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Suffolkcleaners

  • Posts: 735
How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« on: July 02, 2020, 10:18:11 pm »
Thought this would be an interesting  thread (although may have been covered as a thread  before( not sure)

How did you get into Window Cleaning? Be good to hear people’s stories.... 😀 Also had you not got into window cleaning what do you think you would have done?

AuRavelling79

  • Posts: 23263
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #1 on: July 02, 2020, 11:04:21 pm »
I had part ownership of a struggling office equipment company and when I sold my share it was only for about a years wages. I signed an agreement that I wouldn't sell office equipment for a year in competition and needed to work. A friend was selling about £300 worth of window cleaning per month which I bought. I also sold office equipment consumables to new customers intending to build that up.

At the end of the year (1997) the window cleaning had reached about £1000 a month and the consumables was at about £500 a month. I also dabbled in self employed insurance sales. By 2000 the windows had overtaken the other two income streams and so I stuck with window cleaning.

In 2005/6 I switched from trad. to wfp and got a new Doblo van with a home built 400L system. (which is still running as it has been bought by a member of this forum!)
It's a game of three halves!

Stoots

  • Posts: 5986
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #2 on: July 02, 2020, 11:28:04 pm »
By chance really, I started valeting cars on a weekend around my full time job, then a few months later when my ex decided to kick me out I got a bit depressed and quit my job. I turned to the valeting but quickly realised it wasn't going to be enough so as I was using pure water already to clean cars I cobbled together a trolley and the rest is history... A window cleaner was born.

windowswashed

  • Posts: 2509
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #3 on: July 03, 2020, 12:06:02 am »
It was a temporary job between welding jobs.  Started working for someone for three months and realised the potential  so I took a chance and started up on my own twenty two years ago. Took a big chance as I had a mortgage on my own to pay each month, but stuck at it and house became mine three years ago.

Smudger

  • Posts: 13164
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #4 on: July 03, 2020, 07:33:56 am »
Made redundant from engineering/racing company (pro drive) - 3rd third time in 10 years so Mrs said why not go clean some windows  :o

went out brought  a sponge and a bucket - no idea what a squeegee was - made up cards and leaflets and door knocked
- six months in I had a reasonable round plus houses - fell off ladders - then searched for a safer way to clean and learnt about wfp on here ..

11 years later I cover just about everything for cleaning outsides - windows - roof cleaning - graffiti removal - pressure washing etc..

Darran
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

www.oddbodscleaning.co.uk

zesty

  • Posts: 2310
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #5 on: July 03, 2020, 07:40:19 am »
Left college, did window cleaning with a family friend whilst I ‘thought about what I wanted to do’.

Enjoyed it, saw the amount of dough my mate was earning. Thought ‘this is a great job!’

Started on my own a couple of years later.

Then went WFP in 2014 and never looked back.


swanson

  • Posts: 602
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #6 on: July 03, 2020, 07:51:44 am »
Started a cleaning business with the wife .
Domestic cleaning ,end of tenancy and carpet cleaning,
Kept getting asked if we would clean the windows as well.
And the rest is history.
Wife got fed up with the cleaning but I carried on with the windows.

Panorama

  • Posts: 524
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #7 on: July 03, 2020, 08:01:54 am »
After a 12 week placement from a YTS scheme 1984, got a job with a firm who cleaned Camerons public houses from Newcastle to Hull.

Smudger

  • Posts: 13164
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #8 on: July 03, 2020, 08:29:00 am »
YTS - they were the days £30 a week  ;D

Darran
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

www.oddbodscleaning.co.uk

Panorama

  • Posts: 524
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #9 on: July 03, 2020, 08:31:59 am »
£25 a week, a weekend millionaire

Suffolkcleaners

  • Posts: 735
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #10 on: July 03, 2020, 08:44:58 am »
Some amazing stories there guys. Looks like for a lot of us we have all started from nothing and knocked on doors and built our mini or maxi empires that we have today. Think it’s something we should all be proud of particularly those of us who started from nothing. 👍👍😀😀

jonboywalton75

  • Posts: 2175
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #11 on: July 03, 2020, 09:30:08 am »
£25 a week, a weekend millionaire
Weekend millionaire
Isn't that a quote from a Genesis song???

dazmond

  • Posts: 23504
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #12 on: July 03, 2020, 09:31:54 am »
I'd got sacked from a landscaping job aged 20...I hated it....then my dad kicked me out of the house 2 days later...threw a suitcase into my room at 7am on a cold November morning.....so I was homeless for 10 months on the dole.......I was sleeping on  a mattress at a mates  flat....after a heavy night of drinking I was deep in thought and absolutely skint...needing a job/money.......

