[Neil Williams]

Chris you haven't said what you're not happy with yet

[24-7 S C Services]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all the positive feedback.

As everyone has seen and can appreciate, a lot of work has gone into the APWC, but that is only the tip of the ice burg. I think one important thing people need to realise is, the more members the APWC gets, the more it can give back to them and the industry.

To Curios and Johnl – Registration/ licensing window cleaners. Everyone has different views on this subject and it will be a very good subject to debate and I could literally write pages and pages on pros and cons. However, to make it simple, an association has a responsibility to its members and if this was requested by the majority, then it would have to look into this.

However, the FWC touched on this subject a month or two ago, in order for them to proceed with anything, they will have to have the majority vote from their members. Like wise with the APWC. However, it would not stop at that! Because the industry now has two representatives, one could appeal against the other, if membership numbers where similar and or one sides votes outweighed the others. Politics, what a nightmare.

Hopefully launching on Friday (if they are completed in time) the APWC are launching online surveys on their website. Issues like this will be covered in the surveys and it is important that as many window cleaners as possible participate in these surveys. The window cleaning industry has very little facts to go on and by completing these surveys; window cleaners will enable the APWC to publish facts on the industry. As an association, we can achieve greater things with facts by our side.


The APWC have two fantastic deals on offer at the moment.

1)   Join the free online database and be in with the chance of winning 12 months free membership. The APWC does not sell, rent or exchange your details with any third parties and by joining the database, you will not be flooded with emails from the APWC, the APWC has a separate joining form for people to receive email updates from the association. You have nothing to loose by joining this database and you could have the possibility of new work coming your way. Granted there are several window cleaning search databases out there. But as the APWC’s name starts to become public knowledge, more and more people will use the facilities provided by an association than that supplied by any other service.

2)   Become a member of the APWC today (figure of speech) to enter our free prize draw! The winner will receive the latest 9metre (30’) dual hose, Tucker Pole, with detergent Dispenser and chemical doser - value £400.00 (the cut off point for applications and draw date are still to be arranged)


In addition to those special offers, Members will also receive an additional advertising page on the APWC website, which is linked into the APWC search engines. So for those members who do not currently have a website, they can still have an internet presence for their business. Currently the APWC is sitting at the top of several search engines if you search for APWC or Association of Professional Window Cleaners. With the launch of the new websites, we will double our presence and start to appear under other keywords.

For an association that has only been launched 5 months, I believe we are doing very well and our name is already starting to be mentioned within the industry. Over the next several months, the APWC will move forward even more as more and more commercial premises are made aware of the association and what our members can offer them. We have articles appearing in two industry magazines this month, which again will promote the APWC not just to potential members, but also to facilities managers who are looking for professional window cleaners (articles will be available on the website later this week)

Yes it is early days for the APWC, but as membership increases, we can move forward and work even harder for our members and the industry.

The APWC will not be having a stand at the cleaning show this year, but members of the committee will be going and will be more than happy to talk to anyone about the APWC. You know what we look like, so just stop us. I will personally be there on the 13th, so if anyone else is going on that day and wants to have a chat, drop me an email.

Again, thank you all for your comments and if you feel strongly about the industry and want your views taken into account, you know what to do.

Many Thanks
Andrew

[Chris A]

Here's some negative feedback. Andrew or Neil, Why the need for special offers(do I get a refund)?? I joined the apwc and expected the odd letter now and then. It wasn't till I posted on here that I got my accident insurance certificate. I've been window cleaning less than 2 years and was looking for what you promised when you banked my  cheque well before the association officially started in September last year  and now 6 months later the website is still not up and running. Like I said It's not for me

Chris

[poleman]

It wasn't till I posted on here that I got my accident insurance certificate

YES and at the time of you asking it was being finalized, and I asked APWC head office, to send out first class to your house when sorted and they did

Andy
   

[Clive McDonald]

Andrew
First off give everyone who wants it associate status, and give it free on sign up. This will give you a massive and overwhelming voice in the industry.
Second approach all things in a business like manner. Registration is a prerequesite of a regulated and proffesional industry. Surveys and opinions are fine, but forget the democarcy route, all you are going to get is arguments.
Thirdly make full membership of your org have clear benefits.

If you are the leader then act like one, don't ask what people want, deliver what they have been demanding for the last five years. I was secretary of a large similar org (diff industry) and had no end of fun. Start punching above your weight, give the other people hell.If you are our voice then let's start hearing  it.
Be very gratefull that I am not in charge because I would leverage your position.

Ps. I was impressed that you have delayed things to make sure details are genuine

[Neil Williams]

Chris, I've done some research on this and the question every member has to ask themselves is am I using all the benefits available?

Out of the current membership only 40% have taken benefits for the free domain names and email addresses.

Only 10% have filled in the agreement to publish their details to appear on a search database and or to be refered to potential customers.

Although the previous website and currently the new one do not have the online search database, potential customers do contact the APWC for  window cleaners. In or around 120 requests have been received in the last six months, of which only a percentage where passed on to members due to location and the agreement to pass on details. So those who haven't used the benefits are losing out.

Currently the members are of the website is still underconstruction, which should be ready by next week. New benefits have been arranged which include corporate identitys (logo designs, letterheads, business cards) which is specific for members.

With reference to the accident insurance, this starts from the date of membership, so if it was needed, it is there to use. Any delay in the information sheets going out to members would have been down to the brokers who were drawing up the material.

As for the freebies so to say, the free membership draw is for all people in the database, this includes members, if a current member wins it, they will not have to pay for the rewal of their membership next year.

The draw for the tucker pole is for members only, that includes all members of the association excluding committee members past and present.

As for the other comment the APWC needs to be run as a democrey to ensure fairness in decisions, yes this could lead to arguments, but if one person was to make the rules and run the show, then there is no guarentee the APWC would be steered in the right direction.

Free membership for all?  If that was the case, how would the APWC be able to function with no income and or provide the benefits for all its members? Some realism has to come into this. As much as it would increase membership 10 fold overnight the reality here is that won't work.

[Clive McDonald]

balanced sensible comments, but I did say associate not full membership

[JohnL]

Andrew - good reply  - but

I know around 6 WCers in my area which is rural and only one of them is an internet user. If you take the number of wcers over the whole country how many of them do you consider would be internet users let alone users who are into reading such sites as these and how many of them are members of any WC organisation ?

My point is any registration discussion would only be relevant to the people who are members of organisations, all others would be being represented by proxy without having the knowledge that someone is '' representing '' them and for whatever reason the idea of registration may put them out of business.

I am all for recognising WC people but who ever is going to vet their authenticity.


I was a member of a highly reputable trade organisation who only allowed reputable tradesmen but over the years realised the system was unworkable because verification was proving impossible to monitor and real rogues were working inside the system.

Sorry, but the only way I would support any type of registration system is if the individual was able to demonstrate that he was a practicing WCer with with an established customer list and would be given automatic membership.

Those are my first thoughts on this difficult subject.