Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: tony talbot on July 06, 2009, 07:49:41 pm
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i think i might be opening a can of worms here, what would be the better option if you had a choice ,would you help your partner, wife or girlfreind be a part of your own window cleaning buisness or would you give them the help and support to start there own stand alone buisness.
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I'd let the wife choose what she wanted to do
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as the saying goes ' dont mix business with pleasure '
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as the saying goes ' dont mix business with pleasure '
You can't be married if you still consider it pleasure!! ;)
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i had a Girlfriend/wife dilema 20 years ago,the girlfriend won but it didnt last ;D ;D
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I go to work to get away from the missus, sod taking her with me!!!
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Stan,is that your misses in the picture? ;D
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come on chaps dont be shy, if your wife/partner turned around one day and said i want to be a window cleaner like you how would you go about it. would it be as part of your buisness or as a stand alone buisness. which route would you take after she was trained up????? ;) ;) ;)
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Personally I would only work with one or the other. If you have your wife and girlfriend both work with you at the same time as they may fall out. ;)
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Personally I would never bring wife in to my business, the less they know about how much you earn the better, most women love spending money. ;D
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On this forum, and i don't have any other experience, i've never seen a woman hack it. What we do is very hard, both in terms of self esteem, when you have to endure a lot of critisism, and physicaly.
I'm not saying men are better because we are not, but we can take harsh words better, and we are stronger.
As others have said there is a gap in the market for insides, but the hourly rate is poor.
In biz terms seperate is better, but it's unlikely that she could make it on her own.
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after my hernia op, my wife did my commercial work for me
some of it is 3 storey high, with my super-de-duper lightweight setup, she managed it fairly well
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Slumpy do you really get harsh words?
I don't get much verbal abuse from customers but i get lots from the mrs. ;D
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My wife knows all the ins and outs and money in my business. She does the books, sorts my diary and calls / txts customers most nights bless her. I find the calling part helpful cos 1) im crap on the phone & 2) the customers seem to like the fact its a fmaily business.
Just wait till my lad is a little stronger.... he gets up in the moring and gets school uniform on .... me ....where do you think your going ? we have a busy day today lol
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Is your misses on this forum Clarabelle
http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=77347.0 ;D
Chris
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I started window cleaning with my ex and it was really good for me. She did downstairs.
She was much better with customers than i was and overall was an asset.
The only trouble was she didn't want to do it everyday and i can understand that. Sometimes i felt a bit bored or lonely when she wasn't there.
If your girlfriend is flapping around, grasping at business ideas rather than a genuine desire, or knowledge of something she can exploit, then i would make use of her in your business.
But if your mrs has a business idea that she could do alone, i think you should encourage that. The potential at least is much greater than you could ever achieve together doing windows.
Is your misses on this forum Clarabelle
http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=77347.0 ;D
Chris
;D
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well done chris, im looking for help deciding between common sense and buisness sense. both are clouded by emotions. no deception was intended i was looking for an unbiased view from people with more experience. i think at the end of the day you must go with your heart and live with the outcome
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well done chris, im looking for help deciding between common sense and buisness sense. both are clouded by emotions. no deception was intended i was looking for an unbiased view from people with more experience. i think at the end of the day you must go with your heart and live with the outcome
Personally I wouldnt work with my misses full time as I dont think it makes for a good personal relationship, Ive never done it wc but when I was a chef I was with one of the waitresses and found that if there was a problem at work we took it hope, also didnt have much to talk about after work etc, so I left for another job, our relationship got a lot better, we missed each other, had more conversation, went out more and argued a lot less as we enjoyed each other company and appreciated it more.
Chris
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No, of course only you men can "hack it" [/color]
:)
I'm not saying men are better because we are not,
you got that right....spot on :)
and we are stronger.
oo'er missus it's he man :)
but it's unlikely that she could make it on her own.
says who?
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i think i might be opening a can of worms here, what would be the better option if you had a choice ,would you help your partner, wife or girlfreind be a part of your own window cleaning buisness or would you give them the help and support to start there own stand alone buisness.