THEN!........the window cleaner turns up to clean the flat windows so I asked him for a job! ;D

He said "I'll pick you up at 845am tomorrow morning".......and that was it!within 12 months I'd saved enough for a cheap van and ladders and started up myself......this window cleaner had a huge round so I worked 5 days a week with him...

Even now after all these years he says I was the best worker he ever had(hes still window cleaning trad at 72!)......👍😄
price higher/work harder!

nathankaye

  • Posts: 5366
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #13 on: July 03, 2020, 09:44:12 am »
Fell out with management at my previous job and signed on  as I had a young family at that time.  Yet that was a joke the amount of money I received. Lol it hardly covered the food bill for a family of 5 and so I needed money quick.   Applied for various selling jobs but they were taking too long and so I went and bought the basics for window cleaning and got stuck into that. Thankfully a friend was renting a small round at the time and so that gave me a base to work from. 
I did window cleaning before this, when I was at college and so it was easy for me to get back into.

Switched to wfp 6 years ago and remarried 7 yrs ago.  Then several months ago, sold up and became a carer working one (well 2 half days) day a month doing a mix of wfp and traditional cleaning.

Agree with you, its no easy task to set up a business and make it last. Cleaning the windows is the easiest part of the job/business and so every now and then its important to recognise that.
I think more so in the recent years because it feels like each village, town or city is saturated with window cleaners compared to when I set up 18 yrs back.
facebook.com/1NKServices
1NKServices.co.uk

Smudger

  • Posts: 13164
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #14 on: July 03, 2020, 09:50:01 am »
Fell out with management at my previous job and signed on  as I had a young family at that time.  Yet that was a joke the amount of money I received. Lol it hardly covered the food bill for a family of 5 and so I needed money quick.   Applied for various selling jobs but they were taking too long and so I went and bought the basics for window cleaning and got stuck into that. Thankfully a friend was renting a small round at the time and so that gave me a base to work from. 
I did window cleaning before this, when I was at college and so it was easy for me to get back into.

Switched to wfp 6 years ago and remarried 7 yrs ago.  Then several months ago, sold up and became a carer working one (well 2 half days) day a month doing a mix of wfp and traditional cleaning.

Agree with you, its no easy task to set up a business and make it last. Cleaning the windows is the easiest part of the job/business and so every now and then its important to recognise that.
I think more so in the recent years because it feels like each village, town or city is saturated with window cleaners compared to when I set up 18 yrs back.


er....  who are you ?  ;D
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

www.oddbodscleaning.co.uk

Panorama

  • Posts: 524
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #15 on: July 03, 2020, 09:59:01 am »
£25 a week, a weekend millionaire
Weekend millionaire
Isn't that a quote from a Genesis song???
yes, the cinema show

jonboywalton75

  • Posts: 2175
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #16 on: July 03, 2020, 10:06:20 am »
£25 a week, a weekend millionaire
Weekend millionaire
Isn't that a quote from a Genesis song???
yes, the cinema show


Thought so
Great songs

Suffolkcleaners

  • Posts: 735
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #17 on: July 03, 2020, 10:33:43 am »
I'd got sacked from a landscaping job aged 20...I hated it....then my dad kicked me out of the house 2 days later...threw a suitcase into my room at 7am on a cold November morning.....so I was homeless for 10 months on the dole.......I was sleeping on  a mattress at a mates  flat....after a heavy night of drinking I was deep in thought and absolutely skint...needing a job/money.......

THEN!........the window cleaner turns up to clean the flat windows so I asked him for a job! ;D

He said "I'll pick you up at 845am tomorrow morning".......and that was it!within 12 months I'd saved enough for a cheap van and ladders and started up myself......this window cleaner had a huge round so I worked 5 days a week with him...

