[MWC]

You've got to look at the bigger picture mate,

In years to come you may have a family to
Look after kids etc

Now the rigs may seem like good money and life style
Now, but I've got mates who are of shore with
Nice car and house etc, but they MIs half of the kids
Growing up and that my friend you can't get back!

They are stuck with there "good job" because they have
Done it for years and have no other skills
To change work now as the pay cut would kill them!

You can work smarter and add another grand
A month to your round and be home every night
With the wife and kids (I'm still talking in the future for you)


I no your only a pup and the world is your oyster at 21 mate
But for me window cleaning is a great long term cereer!

I wish I would of started when I was your age mate ( I'm 32)
I'd be a lot better of than I am now 👍


Or rent your work out and try it for a year!

Off shore can be a VERY lonely place...

Is this a poem?

[MWC]

Keep your round and build further on it or rent it out maybe?

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

I reckon you'd get 3k for your round, tops.

I hope your joking...less than  2x what is worth by the time I come to sell it! its a guaranteed income I have been doing it for years and very well priced for the north east!

I'm not joking mate & nor is it guaranteed!

Listen to people telling you it's worth 10k if you like, but I would honestly base any plans on 4k absolute max for your work IF you get lucky but you should achieve 3k within a reasonable time.

[TomSE]

Sounds like at this moment in time your leaning towards going offshore.

Whatever you choose to do mate I would try to put off a decision for as long as possible. At least a few months and make sure you don't make that decision on a day when everything has gone against/or fell nicely for you as this can easily sway a decision.

Grass isn't always greener. When I was working in an office geared towards making a lot of money (eventually) I hated every moment. I've since had plenty of ideas of what to try etc these normally come up on bad days and were especially common at the start of the year when I started window cleaning full time (with few customers).

In some of your recent posts (may have you confused with someone else so correct me if I'm wrong) It seems like you've got some room in your days to get more work and money etc. Whilst having a good base of customers atm. Ask yourself if it is realistic that you could double your round value in a year and if you were on that sort of money would you still consider changing?

It took a good few months for me to definately commit long term to my business mentally and that was only after seeing on multiple occasions that the type of life I want (not all about money) is achievable. I am also 21 mate, my round is currently similar to yours in value and I have also had similar thoughts in the past. I have also found when I start leaning towards an idea of what I might do I get quiet set in that mind for a few weeks and then it fizzes out. Hence my suggestion that you wait a few months. You may not be like me at all but I know I would regret throwing away what you've built for yourself too easily. From your previous posts you've always seemed quite clued up as to work and gaining work etc so I would imagine you'll eventually have a round that could give you a similar amount.

Whatever you do, best of luck mate.

[H20cleaning]

Sounds like at this moment in time your leaning towards going offshore.

Whatever you choose to do mate I would try to put off a decision for as long as possible. At least a few months and make sure you don't make that decision on a day when everything has gone against/or fell nicely for you as this can easily sway a decision.

Grass isn't always greener. When I was working in an office geard towards making a lot of money (eventually) I hated every moment. I've since had plenty of ideas of what to try etc these normally come up on bad days and were especially common at the start of the year when I started window cleaning full time (with few customers).

In some of your recent posts (may have you confused with someone else so correct me if I'm wrong) It seems like you've got some room in your days to get more work and money etc. Whilst having a good base of customers atm. Ask yourself if it is realistic that you could double your round value in a year and if you were on that sort of money would you still consider changing?

It took a good few months for me to definately commit long term to my business mentally and that was only after seeing on multiple occasions that the type of life I want (not all about money) is achievable. I am also 21 mate, my round is currently similar to yours in value and I have also had similar thoughts in the past. I have also found when I start leaning towards an idea of what I might do I get quiet set in that mind for a few weeks and then it fizzes out. Hence my suggestion that you wait a few months. You may not be like me at all but I know I would regret throwing away what you've built for yourself too easily. From your previous posts you've always seemed quite clued up as to work and gaining work etc so I would imagine you'll eventually have a round that could give you a similar amount.

Whatever you do, best of luck mate.

i mainly see it as a possible opertunity for me earn the kindof money i will be earning in 6 years in the windows. however i know a few windys who have a few vans, 3 lots of wage bills, 3 insurances all the extras and its one massive headache. I also know one who found himself working 6-7 days every week. I dont see myself ever wanting a stressfull life with employing, and i would love a job wich gave me 4-6months a year sitting at home getting payed.
From been a young lad i have always had plans to build a house, mayby buy houses to rent them out etc. As a windy things like this would be a massive headache.

