[supernova77]

Hi All,

I was cleaning the windows of a house (first clean) earlier this week... The price is £22.

There was a builder working next door and I was conscious that he was watching me clean the windows.

Anyway... I got to the last window (the job took about 30 mins) and he came over to talk to me. He was asking me about my WFP system etc... Then he said - "how much do you charge for this one, about a tenner?"... I said "yeah about that"... he said "f*** me , that's money for nothing that is, money for f*** nothing!"... I then started going on about my costs etc.. 

It got me thinking though about other trades perceptions of us... To a lot of them it must look like we don't do much compared to the work they do in a day.

Andy

[J.D]

Let's face it , its good money for what is an easy number!  Compared to some guy working his butt off on a building site or somebody doing a 12 hr shift in a factory , we window cleaners get it good!

[Frankybadboy]

did you tell him how much resin would make you   

[H20cleaning]

We'll what he will think is... Easy money them window cleaners! Water costs nothing.
However when you tell them that poles range from £200-£1000
Resin, uniform, national ins, leaflets, tax, fuel, running costs etc!

Let them think its money for nothing  

[Frankybadboy]

but a £70 bag of resin makes you £40,000 a year
 

[J.D]

Correct Franky. We are a fortunate bunch......

[Don Kee]

but a £70 bag of resin makes you £40,000 a year
 

I'm confused, so one bag of resin makes £40k?
Do you have to plant it, and the money grows on the resin tree?

[8weekly]

All of the above but what really will flummox him is how using your own initiative and determination you acquired 450 customers paying an average of £20. He might slog his guts out in a building site, but most likely he doesn't have the business or personal skills needed to get out of slogging his guts out on a building site.

[Clever Forum Name]

No money in it though

[supernova77]

What made me smile to myself at the time was that he thought the house was about £10 - when actually it was £22.

 

[Tom-01]

Hi All,

I was cleaning the windows of a house (first clean) earlier this week... The price is £22.

There was a builder working next door and I was conscious that he was watching me clean the windows.

Anyway... I got to the last window (the job took about 30 mins) and he came over to talk to me. He was asking me about my WFP system etc... Then he said - "how much do you charge for this one, about a tenner?"... I said "yeah about that"... he said "f*** me , that's money for nothing that is, money for f*** nothing!"... I then started going on about my costs etc.. 

It got me thinking though about other trades perceptions of us... To a lot of them it must look like we don't do much compared to the work they do in a day.

Andy

Andy, according to the guys who work for you, you don't actually do much...

Its true though. I had the hump the other day for no reason whatsoever, and the hose kept getting caught on things which seemed impossible for it to do so to the point I thought someone was playing tricks on me.. And then I suddenly realised that its not such a bad way to make a living at all, the alternative is back to the office or back on the building site. Obviously the 3 years building up the business is difficult but once through that bit its a very stress free way to make a living. Except for hose snagging!

[SeanK]

I wouldn't have even mentioned costs to him, most builders where making a fortune for doing very little
a few years back.
Now that the bottom has fallen out of the building trade they think everybody else should be in the same boat.
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

[Tom-01]

Builders are the worst. We clean the windows for one and he always complains how much he has to pay and 'we're only there 15 minutes'. As he opens his wallet with cash falling out of it. I said to him once that he owns his own business and he knows the costs associated with running such. He then went on about all his costs bla bla and all we did was spray water about. I said to him that he has a brand new BMW in his drive and a lovely house so he can't be doing that bad.

[PoleKing]

Builders are the worst. We clean the windows for one and he always complains how much he has to pay and 'we're only there 15 minutes'. As he opens his wallet with cash falling out of it. I said to him once that he owns his own business and he knows the costs associated with running such. He then went on about all his costs bla bla and all we did was spray water about. I said to him that he has a brand new BMW in his drive and a lovely house so he can't be doing that bad.

No disrespect Tom, but I think you've taken the wrong tack there.
I'd've said-'don't worry, if you can't afford us, there's no contract'
Forever custy there.

[C o z y]

My step brother has a building firm. Has around 7/8 guys working for him. He spends the day organising materials and deliveries of stuff for the job. Pretty busy 10 hour days for him. His day rate is only around 200 quid. He earns from the labour of the crew and mark up on the materials etc, but windies generally earn better hour for hour.

[Mike #1]

but a £70 bag of resin makes you £40,000 a year
 

I'm confused, so one bag of resin makes £40k?
Do you have to plant it, and the money grows on the resin tree?

Thats what i did my garden is also full of four leaf clovers and the end of the rainbow is also ends in my garden and i get a pot of gold which makes up my wage to 40k .

To be a window cleaner and run your own business its such a easy life been of Irish decent the 4 leaf clovers and the pot of Gold are a given . Mike O' Dowd 

[groundhog]

I wouldn't have even mentioned costs to him, most builders where making a fortune for doing very little
a few years back.
Now that the bottom has fallen out of the building trade they think everybody else should be in the same boat.
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

The building trade is booming at the moment!! there are brickies out there taking 100 grand+ a year!!

[SeanK]

I wouldn't have even mentioned costs to him, most builders where making a fortune for doing very little
a few years back.
Now that the bottom has fallen out of the building trade they think everybody else should be in the same boat.
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

The building trade is booming at the moment!! there are brickies out there taking 100 grand+ a year!!

Im sure as in window cleaning there will always be the exception to the rule and as with window cleaning there will
always be the guys who likes to big up their wages.
Yes the building trade has improved but the wages haven't gone back to where they used to be before the crash.
Wages only go up when there is a shortage of skilled labour and in most parts of the country this isn't the case.
Most building sites near me are filled with foreign nationals and I can guarantee they are not earning 100k a year.

[groundhog]

Im sure as in window cleaning there will always be the exception to the rule and as with window cleaning there will
always be the guys who likes to big up their wages.
Yes the building trade has improved but the wages haven't gone back to where they used to be before the crash.
Wages only go up when there is a shortage of skilled labour and in most parts of the country this isn't the case.
Most building sites near me are filled with foreign nationals and I can guarantee they are not earning 100k a year.

I'm talking about the top guys who do quality brickwork and are capable of laying 1000+ bricks a day,  I am good friends with a top brickie and he is earning some serious money right now working on   some of the many multi million pound mansions which are being built in the Surrey area at the moment!! Mind you he is on site by 7.30 every morning and works solid through until 5.45 every day, so he earns it!!

[J.D]

All of the above but what really will flummox him is how using your own initiative and determination you acquired 450 customers paying an average of £20. He might slog his guts out in a building site, but most likely he doesn't have the business or personal skills needed to get out of slogging his guts out on a building site.

He doesn't have the business or personal skills ? Get a grip mate, its window cleaning not brain surgery!  I make great money at this lark but you do not need skill or expertise for heavens sake! Its child's play....