Even now after all these years he says I was the best worker he ever had(hes still window cleaning trad at 72!)......👍😄
I had to leave the family home also. Was in a toxic environment. Lived in an awful bedsit and couldn’t even pay the rent. Went door knocking fast. Luckily I had a cheap car and ladders and bucket to earn just enough to eat (never mind my rent)

18 years trad and moved over to WFP 5 years ago 😀

jonboywalton75

  • Posts: 2175
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #18 on: July 03, 2020, 10:34:51 am »
I packed a good shift job with ICI in, took the money and spent it on a ladder and 3 small rounds and made them into big rounds in 1999

Dave Willis

Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #19 on: July 03, 2020, 12:54:39 pm »
I was over qualified for anything else.

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #20 on: July 03, 2020, 02:10:06 pm »
A lot of window cleaners could have been either professional footballers or similar for 1 reason or another they didn’t,so many about that have had miss spent youths.

Richard iSparkle

  • Posts: 2487
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #21 on: July 03, 2020, 02:13:31 pm »
after leaving the NHS i started a domestic cleaning agency 12 years ago and it did well, but i didn't like the amount of hassle a domestic cleaning business was

i was looking for a franchise and when i met julie and carl at concept 2O i was blown away by their business and their approach to it.

bought a franchise off them 10 years ago this month and started door knocking
iSparkle Window Cleaning

www.isparklewindowcleaning.uk

robbo333

  • Posts: 2399
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #22 on: July 03, 2020, 03:51:36 pm »
Graphic designer for 20 years. Got made redundant so freelanced from home for 3 years.

Went mad staring at two 20 inch screens all day, reading hundreds of stupid emails and pandering to pointless urgent deadlines!

Mate of mine was a windie and very busy. He said 'i'll buy you breakfast and all the fresh air you can breathe, if you help me out for the day'.

Best day's wages i've ever had!
"Thank you for calling: if you have a 1st floor flat, mid terraced house, lots of dogs, no parking, no side access, or no sense of humour, please press hold!
For all other enquiries, please press1"

Jay Le Huray

  • Posts: 588
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #23 on: July 03, 2020, 04:22:44 pm »
I left the army in 1975 and got a job as a milkman but it did not pay enough to cover my mortgage so in the afternoons I went out and cleaned my customers windows from my round to make a few extra quid

a year or so later a guy  I meet in a pub asked to work for him (mostly commercial work) plus my own small round, when I discovered just how much can be made from this business  I left him and went full time on my own and employing 2 young lads

About 16 years ago I went WFP and had 3 vans on the road, a few years back I sold half the business and only work part time due to age (67)

I'm going to carry on doing this until I can no longer lift up a pole as I like my work and my customers

Rob.Hall

  • Posts: 1065
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #24 on: July 03, 2020, 05:32:36 pm »
Started window cleaning when I was looking around for an easy quick buck working self employed.

Came across  companies who install wc equipment  boasting 50 60 grand possible yearly earnings..
Hit this site and a lot were saying 70 grand part time before breakfast...

 Well it was a no brainer 😄

Suffolkcleaners

  • Posts: 735
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #25 on: July 03, 2020, 05:50:54 pm »
I left the army in 1975 and got a job as a milkman but it did not pay enough to cover my mortgage so in the afternoons I went out and cleaned my customers windows from my round to make a few extra quid

a year or so later a guy  I meet in a pub asked to work for him (mostly commercial work) plus my own small round, when I discovered just how much can be made from this business  I left him and went full time on my own and employing 2 young lads

About 16 years ago I went WFP and had 3 vans on the road, a few years back I sold half the business and only work part time due to age (67)

I'm going to carry on doing this until I can no longer lift up a pole as I like my work and my customers

Good for you for still staying so active at 67. In only 41 so wasn’t even born when you left the army. What made you leave the army?

Frankybadboy

  • Posts: 9020
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #26 on: July 03, 2020, 06:07:43 pm »
Was working as a Transport manager and basically my marriage broke up,lost my dad to Cancer,Lost my house and kids and had a full mental break down.

