My first day as a Windy!

[scottish cleaning service]

what is your plan?as you seem to have a lot of equipment for a one man operation......dont spread yourself too thin....being jack of all trades is a headache for most sole traders....its much easier,less faff to concentrate on your core service rather than offer too many services....

Absolutely. My plan is to have a detached of semi detached house where I can park my van at the side. Larger van with everything I need inside but only a small tank, say 300 litres because I only use that amount each day and usually less. I can fill up at a customer if I run short. Window cleaning, pvc cleaning, gutter clears and repairs, roof cleaning and repairs, PW driveways and patios, conny cleaning and algaecide roof spraying. That's the plan. not sure how I will word it on my van. You will never make it without a plan.

 

[Jamesmarshall]

what is your plan?as you seem to have a lot of equipment for a one man operation......dont spread yourself too thin....being jack of all trades is a headache for most sole traders....its much easier,less faff to concentrate on your core service rather than offer too many services....

bang on … it’s alright when you have a lot of time spare and aren’t flat out. Swapping kit out to put kit in for different jobs and then back again is a nightmare 

I’ll only do house painting or guttering and fascia replacement etc on a weekend and it has to be a lot more lucrative than regular work

 

[NewGuy]

not sure how I will word it on my van. 

Bob a Job...?

 

[Davy G]

With the amount of equipment Scottish has it could be ;Thunderbirds are go! Or, Anything can happen in the next half hour! For the few of us old enough to remember Thunderbirds kids TV series.

Thunderbird 2 was an aircraft that would collect different equipment pods from base depending on the type of emergency being dealt with. ??

 

[Spit & polish]

@scottish cleaning services 

Exterior cleaning specialists

(Then list the services)

Window cleaning - gutter cleaning & repairs - pressure washing - roof cleaning and repairs - upvc restoration

 

[ched999uk]

With the amount of equipment Scottish has it could be ;Thunderbirds are go! Or, Anything can happen in the next half hour! For the few of us old enough to remember Thunderbirds kids TV series.

Thunderbird 2 was an aircraft that would collect different equipment pods from base depending on the type of emergency being dealt with. ??

Thunderbird 4 was my fav. It didn't get many outings but each episode I always hoped it would be the pod Thunderbird 2 would pick up. ?

 

[Davy G]

Thunderbird 4 was my fav. It didn't get many outings but each episode I always hoped it would be the pod Thunderbird 2 would pick up. ?

I think that was the underwater one. A bit similar to Stingray from another series? ?

 

[dazmond]

all the gear and no idea!?

 

[dazmond]

bang on … it’s alright when you have a lot of time spare and aren’t flat out. Swapping kit out to put kit in for different jobs and then back again is a nightmare 

I’ll only do house painting or guttering and fascia replacement etc on a weekend and it has to be a lot more lucrative than regular work

some people love the variety i guess......i dont know how people work weekends....mon-fri is enough for me.in fact its normally mon-thurs these days...i like fridays off too when possible....

 

[Davy G]

I admire @scottish window cleaner . Even though my previous post might have looked like I was mocking him, I absolutely was not. I do admire the man, he gets it done. I just find it tickles me that when he's going to do different types of jobs he has no hesitation in getting the kit he wants to get.  He enjoys his work. It's almost a hobby to him, we can see that by his enthusiasm. Good for him, I wish I had his energy.?

I think it's great to be able to make your hobby your paid work. No different to being a  paid fitness or football coach or a paid kayaking or mountaineering guide or coach. Or someone who designs gardens or house interiors for a living. My modest family business has to a degree become my main hobby as well, as I'm not able to get to the coast for kayaking as often as I would like. I only work part time hours though. We've managed to make our work much more efficient than it used to be and now have the work~life balance that suits us.

We go to work. We might as well try and enjoy it. Not always possible I know and I'm always glad to get finished, but I certainly don't get the pit in the stomach dread I used to feel in some of the jobs I've done in the past. The relative freedom to be our own people and as much as possible masters of our own destiny is gold dust to me.

Onwards and upwards my friends. ??

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I was persuaded to take up Kayaking many years ago. I was warned before hand if I don't tie a rope to my oar I will lose it. First day out I lost both oars because I tied a rope between them. That was a warning and I never returned to Kayaking. ? 

