Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: LWC on June 23, 2008, 09:47:08 pm
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ive worked on my own alot, and had someone with me now for over a year, had a few days on my own last few weeks and i find it really hard to get going and motivated
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you will get used to it use a portable radio or mp3 to keep you occupied
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Aye, getting going first thing I find difficult if I'm working on my own... which is most of the time. If I have someone with me I tend to get out pretty early and end up with a good day.
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for those hard to motivate days just think that what you earn that day - there's no wages to come out of it.
Just tax :'(
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ive worked on my own alot, and had someone with me now for over a year, had a few days on my own last few weeks and i find it really hard to get going and motivated
You have an extravagent lifestyle , and you earn too much ! If you have to ask yourself why you should get out of bed on an early morning , then you need to get a new focus in your life . ;D
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ive worked on my own alot, and had someone with me now for over a year, had a few days on my own last few weeks and i find it really hard to get going and motivated
You have an extravagent lifestyle , and you earn too much ! If you have to ask yourself why you should get out of bed on an early morning , then you need to get a new focus in your life . ;Di uaswedc
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Di uaswedc ? ???
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you will get used to it use a portable radio or mp3 to keep you occupied
yeh i know that, pretty much 4 years on my own, but last years or so someone with me, hits ya hard when you have done the frotns of a house then you have to go round the back lol...instead of throwing my stuff by the back of the van and getting the other chap to put it all away
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you will get used to it use a portable radio or mp3 to keep you occupied
yeh i know that, pretty much 4 years on my own, but last years or so someone with me, hits ya hard when you have done the frotns of a house then you have to go round the back lol...instead of throwing my stuff by the back of the van and getting the other chap to put it all away
Yeah its tough ::)
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Love working on my own.... No one telling you what to do and you not telling someone what to do and no boring idle chit chat with the guy your working with.. come on what more do you need.
Do what i do and thats blitz the mornings and have a steady afternoon..
Bazz...
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get a grip :o
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you will get used to it use a portable radio or mp3 to keep you occupied
yeh i know that, pretty much 4 years on my own, but last years or so someone with me, hits ya hard when you have done the frotns of a house then you have to go round the back lol...instead of throwing my stuff by the back of the van and getting the other chap to put it all away
Yeah its tough ::)
People are different, he isn't uber motivated like you obviously are. As it happens I feel the same as he does and am interested in this thread and what others have to offer. As far as I can see you offer very little in the way of constructive advice or even criticism.
Your hot on your smiley faces and rolling eyes but perhaps you need a new focus if you spend your evenings being superior to everyone on a window cleaning forum.
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you will get used to it use a portable radio or mp3 to keep you occupied
yeh i know that, pretty much 4 years on my own, but last years or so someone with me, hits ya hard when you have done the frotns of a house then you have to go round the back lol...instead of throwing my stuff by the back of the van and getting the other chap to put it all away
Yeah its tough ::)
People are different, he isn't uber motivated like you obviously are. As it happens I feel the same as he does and am interested in this thread and what others have to offer. As far as I can see you offer very little in the way of constructive advice or even criticism.
Your hot on your smiley faces and rolling eyes but perhaps you need a new focus if you spend your evenings being superior to everyone on a window cleaning forum.
I was ok on my own , but now I am thinking I need somone else !
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I worked here for 16 years :'( .. thats my motivation ;D
Bazz...
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get a PA, LOL, she can sort the hoses out and pass you cans of coke
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I had about 8 weeks on my own about 3 months ago and i loved it. The only problem was i didnt earn as much. I find i work alot faster when i have someone doing all the downstairs and knocking for money. I do look forward to the days when i can take my foot off the gas, probably 20 years from now ::). When you have someone working for you, you can get let down whereas when you are on your own you dont need to rely on anyone. I put all my prices up but still found i was struggling if the weather was bad for a couple of days a week. If i could guarentee 5 - 7 hour days a week i would work on my own.
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Bazzy1999 -
That place look grim.
