[Londoner]

i've had a few whos jaws drop when i ask them to make cheques payable to my company name.

march just gone i had a customa ive been doing for a year ask '' so this window cleaning lark is it something your doing full time now?'' he said this as i stood there in my logo shirt and signwritten veacheal out side. he then said ''its only i was going to offer you a job. you would be on good money £400 per week take home''. he grinned at me like a smug footballer that had just given a 14 year old lad £2 for cleaninghis boots for him. i told him i was gonna stick at it. lol ! fool my dads been cleaning windows for 20 years and could buy all of his cars, house, pearants house business and wife off him and still probaly have enough in the bank to emergrate to austraila.


I had a customer recently offered me £50 a day to come and work for him on a Saturday. He seemed quite suprised when I turned him down.
i surpose hi did mean well.

[pingu]

I sometimes live in the past and think back to the jobs that I used have...good wage's,holiday pay, bonus, car, fuel, computers...blah, blah...but thats easy...I tend not to think about the stress, politics, backbiting....that used to go with it.

Next year will see my income reach the same standard wage of my last job...ok, not so many physical perks but I like yourselves have so many other advantages within this field....I suppose it is too easy to forget the positives and dwell on the negatives when the real truth is that our profession can be what we choose to make it....


An as far as customers perceptions I try not to think about that too much....

Dave

[simon knight]

I guess it might be hard to change the attitudes of some people.... but in the end, does it really matter?

Whether they think we're paying tax or not, or earning a million quid an hour - money is money, whether is cash, cheque, bacs, paypal.... as long as we're happy and we're being honest, legal and up front about all our earnings then thats what matters 

Does it really matter how somone views you ? If you are doing well,  thank you very much . . . . . ignorance is bliss isnt it ?

I don't particularly care how people how people view my work, as Squeaks said to some people it will always be an unskilled working class cleaning job and their attitude will never change.

That said I do mind if people automatically assume that any cash money isn't declared. Unfortunately there are probably plenty of w/c'ers (and of course I'm not referring to anybody who uses this forum) who wouldn't dream of declaring cash.

I suppose the big boys with the sign written vans and uniforms are perceived in a better light but the likes of me, with my ladders over shoulders and tatty jeans are always going to be viewed with cynicism. Which is a shame because I work hard and am honest with my earnings. Oh well!

[Sir Squeaky]

I suppose the big boys with the sign written vans and uniforms are perceived in a better light but the likes of me, with my ladders over shoulders and tatty jeans are always going to be viewed with cynicism. Which is a shame because I work hard and am honest with my earnings. Oh well!

Don't let it bother you Simon.

I've got a big new sign written van, but sod it if I'm going to wear some poncey uniform.
Nowt wrong with jeans mate, proper working clothes.

[chrismroberts]

I suppose the big boys with the sign written vans and uniforms are perceived in a better light but the likes of me, with my ladders over shoulders and tatty jeans are always going to be viewed with cynicism. Which is a shame because I work hard and am honest with my earnings. Oh well!

Don't let it bother you Simon.

I've got a big new sign written van, but sod it if I'm going to wear some poncey uniform.
Nowt wrong with jeans mate, proper working clothes.

Hear hear!! 

[pingu]

Have to admit that I prefer something that resembles a uniform...it then means that when I have finished work I put on my civvies and feel different....nice to have a change..

Dave.

[Feen]

I also think that if some of these people realised what we can earn they'd think hard about the price they pay. Sometimes it can pay to play the daft laddie.

Ewan, The average pay for men in the UK in 2007 was £26,000 plus you get holiday pay, a lot will get full pay when they are on sick. They can do overtime and a lot will get a bonus each year and they don’t have the expense of running a window cleaning business!
Average pay figures are worthless. The top 5 or 10% earn so much that they distort the figures beyond recognition. The point I made above is valid I think. The money I take from some of my clients takes them much much longer to earn than it does me.
How many self employed window cleaners on this forum earns a lot more than the national average (or at least the same)

Ewan 

[RPCCS]

I agree with squeaky,the job is seen kinda like a skivvy,the punters think u r doing it as a sideline. 5 yrs ago I took my pcv test so I had a backup income for the winter, a few thought the coach driving was full time and the window cleaning  just for when the buses were quiet. They were surprised when I said that the w/c has always been my "bread and butter" and the coaches the back up

[Dean Taberner]

Squeaky, I agree with you. I find it hard to get people to pay me directly or even by cheque, but I'm not surprised. I also think that if some of these people realised what we can earn they'd think hard about the price they pay. Sometimes it can pay to play the daft laddie.

Too right

[Dean Taberner]

I also think that if some of these people realised what we can earn they'd think hard about the price they pay. Sometimes it can pay to play the daft laddie.

The average pay for men in the UK in 2007 was £26,000 plus you get holiday pay, a lot will get full pay when they are on sick. They can do overtime and a lot will get a bonus each year and they don’t have the expense of running a window cleaning business!

How many self employed window cleaners on this forum earns a lot more than the national average (or at least the same)

Ewan 

£26k certainly isnt the average in Stoke-On-Trent where I come from. Most of my mates who have decent trades are lucky to earn that.

I know what you are saying though. :

[NWH]

If you was earning £26k in the south you wouldn`t be buying your own house,if a bloke and his girlfreind both earn`t £26k that would mean they could borrow £208,000 combined therefore no house round these parts,26k these days isn`t great.

[paul hughes31]

i would say that most people would be lucky to bring home £300 a week, national average is a load of crap and as someone as just said its the very very high earners that has set this average...

ive been in this business 10 years now and earn good money but i can honestly say i would not be able to tell you what a good wage would be... (in other jobs)

[paul hughes31]

If you was earning £26k in the south you wouldn`t be buying your own house,if a bloke and his girlfreind both earn`t £26k that would mean they could borrow £208,000 combined therefore no house round these parts,26k these days isn`t great.

you cant compare wages with house prices, house prices have risen about 400% in 10 years, wages nothing like that....

[NWH]

What i was meaning to say was these days £26k does appear to be the average wage,it`s not bad but it`s not good either.

[paul hughes31]

most of my mates would love to earn 26k, it is good but i know what your saying it just dosnt get you much which is the way things have gone unfortunately....

[Sir Squeaky]

I agree, it's more than most people I know earn.

[paul hughes31]

saying that you would come out with £390 (approx) off 26k its good but it dosnt buy you much because were all being ripped off left right and centre....

[L.J.Thorpe]

i would say that most people would be lucky to bring home £300 a week, national average is a load of crap and as someone as just said its the very very high earners that has set this average...

ive been in this business 10 years now and earn good money but i can honestly say i would not be able to tell you what a good wage would be... (in other jobs)

very true
anyone who pays attention to the mythical "average" wage is not getting a real picture of wages in this country
 I would like to see a "modal" wage instead
would show what the MAJORITY of workers earn

[paulscotney]

I don't know where some of you live but £500pw  plus is normal around here ( B'ham) area for most workers in any trade as far as i know.  I was doing £350pw 10 yrs ago on the windows (comercial) for a three day week.  Mind you had a 6 yr break now wfp just about doing the same.

[paul hughes31]

I don't know where some of you live but £500pw  plus is normal around here ( B'ham) area for most workers in any trade as far as i know.  I was doing £350pw 10 yrs ago on the windows (comercial) for a three day week.  Mind you had a 6 yr break now wfp just about doing the same.

you come from a posh area then mate...

there is a couple of my friends who earn 500 pw+ but i can guarentee the majority will earn a lot less.