Was walking along the high street when off sick and seen a card in the window of  a small paper shop,saying window cleaning round for sell,phoned the guy up and went and seen him on the sunday evening,on the friday went out with him for the day and learnt trad ,really enjoyed the fresh air and no stress,,work with him for a month,him showing me all the  work,brought the part round and the rest is history,14years later we still best mates and meet regular and go out has familys.

3 years trad then turned Wfp,had two vans two workers,but didnt take to the stress now happly on me own again 

Suffolkcleaners

  • Posts: 735
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #27 on: July 03, 2020, 06:15:55 pm »
Was working as a Transport manager and basically my marriage broke up,lost my dad to Cancer,Lost my house and kids and had a full mental break down.

Was walking along the high street when off sick and seen a card in the window of  a small paper shop,saying window cleaning round for sell,phoned the guy up and went and seen him on the sunday evening,on the friday went out with him for the day and learnt trad ,really enjoyed the fresh air and no stress,,work with him for a month,him showing me all the  work,brought the part round and the rest is history,14years later we still best mates and meet regular and go out has familys.

3 years trad then turned Wfp,had two vans two workers,but didnt take to the stress now happly on me own again

Genuinely sorry to hear of all your tragedy in the past but to come out of it and start your own business is brilliant. Some amazing stories on here and I say again the advice I have personally received on this forum is second to none. Brilliant 👍😀

Marko

  • Posts: 112
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #28 on: July 03, 2020, 06:49:06 pm »
Worked for 20yrs as an upholsterer, brother-in-law was working as a window cleaner for a small local company when he knackered his shoulder.
He asked me if I fancied helping him out with a view to taking over from him (we'd spoken about manufacturing dying on it's arse).
Took a week off work - loved it - handed in my notice. 😊
After a year or so, went on my own and I've never looked back 👍

matty72

  • Posts: 548
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #29 on: July 03, 2020, 07:16:14 pm »
Good question, about 18 years ago had a few problems anxiety and stuff loved my drink and drugs, was an estate agent then installed cable tv for ten years got made redundant, helped a mate out traditional window cleaning, started myself got a van and ladders carried on partying, one morning came off ladder broke my arm bad, {on the lash night before my fault} , reach and wash taking off started that, bought a house had a daughter still doing it, one side of me says like this own boss suit myself great when i was younger, other side says im knackered now, the age catches up cant earn what i used to, but the job has been great to suit who i am, just need something else now to go along side it that aint so physical,advice to all younger than 40, get something else along side or expand, thats the longest message ive ever wrote ;D, got me thinking that question ;D

Titan window cleaning services

  • Posts: 15
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #30 on: July 03, 2020, 08:21:22 pm »
Started helping father in law and liked doing it so set up start of this year bought a van and had a few bits donated while working as a lab tech trying to build a round. Got a few myself then found some work for sale last week to help me along then got told 2 days ago im being made redundant so its all falling into place nicely

Martin-Swinscoe

  • Posts: 274
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #31 on: July 03, 2020, 09:31:45 pm »
I got made redundant in 2006 from a local factory, Managed to get a job as a postman. The money was lousy as it was
part time hours.
So needed about £40 a week extra just to survive.
This is where it gets interesting.
My Mrs nagged me for weeks to clean our windows, In the end just to shut her up. i got some tatty wooden ladders and a old squeegee that was under the sink.
Anyway whilst i was up the ladders a woman walked past and said " oooo a window cleaner can you come and do mine ?"
So i went round and did them, charged her a fiver i think ???
Couple of weeks later a knock on my door " you did my friends windows the other week can you do mine?"
So i went and did them.
This got me thinking there's a little gap in the market.
Knocked some homemade flyers up, and posted them on my post round.
Within a few weeks i got my £40 a week extra and more.
After a few months i packed the post in and went window cleaning full time.
Now i have 2 blokes working for me and new work pouring in.
Thank the lord the wife nagged me, thank the lord that woman walked past whilst i was doing my own.
I'm a firm believer every thing happens for a reason....

Ooooooog

  • Posts: 1083
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #32 on: July 03, 2020, 10:49:44 pm »
Made redundant from engineering/racing company (pro drive) - 3rd third time in 10 years so Mrs said why not go clean some windows  :o

went out brought  a sponge and a bucket - no idea what a squeegee was - made up cards and leaflets and door knocked
- six months in I had a reasonable round plus houses - fell off ladders - then searched for a safer way to clean and learnt about wfp on here ..