You sure did open that can of worms ;D
IMO two heads are better than one. You may as well work for one business as for 2. Enter into a business partnership, both register as S/E and split equally 50/50, work together, help each other, motivate each other when one is feeling off etc etc. I'll be honest if I had "my own custies", working by myself, there are times when I wouldn't go out and do this work. but because we work as a team the motivation is there....works the other way for hubbie too so I am told ;D
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well done chris, im looking for help deciding between common sense and buisness sense. both are clouded by emotions. no deception was intended i was looking for an unbiased view from people with more experience. i think at the end of the day you must go with your heart and live with the outcome
Personally I wouldnt work with my misses full time as I dont think it makes for a good personal relationship, Ive never done it wc but when I was a chef I was with one of the waitresses and found that if there was a problem at work we took it hope, also didnt have much to talk about after work etc, so I left for another job, our relationship got a lot better, we missed each other, had more conversation, went out more and argued a lot less as we enjoyed each other company and appreciated it more.
Chris
You are so right....this topic has been covered before and I said then that your relationship has to "special" to spend 24/7 work and personal life together. On the other hand you have personal goals together, so what way better than to achieve them by working together.... :)
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My Mrs started working with me 2 months ago and our relationship has improved no end! W hile we are working we get chance to talk (which we dont at home because of the kids etc etc!!!)
She is just doing bottoms and front doors to start and reeling the hose in , which saves times ,while i collect/talk to customers.
Also, like one of the other guys said, she is good with the customers and they like the idea of a husband and wife team
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Stan,is that your misses in the picture? ;D
in my dreams ;D ;D
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What has your role been helen?
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What has your role been helen?
When hubbie started it all up, I was working full time in another employed role. I helped to canvass etc in the evenings and weekends and my salary supported us through that time. Paid hols, weekends etc were spent working with hubbie to learn the trade, (we don't only do window cleaning by the way) Once he had enough work to fill each day 5 days per week, I would get home and take over on admin etc and go out and help on evening /weekend jobs. When we built enough work we took on a part timer, and then a full timer etc etc. I then took the big step of letting my high salaried, highly stressed job go. (I enjoyed this job, so it was a wrench!) I registered self employed and we formed the business partnership. I dealt with all office work, wages, quotes etc etc. At this time we had full time staff and hubbie and I went out and worked together, quoting, doing etc to build more business mostly away from window cleaning though. Over the past few years we have had a high turnover of staff and last year after being let down once more by staff, we decided to give daytime staff a rest for a while and now hubbie and i go out and work together all day and leave staff to do the evening office cleaning.
My role......... same as hubbie really anything it needs to be to carry out the work and continue to run a good business.
As the meerkat says..........simples :)
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What has your role been helen?
When hubbie started it all up, I was working full time in another employed role. I helped to canvass etc in the evenings and weekends and my salary supported us through that time. Paid hols, weekends etc were spent working with hubbie to learn the trade, (we don't only do window cleaning by the way) Once he had enough work to fill each day 5 days per week, I would get home and take over on admin etc and go out and help on evening /weekend jobs. When we built enough work we took on a part timer, and then a full timer etc etc. I then took the big step of letting my high salaried, highly stressed job go. (I enjoyed this job, so it was a wrench!) I registered self employed and we formed the business partnership. I dealt with all office work, wages, quotes etc etc. At this time we had full time staff and hubbie and I went out and worked together, quoting, doing etc to build more business mostly away from window cleaning though. Over the past few years we have had a high turnover of staff and last year after being let down once more by staff, we decided to give daytime staff a rest for a while and now hubbie and i go out and work together all day and leave staff to do the evening office cleaning.
My role......... same as hubbie really anything it needs to be to carry out the work and continue to run a good business.
As the meerkat says..........simples :)
Nice one Helen, good post ;D
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my Mrs has been working with me for about a year now, she only comes out two or three days a week, i don't wont her to get bored by doing all week so a few days a week works well, i always pic the busiest days so it helps, i must say we have a good laugh while working too a few water fights, i will say as most of mine is residential with some light commercial the customers do like to see my Mrs and days she is not with me they ask after her.
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What has your role been helen?
When hubbie started it all up, I was working full time in another employed role. I helped to canvass etc in the evenings and weekends and my salary supported us through that time. Paid hols, weekends etc were spent working with hubbie to learn the trade, (we don't only do window cleaning by the way) Once he had enough work to fill each day 5 days per week, I would get home and take over on admin etc and go out and help on evening /weekend jobs. When we built enough work we took on a part timer, and then a full timer etc etc. I then took the big step of letting my high salaried, highly stressed job go. (I enjoyed this job, so it was a wrench!) I registered self employed and we formed the business partnership. I dealt with all office work, wages, quotes etc etc. At this time we had full time staff and hubbie and I went out and worked together, quoting, doing etc to build more business mostly away from window cleaning though. Over the past few years we have had a high turnover of staff and last year after being let down once more by staff, we decided to give daytime staff a rest for a while and now hubbie and i go out and work together all day and leave staff to do the evening office cleaning.
