[֍Winp®oClean֍]

Personally, I have absolutely no desire to employ or grow my business. I have worked at getting a very good income for minimal hours with no stress or hassle- for me, a lovely position to be in. I have been in the rat-race before and hated that life!

[Marc Stock]

Personally, I have absolutely no desire to employ or grow my business. I have worked at getting a very good income for minimal hours with no stress or hassle- for me, a lovely position to be in. I have been in the rat-race before and hated that life!

Thats Great  Peavey. At the end of the its what works for you.

[dazmond]

The thing that motivates me to want to grow a business is the feeling of not living up to my full potential.

I would hate to get to retirement and having just worked all my life and not got anything the show for it. Or look back on my life and think I could have done this or that.

Also the message it send to my kids and people around me. I want my kids to believe they can do anything and set an example that when you set your mind to something you can achieve it. Of you want something go get it, not rely on a job or rest in your laurels etc.

I can't understand the mentality of having a full round and then just cleaning it for years and years over and over.. that sounds so boring, why would you not want more from life? I don't get it, but maybe that's what separates some of us from others, everyone is different.

more from life?like what?im in good health,earn a good living(without working 60 hour weeks),low stress.ive got my band and enjoy playing drums,gigging etc,working out in the gym 3 times a week,enjoy my holidays abroad.ive got my missus and 2 dogs,family,friends etc.a golf GTI and brand new van with a(soon to be!)hot water diesel heater.

what more could i possibly want in life............

[Dry Clean]

The thing that motivates me to want to grow a business is the feeling of not living up to my full potential.

I would hate to get to retirement and having just worked all my life and not got anything the show for it. Or look back on my life and think I could have done this or that.

Also the message it send to my kids and people around me. I want my kids to believe they can do anything and set an example that when you set your mind to something you can achieve it. Of you want something go get it, not rely on a job or rest in your laurels etc.

I can't understand the mentality of having a full round and then just cleaning it for years and years over and over.. that sounds so boring, why would you not want more from life? I don't get it, but maybe that's what separates some of us from others, everyone is different.

more from life?like what?im in good health,earn a good living(without working 60 hour weeks),low stress.ive got my band and enjoy playing drums,gigging etc,working out in the gym 3 times a week,enjoy my holidays abroad.ive got my missus and 2 dogs,family,friends etc.a golf GTI and brand new van with a(soon to be!)hot water diesel heater.

what more could i possibly want in life............

An Ionics PPB system. lol.

[Marc Stock]

The thing that motivates me to want to grow a business is the feeling of not living up to my full potential.

I would hate to get to retirement and having just worked all my life and not got anything the show for it. Or look back on my life and think I could have done this or that.

Also the message it send to my kids and people around me. I want my kids to believe they can do anything and set an example that when you set your mind to something you can achieve it. Of you want something go get it, not rely on a job or rest in your laurels etc.

I can't understand the mentality of having a full round and then just cleaning it for years and years over and over.. that sounds so boring, why would you not want more from life? I don't get it, but maybe that's what separates some of us from others, everyone is different.

more from life?like what?im in good health,earn a good living(without working 60 hour weeks),low stress.ive got my band and enjoy playing drums,gigging etc,working out in the gym 3 times a week,enjoy my holidays abroad.ive got my missus and 2 dogs,family,friends etc.a golf GTI and brand new van with a(soon to be!)hot water diesel heater.

what more could i possibly want in life............

Everyone i have ever known who has been or is a golf gti owner is content with life.
 

Me i was  205 GTI owner... perhaps thats where it went wrong ....lol

 

[NWH]

Of course it can be done but you need to be someone who thrives on stress in the nicest possible way,it’s harder work than having a couple work with-for you. I’ve had 2 work for me before and it was stress personified absense wife’s got problems got to take kids to doctors or school today the list goes on,there are a lot of successful people out there like Lee but if he’s honest he’ll tell you it’s a long road to get there by that I mean years. If you think it takes a long time getting a good route of work for 2-3 that level is a different ball game altogether,along with that it takes a fair bit of investment which on its own is stressful.