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Bazzy1999 -
That place look grim.
It wasnt that bad :'( but it was home for 16 very long years...
Bazz...
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pmsl the HSE leture us about working at hights when there are work shops like that :o ::) >:(
looks like the engerneering world equlivlent to a primark sweat shop!!! :D :D ;D
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do it every day
thoroughly enjoy it
never think about the money could be working for someone else earning good money or bad money and thoroughly hating the job
personal satisfaction when the good job comes in
think of my wife earning £60 per day for upto 10 hours a day 5 days a week (no thanks )
now after nearly 4 years i believe i'm unemployable by anyone else (full time )
just my opinion
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I work on my own and prefer it. Its OK once you get motivated but that first job in the morning is hard.
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yeh although i found i never earned double with 2 of us, to what i used to earn on my own. but i always find a steady flow of good money with someone else with me every day
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I like working with someone for a change but prefer to be on my own i get a better class of conversation
Although when i first went back to working on my own after a while employing it took a while to get back into the swing of things and the motivation had to be built up but when i realised i was doing the same amount of work in the same time on my own with less overheads i soon felt better
Still some mornings are harder for me to get my arse into gear
Dean
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I work on my own now and also have difficulty getting motivated, even though the money is all mine and the tax mans! I do tend to work harder and longer if I've got someone else with me, they can foot the ladder and stuff which speeds things up for me. It has its benifits working on my own but also it does get a tad boring, I think I'll get an mp3 player, that would probably make things easier and who knows, maybe earn more money in the day ;P
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I have only been in the game for just under 2 years and I am starting to get bored doing the same houses...I am now starting to see it as a job more than a 'project' now.
But i use a ipod...and each evening when I get home I put it into it's dock and it downloads lots of podcasts...I have loads of BBC items including the Archers... ;D
But yes I am starting to find it hard being on my own...
Cheers
Dave.
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ive worked on my own alot, and had someone with me now for over a year, had a few days on my own last few weeks and i find it really hard to get going and motivated
I've worked on my own and I've worked with others. I find it far easier on my own. When I find the motivation a bit harder, I take a break. Maybe work really hard for a while then treat myself to a day doing something I really like doing. Getting through the work to get to the good bit is a help I find.
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The greatest motivator is a stopwatch. Timing each job and counting the pennies as I go along motivates me.
I don't do this all the time, it's something I do when I want to get stuck in.
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I started about 6 months ago on my own, and its been hard since i was focusing on wfp and couldnt afford all the stuff i needed to start even with a small loan, we struggle to pay the monthly bills usually with nothing for anything else, barely fuel. I cant afford a van, so have been using a large trailer system. Its pretty tough, and when i first started i had just a escort estate 1.6 that i used to chug 200 litres of water in barrels messing about changing them over and everything really put me off wfp or working atall. I have been doing some easy trad bungalows recently and gutter soffit cleaning jobs. It would be nice to work with someone else, but not nice to half the sallary. I want to build up an enterprise of several wfp trailer systems as i believe this is slightly cheaper on fuel as you can get away with 1 ton trailer load on about a 1.6car so £45 to fill the tank, then working for me, but at the moment cannot afford to. So im slowly building up residential and commercial work using the trailer system.
I have depression and no energy all the time, and some days getting out to work i usually start around 11am sometimes 1pm. \\\\\\\\\with nothing to motivate you, and bills to beckon you, it is hard though once youve finished a days work and have what you came for, then it makes it easier to work on the next day and encouraging that you can earn significantly more than a regular job.
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feeling really deflated to be honest 2 people in 3 weeks have left me in the lurch...ill get summit sorted soon, came home feeling quite happy today and motivated
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You need to get motivated, why cant you start at 9 instead of 1 then when you finish go canvassing or dropping
leaflets, ive picked up 80 custys in 4 weeks and have had 2 calls today from people that i dropped leaflets too 5
and 7 weeks
ago,
Chris
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i am 18, dont know why it says 19..
i could start at 9am even 7am but id have no battery power by 1pm, perhaps theres something wrong with me. Its not that easy to just 'get motivated' though i have steady work 3 days a week ish. My first job was in an iron mongers, i used to get £21 per day, working harder than all else who were on £45 per day. Never again, i eventually just didnt bother going to work with that job. I know this is a great job working self employed, i love it and i hate it. I am getting started in commercial jobs now thanks to a fellow member on here.
