Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Dave Willis on April 12, 2010, 09:05:04 pm
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Two lads about twelve years old decided to take the mick today whilst I was working away. Fortunately I was too busy listening to radio1 to care. One thing they did say was "look how boring that is - doing the same thing to every window all day long!"
They were right too. On paper there can't be a simpler more boring job.
Except - how come I don't get bored?
I used to be a printer, that was sooo boring I used to fight to stay awake, pace up and down like the polar bear at the zoo - bored out of my skull.
Into my fourth year now and I can honestly say I've never been bored - can't understand it.
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Two lads about twelve years old decided to take the mick today whilst I was working away. Fortunately I was too busy listening to radio1 to care. One thing they did say was "look how boring that is - doing the same thing to every window all day long!"
They were right too. On paper there can't be a simpler more boring job.
Except - how come I don't get bored?
I used to be a printer, that was sooo boring I used to fight to stay awake, pace up and down like the polar bear at the zoo - bored out of my skull.
Into my fourth year now and I can honestly say I've never been bored - can't understand it.
your lucky
i find myself bored fairly often, it was great at the start building a nice biz, now i feel its done, i fail to see the challenge, thus get bored
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Two lads about twelve years old decided to take the mick today whilst I was working away. Fortunately I was too busy listening to radio1 to care. One thing they did say was "look how boring that is - doing the same thing to every window all day long!"
They were right too. On paper there can't be a simpler more boring job.
Except - how come I don't get bored?
I used to be a printer, that was sooo boring I used to fight to stay awake, pace up and down like the polar bear at the zoo - bored out of my skull.
Into my fourth year now and I can honestly say I've never been bored - can't understand it.
I worked a lathe before seeing the light.
That was properly boring, in a warehouse, same 5 faces all day every day .....
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Used to work in security ,on nights . I remember when i rang up for the job i was told "its exactly like watching paint dry " And he was right !
At least i could sleep on duty-one colleague couldn"t do that and he just paced up and down the corridors ,sweating the whole 12 hour shift away .
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I sold my round because I had enough of it. It got boring and after 8 years I had done all I wanted to do. I had 600 customers, the additional works were self generating and I had the opportunity to move into large scale commercial cleaning.
Three years later i am building a second residential round and loving the challenge, every new customer is a real buzz and I am loving it again!!!!!
Window cleaning can be repetitive but generally you are a month before you see the same faces again, there are no four walls keeping you in, no clocking in and out for the £6.00 per hour wage cheque and if you need more money you go out and earn it.
Maybe you need to realise just how much good you have going for you. I found a payslip the other day from my warehouse days, so I pinned it on the wall of the office. If ever there was an incentive to not be bored the miniscule monthly wage packet is enough to motivate me on.
I started work this morning at 6am (my choice) I finished a three hour clean at 9am, cleared more money than I would have earnt in four days and then went down to price up a very big job (commercial), tonight I priced up a UPVC & conservatory clean - 3 figure price accepted. Job done on Monday.
I have freedom to work and choose my income. I decide how much I want to earn and yes it can be monotonous but there are far worse situations out there!!!
Rob ;D
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Two lads about twelve years old decided to take the mick today whilst I was working away. Fortunately I was too busy listening to radio1 to care. One thing they did say was "look how boring that is - doing the same thing to every window all day long!"
They were right too. On paper there can't be a simpler more boring job.
Except - how come I don't get bored?
I used to be a printer, that was sooo boring I used to fight to stay awake, pace up and down like the polar bear at the zoo - bored out of my skull.
Into my fourth year now and I can honestly say I've never been bored - can't understand it.
try selling furniture mate! thats really Boring :P thinking about it though at least you could sit down for a doze, no time for that anymore ;D
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Im lucky in that sense because as soon as i left school i was window cleaning.
I just kept seeing the money coming in and then id add it up in my head and i reckoned it was £150-£200 a day. All i kept thinking was IF i did this for myself
Then i did it and built up a good round got bored and looked elsewhere for a business.
Now im going into construction and keeping a few round on the go whilst im waiting for it to pick up but ive got the window cleaning business to thank for learning my business skills and how to deal with people etc.
I think a good window cleaner has to be an all round businessman as they deal with people, pricing, organisation, the actual dirty work, collecting, complaints, new opportunities and the problems that come iwth running a successful business
When i was at school id have never have thought window cleaning was going to get me anywhere
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Keep thinking of new incentives, there are very few jobs where you can promote yourself, and give yourself a nice pay rise....monthly!!
If you are so bored , you must have reached your desire in life, some strive to be more adventurous...some are happy to have acheived what they set out to do......and if you are bored, that is not the person who had the drive and desire to succed right at the beginning is it??? now is the time to create yourself again...
Either in this game, by moving forward again or in another venture
;)
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window cleaning isnt boring when you see a lot of factory jobs,i worked in the shoe industry and some of those production line jobs were truely boring
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Me too stan, done them all.
i would not change this job for the world. i really love the freedom and the outdoor work, chatting to people and starting and finishing when i please,
the only downside is , when i meet old friends or people on holiday, they ask me what i do.... i get uncomfortable....
but now i say, i have a small cleaning business , we clean everything... they then dont pursue.lol
;)
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Me too stan, done them all.
i would not change this job for the world. i really love the freedom and the outdoor work, chatting to people and starting and finishing when i please,
the only downside is , when i meet old friends or people on holiday, they ask me what i do.... i get uncomfortable....
but now i say, i have a small cleaning business , we clean everything... they then dont pursue.lol
;)
why get uncomfy there are far worse jobs out there for example there is no way i could work on the bins,hate the smell when im behind the wagons
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Repetative.... yes in the actual work... But every day is different. I love window cleaning.