I really need to look into this but like you all say i am not in a rush as i have a wage coming in each week:)
Thanks for the very helpful comments

[TheWindowManChris]

Sounds like at this moment in time your leaning towards going offshore.

Whatever you choose to do mate I would try to put off a decision for as long as possible. At least a few months and make sure you don't make that decision on a day when everything has gone against/or fell nicely for you as this can easily sway a decision.

Grass isn't always greener. When I was working in an office geared towards making a lot of money (eventually) I hated every moment. I've since had plenty of ideas of what to try etc these normally come up on bad days and were especially common at the start of the year when I started window cleaning full time (with few customers).

In some of your recent posts (may have you confused with someone else so correct me if I'm wrong) It seems like you've got some room in your days to get more work and money etc. Whilst having a good base of customers atm. Ask yourself if it is realistic that you could double your round value in a year and if you were on that sort of money would you still consider changing?

It took a good few months for me to definately commit long term to my business mentally and that was only after seeing on multiple occasions that the type of life I want (not all about money) is achievable. I am also 21 mate, my round is currently similar to yours in value and I have also had similar thoughts in the past. I have also found when I start leaning towards an idea of what I might do I get quiet set in that mind for a few weeks and then it fizzes out. Hence my suggestion that you wait a few months. You may not be like me at all but I know I would regret throwing away what you've built for yourself too easily. From your previous posts you've always seemed quite clued up as to work and gaining work etc so I would imagine you'll eventually have a round that could give you a similar amount.

Whatever you do, best of luck mate.

+ 1 it took me few months before I was like yep this is for me!   Now been doing it for just over a year and I am enjoying it and love every moment.   

Working 6-7 days a week - Only YOU can make that decision.  I start my day at 7am and then back home for 3pm.  I will never work a Sunday which I do clean the van or deal with kit.

Plus you only grow your business at what you want to grow at.   Family friend a joiner and he grew his business by renting his brand as a franchise and he got no pains but just looks at the money he earns.

[H20cleaning]

Sounds like at this moment in time your leaning towards going offshore.

Whatever you choose to do mate I would try to put off a decision for as long as possible. At least a few months and make sure you don't make that decision on a day when everything has gone against/or fell nicely for you as this can easily sway a decision.

Grass isn't always greener. When I was working in an office geared towards making a lot of money (eventually) I hated every moment. I've since had plenty of ideas of what to try etc these normally come up on bad days and were especially common at the start of the year when I started window cleaning full time (with few customers).

In some of your recent posts (may have you confused with someone else so correct me if I'm wrong) It seems like you've got some room in your days to get more work and money etc. Whilst having a good base of customers atm. Ask yourself if it is realistic that you could double your round value in a year and if you were on that sort of money would you still consider changing?

It took a good few months for me to definately commit long term to my business mentally and that was only after seeing on multiple occasions that the type of life I want (not all about money) is achievable. I am also 21 mate, my round is currently similar to yours in value and I have also had similar thoughts in the past. I have also found when I start leaning towards an idea of what I might do I get quiet set in that mind for a few weeks and then it fizzes out. Hence my suggestion that you wait a few months. You may not be like me at all but I know I would regret throwing away what you've built for yourself too easily. From your previous posts you've always seemed quite clued up as to work and gaining work etc so I would imagine you'll eventually have a round that could give you a similar amount.

Whatever you do, best of luck mate.

+ 1 it took me few months before I was like yep this is for me!   Now been doing it for just over a year and I am enjoying it and love every moment.   

Working 6-7 days a week - Only YOU can make that decision.  I start my day at 7am and then back home for 3pm.  I will never work a Sunday which I do clean the van or deal with kit.

Plus you only grow your business at what you want to grow at.   Family friend a joiner and he grew his business by renting his brand as a franchise and he got no pains but just looks at the money he earns.

totally agree with everything you said but to earn the same money as i could earn in the sea would mean either working 6full days a week or employing wich i cant see every wanting to do.
However mayby because im only 21 im feeling hard done by with the housing market and worryd about tax, and employment seem scary.
Mayby in 6 months time my mindset might have changed wen seeking further advice.
Either way it will take time... And that i have plenty of

[mark dew]

I myself would go for it for the reasons you mentioned.
Grabbing an opportunity doesn't mean burning bridges along the way. You know  window cleaning enough to know that you can always come back.
And at your age it is a great opportunity to build yourself a solid foundation, that you can exploit later on when you want to want to put your feet up and work for pleasure only.

If you are in a relationship, I would seriously give thought to keeping hold of the round and pay your mrs a wage to manage an employee while your gone.
A pain to combine both jobs by yourself, but if you have someone close , it could be a good little earner (nest egg) if you could keep it in the family.

