[nat]

needlesly attacking Gordan, the guy was being ignorrant and arrogant in his original posting with regards to no carpet and a clapped out van - if that is inspirational then i'll eat my hat!

[steve k]

I did not judge Dai at all...
I said it seemed a lot of work for £200 which it clearly is...

I also said that I hoped I am not working like that at 64...if you think that is something to aspire to then that can only be your wish...best of luck to you.

Nat...I may have read your post wrong...are you saying I am a dreamer or someone else on the post.
If you think I speak falsely, let me know and I will back it up.
By the way, I am not justifying myself to anyone...merely responding to his far fetched imagination.

I have never understood why anyone gets the hump about peoples earnings...so what if they are proud of their achievements...they are entitled to shout it from the rooftops if they wish...it was similar postings that inspired me and gave me valuable pointers when starting out.

[nat]

Nat...I may have read your post wrong...are you saying I am a dreamer or someone else on the post.
If you think I speak falsely, let me know and I will back it up.
By the way, I am not justifying myself to anyone...merely responding to his far fetched imagination.

all i'm saying is, why rise to it? the guy needs to fuel his ego by gloating, I originally called him a dreamer which he probably is...thats all!!

[steve k]

just read your post Nat and I do not think you are referring to me...sorry about that.

Rainwater...just re-read your last post...you cannot really find that drivel inspirational do you?

read all his posts and you will see a pattern of an insulting attitude towards most forum members responding to similar posts.

the working classes have really moved on now...if any part of Gordons story is true, it is a lesson in how not to build a business...
imagine such a narrow minded and unnecessary "business plan... :" being put in front of Alan Sugar

What fantastic car crash TV that would be...

[steve k]

have a look at Gordons No: 21 post...takes me back that...

(look at his profile and show last posts.)

[Paul Coleman]

When I left school I won an award for being mug of the year because I worked as a skivvy for my dad'sa building firm instead of having a decent education that I was capable of.
Then I got a job in a bakery and came top for burning my wrists on the hot trays more often than anyone else.
After a while, I got a live-in job washing up in a hotel (was homeless) and I left more grease marks on the pots and pans than anyone before or since.  (That one was £22 per week).
Then I fell on my feet and managed to stick a job for 13 years in the print.  I had stuck my previous jobs too but in a different place.  It was such a doss skinning up at the brainless end of a Roland 2 colour that I actually stuck around till it closed in 1988.  I had graduated onto a tiny little 4 colour by then.  There seemed to be a game there of who could punch the most clockcards in 60 seconds.  I didn't win that one though.
13 years in one place had made me a bit settled - something I swore I would never do.
Anyway, I then got some job delivering bathroom suites.  This involved driving a 7.5 tonner.  The biggest motor I had ever driven on my own before was a 1 litre Datsun so it was quite a culture shock.  Plus I had to take bags of maps out with me in case I got lost LOL.  Before I got used to it, I brought more goods back than anyone else because I couldn'r find places.
Got bored after a year and was offered the chance to train in the caring profession in a psychiatric clinic.  It took them 6 months to figure out I wasn't a patient at which point they made me redundant.
So then a short spell on the dole followed by some weird job travelling the southeast and visiting supermarkets for some ad company.  I was good at that one.  It prepared me for self-employment in some ways.
They folded and I ended up borrowing a ladder from a retired plumber and buying a few bits at the janitorial shop.  The rest is history.  I now have a luxury tent in someone's back garden and dine out at McDonald's once a week.  I have 4 vans but 3 of them went to scrapyard a few years ago.  I'm 50 and my pension pot would pay all of a grand a year (should pay for a new tent and an occasional burger).

OK OK.  I confess.  I'm mocking myself.  Some of the above is true and some is based very loosely on truth.  I was a very late starter with pension and sometimes wonder if I would be better off looking elsewhere for old age money.  Window cleaning and especially WFP have given me a way of improving my lot and I am just starting to see the potential more clearly.

[Clive McDonald]

Steve
What's wrong with that? he's spotted you as someone like himself, driven and determined.

You've made many good posts including your picture diaries of a days work so that it is proven that you work hard and smart and exceed £200.

That doesn't mean you are right about everything. I was waiting for your responce to Gordonswindows and you didn't dissapoint, you went off like a catherine wheel.They should include a sense of humour as part of P company as sometimes you come over as abit fierce.

At some point do a post about driveway cleaning, the kit, how you got into it, the marketing etc.

[steve k]

http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=20199.20#msg290121

I can promise you 1 thing...living with 600 paratroopers 8 to a room all in 5 blocks means you have to have a sense of humour...it`s probably how I survived....

it also gives you a fantastic ability to spot a crank at 50 paces...the gobby loudmouth who winds everyone up...they usually never got past the training staff so we never seen many of them make it through to the Battalion...but any that did soon learnt to keep their mouth shut.

I`m not fierce...honest :

[Clive McDonald]

Thanks for that link thats brilliant info. Had you got any jobs before you dove in? I presume you've got some since, whats the marketing method leaflets?

[Sir Squeaky]

Nat...I may have read your post wrong...are you saying I am a dreamer or someone else on the post.

Seeing as you're from Liverpool Steve, should that read "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one" ? 

[steve k]

I had about 5 jobs booked in which virtually paid for the set up...so I went for it and have been ran off my feet since...it is very lucrative and a refreshing change to be in one place for one job. I advertise in 4 local advertising mags which go to 14000 homes in my desired areas of working every month for 3 months...cost £305 in total...2 jobs booked on first day of ad paid for the 3 months advert...

