[Mike #1]

Had enough of this crap cleaning windows or not cleaning them these past 2 weeks .
So decided im jacking it in gonna put all my gear and round on ebay .

The round consists of 62 residential and 1 commercial job
Residentials bring in £1100 every 4 weeks and the 1 commercial brings in £110 every quater for 3hrs work .

Will be selling my tools seperatley unless I get a good price anyone interested pm me .

So over 4 weeks you are earning £300 a week now we all know you never get all your money in every week thats the way it is .

But i bet when the weather is good you are not working 5 days a week probably 2 days , Now  tell were you can get a job paying that .

Understand your predicament mate but really try and stick with it i was going to give up years ago because of similar tuff times .

But so glad i did not,  You have got yourself a job for life running your own business how long is your other job going to last you get get laid off in 6 months and be broke with no hope of another job in this economic climate ,

Then you will be kicking youself give it some serious thought mate are you trad or wfp . Mike

[gavinb]

I do my round 50/50 I wfp the tops and trad the bottoms so all customers accustomed to wfp
Currently it takes me 1.5 to 2 days per week and 1 saturday per month .

[Mike #1]

WFP the whole lot you will get through far quicker . AND DONT BLOODY SELL UP STICK WITH IT , £300 for 2 days work a week easy money try working 40 hrs a week for that . Mike

[dazmond]

sounds to me like you need some more work.i bet your struggling to live off £300 a week.you should be able to get what work you ve got done easily as its only 2 days a week despite the weather.

canvass,leaflet on the days your not working and stick with it.

its all about preparation and self motivation.

you need good wet weather clothing and gloves.heater in van overnight and crack on.

or maybe your just not up to working outside in all weathers?fair play if your not.


dont make any hasty decisions mate.you may live to regret it in 6 months time.



best wishes


dazmond

[Ian101]

why not get part time job until weather improves

I have considered this .

When I was first starting out dosh was tight so got a job loading frozen food into vans from 3am to 9am so gave me income without effecting my time to canvass / clean.

did it for 3 months but hated it as early starts but motovated me to get more customers to enable me to pack that job in.

[Ben wood]

As above I was feeling like you but just grit your teeth. I still get low like this now but when its warmer I love my job along with all the crap it can throw up. I treat it more like a hobby. No point worrying about what will be will be

[Carl@Cwc]

Carl that some kind of sly dig?

no m8 its called humour.
i would of took it at sensible money albeit outside our catchment.

chill out m8

[Ian101]

sounds to me like you need some more work.i bet your struggling to live off £300 a week.you should be able to get what work you ve got done easily as its only 2 days a week despite the weather.

canvass,leaflet on the days your not working and stick with it.

its all about preparation and self motivation.

you need good wet weather clothing and gloves.heater in van overnight and crack on.

or maybe your just not up to working outside in all weathers?fair play if your not.


dont make any hasty decisions mate.you may live to regret it in 6 months time.



best wishes


dazmond

top post

we all have days we think wtf are we doing this for but nowt else out there that gives you wages like this does for the anount of freedom you get ........... well not for someone with my skill set

Long term you will be better off if you can stick it out .......... not for everyone though

[Tom White]

I hope all works out whatever you decide to do, Gavin, and that your Missis gets well soon.  Window cleaning isn't for everyone and if something better, more interesting came along, I'd probably jump ship too.  I'm happy to be either I think, in the right circumstances anyway.

Unfortunately I'm caught in the 'money trap', no matter what I went for, it wouldn't pay the same as what I do now, and not only that I work with Wor Lass who is more than happy to continue window cleaning.  She feels she has more control over her life being self employed, than being employed, and she wouldn't work alone, so it looks like I'm in it for the long haul.

Good luck, mate.

[JackieW]

''The round consists of 62 residential
Residentials bring in £1100 every 4 week''

£18 per customer. That's  double what mine are. Sounds a very good round.

I'd be very tempted to try and get another 62 customers is my advice.

[Paul H]

Mate I haven't been going on the window side that long either...

Stick with it mate if you can...

You've priced well by the sounds of it and if you keep with that model just think another 8 months with a bit of what daz says leaflets etc.. and you'll you will be pulling 2k every 4 weeks... with work that should be maybe taking 3/4 days a week cos of your pricing...

now can't tell me tha doesnt sound good mate

 I agree its crap out there at the mo its my first winter too but you gotta just stick with it and be enthusiastic and motivated   .... it WILL  pay off in the end... (thats what i keep saying to myself)

Good luck 

[WGB]

Yes would def see if i could find some part time work first, bet you will feel different when the good weather comes in. Why not try pressure washing and gutter cleaning which can be done in all weather (well most weather) would help with extra income.

