Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Simonhammer on November 23, 2007, 05:00:17 pm
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Hello. I have started building up a round (afternoons only as I still work for Royal Mail) and I want to make the next step and purchase a backpack. Problem is I'm a bit blinded by the science of it all! Do I just need the backpack? Or do I have to buy a pole and a reverse osmosis unit too? Obviously at this stage of the game I cannot afford to buy a van and a complete WFP system to put in it but I'm hoping that the backpack will speed things up enough to enable me to add more customers in the afternoons, meaning I am earning more and enabling me to drop my day job asap.
Before you ask I have tried the search function and my eyes are starting to go square and I have a headache! Anyone who has one please tell me what I'll need to buy. Many thanks in advance, Simon.
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What vehicle have you got and do you also need it for a family or just one or two of you?
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don,t get too blinded by the wfp, if you are just starting out, washing windows with a squeegee is still a good earner, and it is still the cheapest way to start a business. Spend a bit of time working trad and save up for what you really need, looking on this forum will help you with that. you will also pick up some of the skills we all still use from time to time.
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If i was starting i would still say you must have trad skills first,learn to know what a clean window looks like up close before you need to make that decision from the ground.
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What vehicle have you got and do you also need it for a family or just one or two of you?
BMW 318ise. Family car mate.
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If you are going down the wfp route the first thing you need is a tds meter to test your water so you can decide whether you need di or ro then you can take it from there but learning trad as has already been pointed out is the best wy to start as you will need this skill anyway
Dean
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go traditional
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Yes go traditional but not to long.
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go WFP
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If you are going down the wfp route the first thing you need is a tds meter to test your water so you can decide whether you need di or ro then you can take it from there but learning trad as has already been pointed out is the best wy to start as you will need this skill anyway
Dean
Cheers for that info mate. A tds meter you say. I'm sure I can find one of them on t'interwide webnet!
I can see where you guys are coming from r.e. trad. I've been doing it a little over 6 months now and won't be looking to buy a backpack till next April/May time at the earliest. My ultimate goal is to have a van with a complete wfp system in it...but that's probably a good 5 years away yet.
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Personally i woudn't wait that long if you can afford it go for it sooner
the increase in turnover when upto speed and with a wfp friendly round will more than compensate the cost
a backpack a pole and a few barrels for pure water is a cheap start into wfp and it is not wasted money as you will still find a use for the backpack
I have been wfp for two years from a van system and am purchasing a backpack as some jobs will be much easier done with one
Dean
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A backpack is not adequate enough for fulltime WFP,here come the comments but i have vanmount and backpack and no matter how handy the backpack can be for some it`s not suitable for fulltime WFP.
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As i said a backpack is a cheap way into wfp especially if money is an issue
not everyone can come to terms with wfp so spending ££££ could be money needlessly wasted when a backpack setup is £££
Just my opinion take it or leave it :)
Dean
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Perhaps theres someone near you with wfp that you could go see and chat too
where do you live?
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Sorry Simon I forgot your a N Walsham chap ::) do you goto Worstead ?
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Not forgetting of course if you get a backpack you are going to need a pole and a source of pure water (ro unit) and somewhere to produce it and a means of transporting water. Your car might be too nice for that.
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Look into getting a pro2 trailer from ionic,it`s got everything a vanmount has it`s not to heavy so more or less any car can pull it,and when you outgrow it will sell easily.
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Look into getting a pro2 trailer from ionic,it`s got everything a vanmount has it`s not to heavy so more or less any car can pull it,and when you outgrow it will sell easily.
Why not just get a van and a van mount and save yourself alot of hassle ?
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you can build your own trolley system including pole barrels etc for under 800 quid ro units and a small di anything from 150 to 300 quid then work your way up. Buy an older estate car(escort astra) with a years mot bout 400 save your beemer wfp dont have to be any more expensive than you make it but before anything else spend a year and LEARN TO DO TRAD PROPERLY remember if you cant use a blade your not a real window cleaner and meanwhile try looking at the diy websites for pole help and guides while you build up a customer base and make some money then make switch when your ready
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Simon heres a link on how to start traditional.
http://www.windowcleaningcoach.com/windowcleaningtechnique.html but once you have learned how, then get off the ladders and go wfp to save your life.
