[Clive McDonald]

I might be interested in a memoir Dave, that might be a bit about yourself (i include your wife) but also bits about other people.You could give Craig Mowlam his own chapter, Glynn from omnipole would be worth a few pages, and i think Alex Gardiner has a very good story to tell.

You probably know of more people than this(charlie Price?)- if you could find about eight really interesting people prepared to write their own precised stories with you being both the least interesting and the linking factor then maybe you would have a book.

Yes the poet guy Felix Dennis, he's a lonely old man with few friends who writes poetry.He never married.He writes poetry overlooking one of the most beautiful beaches in the world and he owns everything he can see

[Dave Willis]

Yes, he bought the print firm I used to work at. Drinks like a fish and owns an island somewhere, mad as a hatter.

[Wizard]

I read business books and anything that is of interest to me, read the three John Baxter window cleaner books. Not really interesting as the U S market is not like ours.

[The Jester of Wibbly]

No point when you have this forum 

[Clive McDonald]

Do a bit for us as a sample. You can start with- I expect you all want to know what really happened with the Association of professional window cleaners ......

You see, what people really want to read- the juicy bits- might not be what you want to write.

[Ian Mason]

Would this be aimed at the established window cleaner market, or the ever increasing unemployed & desperate for work market, as a kind of instructional book?

[Frankybadboy]

unless its by a billionaire window cleaner not interested

we be waiting a while for than then

[actualcleaning]

I read lots of business books, every book by Bannatyne, Branson,and Dennis (he's the uk's richest man- went to jail as publisher of ozz- and hit the big time when Bruce Lee died because he had the rights to loads of pics and rushed out an autobiography, then magazines, then calenders.Later he launched a computer magazine)

Gordon Ramsey is a good business read, and to a degree chris evans.

I also like books about business theory and marketing.One of my favourite books was one hundred brand disasters.

These books have informed my window cleaning career and i usually take one on holiday and come back fired up.

As regards tv biz progs, well kitchen nightmares is great, and i like the business inspector lady on chanel five.

Most of the people i mentioned are serial entrepreneurs.They spend their time looking for opportunities. Window Cleaning is an opp but it's not on their radar it can provide a good living but it also has faults- such as a low barrier to entry.For anyone who is interested here is a skeleton of how to make money by starting a business.

1. Address a need
2. Present it in a novel way
3.Tell people about it
4.Find a way of adding value
5.Look for repeat business and a path to expand.

Felix dennis is not the UK'S richest man that is the duke of westminster.....

[gary999]

isnt it time this thread went into the chat section

moderator!!

oh yeah he started it

[tom2009]

I'd be interested to hear how you folks with big businesses started and about the key moments in the building up of your business - crunch points, risks taken etc. I'm not taking the mick I'm genuinely interested.For example Window Wipers emailed me some stuff about how he built a business quickly which I have to say was really useful.  How did you start Dave? (st Ives)

[Moderator David@stives]

I started through a chance encounter, my wife was aked if she knew a wc for a camp site by a mum at the gates of my kids school, i said i would do it, but didnt know how, pulled up in my rusted out estate car with a bucket and sponge, learnt on the job with loads of dodgy advice off really bad window cleaners, the rest is another chapter.

[tom2009]

how long ago Dave? (I'm having lunch thats why i'm on here briefly! not slacking )

[Moderator David@stives]

12 years ago, only really got stuck in 5 years ago.

[StanA]

12 years ago, only really got stuck in 5 years ago.

Did that "get stuck in" bit coincide with starting WFP?

[Moderator David@stives]

yes it did, I did employ before wfp, but nowhere to the extent i do now.

I had enough of ladders and was ready for quitting

[bobby p]

why had you had enough of ladders ?

 what job were you in before w/c ?

[tom2009]

Last question apart from the camp site how did you get your first big contract for cleaning say an office block? cheers, Tom.