Here is my story in brief, some may know it, some may not!!
I sold a large residential window cleaning business - 18 months ago now!! - that has flown!!. When Neil came on saying he sold his round that had become a monster I knew exactly what he was talking about. Well done Neil!!
The round managed me and we were obviously filling a gap in the market for good quality window cleaning but there comes a point when the round becomes a living thing and just through quality of work, people seeing you and knowing of you, it starts to generate its own new customers and you don't have to do anything to assist this.
Neil has been there and so have I. You have to look at employment and everything that goes with that. When I sold my round I was glad to be rid of it and like Neil I was grateful for it being worth a lot more than I see them advertised for - I got what I wanted for it.
I spent a lot of the money on the commercial refurb programme works equipment that was required. These works had started the previous year and I needed dedicated equipment and additional pieces to fulfill the dmands of this new level
I had only sold the round and I lost a major contract for 20k per year. That hurt but I always believed that I had done the right thing and I kept on. Then we went into the recession and it went quiet but kept ticking over. I had to lay the last of my lads off in September last year and since then I have cleaned every store on my own. It has been a long period and I am tired. Not a spring chicken anymore - even if I want to be!
I kept on doing the work and giving the people I spoke to business cards.
Well now it seems is payback time for putting the effort in.
Contact I met last year in Essex phones me up for pressure washing work at Heathrow airport - works pending.
Recommendation from security guard I spoke to at a store in Surrey- now on Waitrose refurbishment programme, works done and future works pending.
Contact I met at another store in Surrey, phone call this morning - do you want to do the external cleaning on the Asda refurbishment programme.
I can say and I am a living testament - I started with exactly what you guys started with - NOTHING!, that if you want a better life, more money and immense self satisfaction all you have to do is be the very best you can, offer a better quality service, work as hard as you can and keep letting people know you are out there the law of averages is that you will get to where you want to be.
Good luck to you all
Rob