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Whats the big deal with using a blade? It doesn't take a year to learn - a couple of hours maybe but it's hardly an apprentiship. ::)
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dave w i learned how to use a blade in about 20 mins but it takes longer to learn how to use it fast and properly the more you use it the better you get and its easy to lose your touch when you move to wfp unless you keep your hand in
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My advice is do what you can to leave that place Simon, I left RM just over 3 months ago. Luckily we had some savings and spent them all on buying a van, water system and a w/c round, and I can honestly it was the best decision I ever made. I had never done w/c before but just took the plunge when things got so bad, I just had to get out. There is alot of good advice from w/c's on this site (god knows I hammered it leading up to leaving RM, and dont know what I would have done without it), so keep asking questions and hopefully you'll find an escape route ;D
Good Luck
Lee
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I second son of even if you have to borrow money to get started go for it you will be fine just have faith nothing is better than being your own boss
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LJ were you a printer?
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dave w yes why ???
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Stands out a mile. ;)
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meaning what exactly
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Nothing, i saw it somewhere else. I was a printer all my life till this year. Couldn't stick any more shiftwork, sick of the constant pay cuts and unbelievable greed and selfishness of the *ricks at the top.
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posted a new one maybe you not see were you running presses if so what nice to hear from an ink devil unless you winding me up but reference to shifts pay and pric**s makes me think you gen
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Yer, KBA 156A four colour perfectors, KBA five,six and eight units. All large format. Rolands before that. Heidelbergs before them going right back to letterpress days.
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ok hope we on same thread me tok gto gtoz movp(no2) kord komori 225b gtovp ryobi524 lithrone 5 col then days on gto 52 print is poop and full of dicks what say you i have no regrets but still think it takes a good year to really get good on blade :)
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Whats the big deal with using a blade? It doesn't take a year to learn - a couple of hours maybe but it's hardly an apprentiship. ::)
dave that quote is so so so wrong, this is why I get so much work, yes you can use a blade in 2 hours but can you get the quality? I think not.
There are window cleaners and then there are good window cleaners. the latter do well the other get fed up of complaints or the rain or the cold or all and stop. Giving us good window cleaners a bad name. >:(
It is not as easy as people seem to belive, running a business or any form is not easy, if it was every one would be doing it.
sry if that seemed i was havin a pop i wasnt just adding my thoughts on it ;)
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:) worked on webs too. I spent a lifetime of mega amounts of overtime and treble shifts then got cancer and suddenly woke up. Started to realise i was missing out on normal family life - little things like taking my young daughter to school. The firm got into trouble so they cut the workers money, took three million out of the pension fund whilst two directors were pulling 300k each out of the company in wages plus the other seven directors beneath them. Treble shifts are the pits - permanently mentally drained. Then there was the boredom...............
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:) worked on webs too. I spent a lifetime of mega amounts of overtime and treble shifts then got cancer and suddenly woke up. Started to realise i was missing out on normal family life - little things like taking my young daughter to school. The firm got into trouble so they cut the workers money, took three million out of the pension fund whilst two directors were pulling 300k each out of the company in wages plus the other seven directors beneath them. Treble shifts are the pits - permanently mentally drained. Then there was the boredom...............
Dave I have had cancer quite a few times once it nearly got me, but what does that have to do with window cleaning. ??
it is not easy IMO running a business is another story that people forget about.
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see dave even the big boys agree with me by way window washers all you need are female schraders and crimps i think saw your pics think its easy and they are not dear 10 mins and all done ithink but might have got name wrong :)windowwash think dave is talking to me if i could work chat could talk to both of you but there you go printing sucks windows rule both happy now???
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any way dave and winwash iam to drunk to sit up and type now if i get chat working then great meantime i have about 3 email addresses and cant work any of them would like to have a proper conversation with both of you if poss but will have to wait until i get my head round all this tech sorry to simonhammer for hijacking thread ;Dcatch up in week
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any way dave and winwash iam to drunk to sit up and type now if i get chat working then great meantime i have about 3 email addresses and cant work any of them would like to have a proper conversation with both of you if poss but will have to wait until i get my head round all this tech sorry to simonhammer for hijacking thread ;Dcatch up in week
01234 870 225 if you want to chat with me m8 ;)
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I'm happy ;D i was explaining how i left my last job. In reply to Ian blading is hardly difficult, sure you'll get faster as time goes by but it's not exactly highly skilled. I had to serve five years apprenticeship for my last job then two more years training for a new process after that so thats seven years of crap money. If you have a decent customer base you can be on good money from day one in this job. Same for wfp - couple of houses to practice and away you go - no training, no exams NOTHING.
Becoming a successful business man , well thats another story.
