[EZclean]

nobody is gonna aknowledge an NVQ in window cleaning. it took me 2years to go through one when i was a printer. and nobody aknowledged that in the industry and they still dont, why.... because its a waste of time. sure i did all the H&S and COSHH and data sheets for chemicals etc. but the value of the qualification really holds no worth or value, but if you want it to have value, you'll tell everyone that you're a qualified window cleaner and you've got an NVQ2.!!!!!
watch em laugh behind your back, they'll think your Peter Kay

[windowswashed]

NVQ level isn't worth the paper it's printed on. I have 2 trades to fall back on and class NVQ's as a joke that sound good but don't mean didley squat.

[Moderator David@stives]

Slunpbuster

Yes you are right i am an awful businessman, my turnover is rubbish and good badges dont mean anything apart from those paper tattoos.
.

I got tired of the APWC, it wasnt required any more, i was unpaid, and i got fed up answering to people like your good self, so i shut it down, it didnt fail.

Tosh

You do make me laugh, one minute you say you want to better your business, then the next you say you dont, when people try to give advice, its always the wrong advice eh !!!

No matter, more work for me, I only post to try to help.

[Tosh]

I got tired of the APWC, it wasnt required any more, i was unpaid, and i got fed up answering to people like your good self, so i shut it down, it didnt fail.

Tosh

You do make me laugh, one minute you say you want to better your business, then the next you say you dont, when people try to give advice, its always the wrong advice eh !!!

No matter, more work for me, I only post to try to help.

Dave,

You know I'm always open to advice; I've learnt much from this forum; even the poles I use are from advice I've received here; good advice too.

But obviously you can't take on board everyone's advice; you have to use some common sense and sort the wheat from the chaff.

And sometimes I suspect some people's motives for giving advice; or in the manner it's couched; has more to do with self-interest, rather than trying to help fellow members.

Dave, are you aiming to be a FWC committee member?

[Moderator David@stives]

Tosh

No more committees for me at the moment, far too busy concentrating on my own business.

But never say never.

[Moderator David@stives]

Thinking about it Tosh you sound like you question my motives for giving advice ?

Just ask the amount of people i talk to on the phone or people who email me, about the advice i give.

I always help everyone who asks.

[Clive McDonald]

you are a good business man that's not at issue (although from the history you've given on here it took a while for you to take yourself seriously).

A lot of this thread is about how we value and judge people. When i was at school the only thing that mattered was how good you were at fighting to gain peer approval, on here it's a safely secured tank, an nvq, and H&S awaremess.

Of course when you mention m&s accounts i'm impressed, as i am with contracts for iconic cornish archetechtural landmarks. Yes i'm impressed that you've turned this accreditation into a marketing tool and somehow done a boffo press release ( who wrote that by the way).

I am curious about apwc. I used to like that trevor knight when he posted on here and i got the impression that he was disillusioned.If i had been on your committee i would have tried very hard to persuade you and trevor that  the business model should have been closer to the guild.It's all water under the bridge now.


(dave did help me by email with a quote tosh)

[Moderator David@stives]

Slumpbuster

If you want a chat about APWC we could arrange to speak on the phone it is easier to talk about it, than to constantly retype everything.

Bottom line i stuck around to honour existing members membership until it run out, i could of walked away and left everyone high and dry , but i didnt, i stayed at great expense to myself.

Lots of things happened which were beyond my control.

[Ian Lancaster]

Having read this entire thread from beginning to end, I think the bottom line is that window cleaning is becoming divided into two camps, those who feel qualifications are essential to their business and those who don't.

Further analysis suggests that those of us who concentrate mainly on domestic work do not need qualifications to excel in our chosen field, nor will ever do so, while those who aspire to build vast commercial empires most certainly do need all the paper qualifications they can acquire, if only to impress potentially important customers.

There are, of course, exceptions but I think the above is a generally accurate view.

Arguing from one camp against another is counterproductive and such disagreements will never be resolved as they originate from diametrically opposite points of view.

That's it

Good night

[Clive McDonald]

If i were to judge you ian, it would be on the new system of working that you and your team have, it would be on your successfully giving a talk at coventry and explaing it. You tried another biz that didn't work and came back with fire in your belly.

Your family probably think you are a good grandad etc and that is all they care about.

You can't help judging people, but someone who actually starts a thread with his name saying i am this this and this, and then asking others to match him in terms of nvq's is misguided.

[ftp]

I bet Bryans jumper was a right mess with all those badges he had in the cub scouts.  :

[Moderator David@stives]

I met Ian at the BWCA and was on the same wfp course.

It is interesting to see how we both went down different paths. I had a chat with him a couple of weeks back and found it quite interesting.

I plan to Phone Ian in another 12 months to see whos idea is working best, but the outcome of this will be a closely guarded secret.   

[seandyer2003]

My personal feeling on the case of accrediatations etc is that if you wish to build a commercial side to your business then you are probably doing yourself out of work by not having them , ok sometimes or alot of time they wont matter, but many will be swung by the professionalism, otherwise why would big companies bother, its not just one magic certificate that impresses ie "ive got nvq 2" but rather presenting your business as one which takes great pride in its professionalism with ongoing progessive training and improvement, safecontractor, nvq, iosh , etc etc, what view does that give of you when the building manager sees it in your portfoilio next to a one man band with nothing trying to charge the same ! Who will get the quote!

It wont happen like that every time, but if you are trying to build a proper business in commercial window cleaning you need it,

And on the nvq 2 , why is it such a big deal not to do something that is FREE and is trying to improve the industry, many of you will hate the stereo type many have of WC's. Well is not the nvq a step in the opposite direction??

Just my 2 pence worth, i am not going to get drawn into an argument defending it however as there will always be someone who feels different - thats life, and some will even make a successful business doing things different like Rob @ mclean, but for the majority of us who arent so persuasive  the answer i feel is to stand out in other ways ie these certs etc...

sean

[Bryan_Dolby]

Hello

Sorry going to lock topic becauase i started it

I think it as finished and learnt me personally alot

Not been on for a few days been fishing

Thank you for the replies

Apoliges for subject title should have put this in a training title

I am going to try and answer questions about window cleaning but will not answer old crap from yesterday about FWC it as all finished and the changes are happening
One day would like to meet Tosh

Bryan