[Smudger]

I know many people who work off shore some love it some hate it only you will know if its for you, all I can say is everyone I know who works off shore never struggles for cash (biggest earner is somewhere in the region of 400k)

Most do 2 weeks on 2 weeks off. So n theory you could easily keep your round it's current size and work that while at home.

ArOund here even with the high salaries on offer companies find it hard to find young decent labour, so if you can handle it 40k would soon turn in 60k pa.

If you can stash it rather than spend, spend spend then your gonna be set up for a decent future even if you came off it after 5 years

If I had the opportunity then I'd take it with both hands

Darran

[Spruce]

You are single so it could be worth considering. But if you have a GF then expect your relationship to falter.

Over the years I have had a couple of customers whose husbands work/worked away who I cleaned/clean windows for.

My impression is that family life is made more difficult when one of the spouses isn't at home for extended periods.

The one customer has split up, not sure what the real reason was. The other manages, but the day to day pressure of maintaining the home, getting the kids to school etc falls on Mom. She has a lot of support from her mother as she also works, but there is a lot of tension in this home. So its not about having 2 weeks home to spend with the family. Being stuck out on the rigs also means that he wants to 'balance' his life out by getting out on his bike, seeing his friends, etc.

12 hours on 12 hours off on the rigs can become lonely as has been said and turn some to become very me focused. Both of these guys spend any free time on the rigs in the gym, so their free time is developing 'me'. When they return home they don't switch off and then become family focused.

With my current customer, whenever I see him he isn't fixing the back fence or doing those household jobs that have needed to be done for ages, but is out on his bike or cleaning it after having been out on it.
TBH, is a bloke who has been out on the rigs in terrible weather for 2 weeks really motivated to want to be around screaming kids when he gets home?

Another family whose husband works away come home over last winter and then flew off the France to go snowboarding with his mates for 10 days. She wasn't particularly charmed as he had done the same during the summer to play golf with his mates. Not too sure about that relationship.

I worked away for a year and I can say from experience it didn't do our relationship at home any good.

If you are single then there isn't those pressures, but once you have a girlfriend things can get tough. While you are out there, your mind will hanker back to being at home. Worse still, you may start to have little niggles about what she is doing whilst you are stuck out there.

Working on the rigs has only ever been about the money, but even that is not assured always. I have another older guy who works for Total. He works on a platform that always seems to have problems and he spends more time at home than working just waiting for the call to go as the platform is now ready to pump gas. As he works from Holland, he has to pay for his plane ticket himself. Last minute bookings cost money. He only gets paid when he works.

[bobplum]

well i am only 51 so i am not really that old you want ian 101 really

but i would go of shore you can always come back to window cleaning
The round should fetch between 5- 7 times the value
a couple of grand for all the van and bits

so a round that pulls in £2000 a month with average price £10.00 should fetch around the 10k ?
my average is £10.00 because im a northerner not like some of the southern money grabbers on here haha

i would say most if not all the work i have ever sold and people i know who have sold work get at least 5 times the value, im in chester
i think if he sold it in lumps of say £500 he would stand a better chance of getting the value he wants and dont forget some  people will pay it...some wont  as is the case in any market

[markymark]

Our lad is 21 and has just started his second year in an engineering degree, and already has two firm offers of jobs at bosch and a british company. The £56k student loan kotivates him not to doss around, but his head is well screwed on. He studied now, when there are fewer jobs, in a discipline he enjoys and in a subject that will allow him to work for good pay and also give him the opportunity to travel. He reckons 15 years of graft, house bought, money in the bank and then its time to re-assess what he wants. Maybe it would be a good time for you to do similar? Get qualified in whatever you are thinkingvof to the highest level you can to give yourself the flexibility of moving jobs later. Money isn't everything, but my god it can make your life so much easier and give you the chance to do things that living on a lower wage can't. £50k + a year opens a lot of doors in your personal life that £20-£25k can't.

[gary999]

will the opportnity to work offshore dissappear if you dont
make a decision now if it doesnt,then i would spend the next 6-12months
pushing your round on as hard as possible basing it on covering
5 good days a week and see where it takes you.

worstthat can happen when time is up is you will have a better round
to sell if you decide to go offshore

[H20cleaning]

I dont often have a girlfriend as i am to picky and not thag fussed! I know day the time will come but if i had a job 2weeks on 2 off i very much think that i could keep a relationship, But i would never let a girl stop me doing what i want anyway far to young for that.
My brother is sending out emails to see what he can do for me this week, i wont be looking to do anything for a while yet as i need to save gor courses. So you all have my company for a while

[ben M]

I dont often have a girlfriend as i am to picky and not thag fussed! I know day the time will come but if i had a job 2weeks on 2 off i very much think that i could keep a relationship, But i would never let a girl stop me doing what i want anyway far to young for that.
My brother is sending out emails to see what he can do for me this week, i wont be looking to do anything for a while yet as i need to save gor courses. So you all have my company for a while

i would never let a girl stop me doing what i want
  we all say that believe me! 