What I am basically doing is a job in the morning (driveways) and 3/4 WFP jobs in the afternoon...sometimes 2 driveways in a day.
When not booked in for a driveway...its all WFP or a day off which is a real temptation when you have done a couple of good driveway jobs the day before.

By the way, the reason I referred to Gordons 3 year old post was the irony of him saying how professional I was and how proud he was to be on the same forum as me etc etc when I had only just started...and now 3 years later, he says I am jumping on the bandwagon and wont stick around...

[Clive McDonald]

Does the stuff go in your van or do you need a trailer? (ive just got rid of one and don't like them much)
You mention a wheelie bin full of water, do you take that with you?
Will the kit you've got also clean gutters? Or am I moving away from the money (earning £200 a day to keep on topic).
That was too witty for squeaks do you think his wife helped?

[steve k]

The wheelie bin is empty and has a 1" length of hose attached at the base...I arrive and set the bin up off the area to be cleaned, attach a length of garden hose to customers tap and start filling bin up while I set up pressure washer.
Once water is above the level of the outlet at base of bin, I attach hose to pressure washer, run out hose, set up FSC and brush off any stones etc from area to be cleaned.
I have a control valve attached to the end of the pressure hose, I turn on washer and allow water to run freely from the control valve to ensure all air is displaced. I then close off valve, attach FSC, open valve and start cleaning.
After 90% of work has been done with FSC, I close off valve and replace FSC with a lance to go over the stubborn areas of weeds etc.

All my stuff is in the back of my Nissan Primastar.
£10 of unleaded lasts all day...2/3 jobs.

I don`t clean gutters with it.

I charge £3 per SQ/metre to clean AND re-sand.
I get the sand for £2.50 a bag from Wickes and 1 bag goes a long way.

[Sir Squeaky]

That was too witty for squeaks do you think his wife helped?

No. All my own work.
Check this one out too...

I hope I am not working like a dog   when I am 64 years of age.

"It's been a hard day's night...etc"
"When I'm 64"

He can't help himself!
Love it!
He really is a Scouser.

[vwm]

well after reading all this i forgot who started this post but would like to say one thing.  well done mate you reach a mile stone that you were happy with and shared with others  i hope you you had great time camping with the kids. one thing we can all say you have been honest and trufhful.

as 4 me ill be happy to do £50 at mo i have reached 49.50 lol now am i bragging or lying but for one thing this post must be hitting a mile stone for the amount of replys.

well done again mate 

[steve k]

bloody hell Squeaky...I must have been indoctrinated...

I`ve just realised that my picture post was entitled..."A Day in the Life.." another Beatles song...

Weird...

[gordonswindows]

Thank you all for your various replies.

The original post of clapped out van etc was posted by another and i pasted it as a compliment to an honest and worldy wise cleaner, not my words however i do echo them.

Rainwater your replies are well thought out and put over in a balanced honest way that demands the respect of the reader, while others don't even get the irony or take the opportunity to listen to other peoples views right or wrong the author expects the right to be heard.

How can people who are so blinkered and self-centred not understand that many things can be learned even from views opinions or people that you don't like or agree with.

"I can promise you 1 thing...living with 600 paratroopers 8 to a room all in 5 blocks means you have to have a sense of humour..."

This is just so wonderful and i agree entirely THEY all must have had a sense of humour!!!!!!!!  see IRONY do you get it?

But my favourite of all is by nat he calls me "ignorrant"  please somebody explain why thats funny  to the fierce para from Liverpool

Anyway so enjoyed the fun but back to the original point of those people who claim this that and the other while at the shows.

The original posters point was the ones who do the biggest and best bragging are usually the ones with the least and it is support they need not ridicule its a bit like when somebody brags about what they have done what they did be it you know an inventor a policeman maybe a service man i dunno .

Is bigger always best?
Is £200 a day worth slogging your guts out for?
And as another famous poster asked "how do YOU measure success?"

My view is my view , my success is my success but my experiences good and bad are to be shared,they are for everyone who can listen, or maybe that should be anyone who is big enough to listen

[Tosh]

"I can promise you 1 thing...living with 600 paratroopers 8 to a room all in 5 blocks means you have to have a sense of humour..."

Who said this?  It can't be Steve K; he keeps on chucking his teddy in the corner (the last time over some 'Scouse jokes') and deleting his account!

Where's the sense of humour in that?

[steve k]

Tosh...I take offence at one thing only...being labelled a thief because I come from Liverpool..it is not funny...you know perfectly well that is why I deleted my account last year...because the mods did not accept that the increasing number of "thieving scouser" comments were offensive...Squeaky has simply noticed a Beatles analogy in some of my comments...

A nasty and immature little dig from you Tosh...what was one of the worst crime you could commit in the forces Tosh, drummed into you from day one recruit training...THEFT...there was no humour in my Regiment about calling someone  thief...trust me...so why would I accept total strangers thinking it is funny...I don`t, never have and never will.

Gordons...I have helped many people on here with constructive advice and will continue to do so..where in your posts are you actually offering advice...where???

You could put a post on about how you employ, where you find good staff, how they are paid, cost of insurances and overheads, services provided, advertising methods, the dos and donts of employing... this would make good reading and help others...

I`ll even give you a start..."when I was younger, so much younger than today I never needed anbody`s help in any way..."

[Davew]

Shiner, I rekon the bit about running a four colour was true. I did it for over thirty years good money but brainless job.