday) given that my dad will give me a bit of a round' do you think people would take me seriously ??? many thanks james
-
only one way to find out james ;)
good luck to you..
-
I think you should be fine mate, if it worries you that much dont tell people your age or if they ask tell them your 17, they wont know.
Im 23 now but when i left school i worked for a removal company and became the warehouse foreman over about 25 men after 8 months....they hated it and tried taking the p*** but after a few month were fine and just treated me as one of the lads. The moral of the story is, no matter what job/journey you take whether it be a window cleaner or some "swanky office job" people are always going to try and take the mikey, its just human nature and it happens in all walks of life so dont be worried!
Danny
-
hi lads,kevin here,jimbo's in bed(and so should be at this time)can i thank you all for the time you shared with james,the good advice you gave him,and just good old fashioned hospitatility you all showed to a young guy hoping to find his way in this world,james can see a future in this,as he's said its a numbers game-at15 :o
-
i was trad at 13 every sat even sunday
at 15yrs old youve gotta be trad !!"!"!
not knocking ya la build a round top prices
then in 2 yrs time if you pass
yr test change to wfp
then lose all yr custys !!!!!
cuz they prefer their windows
squeegeed
cant win la ;)
go collage learn be anything but a windy ;D ;D ;D ;D
-
hi sean,fair do'swanted james to post his own question,in his own words-big boy,big world get use to it!saturday job could be the way to go with this one,i guess start with trad as james prefers this to wfp need as much feedback as possible so i can make a decision on this one,and no henleys shirts are allowed!he has his own uniform the same as ours,just can't change him from trainers to boots
Whats wrong with trainers?!
-
many thanks for replys :) every thing has been taken in' but going back to the main question could i be taken seriously as a window cleaner at my age (15) on a weekend basis (saturday, sunday) given that my dad will give me a bit of a round' do you think people would take me seriously ??? many thanks james
James yes I think you can be taken seriously, especially if you tell your customers that your dad is a w cleaner and you have helped him in the holidays since you were 12 or whatever. and above all to be taken seriously DO NOT LET CUSTOMERS TAKE THE P OUT OF YOU, PRICE EACH JOB WELL AND DO A PROFESSIONAL JOB.
-
many thanks for replys :) every thing has been taken in' but going back to the main question could i be taken seriously as a window cleaner at my age (15) on a weekend basis (saturday, sunday) given that my dad will give me a bit of a round' do you think people would take me seriously ??? many thanks james
James yes I think you can be taken seriously, especially if you tell your customers that your dad is a w cleaner and you have helped him in the holidays since you were 12 or whatever. and above all to be taken seriously DO NOT LET CUSTOMERS TAKE THE P OUT OF YOU, PRICE EACH JOB WELL AND DO A PROFESSIONAL JOB.
what he said ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
-
Hi James - here's some advice from Uncle Malc.
Tell your Dad he should be as pleased a Punch (shame he's not so good-looking as Punch) that you are so keen. He and/or your Mum must have done something right! But your Dad's spelling could do with some work too! ;D
Now then - a w/c mate of mine has a 15 year old son who has built up his own £250 a month wheelie bin cleaning round that he has done simply using his feet, a bucket and soapy water. Walks straight out the house and does the neighbours.
So you'll be fine. But when you are old enough - 16/17 then work with your Dad - van insurance will be a killer for a 17 year old so although you will be desperate to drive hang on until you've got enough turnover because you don't want £3 grand a year going on insurance when you don't need it.
Now then - girls.
Bear in mind that loads of guys are numpties and have no nouce or jobs or desire to succeed so you will find that once you start rolling you will find girls will be keen. Now I'm a religious geezer but nevertheless my advice is "keep it in your trousers" and be respectful of girls/women. This is hard (pun intended) for a male teenager. Talk to your Dad and ask him for some advice. Look for a girl who also wants to work and who has some self respect.
If you do talk to your Dad he will be more embarrassed than you, trust me - but he was/is like you - full of hormones and knows what it was like to be 15. He really wants you to do well. You know waaaaaay more than he does now but when you are fifty and he is dead and gone (or gaga like me) you will realise that he was the wisest man in the whole world.
What you don't want in your plan to become a successful businessman and more importantly a respected person in life that makes his parents proud is to be thwarted by getting some girl up the duff and having pressures and responsibilities before their time.