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I'm happy ;D i was explaining how i left my last job. In reply to Ian blading is hardly difficult, sure you'll get faster as time goes by but it's not exactly highly skilled. I had to serve five years apprenticeship for my last job then two more years training for a new process after that so thats seven years of crap money. If you have a decent customer base you can be on good money from day one in this job. Same for wfp - couple of houses to practice and away you go - no training, no exams NOTHING.
Becoming a successful business man , well thats another story.
As long as your happy m8 thats all that matters, I liked the part about the business man......so so many will learn the hard way ;)
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Yer, KBA 156A four colour perfectors, KBA five,six and eight units. All large format. Rolands before that. Heidelbergs before them going right back to letterpress days.
Wow. You must have been in the trade a long time. I was one of those horrible machine assistants at the other end :) . Worked mostly on Rolands.
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Started at fifteen and a half.............so thats um thirty three years! :o
No such things as assistants these days - all one union too. They just have number one and number two minders and very low staffing levels. Two men on an eight unit four colour perfecting machine and they wanted to reduce that.
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A backpack is not adequate enough for fulltime WFP,here come the comments but i have vanmount and backpack and no matter how handy the backpack can be for some it`s not suitable for fulltime WFP.
I know...but as I'm only part time at present it won't be an issue.
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Sorry Simon I forgot your a N Walsham chap ::) do you goto Worstead ?
I go through worstead, but don't have any cleans there.
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My advice is do what you can to leave that place Simon, I left RM just over 3 months ago. Luckily we had some savings and spent them all on buying a van, water system and a w/c round, and I can honestly it was the best decision I ever made. I had never done w/c before but just took the plunge when things got so bad, I just had to get out. There is alot of good advice from w/c's on this site (god knows I hammered it leading up to leaving RM, and dont know what I would have done without it), so keep asking questions and hopefully you'll find an escape route ;D
Good Luck
Lee
Cheers mate. I've been a postie for 6 years now and the job has lost all it's appeal. I'm going to enquire about voluntary redundancy as I've been told I should get about 6 months wages as a pay off...around £7500. Hopefully that will enable me to buy a round in my area...if I can find one.
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get your backpack as soon as you can simon,i bought mine in stages about 4 months ago,backpack and pole one week,r/o+di the next,i fill 6 barrels the night before and bring the di with me for top ups. it makes windowcleaning far easier/quicker but it does take time to get the hang of so id advise sooner rather than later,i too was confused as to how the whole water fed pole thing worked and found the best way to understand is to get a supplier to show you the lot,once shown it looks simple,consider second hand to keep costs down-i got my 300gpd r/o for £100 and ive heard you can get backpacks off ebay us for around £120,make sure you get a long enough pole and get a tds meter,dont worry about learning trad-its easy
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get your backpack as soon as you can simon,i bought mine in stages about 4 months ago,backpack and pole one week,r/o+di the next,i fill 6 barrels the night before and bring the di with me for top ups. it makes windowcleaning far easier/quicker but it does take time to get the hang of so id advise sooner rather than later,i too was confused as to how the whole water fed pole thing worked and found the best way to understand is to get a supplier to show you the lot,once shown it looks simple,consider second hand to keep costs down-i got my 300gpd r/o for £100 and ive heard you can get backpacks off ebay us for around £120,make sure you get a long enough pole and get a tds meter,dont worry about learning trad-its easy
Cheers mate. Like I said, I have been trad for 6 months now and I really do enjoy it. It's just I want to get more work booked in in the afternoons so I can leave Royal Mail quicker.
Btw...how much does your water bill increase when you go wfp? Being trad I turn up at my customers houses and use their water.
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dont know about that mate there is no water charges in northern ireland(yet)
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get your backpack as soon as you can simon,i bought mine in stages about 4 months ago,backpack and pole one week,r/o+di the next,i fill 6 barrels the night before and bring the di with me for top ups. it makes windowcleaning far easier/quicker but it does take time to get the hang of so id advise sooner rather than later,i too was confused as to how the whole water fed pole thing worked and found the best way to understand is to get a supplier to show you the lot,once shown it looks simple,consider second hand to keep costs down-i got my 300gpd r/o for £100 and ive heard you can get backpacks off ebay us for around £120,make sure you get a long enough pole and get a tds meter,dont worry about learning trad-its easy
Cheers mate. Like I said, I have been trad for 6 months now and I really do enjoy it. It's just I want to get more work booked in in the afternoons so I can leave Royal Mail quicker.
Btw...how much does your water bill increase when you go wfp? Being trad I turn up at my customers houses and use their water.
I dont know either about wfp water bill I am on a meter :-\ but what ever it is IMO is worth every penny as I dont have to go up ladders hardly anymore.