11 years later I cover just about everything for cleaning outsides - windows - roof cleaning - graffiti removal - pressure washing etc..

Darran

We’re doing some work on their roof this month. Interesting client...

Ooooooog

  • Posts: 1083
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #33 on: July 03, 2020, 10:53:36 pm »
I had the idea of cleaning photovoltaics in 2014 and window cleaning just came along with it.

Jay Le Huray

  • Posts: 588
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #34 on: July 04, 2020, 08:29:04 am »
I left the army in 1975 and got a job as a milkman but it did not pay enough to cover my mortgage so in the afternoons I went out and cleaned my customers windows from my round to make a few extra quid

a year or so later a guy  I meet in a pub asked to work for him (mostly commercial work) plus my own small round, when I discovered just how much can be made from this business  I left him and went full time on my own and employing 2 young lads

About 16 years ago I went WFP and had 3 vans on the road, a few years back I sold half the business and only work part time due to age (67)

I'm going to carry on doing this until I can no longer lift up a pole as I like my work and my customers

Good for you for still staying so active at 67. In only 41 so wasn’t even born when you left the army. What made you leave the army?

big mistake, I got married and had my first kid, I should have stayed single and done my 22 years

lal

  • Posts: 1110
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #35 on: July 04, 2020, 12:43:40 pm »

  I moved to Southern Ireland 9 years ago  from London, the job situation at the time was Dire, due to Ireland still recovering
 from the Credit Crunch,  I tried for loads of jobs with out any luck, back in 1988 i worked for a mate who was a window cleaner
 in South London, he gave me a job for the summer, taught me Trad   (WFP didn't exit then) he had tons of work, so i had to learn
 quickly to work fast, i loved it, fresh air, lovely weather, Tan  8),  then as the winter came, the work drops off, he had to let me
 go,  so getting back to Galway Ireland, after a few months with no luck on the job front, i decided to take a chance with window
 cleaning, i bought a roof rack for the car, proper wooden pointed ladders & Trad Gear imported from a supplier in the uk,
 it was very difficult starting out, trying to get work with the economic climate as it was, plus there  were a lot of established
window cleaning business's around, but i plodded on, found this site CiU, learned a lot more stuff, especially WFP, i found a
second hand van & system for sale on Ebay in Northern Ireland, went to see the van with system, owner showed me how it
all works, bought it, never looked back, the following year in 2013,  i got Nathanael Jones, who i found on here, to build me
a website,  best advice i ever got, was to get a website,  Ive been window cleaning here now nearly eight & a half years, so glad
i took a chance at it and didn't give up.  :)

Johnny B

  • Posts: 2385
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #36 on: July 05, 2020, 05:25:14 pm »
The company I worked for as a driver folded, and I was unemployed for around 3 months when a friend of mine who had a window cleaning run at the time offered me to work 3 days a week with him. This was in 1997.

He taught me from scratch how to clean windows (trad) and I worked for him for around 3 months.
I was (and still am) painfully slow and I was probably more of a hindrance than a help as he was so fast! So he suggested that I try to start up my own run while still working for him. Very quickly (within just a few weeks) I had canvassed enough work to part ways and go it alone.

My run got bigger and bigger, and so within 5 years or so I sold some work, and carried on until 2011 when my wife wanted to move to Ireland to care for her mother. So I sold up and we moved according to her wishes.

A week after landing in Ireland, I hit the streets, knocking doors and getting another run together. This was during the post credit crunch recession. Nine years later, I'm still here with work flooding in. My eldest son and daughter both work part time with me now, and it's going well.

John
Being diplomatic is being able to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that they look forward to the trip.

ian1965

  • Posts: 172
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #37 on: July 06, 2020, 05:39:07 pm »
Got made redundant 11 years ago . Genuinely thought I would walk into another engineering job, nothing , so decided  as a fill in job    would clean some windows, googled window cleaning equipment , thinking ladders bucket etc up popped water fed systems - decided to invest some of my redundancy money and the rest is history . Had so much work  got my son into it as well.
Hindsight is a marvelous thing but wish i had done this many years ago! 