So be wise my son and listen to your Uncle Malc ..... ;D
-
Hi James - here's some advice from Uncle Malc.
Tell your Dad he should be as pleased a Punch (shame he's not so good-looking as Punch) that you are so keen. He and/or your Mum must have done something right! But your Dad's spelling could do with some work too! ;D
Now then - a w/c mate of mine has a 15 year old son who has built up his own £250 a month wheelie bin cleaning round that he has done simply using his feet, a bucket and soapy water. Walks straight out the house and does the neighbours.
So you'll be fine. But when you are old enough - 16/17 then work with your Dad - van insurance will be a killer for a 17 year old so although you will be desperate to drive hang on until you've got enough turnover because you don't want £3 grand a year going on insurance when you don't need it.
Now then - girls.
Bear in mind that loads of guys are numpties and have no nouce or jobs or desire to succeed so you will find that once you start rolling you will find girls will be keen. Now I'm a religious geezer but nevertheless my advice is "keep it in your trousers" and be respectful of girls/women. This is hard (pun intended) for a male teenager. Talk to your Dad and ask him for some advice. Look for a girl who also wants to work and who has some self respect.
If you do talk to your Dad he will be more embarrassed than you, trust me - but he was/is like you - full of hormones and knows what it was like to be 15. He really wants you to do well. You know waaaaaay more than he does now but when you are fifty and he is dead and gone (or gaga like me) you will realise that he was the wisest man in the whole world.
What you don't want in your plan to become a successful businessman and more importantly a respected person in life that makes his parents proud is to be thwarted by getting some girl up the duff and having pressures and responsibilities before their time.
So be wise my son and listen to your Uncle Malc ..... ;D
..that i may make a reply to him that undercuts me ;D
(sorry semi religious joke)
-
Sounds like "all work and no play!" :(
No uncle malc is right about the ladies, it will make your legs weak which is no good for tradding up and down ladders all day long ;D
-
When I was 15 and if an 'Uncle Malc' told me all those things I would just think (but not say out loud) 'yeah yeah yeah, whatever....now, im off to look for some girls' BUT he is absoluately 100% right!
I know it sounds old and boring when you hear oldies like us saying that there will be loads of time for that later but there really is!
Get yourself sorted first and like Malc says if the right ambitious girl comes along great stuff but behave yourself!
I know in 25 years from now you WILL be giving 15 years the exact same advise.
-
thank you for all advice :) i know about girls i just have to look at my 19 year old brother and how bossed around he gets by her i shall not let this happen till im well under way with window cleaning many thanks james :) :)
-
Good luck with your enterprise, it is good to know that there are still young fellas out there who are willing to get stuck in and have a go.
This job can be a very good number for a fit young bloke, and if you get to it early you could go all the way and develope a very succesful business.
You seem to be a little daunted as to whether you will be taken seriously as a 15 yr old, so the thing to do is to get your message across quickly and effectivley. I would sugest having a flyer made up with a picture of yourself actually doing the job, and a brief note explaining that you intend to follow the family business. When you are out door knocking, be prepared to do the job there and then.
People like enterprise, especially in todays climate, I think you could do quite well.
I see that you are planning to work trad, however there is plenty of cleaning that can be done with a wfp and garden tap. My absolute best advice is that you consider getting a wfp and use it to clean/ sofits/ gutters/ walls/ sills and frames before finishing windows trad. There is good money to be made washing these things, and the water does not need to be pure, so a garden tap and custy hose will do. Also a pole would bunjee to the ladder and be easy to carry about.
Many years ago I started cleaning trad and didn't even have a ladder. I started on neighbours downstairs windows and promised to come back for the tops when I got one. I was given one soon enough, and set about all the tops in the area until I could afford a car. I scrounged a cheap car from a local dealer and in the three months I had until the mot ran out, I worked my conkers off and was up and running.
Good luck, I hope it goes well for you.
-
i started a year ago when i was 22... i dont think age is the issue like some people have said, if the lad wants it eough im sure he'll make it work
All the best i hope it works out for him
-
I was 19 when i started now 22 i have 225 custys. When i was 19 i looked about 16 and when i was canvading the people used to love the idea of a young lad trying to make something of himself. Even the kids that answered the doors woulg go mummy thers a boy/lad at the door. Now i get man at the door. Younger the better i vote.