Well done Jaykie, 80 customers in 4 weeks is great. Im on about 55 monthly at the moment, i know how to canvass and have all the leaflets, though i havent done it yet.
The thing with working with someone else is, you either do it with a friend and half the sallary, or you employ someone at a regular wage. who will probably burn you and break things, or get fedup and start their own wc business.
I can see the advantages though, you can share the toll on each job, the jobs should get done allot quicker, you wont get worn out so quick getting out and packing everything away. I am considering working with my brother, or a friend.
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take risks pay little...
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i would recommend this book for any body starting out on ther own (from acorns by casper woods endorsed by the bank of scotland)
its a good we book gives you some good we hints and tips and helps with motivation
www.fromacorns.com
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Jon
I thnk you should take a serious look at yourself and kick yourself up the arse.
You are 18 years old with a golden opportunity in front of you, don't be the usual stereotypical teenager moaning about depression and being miserable, nobody will give you a living for being lazy.
Get out of bloody bed in the morning and do a full days graft - you won't get anywhere starting at 1pm.
As a great man once said "Don't wait for your ship to come in, swim out and meet the bloody thing"
Sorry if that seems harsh, but it is all perfectly true, one day you will realise that I have just given you some of the best advice you will ever receive.
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And Jon
Get a second battery, thats that problem solved, go down the local recycling center and scrounge a few old ones, charge them all and find out which ones are still good enough to use.
See, simple isn't it?
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Not hard working on my own. Household bills, a mortgage, a social life and a sensible head keep me motivated.
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i didnt mean a physical battery, it was figurative for lacking energy. I guess that wasnt very fitting afterall. My wfp battery is not the problem. nevermind
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I was just the same at your age Jon, I started at 17 and did about 3 or 4 hours a day max. Just enough to get by. During my mid 20's I started working really hard, I did about 60 hours a week at one point. Got myself kitted out with a nice house etc etc. Now I do abour 30-32, which is plenty as I have good quality work. Give it time, you'll get there. I'd just concentrate on having fun now, and not getting in to debt.
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feeling really deflated to be honest 2 people in 3 weeks have left me in the lurch...ill get summit sorted soon, came home feeling quite happy today and motivated
I love working on my own, and that's one of the biggest reason why. I hate being let down by workers, it hits my personal motivation hard when it happens.
I also find I earn a LOT more working alone, and enjoy the flexibility of choosing the hours I feel like on any particular day.
I'm stuck working with my father in law at the moment most days,... so I really appreciate the days I have to myself!
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The thing is Jon,that at 18 years old, you havnt experienced enough of being in rubbishy or pressurized jobs to actually fully appreciate the benefits of being self employed. I think we all have off days, i certainly do but just a few minutes reflecting on previous employment soon helps me focus.I worked in an unemployment benefit office for 4 odd years which at times was downright scarey, i dont miss that at all. My last job was with Anglian Water in the office, where we had a "performance monitering" system which is basically a full time, time and motion study. You had to account for every second of the day including how long on the toilet, talk about Big brother. Ive also had jobs where I worked along side people I detested and had no escape from for 8 to 9 hours a day. Im sure lots of others have similar experiences, but at your age, youve probably been spared alot of this. The actual cleaning part of the job can be uninspiring, but focus on how you want to mould your business, keep looking at the big picture. As others have said, you have a fantastic oppertunity in front of you with age very much on your side.