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #38 on: July 06, 2020, 08:28:09 pm »
If you look at a lot of these stories and i am not in any way trying to start something here you will see why you get trouble when starting to employ,thought I’d try it to fill in between jobs etc till something better came along exactly the same thoughts they have when you take someone on I can do this on my own,like I say not meaning to start an argument.  Not very often it’s looked upon like a “proper” job even today.

Smudger

  • Posts: 13164
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #39 on: July 07, 2020, 06:09:21 pm »
If you look at a lot of these stories and i am not in any way trying to start something here you will see why you get trouble when starting to employ,thought I’d try it to fill in between jobs etc till something better came along exactly the same thoughts they have when you take someone on I can do this on my own,like I say not meaning to start an argument.  Not very often it’s looked upon like a “proper” job even today.

That's very civil of you  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

www.oddbodscleaning.co.uk

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #40 on: July 07, 2020, 06:27:06 pm »
Same for me when I started way back with my Dad in my mind I was filling in time until something better came along,no different to what all the others think when they pop along for a job.
I bet non of them when they first start think this is a long term thing for me,if they tell you that they are telling you fibs either that or they dribble when they speak lol 🤣

Johnny B

  • Posts: 2385
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #41 on: July 07, 2020, 08:55:06 pm »
If you look at a lot of these stories and i am not in any way trying to start something here you will see why you get trouble when starting to employ,thought I’d try it to fill in between jobs etc till something better came along exactly the same thoughts they have when you take someone on I can do this on my own,like I say not meaning to start an argument.  Not very often it’s looked upon like a “proper” job even today.

When I started working for my friend I was actually going to do 'The Knowledge' and become a London cabbie. I had passed the interview and was ready to get started when I was offered the window cleaning work. As it was ready money and I found I really enjoyed the work, I stuck with it and dropped the idea of cabbying.

I agree with you that many people don't see us as having a business or proper job. I don't care. As long as they carry on thinking that way they're not likely to pose a threat as potential competition.

John
Being diplomatic is being able to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that they look forward to the trip.

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #42 on: July 07, 2020, 09:12:18 pm »
As soon as it’s looked at as a like I say “proper” job employing people will be 100 times easier,I can’t see it happening anytime soon the majority of people that stick at it go with someone for a year or so and then start on their own.  2 of you in the van it doesn’t take long for someone to think I only need to get myself a vehicle and knock doors.

Slacky

  • Posts: 7552
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #43 on: July 08, 2020, 07:13:31 am »
A friend of mine suggested I go into business with him. He had an established window cleaning round, I had 11 years landscaping experience. He figured the two might go together.

One day he bought a T.V., with cash, just like that. I fancied being able to do that as I could never seem to afford anything. So I jumped in after thinking about it for far too long.

We split as an operational business after about 3 weeks  ;D

I took on some of the window cleaning in one area and he carried on elsewhere.

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #44 on: July 08, 2020, 09:25:49 am »
That’s the thing not only does it take someone with a good work ethic because let’s face it the work can be hard going at times but in the main it’s relatively easy,you also need someone without to much ambition or like you and many others they will want to go it alone.
At the end of the day they must have bills to pay like the rest of us.

Col

  • Posts: 83
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #45 on: July 08, 2020, 10:35:18 pm »
Girlfriends father had taken early retirement and had started up window cleaning.
I was signing on and he asked me if I wanted to help him out a couple days a week cash in hand on the black.
£10 a day and I started in the winter and it felt like someone was hammering nails into my fingers.
Stuck with it because his daughter was the apple of my eye and £20 doubled my giro.
He got busier and I got a pay rise to £12 a day and five days a week.
He didn't want the hassle to take me on full time through the books so at the grand old age of 24 I borrowed money off my folks  signed off and bought a Mark 1 Ford Fiesta a roof rack and some ladders and set off on my own.
31 years later I am still married to his daughter and still enjoy window cleaning and being my own boss.

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
Re: How did you get into Window Cleaning?
« Reply #46 on: July 08, 2020, 10:44:11 pm »
He didn’t want to take anyone on full time eh,not another window cleaner with sense that can smell agro a mile away 🤣🤣🤣