[CLEANCARE WC]

You are single so it could be worth considering. But if you have a GF then expect your relationship to falter.

Over the years I have had a couple of customers whose husbands work/worked away who I cleaned/clean windows for.

My impression is that family life is made more difficult when one of the spouses isn't at home for extended periods.

The one customer has split up, not sure what the real reason was. The other manages, but the day to day pressure of maintaining the home, getting the kids to school etc falls on Mom. She has a lot of support from her mother as she also works, but there is a lot of tension in this home. So its not about having 2 weeks home to spend with the family. Being stuck out on the rigs also means that he wants to 'balance' his life out by getting out on his bike, seeing his friends, etc.

12 hours on 12 hours off on the rigs can become lonely as has been said and turn some to become very me focused. Both of these guys spend any free time on the rigs in the gym, so their free time is developing 'me'. When they return home they don't switch off and then become family focused.

With my current customer, whenever I see him he isn't fixing the back fence or doing those household jobs that have needed to be done for ages, but is out on his bike or cleaning it after having been out on it.
TBH, is a bloke who has been out on the rigs in terrible weather for 2 weeks really motivated to want to be around screaming kids when he gets home?

Another family whose husband works away come home over last winter and then flew off the France to go snowboarding with his mates for 10 days. She wasn't particularly charmed as he had done the same during the summer to play golf with his mates. Not too sure about that relationship.

I worked away for a year and I can say from experience it didn't do our relationship at home any good.

If you are single then there isn't those pressures, but once you have a girlfriend things can get tough. While you are out there, your mind will hanker back to being at home. Worse still, you may start to have little niggles about what she is doing whilst you are stuck out there.

Working on the rigs has only ever been about the money, but even that is not assured always. I have another older guy who works for Total. He works on a platform that always seems to have problems and he spends more time at home than working just waiting for the call to go as the platform is now ready to pump gas. As he works from Holland, he has to pay for his plane ticket himself. Last minute bookings cost money. He only gets paid when he works.

Did you copy and paste this from the Family life book? 

[H20cleaning]

I meant if it was a job i was already doing before meeting her then she will have to like it or lump it!!

[dannymack]

H20 wait till your married, you will do all what the woman wants as its to much grief and much nagging if you don't pmsl !!! You will never win with a women they will go on & on & on so just agree with them and so what they say ain't that right to all you or most married men lol !!!

Meself I'd stick with window cleaning as peeps say your your own boss and you can build it up and earn just as m iChat not now later and as you get older you will learn more and be more wiser. You may take someone on as a self employed person who pays his own tax and gets his own liability Insurance when you pick up more work

It took years before I got a few lucky breaks Stick with it and your time will come, might not be for another 10 years xould be earlier but your still young and you could even retire and sit at home while others do your work then you'll be home all year and get paid.

It's an achievement at 21 to have your own business and you should be proud of what you got and what you can build off it as there's thousands out there would love to have what you e got, you may earn more at the mo offshore but will you enjoy it and will you be happy

There's alot of windys on here that have also done very well like myself with 4 bed house couple of vans and m sport BMW and money in bank but it didn't come
Over night it took many many years and some lucky breaks and im getting on abit at at 44 so stick with it.

I've been cleaning windows at the age of 17 and had my own Ltd Company now since 2000, 13 years mind you looking forward to retire in 10 years time or slow down as prob get bored sitting at home but good luck 😃

[H20cleaning]

haha I will not let my Mrs out of the kitchen when im married

I will be finding out within a week or so some more info about what kind of job I could possibly do, but either way I will be doing my offshore survival just incase anything crops up.

Thanks for all the feedback and im still undecided as to what I want to do because the comments have all been so evenly matched! I will have to wait for more info off my brother.

[ants]

Get yourself offshore now.
You could still work your round  cos you'll be doing 2 on 2 off or 3 on 3 off.But I bet you wont want to once you get another income.
My son's 24 he does NDT currently working on an oil refinery,he  gets  £1260 paid into his account, every week.
He used to window clean with me until I paid for his courses.
It cost me about £5k.
Best money I ever spent
Im not expecting him back anytime soon!