[tomlions]

hi all, want to apologise in advance for the length of this, i'll start by saying i'v now got a new found respect for window cleaners and especially those that use this site, your willingness to give out info and advice in this cynical world is very refreshing and i congratulate you all......
i'm an engineer (raf 20 years, civvy 3 years) i really dont know if i'll have a job at xmas so i says to the wife ( she works in recruitment ) what the hell am i gonna do ? she gives it 3 days then drops the bomb on me at dinner... be a window cleaner she says.. i sat there open mouthed and say to her i'v put jets into the sky and ships on the sea, qualified and with letters after my name, are you mental i ask...think about it she says....
so i did, and thought and thought..then thought bugger it and googled window cleaning where i discovered dave at wc coach and through his site you lot !! what an incredible experience this has been, its a very different world you are in and i'm genuinely humbled by your experience and savvy... so after reading through all and i mean all of the faq's and getting info about my area , competition, kit etc which took about a month i put together a business presentation to the wife with all the info i had gathered ( a lot ) and she loved it...
that was ten days ago, since then i've traded in my car for a van, ordered the bits of kit so i can start practicing and got 7 customers (friends who dont have a wc )....
so my start date is the 2nd of nov by which time i'll have been solely practicing your dark art, i will be starting off part time as i do shift work and see how things develop, i would like to keep you informed of my progress and i'll be asking questions and advice from you all, so thanks for your patience and again well played to all of you

[s.hughes]

 ' i'v put jets into the sky and ships on the sea ' !!!!  Good job it wasnt the other way around lol.
So are you going wfp or trad?
I would always say to start with trad, its the cheapest way to start and you really need to know how to squeegy.
Good to see you on the site

Steve

[gerard mcmanus]

I hope we see many more good posts like that. I don't mind reading length posts if there is good content. Its is certainly preferred, as supposed to the often pointless one liners.

Good luck and I hope everything goes well for you. In today's climate I am hearing more and more stories just like yours, and was in a similar position myself not so long ago, however I was no engineer.

Anyway the one thing that I learned very quickly when I started working for myself, is you get out what you put in. No one else can be blamed if it all goes up in smoke, and if you work hard and do your best you will have more job security than you could have ever got working for someone else, and unfortunately on many occasions having to pay the price for someone else's incompetence.

Well its all a thing of the past for you now, choose your own rate of pay, hours you work, and who you work for.

In a year or two if you are conservative, you could raise the capital to look at engineering again from a self-employee aspect. Or you may find you like the no nonsense, no stress life style, and stick with it.

What ever the case, all the best.

[Sapphire Window Cleaning]

One important tip Tomlions, don't give up, trust me you will have days where you want to jack it in and have a 9-5 job, Stick at it, you won't regret it I promise you.
I only went out for 2 hours yesterday and earned £150, ok thats not the norm, but theres nothing to stop that being the norm.
If you are stuck for advice I and most of the others on here will help you through it.
Good luck




Matt

[tomlions]

cheers matt, what you say is very true and i guess everyone has days where they want to walk away from it, all i can say is i really have no expectations and i know what hard work is, but i'm really genuinely excited about this which i have'nt felt like for a long time.rest assured matt i'll be definitely picking your brains !! cheers geezer

tom

[s.hughes]

I've been a computer engineer and a gas engineer and I still prefer window cleaning. But like in the previous posts it is hard work and you will feel like giving up. We let you know early as we have all been there.
By the way, why did your wife sugest window cleaning? as a recruiter, is there something she knows?

[tomlions]

hi steve, yeah i'm going trad, think its the best way to start, ha ha and know she deals in executive recruitment but thought my attitude to work and attention to detail would be ideal for window cleaning, who knew !!! cheers steve.

tom

[jonnyald]

good lad- going trad !! 

- all the best to you  tommo

[tomlions]

cheers ladder garder, i've learnt that being a small cog in a big machine is like a blanket or pair of slippers u just slip into them and after a while things like incompetence and blind stupidity just wash over you until you realise you've had a gutful of it and need to do something else !! this threat of redundancy has maybe come at a good time and shook my tree a little, i really want to do this and i'm genuinely excited about it which i can say has not happened for a very long time, thanks for your thought and i'll be picking your brains...oh and i see you watch deadliest catch ! up the sig... he rocks !!

tom

[tomlions]

good lad- going trad !! 

- all the best to you  tommo

cheers jonny !!!

[Murdie window cleaning]

Hi Tom

like your self I'm brand new to this, and got my info exactly the same way through here and the window cleaning coach. Also like you I've started part time with the intention of going full time very soon. Unlike you I've never put a jet in the sky, I come from a retail management background. So good luck and hope all goes well.

Paul

[tomlions]

Hi Tom

like your self I'm brand new to this, and got my info exactly the same way through here and the window cleaning coach. Also like you I've started part time with the intention of going full time very soon. Unlike you I've never put a jet in the sky, I come from a retail management background. So good luck and hope all goes well.

Paul

hi paul, dont think it makes a difference what we did in our former lives as this is a new start, how are you finding it ?

[AuRavelling79]

Hello Tom; welcome aboard the funny farm!

With your background in engineering I would go straight for wfp (but learn the trad skills for insides and some downstairs work) and get stuck in. If you have time inbetween canvassing and working I would build my own system - no question. (Or oversee/coordinate the bits that you don't have the equipment for yourself such as tank fitting/hot water etc.)

Interestingly my old dad was a garage repair assistant then a fitter/armourer in the RAF but changed direction completely when he came out - but he always had an interest in engineering matters and we'd often be up to our elbows in gearboxes or motorbike engines together almost up until he died. (kept me out of mischief when I was a teenager!)

BTW - Your wife is a diamond! And if it's not too rude, how old are you and where are you in the country?

[johnny_h]

bless him can put jets in the air but cant fill in a profile 

[kenaltobelli]

 im being a bit negative here but if i had your skills ide look at other options
  ie how about auto electrition? must be a few jobs out there maybe better payed
 wc takes time to get a living just my take on this.  regards

[tomlions]

hi gold, i'm 39 and in lincolshire, going to learn it the hard way first, but not the easy way either, wfp is good if you've surely walked the walk, otherwise i'm a ladder and squeegee man !!!
bombheads rock !!!!!


tom

[tomlions]

bless him can put jets in the air but cant fill in a profile 

nothing better to do than slag me off ?

[tomlions]

im being a bit negative here but if i had your skills ide look at other options
  ie how about auto electrition? must be a few jobs out there maybe better payed
 wc takes time to get a living just my take on this.  regards

dunno what to say to that apart from engineering is a very hard game, nowadays its skills upfront and most of the time they want degree experience, no offence kenaltobelli but this country has given and sold our engineering to the cheapest bidder, dunno what else to say mate

tom

[wizard]

Hi Tom also started 6 months back climbing that hill. All I can say is good luck and keep going; it will get better if you keep your head strait. My back ground is also a few letters behind my name that will stand you in good steed. You can also help grow this forum with your exsperance, so we look forward to hearing more from you.And again good luck friend.

[tomlions]

cheers wizard. no doubt i'll be picking your brains, thank you

tom