[gavinb]

Thanks for all your advice guys .

Its just been really hard these past 2 weeks not working and with it being my first winter ive not had chance to get a winter fund set up . Everything has just been so tight its unreal !!
My wifes on sick with stress at the minute .

But as you guys have said where else could I earn what I can in 1 day for such an easy job .

Need to give it some thought .... or phone JLR .

[AuRavelling79]

Thanks for all your advice guys .

Its just been really hard these past 2 weeks not working and with it being my first winter ive not had chance to get a winter fund set up . Everything has just been so tight its unreal !!
My wifes on sick with stress at the minute .

But as you guys have said where else could I earn what I can in 1 day for such an easy job .

Need to give it some thought .... or phone JLR .

Get stuck in Gavin - just get out there - I've been working in the snow this week; earned less but enough. As mentioned get a p/t job if you must; better still - see if you can get a bit of work off a busy windie - but you have one half of a good personal round there - like Daz says, get more custies. You've only been going 8 months and you've done this well? In a poor year weather wise since April too!

Why's your missus stressed (if it's not too personal)? Could she work with you or canvass with you?

Chin up Gavin B - don't sell to the circling sharks and vultures; they can see just how good your round is! (J/K lads  )

[Johnny B]

I have been in this game 16 years, and when I started up it was so much easier to get established, and I had so much work that it was overwhelming.

Then 18 months ago my family and I relocated to Ireland because of a specific need in the family, so I sold up and started up from scratch. Has it been easy to get a decent run established here? No, at the beginning it took relentless hard graft and determination just to find people interested enough to have me clean their windows once, let alone going back for a second clean.

Happily the situation is beginning to change for the better. I now have a good core of regulars who have come to appreciate my service.

I have to say that at times I began to doubt that I could make it work here. The thing is though, I am the wrong side of 50, therefore probably unemployable, so failure isn't an option.

Gavin, don't be too hasty. It seems to me you have an excellent base on which to build your business, so why not just try to get through this bad patch as best you can, go canvassing/leafletting and see things take off when the weather improves (as it will).

And finally, I hope your wife gets well soon.

John    

[gr cleaning solutions]

Im stuck in the van now heavy snow I've been working since half eight does look like ill get anymore done but some thing is better than nothing .
I've only worked on the windows this week two and half day but made enough to pay the bills and put a bit away.Also I was lucky and got a good carpet clean job on Monday which paid well as I could work because of the snow .
Yes this job can be hard in the winter months but then in summer it the best job in the world just get your head down and do what everyone has said get leaflets and door knocking don't let one winter make you pack in best of luck in which ever you do
 
Gavin

[andyM]

Gav my advice is to stick with it if you can.
Sounds like it's particularly tough for you at the moment due to it being your first winter and probably not having much time to put some money away for these events.
As others have said probably not a bad idea to try and get some agency or part-time work to tide you over.
And if you are really desperate in the meantime phone or txt custies and ask if they want any inside work done.
Also if you are worried about using wfp when snow and ice is on the ground get round and clean any bungalows you have with the squeegee, stick some screenwash in the bucket if you need to stop your water freezing.
I worked this morning in minus 6 with wfp so it is possible.
Once this crappy weather is gone you can get back to normal and do a bit of canvassing to gain more work.
 

[wolfee101]

hello gavin, ive read a couple of your old posts
you said you like canvassing ?

why not do a little canvassing for the guys local ,who want to buy your round?

not many of us enjoy it.........and it would bring in cash while your not working on your custies.

regards
tim

[james peters]

hi gavin b

it's tough in the winter at times isn't it.... ? well done for what you have built in 8 months....thats good going.....but please project ahead to 2 years from now,,,,with the same amount of effort your round could be £900 a week full of good payers and no messers.....

you will learn to work in bad weather, and grit through it....
you will be able to do this and be home at 2 pm everyday.....where else could you achieve the same......

when your round gets fuller you wont worry about negative customers moaning and saying "not today" you will be able to just move on to the next one...
you will learn to be thick skinned and not take negative comments to heart!

think carefully before jacking it in....it will be hard work...but it will be worth it!

I have lost only 3 days over a 1 year period, it can be done! I do this year in year out!

[Crystal-clear]

The winter can put anyone off its normally the first one which might get u down a bit  , but you can say that you work In all weather I used to love working in rainy days meant I was strengthening the customers , if you invest the time and work hard you never need to work another bad winter if you don't need to as you would have put all the work in , plenty of people here will give u good advise and moral support hope u can stick with it gl mate