[Clive McDonald]

Yes well thought out and presented.But..

Although i agree with much of what you say Ian what makes the current situation different is that virtually every economic sector in this country has now collapsed. It's pointless listing what has gone but most people would agree that manufacturing is not likely to come back anytime soon because of global forces and retail has becom dominated by big players.So what's left is the service industry in it's various guises.

We (wc) represent one of the very few real oppurtunities.The barriers to entry are almost non existent and it is possible to start the business while still claiming benefits.

What makes us (wc) even more special is that opp spotters know to look for an industry that is going through a period of change; that us wfp tech, H&S legislation, and cash rich time poor custies. The early adopters (thats us) get to cream it and enjoy an easy growth phase.Later as more people come in it gets harder.We are just begining to go into the getting harder part.

Rather annoyingly i have to agree with ewan on this.

[Gleaming windows]

Well if this is the start of the difficult phase I'll be glasd for some respite the way things are here 


I feel a holiday booking coming on 

[dazmond]

likes been said window cleaning is not easy money and its hard work!day in/day out!ive noticed more wc,s about but i just smile and go my merry way!15 yrs established.it takes yrs to hone the round and get good paying custys!!i just concentrate on my own custys/work etc.trust takes years to build up IMO.im not worried because there  is NO NEED TO!!!ewan just likes to scaremainer and stir it.maybe hes paranoid about undercutting cos hes too expensive!it does happen believe me!!if i went round charging what some on ere are id defo lose work!

[dazmond]

seen a guy today with a set of BQ ladders going up to second floor with squeegy and mop in old pouch at the front of his sopping wet jeans terrified!freezing cold wind no hat or gloves.took him an hour to clean 2 houses while i did 5 in a row. .i used my extension pole,hat,gloves.no problem!im not worried!!

[Ste M]

ive seen a crew of 3 fellas round my way, they go at the windows with there 2 cloths one for wiping and the other for smearing i think, the one who does the downstairs has a small bucket with a little bit of water in, my mother in law saw him using his bucket with the action of just throwing some water on the window, no joke, and then he wiped over it.

What gets me is people actually pay for them to so called clean there windows. They have no squegees or BOB's or scrims, they just smear the dirt around. I have no threat at all of losing work to them as i know even if they charge £1 a house my customers would not put up with that level of service.

My customers love it now i have gone WFP and everyone of them comment on how good the windows look

[dazmond]

u can clean windows with 2 cloths ste!its called "ragging".thats what all wc used to do before mop/squeegys back in the early 90s!i damp scrim little openers then polish with dry microfibre.they come up great!mop/squeegy everything else.i use the same "ragging" techniques on leaded and georgian if they are a regular 4 weekly clean.

regards dazmond

[Moderator David@stives]

Manufacturing isnt dead, Britain is still the 6th biggest manufacturer in the world.

Recession ? yes, but we are still loaded as a nation

[macmac]

Manufacturing isnt dead, Britain is still the 6th biggest manufacturer in the world.

Recession ? yes, but we are still loaded as a nation

That's why we're 175 billion in debt?

[Moderator David@stives]

If we werent good for it no one would lend it to us would they

[Gleaming windows]

Apparently the UK's credit rating is excellent. Cant see what thats got to do with anything, in fact I dont give a hoot what our credit rating is like, but I heard that a couple of days ago on the telly.


I also heard on the telly that a cat in Portsmouth was found on a ferry going to Spain 

[Moderator David@stives]

Were all warm, fed and getting fat, what else do we need.

[macmac]

If we werent good for it no one would lend it to us would they

A "loaded" nation doesn't have to "borrow" 175 billion!

Britain isn't great anymore, it's been gradually stripped of most of the things that made it once great!

[macmac]

Manufacturing isnt dead, Britain is still the 6th biggest manufacturer in the world.

Recession ? yes, but we are still loaded as a nation

That's why we're 175 billion in debt?

BP is just one company and its sales figures per year are about that, or to give you other perspective BP sales figures alone are 3 times the GDP of New Zealand.

Another perspective 175 Billion would be like the typical home owner having less than 6 months or less than 6 payments before they pay there home mortgage off. That would make most people happy.

Doesn’t sounds so much now.

A loaded nation would not be 175 billion in debt no matter how you spin it!

[Gleaming windows]

Were all warm, fed and getting fat, what else do we need.

I need to lose some weight 

[macmac]

No spin macmac USA had 18 times our deficit at one point. But the way to view these figures is as a percentage of the countries GDP the UK is by now probably approaching £2 trillion GDP, so do the math.

Don't be fooled into comparing others, that's the governments job. The only maths I see is being 175 billion in debt!

So, if this country is loaded, why, at this moment in time is it in so much debt? Surly if it was loaded it wouldn't need to borrow that money?

I predicted this would happen 3 to 4 years ago & I predict it will be at least 10 years before it recovers.

[cockney rebel]

Recession my arse.

[Window Washers]

Recession my arse.

Shhhhhhhhhh :

[1wayno]

they need to stop wastin all the cash goin to war for no reason with other countries!

[martinsadie]

Were all warm, fed and getting fat, what else do we need.

sex 

[david watts]

all your talk about bp is not going to help; lets face it when oil runs out them
bp esso ect will be worthless .
we are in the crap at the mo had a reasnoble summer but this could be turning into
our winter of discontent' on the other hand picked up two jobs this week so
allways look on bright side of life