I worked in a factory file'ing the same small metal parts with a hand file for 9 hours a day. Being told when I could eat, p and smoke.
NEVER AGAIN !!!
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I used to do ground drilling....that was boring :P.
To be fair, Dave W said he didn`t get bored. But on regular work, it`s not the most challenging job, I agree.
A plus though is, we`re self employed and can knock off or have a break whenever we want. That does help.
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Two lads about twelve years old decided to take the mick today whilst I was working away. Fortunately I was too busy listening to radio1 to care. One thing they did say was "look how boring that is - doing the same thing to every window all day long!"
They were right too. On paper there can't be a simpler more boring job.
Except - how come I don't get bored?
I used to be a printer, that was sooo boring I used to fight to stay awake, pace up and down like the polar bear at the zoo - bored out of my skull.
Into my fourth year now and I can honestly say I've never been bored - can't understand it.
I used to be a printer and no way would i go back to double days nights. Print in this country is dead and just love what i do. Every job is money to me and i just love working with the public. I have got a great balance of work so i have no time to get bored. Who did you work for i worked for Keyne print then BPC Magazines and lastly St Ives.
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whats boring about going to work when YOU decide and then on the sunny days like we have had up here you can decide to wander off after an hours work or two into the countyside for hillwalking or go to the beach with the kids........i know there are more adventerous jobs out there but nothing beats being your own boss, i wouldnt have it any other way to be honest.
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was a printer too ! and yes very boring
what keeps this job interesting for me is the people I meet sometimes
also now the weather is better, I keep my longboard in the back of the van and go for a skate when i need a break :D
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must say most of the times I have had has been loads of fun never took anything to serious with me mate John,but have to say I am bored with wc
and this year hope to give the normal working situation up,before this winter I hope ;D The carpet cleaning side of things I hope will get better,but with wc at least its more regular :-\ there is no doubt this country is still strugling in every way and people contracts are still cutting back dont listen to the goverment,there only trying to brain wash us :P
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when i had my first window cleaning business back in the 80s to 90s i not only got bored but it got me down and depressed even, i lost drive and focus and it became like a monkey on my back.
I ran the business for 14 years and then went into construction.
Last year i decided to go back into the window cleaning trade with the mrs, initially starting off trad.
Went 99% wfp six months ago and say thank God for this wonderful invention, (a year ago i was one of the worst wfp critics too)
For lots of reasons wfp makes window cleaning much less boring and much more enjoyable especialy when you see the increased profits.
Im affraid if i went back to trad now i fear i would soon end up in the same state of mind as i did in the 80s 90s
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My "day job" is boring ... selling shiny new cars ... well paid but money aint everything ;D
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My "day job" is boring ... selling shiny new cars ... well paid but money aint everything ;D
But it's a bit like oxygen. It only becomes important when there's a severe lack of it.
I spent 17 years in the army, and to be fair there were many exciting, entertaining, and fun times, amongst a lot of drudgery, boredom and stress too.
But I like window cleaning, it's stress free once you get a decent round built up and you know what you're doing.
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My "day job" is boring ... selling shiny new cars ... well paid but money aint everything ;D
I spent 17 years in the army, and to be fair there were many exciting, entertaining, and fun times, amongst a lot of drudgery, boredom and stress too.
and you cant blow stuff up in civvy street neither :o
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i must admit i admire you guys who find the job not so boring
a fair few of you have come from a job that was even more boring, thus i guess you can say " oh i like this job, its not boring "
now i have never had the misfortune to do the " factory type jobs " , i guess thats why currently i am struggling
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The greatest thing about wc is your free no 9 .5 and you please yourself the worst is winter :P ::) you find some give up and go back in the summer season wc ::)
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it is boring and lonely after always working as part of a team! building a biz is not. Going wf 4 years ago and the crap weather over the last few years have done it for me, saying that have kept all my best work so at least the days i still do are well paid, and also do a bit more trad work
paul
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Two lads about twelve years old decided to take the mick today whilst I was working away. Fortunately I was too busy listening to radio1 to care. One thing they did say was "look how boring that is - doing the same thing to every window all day long!"
They were right too. On paper there can't be a simpler more boring job.
Except - how come I don't get bored?
I used to be a printer, that was sooo boring I used to fight to stay awake, pace up and down like the polar bear at the zoo - bored out of my skull.
Into my fourth year now and I can honestly say I've never been bored - can't understand it.
your lucky
i find myself bored fairly often, it was great at the start building a nice biz, now i feel its done, i fail to see the challenge, thus get bored
So set yourself a new one ;)
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My ipod keeps me going.
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I think as previously stated once we reach a limit in our customer base,a limit that we think that we have "arrived" at where we want to be then simply there seems to be no more challenge.So move onto the next challenge....
Diversify your business,add on other types of services that your customers might require...it may be gutter cleaning,upvc cleaning,pressure washing,gardening,painting & decorating.
BUT of course if you have the time to add these to your existing business it does mean that you have not built your original business to its maximum potential,unless you are employing or sub-contracting work out.
Window cleaning is a repetative job,but so is stacking shelves or filling out forms sat behind a desk.Look at your strengths in your business and work on those,if you are bored with certain aspects then delegate them to someone who can help you in that area.
Just my thoughts,but i know where my bread is buttered,bored or not ;)
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I've done factory work, I've also spent many years in retail and believe me they are boring and repetative. The actual act of cleaning a window is pretty boring and as I work on my own I do find this a bit of drag at times as I'm used to working along side others, but for me getting new customers and earning a decent hourly rate gives me enough satisfaction to keep at it.
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yes it can be boring but just look at the faces of the unemployed who are walking the streets now in every town and think how lucky we are