[dazmond]

i think this happens every year to some sole trader window cleaners with the onset of winter/dark nights etc.depression creeps in for some of us,motivation is lacking and thoughts turn to doing nothing while still earning the money so the dreams of running a fleet of vans while sat in a cosy warm office fill the mind.the reality is very different.

people like lee pryor have had to make a lot of sacrifices,work unimaginable long hours to the point of obsession,they get a perverse pleasure out of stress(it drives them even harder!) .with the pursuit of wealth their end goal.the thing is ambition can be like drinking salt water,it can make you even thirstier and you miss the every day living stuff because their work has totally consumed them.saying that he might be able to semi retire in 10 years time.

personally i think sole trader window cleaners have never had it so good.it was much harder years ago when on ladders,no WFP,no electronic payments,no round software and colder winters.lots of collecting on cold dark nights(i used to do around 4 hours a week collecting! )and the obvious dangers of climbing ladders 100 times a day in cold/wet conditions.

[nathankaye]

i think this happens every year to some sole trader window cleaners with the onset of winter/dark nights etc.depression creeps in for some of us,motivation is lacking and thoughts turn to doing nothing while still earning the money so the dreams of running a fleet of vans while sat in a cosy warm office fill the mind.the reality is very different.

people like lee pryor have had to make a lot of sacrifices,work unimaginable long hours to the point of obsession,they get a perverse pleasure out of stress(it drives them even harder!) .with the pursuit of wealth their end goal.the thing is ambition can be like drinking salt water,it can make you even thirstier and you miss the every day living stuff because their work has totally consumed them.saying that he might be able to semi retire in 10 years time.

personally i think sole trader window cleaners have never had it so good.it was much harder years ago when on ladders,no WFP,no electronic payments,no round software and colder winters.lots of collecting on cold dark nights(i used to do around 4 hours a week collecting! )and the obvious dangers of climbing ladders 100 times a day in cold/wet conditions.

Absolutely agree with this. I dont think what Lee and some others have been able to achieve is achievable for most people. You need to have a certain drive and mind set to keep pushing forward and not everyone is cut out for that (and yes plenty dont want to as well).
But for established one man bands its never been easier. For me I had parts of my round which I hated to do and even considered selling parts. But now using wfp, does jobs have become just as easy as my normal work. I have the comfort of hot water all year round (and yes it cleans better but lets not get into debating that) and new customers signing upto Gocardless. Existing customers still use PayPal or BACS   and I have sumUp to take card payments so theres no excuse of having no money in the house.  So what used to be a hard tedious job has become so easy its a plesure to work.
However thats for established shiners.
I do think its a different story for newbies. They have all the ease of new technology etc as mentioned above. Their challenge is getting established and building their rounds up.   Even for established shiners its not easy to pick up the extra 100's of new customers in a short period of time to even begin to think of getting extra vans and workers

[Lee Pryor]

i think this happens every year to some sole trader window cleaners with the onset of winter/dark nights etc.depression creeps in for some of us,motivation is lacking and thoughts turn to doing nothing while still earning the money so the dreams of running a fleet of vans while sat in a cosy warm office fill the mind.the reality is very different.

people like lee pryor have had to make a lot of sacrifices,work unimaginable long hours to the point of obsession,they get a perverse pleasure out of stress(it drives them even harder!) .with the pursuit of wealth their end goal.the thing is ambition can be like drinking salt water,it can make you even thirstier and you miss the every day living stuff because their work has totally consumed them.saying that he might be able to semi retire in 10 years time.

personally i think sole trader window cleaners have never had it so good.it was much harder years ago when on ladders,no WFP,no electronic payments,no round software and colder winters.lots of collecting on cold dark nights(i used to do around 4 hours a week collecting! )and the obvious dangers of climbing ladders 100 times a day in cold/wet conditions.

Now this is a great post. All very true.

[Lee Pryor]

I am making the next 12 months the last for a while at this pace. In less than 2 Years we have more than doubled what previously took me 11 years to grow. I don't think I can keep going at this level for much longer. So regardless of where we reach in the next 12 months that will be it for pushing forward for at least a few years. Then I might get the bug again and open the second depot and office

[Stoots]

I am making the next 12 months the last for a while at this pace. In less then  Years we have more than doubled what previously took me 11 years to grow. I don't think I can keep going at this level for much longer. So regardless of where we reach in the next 12 months that will be it for pushing forward for at least a few years. Then I might get the bug again and open the second depot and office

I think this post highlights a good point.

That most of us - 99% of the population have a comfort zone that once it's achieved the stresses of earning more become not worth it.

For some it's on the dole, what's not to like all day to walk, meditate and enjoy the simple things.