 

[dazmond]

i go to work not just for money,but the exercise,fresh air and to get out of the house but after 5 or 6 hours its time to head home again...it gives me a certain discipline and structure to my day,im a daydreamer by nature  so regular maintenance window cleaning outside with minimum faff (usually listening to music too)is heaven....

the icing on the cake is earning £40-£60 an hour for mincing around with a water fed pole for a few hours....

 

[Amazin]

Huh! Call that a major mistake!??

My first week or two in I put the pole down a bit roughly on a conservatory roof I was cleaning and knocked a hole in the  poly panel. Ancient, blue roof conservatory with what I found out when I called someone to replace the panel was a roof product called Everlite. Notoriously frail roofing once it's aged apparently. And nicknamed in the trade "Eversh..e!" A lesson learnt at a cost to me of about £300 or so if I remember correctly, though I could be wrong on the figure, it was around 7 years ago.

You made a major mistake. Huh! Nothing! ??

ouch, sorry to hear that. The worst thing that ever happened to me so far was my ladder slipped but I was lucky because it hit a wall and stopped. I also smashed a pane glass but I didn't go back after that lol

Don’t put yourself under pressure, they now know you can’t reach it TBH I wished I had done that with many of my own customers it’s a pain getting a 44’ poke out at times just for one window I would rather take a couple of quid less. 

true or just get the ladder out....if it's not too much hassle 

You could try standing on one of these to get the extra height:

View attachment 24950

I would say I use my hop-up at least twice a week for gaining a bit of extra height to reach the odd window, getting the ladders off the van etc... etc...

why not just use a step ladder? I love my step ladder! Every window cleaner should have one in or on their van! 

who wants to work 16 hours days?thats not success its being a busy fool with no other life outside of work.......25 hours a week window cleaning and earning 50k a year is success in my little world....it leaves me with plenty of time for hobbies,family and walking the dog!?

If that make you happy then so be it but everyone is different. It all depends on what they want out of life and ultimately what you put in is what you get. If you want to be a seriously rich then doing 25 hours per week is a joke. 

 

[dazmond]

you wont get seriously rich cleaning windows whether you work 16 hour days or not.....you ll turn into a knackered,boring guy who will wake up one day and say "wheres the last 10 years gone?".......your missus will probably spend all your money and leave you eventually!...?

 

[Amazin]

you wont get seriously rich cleaning windows whether you work 16 hour days or not.....you ll turn into a knackered,boring guy who will wake up one day and say "wheres the last 10 years gone?".......your missus will probably spend all your money and leave you eventually!...?

why do you think that? there's got to be reasons? you've said this few times now

 

[ched999uk]

Update 2 Weeks in.

The weather has been great here for the last 2 weeks. We have dropped about 1000 leaflets and have 12 customers with about 4 more that didn't take up the quotes. About 1.2% conversion, I am happy with that as I wasn't sure on prices but as most are accepting I think it's about right. The cleaning has all been good, it is taking me way too long but I am making sure it's a great clean and lots of rinsing ? I am gradually learning little things as I go, like trying to hold the bottom of the pole if possible so I know where the end is, watching were pole hose is etc. 

Have someone delivering 1000 leaflets next week, so see how that goes.

So far I am pleased with how it's gone. 

Again thanks for all the help you have provided.

 

[Davy G]

Well done @ched999uk
  I was hoping you'd give us a positive update. ??

 

[NewGuy]

12 customers in a fortnight is great.  Keep up the good work.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

The tipping point is when you have a nice sign written van. You can park it at places where folk will see it, like the supermarket. I think I did that on my first few weeks and then the momentum gained traction. ?

 

[dazmond]

why do you think that? there's got to be reasons? you've said this few times now

.....because workaholics end up being obsessed with work,live and breathe it 24 hours a day for long enough and personal relationships,family and friends,hobbies take a backseat,(or are non existent!)......basically anything worth living for becomes neglected....resulting in affairs/divorce/unhappy kids,family,etc.....

i work to live not live to work.....you gotta find a work/life balance!

 

[scottish cleaning service]

There is a word that i have recently been interested in, its called 'codependency'. It was very strong in my early years when my mum ran my father's hotel. Its like putting all your eggs in one basket or a company having one big contract and when it comes up for renewal they don't get it. I call it the domino effect when everything suddenly falls apart. We are okay just now with all the money help from each country but that can't continue or inflation will go sky high. There is about 10% of the public that don't know how much folk rely on them, I'm beginning to notice it now since the pandemic begun.