My role......... same as hubbie really anything it needs to be to carry out the work and continue to run a good business.
As the meerkat says..........simples :)
Nice one Helen, good post ;D
Thank you ;D
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Come on though, be serious, men are better than women.
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My wife joined me in the biz over 2 years ago and it has made an awesome impact. She gets along extremely well w/ the custys. She takes care of the insides and I do the outs. Or if it's outs only I take care of the high stuff and she does the lower. She's better at wcing than many of the wcers I know around here although you'd never hear her say it. I am extremely grateful to have such a woman and thank God for her every day!
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Well done Helen. Terrific motivation. You are not atypical though, and most wives would have different priorities and find it a lot easier to give in at the first hurdle and put the blame onto us.
I work with my wife as well, she runs the market business and i do this.She is better at some things than me.
We were a partnership but for tax reasons are now seperate.
This biz (i don't know about the wider part) has moved on, to stay up todate you should join the biz threads more.
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What has your role been helen?
When hubbie started it all up, I was working full time in another employed role. I helped to canvass etc in the evenings and weekends and my salary supported us through that time. Paid hols, weekends etc were spent working with hubbie to learn the trade, (we don't only do window cleaning by the way) Once he had enough work to fill each day 5 days per week, I would get home and take over on admin etc and go out and help on evening /weekend jobs. When we built enough work we took on a part timer, and then a full timer etc etc. I then took the big step of letting my high salaried, highly stressed job go. (I enjoyed this job, so it was a wrench!) I registered self employed and we formed the business partnership. I dealt with all office work, wages, quotes etc etc. At this time we had full time staff and hubbie and I went out and worked together, quoting, doing etc to build more business mostly away from window cleaning though. Over the past few years we have had a high turnover of staff and last year after being let down once more by staff, we decided to give daytime staff a rest for a while and now hubbie and i go out and work together all day and leave staff to do the evening office cleaning.
My role......... same as hubbie really anything it needs to be to carry out the work and continue to run a good business.
As the meerkat says..........simples :)
;)
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Come on though, be serious, men are better than women.
Cat amongst the pigeons comes to mind Matt!
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Come on though, be serious, men are better than women.
very true ;D ;D
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Well done Helen. Terrific motivation. You are not atypical though, and most wives would have different priorities and find it a lot easier to give in at the first hurdle and put the blame onto us.
Thanks, as far as I am concerned and maybe I am a bit old fashioned with my views, but surely each partner is there to support the other one. My priorities are the same as hubbies which helps I suppose. I have never been one to slack off work...to my own detriment when employed by others sometimes >:(
I work with my wife as well, she runs the market business and i do this.She is better at some things than me.
She is better at some things, you are better at some things, it all balances out in the end :)
We were a partnership but for tax reasons are now seperate.
This biz (i don't know about the wider part) has moved on, to stay up todate you should join the biz threads more.
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Come on though, be serious, men are better than women.
:P not biting,
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What has your role been helen?
When hubbie started it all up, I was working full time in another employed role. I helped to canvass etc in the evenings and weekends and my salary supported us through that time. Paid hols, weekends etc were spent working with hubbie to learn the trade, (we don't only do window cleaning by the way) Once he had enough work to fill each day 5 days per week, I would get home and take over on admin etc and go out and help on evening /weekend jobs. When we built enough work we took on a part timer, and then a full timer etc etc. I then took the big step of letting my high salaried, highly stressed job go. (I enjoyed this job, so it was a wrench!) I registered self employed and we formed the business partnership. I dealt with all office work, wages, quotes etc etc. At this time we had full time staff and hubbie and I went out and worked together, quoting, doing etc to build more business mostly away from window cleaning though. Over the past few years we have had a high turnover of staff and last year after being let down once more by staff, we decided to give daytime staff a rest for a while and now hubbie and i go out and work together all day and leave staff to do the evening office cleaning.
My role......... same as hubbie really anything it needs to be to carry out the work and continue to run a good business.
As the meerkat says..........simples :)
;)
;) ;)