For some it's a sole trader, other couple of lads and for other like yourself 10 vans (or however many you have)

But whilst most of us have different levels of ambition there are a very, very rare few that ever make ridiculous wealth from business, only the freaks of nature will ever be billionaires and dedicate their entire lives to work 24/7.

Even for guys like lee who we view as super successfull in our industry, hes really just a stain in pants of real wealth.

My only point is that there's not really much difference between taking home 100k a year and 30k a year, not really..you can't buy a jet or an island you only live in a bigger house and drive a Jag rather than a terraced a have a fiesta.

Don't know is what I'm waffling about but I'm sure theres a good point in there somewhere, there usually is.

[Dry Clean]

The sky's the limit Adam, yes in window cleaning you'll probably hit a saturation point but that wont stop you investing your
profits in other things, property millionaires are one example, many done it while working in factory's and so on without very much
spare cash.

[Marc Stock]

I dont necessarily think its anything to do with wanting  lots of money in my case..

I think its more about making sure the business is 'sure footed' and i think what i mean by that is IMO the more people involved with making the business work the more sure footed it becomes.

At the moment, yes my business is sure footed....as long as i go out and do the work and thats the weak spot...it depends on one person...me.... and im tired of it 14 years plus now.

With enough business to employ it takes that pressure off. Even if i earned less after employing with 2 vans and a guy i still feel that the business is then becoming rooted.

Not sure if that makes sense...

[Dry Clean]

Yes being responsible for the livelihoods of others would be a good incentive for getting out in the mornings, I found it
exciting building a window cleaning round it was like every new customer added to the books was another personal achievement,
a buzz, I think many miss that feeling/buzz of building something when the get to where they want to be,

[TomCrowther]

I have a 64  plate combo coming up for sale soon. 77000 miles if you need a van?

[Marc Stock]

Yes being responsible for the livelihoods of others would be a good incentive for getting out in the mornings, I found it
exciting building a window cleaning round it was like every new customer added to the books was another personal achievement,
a buzz, I think many miss that feeling/buzz of building something when the get to where they want to be,

Exactly yes i think thats another nail on the head.

[Marc Stock]

I have a 64  plate combo coming up for sale soon. 77000 miles if you need a van?

Thanks Tom but im only interested in ford trasnsit connects.

[dazmond]

Yes being responsible for the livelihoods of others would be a good incentive for getting out in the mornings, I found it
exciting building a window cleaning round it was like every new customer added to the books was another personal achievement,
a buzz, I think many miss that feeling/buzz of building something when the get to where they want to be,

i dont sean.for me you cant beat being able to pick and choose what work you take on because you have enough work/money for your particular lifestyle .im comfortable but i dont stand still.there is always some refining going on(taking the odd new job on and losing/dumping jobs for whatever reason).it never ends.

[Stoots]

The thing that motivates me to want to grow a business is the feeling of not living up to my full potential.

I would hate to get to retirement and having just worked all my life and not got anything the show for it. Or look back on my life and think I could have done this or that.

Also the message it send to my kids and people around me. I want my kids to believe they can do anything and set an example that when you set your mind to something you can achieve it. Of you want something go get it, not rely on a job or rest in your laurels etc.

I can't understand the mentality of having a full round and then just cleaning it for years and years over and over.. that sounds so boring, why would you not want more from life? I don't get it, but maybe that's what separates some of us from others, everyone is different.

more from life?like what?im in good health,earn a good living(without working 60 hour weeks),low stress.ive got my band and enjoy playing drums,gigging etc,working out in the gym 3 times a week,enjoy my holidays abroad.ive got my missus and 2 dogs,family,friends etc.a golf GTI and brand new van with a(soon to be!)hot water diesel heater.

what more could i possibly want in life............

I genuinely admire your positivity and how you can be gratefull for what you have got.
Im never satisifed, if i get a new car im bored of it within months, if im doing something i want to be doing something else, its my brains fault.

[Stoots]

Yes being responsible for the livelihoods of others would be a good incentive for getting out in the mornings, I found it
exciting building a window cleaning round it was like every new customer added to the books was another personal achievement,
a buzz, I think many miss that feeling/buzz of building something when the get to where they want to be,

Exactly, i struggled for a few years to build a full round, it was stressfull and hard work, now i have a full round i could be gratefull and tick along as i am. But what do you replace that void with that kept you up at night? feels like something is missing with no stress or pressures.