harunh
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Cool story every1
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So What Got You Into Window Cleaning?
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Mart1001
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- 397
Skiving...
Like many others, I had a particularly tough time in secondry school. I hated it and barely went during the last two years. I was 14 and one morning after bunking off and walking the streets looking for a place to doss, I bumped into a mate that was a couple of years older than me and had already left school. After explaining what I was doing he said, "come with me then...I help my dad clean windows". Beats walking the streets I thought so, off I went.
I had a blast, I started off cleaning those smaller, less important windows with scrim only of course but, it wasn't long before I had a go up the ladders. That was it, the next day I was back again having a laugh with my mate and learing the trade...I wasn't getting paid at all but, it was better than school. I worked with my mate and his dad for a few weeks like this before we hit the summer holidays and then of course, after promising my mate I'd still help, I didn't.
I left school at 16 with no qualifications and spent the next two years dossing on the dole before finally deciding to setup my own round with another mate. I couldn't believe how well it went, after just one night of canvassing, we came home with work that would take us the next week to get through. We got faster and the round expanded. My mate gave up after he moved out of the area and I continued on my own and loved it. I could work when I wanted and if it rained, it was a great excuse to sit on my ass all day.
After window cleaning for the best part of two years, I got offered a full time job away from window cleaning and rather than sticking with the windows and building up my business, I took the full time job which I ended up hating. A couple of years later and after again finding myself on the dole, I started up again with another mate, mostly along my old round picking up many old customers along the way. I showed my mate the ropes and after about 6 months, I once again got offered a decent full time job away from windows. I took it and I did love this job but, was made reduntant a couple of years later as the company went under.
I spent the next 20 years raising kids, being a house husband and fixing cars to keep my sanity. Now the kids have all grown up and after looking at many ways to get back to work, I suddenly remembered how much I loved window cleaning, the work, the fresh air, the relationship with the customers and, being my own boss. So, I've just started up again in the passed few weeks. It's very slow to build up this time around due to the amount of WC's out there with their bloody wet brooms /emoticons/smile.png, canvassing is a nightmare but, I'm loving it nonetheless.
Mart.
Like many others, I had a particularly tough time in secondry school. I hated it and barely went during the last two years. I was 14 and one morning after bunking off and walking the streets looking for a place to doss, I bumped into a mate that was a couple of years older than me and had already left school. After explaining what I was doing he said, "come with me then...I help my dad clean windows". Beats walking the streets I thought so, off I went.
I had a blast, I started off cleaning those smaller, less important windows with scrim only of course but, it wasn't long before I had a go up the ladders. That was it, the next day I was back again having a laugh with my mate and learing the trade...I wasn't getting paid at all but, it was better than school. I worked with my mate and his dad for a few weeks like this before we hit the summer holidays and then of course, after promising my mate I'd still help, I didn't.
I left school at 16 with no qualifications and spent the next two years dossing on the dole before finally deciding to setup my own round with another mate. I couldn't believe how well it went, after just one night of canvassing, we came home with work that would take us the next week to get through. We got faster and the round expanded. My mate gave up after he moved out of the area and I continued on my own and loved it. I could work when I wanted and if it rained, it was a great excuse to sit on my ass all day.
After window cleaning for the best part of two years, I got offered a full time job away from window cleaning and rather than sticking with the windows and building up my business, I took the full time job which I ended up hating. A couple of years later and after again finding myself on the dole, I started up again with another mate, mostly along my old round picking up many old customers along the way. I showed my mate the ropes and after about 6 months, I once again got offered a decent full time job away from windows. I took it and I did love this job but, was made reduntant a couple of years later as the company went under.
I spent the next 20 years raising kids, being a house husband and fixing cars to keep my sanity. Now the kids have all grown up and after looking at many ways to get back to work, I suddenly remembered how much I loved window cleaning, the work, the fresh air, the relationship with the customers and, being my own boss. So, I've just started up again in the passed few weeks. It's very slow to build up this time around due to the amount of WC's out there with their bloody wet brooms /emoticons/smile.png, canvassing is a nightmare but, I'm loving it nonetheless.
Mart.
C
Catherine
Theres some really touching stories on this thread, school and bullying - so strange
Gmeister
Well-known member
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- 2,314
Your story really inspires me BC /emoticons/smile.png
Ups and downs at school. Joined army at 16, great time, left at 40 as qualified accountant! So part time doing a bit of selfemployed stuff. Also joined TA and got Army Cadet part time job. Bumped into old WC who was retiring. Spur of the moment idea to say keep me in mind: fresh air and going places I used to go to in Lakes. Eventually bought part of round all trad. Love it at times but feel a bit of time pressure. Round growing nicely and losing the dross. Nice just to meet a good number of nice friendly people. 2/3 days a week is enough having to be flexible with weather and other jobs. adapt and overcome.
David Taylor
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- 603
adapt and overcome an old army favorite!
my personal favorite was get it down your neck!
mrtaytay
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- Location
- South Wingfield
I spent 28 years working in a county and crown court. I never really enjoyed it. Hated it most of the time but hung on in there hoping that the chance of voluntary redundancy and a pay off would come along. Well it did, 2 years ago. I took the wedge, paid off the mortgage and started thinking about what I could do. It was the window cleaning coach website that inspired me to get into window cleaning. I knew that I wanted to be my own boss but didnt want to invest too much in a new business. Window cleaning was ideal. By the time I left the court I already had 60 customers (I had started windowcleaning at weekends and on days off) and within 6 or 7 months I had a full book of customers. I no longer get that horrible sunday afternoon/night feeling where you feel sick at the thought of going to work. No more business meetings, staff responsibilities, targets and mission statements. As so many other people have said on here, I dont think I could ever work for anyone again. Always hated having a boss. I love window cleaning but still find it difficult to chill when the weather stops play!. Currently sat in front of a roaring fire looking outside at a blizzard/6 inches of snow and wondering if I will work on monday........thats the difficult bit about having a round. The rest is sweet.
Worked on a farm from leaving school, age 16 to 20 Was made redundant after my four years.
Not a good feeling for a young lad to loose his job, so decided I wanted to work for myself.
Window cleaning was a straight forward business to get into, so I did.
The four years on the farm taught me what a day's work was, out in all weathers, and weekend work, even had me doing some boxing days over xmas.
You'll do owt when your young and daft.
Nearly 50 now, so 30 years just round the corner.
Honestly, don't really enjoy the job, have some days in summer when I'm happy enough.
But I just don't enjoy working, just gets in the way of my life, and doing the things I really want to do.
The money is about the only thing that's kept me going all these years, but when I touch 60 thats it, I'll have done 40 years, and all my gear will be going in the canal.
Happy Day's /emoticons/wink.png
rs2315.
Not a good feeling for a young lad to loose his job, so decided I wanted to work for myself.
Window cleaning was a straight forward business to get into, so I did.
The four years on the farm taught me what a day's work was, out in all weathers, and weekend work, even had me doing some boxing days over xmas.
You'll do owt when your young and daft.
Nearly 50 now, so 30 years just round the corner.
Honestly, don't really enjoy the job, have some days in summer when I'm happy enough.
But I just don't enjoy working, just gets in the way of my life, and doing the things I really want to do.
The money is about the only thing that's kept me going all these years, but when I touch 60 thats it, I'll have done 40 years, and all my gear will be going in the canal.
Happy Day's /emoticons/wink.png
rs2315.
C
Catherine
In the canal, that did make me chuckle
Gmeister
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- 2,314
HAHA I get where your coming from on that one
