[Tom White]

So, Wor Lass and myself have been offered a very well paying job opportunity, often meaning we'll be working away from the area for a few weeks at a time.  It's from an established company, a male dominated kind of job, and although they'll have me, what they really want is Wor Lass.  They want to employ some females to show that they're a progressive company.

The work involves working at height and a degree of fitness;  which is why they've asked Wor Lass (and me, but I was told it was her they really want).  She runs ultra marathons, she's a real athlete, and this company (who we clean their windows) think she'd be ideal.  The top earners in this profession earn £70k a year, but even half of that would be fine.

But what I don't want to do is just chuck or sell the window cleaning, just in case things don't pan out well; so I'd like to rent the round out, or employ someone to do it.  I'm lucky in that if the money is as good as they say it is, I won't need to take much out of the window cleaning business; I just want it baby sat so we can go back to it, if the grass isn't really greener.

Is this feasible?  Anyone do it?  I'd prefer to hear from guys who've experience of this, rather than just having opinions about doing this. 

Thanks.

[Smurf]

Sounds like  rhino is recruiting again 

[Tom White]

Sounds like  rhino is recruiting again 

It's got nothing to do with cleaning.  The company is local to me; we clean the windows of their offices.

I'll add that it's an all-male dominated industry and this particular company wants to look progressive and get women involved (or the boss is waffling and just fancies Wor Lass).  And the work is tough; outdoors, at height, dirty and physical, but very well paid.

[Perfect Windows]

No personal experience of this but Dave St Ives posted in the (distant) past ref renting rounds - He suggested that you should get an agreement that means they have to replace lost customers; always struck me as good advice so your round doesn't decay in your absence.

[Smurf]

Sounds like  rhino is recruiting again 

It's got nothing to do with cleaning.  The company is local to me; we clean the windows of their offices.

I'll add that it's an all-male dominated industry and this particular company wants to look progressive and get women involved (or the boss is waffling and just fancies Wor Lass).  And the work is tough; outdoors, at height, dirty and physical, but very well paid.

That's probably why it's well paid but before you both make your mind up to go for it I would personally would want to speak to a few actually doing the job myself and also would want to go to at least one job site to see what's actualy involved to earn their dosh. I also take it you would need to be properly trained too? 

[Matt.]

Upto yourself how u want to go about it tosh, I would be more inclined to get someone to work for u rather that just renting the round out, there's pros an cons. 
if u come back and have lost 50 customers the guy renting ya round isn't really guna care, were if u have someone working u may be able to keep him on part time until enough extra work comes in to cover you and the mrs and the new guy.

I have problems similar to this, I have taken a job on that's guna take 12 days, the job can only be done during day light hours, so my normal round takes hit.

As of tomora I have to start at 3 put 5 hours into my own work go to this job for 8 stay on site til it's dark an then jump back on wot work I can get done, I have a few jobs that will be closed by the time I finish but am just guna have to slip off site for an hour here an there.

It's not ideal but has to be done

[KS Cleaning]

Worth remembering that your income from window cleaning will probably be in the 40% tax bracket, if as you say the new job  will be well paid.

[Tom White]

Upto yourself how u want to go about it tosh, I would be more inclined to get someone to work for u rather that just renting the round out, there's pros an cons. 

Yes, I could.  And I could add a further complexity into it by saying that I may still have time to service parts of the round.  I'm thinking about renting the run-of-the-mill stuff out, if only so that I don't have to be bothered administrating it, and keep the cream for myself, and do that when I have time off.  I wouldn't be bothered about losing the run-of-the-mill stuff; I have a lot of it too. 

The work is pylon painting; it often means time away - tough work, short duration - but lots of time off.  One of the guys was telling me that two-weeks-away-two-weeks-off is fairly common.  And because of the bad weather in November, a lot of the guys just went away on holiday for a month.  They are well paid.

The training isn't IRATA; it's just 'fall arrest', which is a lot more basic and it's all done in Chepstow; they have a part of a pylon built into a warehouse at the factory we clean the windows at.

Wor Lass really fancies it; I'm guessing they'd use her, if she does the job (no use counting your chickens) as 'advertising' in their trade mags 'n' stuff.  Women don't usually do pylon painting due to the physically demanding nature of the job.  She'd be the first (if she does do it) in the thirty year history of the company.  Physically, she's not your normal woman; she's training to run 100 miles + in 24 hours, in June at an ultramarathon event; she's already ran two ultras this year coming in at 2nd and 3rd lady.  She's like Forest Gump.

I'd be happy to stay at home and just carry on with the window cleaning (at least till our elderly dog dies of old age); while she becomes the pylon painter.  And I once went out with a parachute packer from Aldershot, so rough women must be my thing.

[Smurf]

Not the sort of job I would want to be honest no matter how well paid it was...fook that  
http://www.fstoppress.com/articles/pylon-painting/fsp_small_pylon_painting_0028/

[tlwcs]

Will she have to do solar Steve's course because of the electricity? Best ask
Not for me either, I thought window cleaning was dull
Tony

[Tom White]

Not the sort of job I would want to be honest no matter how well paid it was...fook that  
http://www.fstoppress.com/articles/pylon-painting/fsp_small_pylon_painting_0028/

The higher you go, the safer you are.  You'll find that window cleaners - using ladders - have a far higher risk of injury or death.

You're attached at all times to safety cables.

It's only your perception that it's dangerous; it's not really; I've checked it out.