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I started about 6 months ago on my own, and its been hard since i was focusing on wfp and couldnt afford all the stuff i needed to start even with a small loan, we struggle to pay the monthly bills usually with nothing for anything else, barely fuel. I cant afford a van, so have been using a large trailer system. Its pretty tough, and when i first started i had just a escort estate 1.6 that i used to chug 200 litres of water in barrels messing about changing them over and everything really put me off wfp or working atall. I have been doing some easy trad bungalows recently and gutter soffit cleaning jobs. It would be nice to work with someone else, but not nice to half the sallary. I want to build up an enterprise of several wfp trailer systems as i believe this is slightly cheaper on fuel as you can get away with 1 ton trailer load on about a 1.6car so £45 to fill the tank, then working for me, but at the moment cannot afford to. So im slowly building up residential and commercial work using the trailer system.
I have depression and no energy all the time, and some days getting out to work i usually start around 11am sometimes 1pm. \\\\\\\\\with nothing to motivate you, and bills to beckon you, it is hard though once youve finished a days work and have what you came for, then it makes it easier to work on the next day and encouraging that you can earn significantly more than a regular job.
I also suffer from bi polar , and my advice would be not to push yourself too hard , as this can cause a bad bout ! Only you know what is best for you . Forget what a lot say on here as they dont have your brain ( if they did they might have a different opinion LOL ) . If I didnt have the depression curse I could have retired to cyprus now ;D. Take care mate ;D
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The greatest motivator is a stopwatch. Timing each job and counting the pennies as I go along motivates me.
I don't do this all the time, it's something I do when I want to get stuck in.
I've started doing that with my mobile alarm. I set it for how long I think the house should take and try to get it done before the alarm goes off. Works well for me to focus the mind.
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I've been window cleaning now for 2.5 years.
I think the thrill of the chase kept me going at first when I was building the business up. But, after my first year I started to get bored and lacked motivation... So I took my cousin on to work with me - That was ok for the first few months, it did help my motivation - But then he messed me about a bit so I got rid of him.
Now I work on my own again... I must say that I do suffer from motivation a lot... I have more than enough work to do, but sometimes just cannot get into gear to get it all done!
I was speaking to another window cleaner the other day... He works 8am - 5pm 5 days a week... He told me that he makes an appointment with a customer each day to start there house at 8am and this is what gets him out of bed and started on time... I think it's a really good idea, and I think I might start doing it myself.
Andy
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I've been window cleaning now for 2.5 years.
I think the thrill of the chase kept me going at first when I was building the business up. But, after my first year I started to get bored and lacked motivation... So I took my cousin on to work with me - That was ok for the first few months, it did help my motivation - But then he messed me about a bit so I got rid of him.
Now I work on my own again... I must say that I do suffer from motivation a lot... I have more than enough work to do, but sometimes just cannot get into gear to get it all done!
I was speaking to another window cleaner the other day... He works 8am - 5pm 5 days a week... He told me that he makes an appointment with a customer each day to start there house at 8am and this is what gets him out of bed and started on time... I think it's a really good idea, and I think I might start doing it myself.
Andy
if your lacking in motivation that much does that mean you are late in getting round to customers? if so calculate how much revenue you are losing each year, see what it mounts up to and if it is excessive then look at taking someone on full time and just monitor their work? if you weigh up all your work and realize you can't afford someone then add another lot of work to help pay for them. It will be a bit of graft at first to set things up and tech them the round/job etc.
there are people out there that will work for you but they have to be treated and paid right. It isn't that much of a ball ache, and once you get it right you will wonder why you didn't do it sooner...If your stuck in a rut its the perfect time to take action, thats what i did and it wasn't until i calculated how much revenue i was losing through my lazyness that i realized i could afford to take someone on and still earn exactly what i was through being lazy. now my schedules are done to the day as long as big contracts don't conflict with set days!
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I also find it hard if im on my own, much better with someone with u. Seems easier to.
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The thing is Jon,that at 18 years old, you havnt experienced enough of being in rubbishy or pressurized jobs to actually fully appreciate the benefits of being self employed.
This is a great point.