[JackieW]

Among Giants
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0122906/

[LT carpet cleaning]

Upto yourself how u want to go about it tosh, I would be more inclined to get someone to work for u rather that just renting the round out, there's pros an cons. 

Yes, I could.  And I could add a further complexity into it by saying that I may still have time to service parts of the round.  I'm thinking about renting the run-of-the-mill stuff out, if only so that I don't have to be bothered administrating it, and keep the cream for myself, and do that when I have time off.  I wouldn't be bothered about losing the run-of-the-mill stuff; I have a lot of it too. 

The work is pylon painting; it often means time away - tough work, short duration - but lots of time off.  One of the guys was telling me that two-weeks-away-two-weeks-off is fairly common.  And because of the bad weather in November, a lot of the guys just went away on holiday for a month.  They are well paid.

The training isn't IRATA; it's just 'fall arrest', which is a lot more basic and it's all done in Chepstow; they have a part of a pylon built into a warehouse at the factory we clean the windows at.

Wor Lass really fancies it; I'm guessing they'd use her, if she does the job (no use counting your chickens) as 'advertising' in their trade mags 'n' stuff.  Women don't usually do pylon painting due to the physically demanding nature of the job.  She'd be the first (if she does do it) in the thirty year history of the company.  Physically, she's not your normal woman; she's training to run 100 miles + in 24 hours, in June at an ultramarathon event; she's already ran two ultras this year coming in at 2nd and 3rd lady.  She's like Forest Gump.

I'd be happy to stay at home and just carry on with the window cleaning (at least till our elderly dog dies of old age); while she becomes the pylon painter.  And I once went out with a parachute fudge packer from Aldershot, so rough women men must be my thing.

FTFY

[Small but perfectley formed]

Hi Tosh i know people that have  done this for years and they did not earn the figures you have quoted be careful they maybe be cow mucking the earning figures .

[Tom White]

Hi Tosh i know people that have  done this for years and they did not earn the figures you have quoted be careful they maybe be cow mucking the earning figures .

I spoke to one of the guys there (not one of the hierarchy); he says top earning weeks can be £2k, and low earning weeks can be a big fat zero; it's weather dependant. 

And before we were approached, the boss was telling me he prefers blokes with families, rather than single guys.  He reckons the single guys 'just do enough hours' to get by, whereas the blokes with families tended to work more hours (and therefore earn more), which may account for the variation.  And to be honest, I don't want or need to earn loads.  I'd be happy with what we earn now.

At this industrial estate I clean a lot of the industrial units; at another (a specialised lifting company) the owner is a runner from Wor Lass's running club and we know him well (socially); he's confirmed it's very well paying.  I've no doubt it is; but one of the reasons I want to hang onto the window cleaning - at least for a while - is to play it safe.

[Jonny 87]

Hi Tosh i know people that have  done this for years and they did not earn the figures you have quoted be careful they maybe be cow mucking the earning figures .

I was thinking similar tosh.

Hopefully it's just the fact that the company your going to be working for is the best all round, but I know of someone who works on pylons but as a high voltage guy doing repairs etc, and he's mayb getting 40k a year tops.

70k for painting them seems like a pipe dream but mayb not?

Your doing the right thing in trying to hold onto your window cleaning business just in case. It's a good backup.

[dazmond]

are you back on the booze tosh?

so your thinking of working for someone else dangling from pylon towers with a paint brush?

i suppose itll be a change from window cleaning

id let your missus go first and see how she gets on and you keep the window cleaning going.

if its only for a few weeks at a time she can still help you out on her weeks off with you working on your own the rest of the time.

if you work a bit harder you should be able to keep on schedule and if your missus earns a good wedge as well you ll both be quids in.

[Tom White]

are you back on the booze tosh?

Not yet, mate! 

so your thinking of working for someone else dangling from pylon towers with a paint brush?

As opposed to squirting water at windows with a bog brush?

i suppose itll be a change from window cleaning

Spot on.  13 years now you know!  Wor Little Un is at university too.  Maybe we just fancy the change of scenery?

id let your missus go first and see how she gets on and you keep the window cleaning going.

That's an option we've discussed.

if you work a bit harder you should be able to keep on schedule and if your missus earns a good wedge as well you ll both be quids in.

We're more interested in more time off, rather than more money.

[Spruce]

Hi Tosh,

My opinion on this is that if they are looking for your misses as a poster girl, then that will only last so long.  I'm a bit confused as to why they want to show a more feminine side to the business when the actual job is male orientated due to the nature of the job. It isn't the NHS!

Our local council tried the same by using women on the rubbish removal carts - 1 woman with 3 guys. I'm sure this had something to do with showing the public a more feminine image as well. I haven't seen a lady working the carts for over a year now, So they either found it didn't work or they got 'enough mileage' from the promotion.

If a newbie posted that he has a job but wants to window clean and 'be his own boss', your reply would be not to give up the day job until you are sure that window cleaning is what you want to do.  This is the same but in reverse.

I for one will be sorry to see you go.

I will always remember you by the simple fishing pole conversion which weaned us off Unger Ali poles. As stupid as it sounds now, that conversion was a major leap into the world of using c/f telescopic poles. Thank you.

I wish you the best in your decision.

[Spruce]

id let your missus go first and see how she gets on and you keep the window cleaning going.

if its only for a few weeks at a time she can still help you out on her weeks off with you working on your own the rest of the time.

if you work a bit harder you should be able to keep on schedule and if your missus earns a good wedge as well you ll both be quids in.

This is a good comment.