Thinking About A Career Change

Hi my name is Danny I'm looking at maybe starting up on my own in the next couple of years. I plan to take my pension in may be 2 years time and I am looking at window cleaning, pressure washing, gutter cleaning and I also looking at lawn care. Or even a combination to keep me busy. I plan on getting equipment together prior to leaving work and practicing my chosen new career on friends and family. I need advice on the pure water side of the window cleaning how do I get pure water buy it or filter myself. And water tanks in a van could the same tank be used for window cleaning and to feed a pressure washer. And finally I will be in the fortunate position to have the funds to set up without having to find the work and slowly get the correct equipment around me any advice on where to look would be appreciated. Thank you hope to hear lots of good advice.

Do Window cleaning and gutter work, add Lawn care your be jack off all trades master off none. Do your self a favour go out with someone in the worst possible weather and give it a go. If you can get here in 10 mins you can come out with me its ******* down and very windy, booked in on a commercial at 10.30. Good luck  

Spotless water company sell water, take a look at their website and see if there's a filling point near you. Alternatively, you can purify your own either in a van system or a static tank in your home/garage/shed/outbuilding which can then be transferred into the van where you will either have a delivery system or transfer it into backpacks from the tank in the van.

See if you can find a local window cleaner to take you out for a few days, show you what's what, sharpen up your technique wfp and trad (you will need both). You should know after a few days wether this is the industry for you. Personally, I think it's a great way for a lone operator doing manual work to make a very good income, be their own boss,own their own destiny and not have to answer to some moronic manager. Success or failure is down to your own work ethic, intelligence, resilience, ingenuity and determination. Good luck with whatever you do.

Thanks for the advice I will take a look at the spotless water company. And Don thanks for the offer to go out with you but I'm still answering to the moronic manager in the week at the moment. 

Isn’t that funny, I’m looking at doing the opposite ?

Jacking-in the hard work of window cleaning for something less taxing in retirement.

id love to find A product or something I can buy cheap and sell online. 
 

Suggestions very much welcome!

Clearview Lee said:

Isn’t that funny, I’m looking at doing the opposite ?

Jacking-in the hard work of window cleaning for something less taxing in retirement.

id love to find A product or something I can buy cheap and sell online. 
 

Suggestions very much welcome!

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Rent a house out and get a few birds in and turn it in to a knocking shop. Good luck???

Don Logan said:

Rent a house out and get a few birds in and turn it in to a knocking shop. Good luck???

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Would that be these type of birds?

Dan65 said:

Hi my name is Danny I'm looking at maybe starting up on my own in the next couple of years. I plan to take my pension in may be 2 years time and I am looking at window cleaning, pressure washing, gutter cleaning and I also looking at lawn care. Or even a combination to keep me busy. I plan on getting equipment together prior to leaving work and practicing my chosen new career on friends and family. I need advice on the pure water side of the window cleaning how do I get pure water buy it or filter myself. And water tanks in a van could the same tank be used for window cleaning and to feed a pressure washer. And finally I will be in the fortunate position to have the funds to set up without having to find the work and slowly get the correct equipment around me any advice on where to look would be appreciated. Thank you hope to hear lots of good advice.

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You will have all the bells and whistles.....and what if you find you do not like the job?.. or you cannot due to competition get many what are they called, oh yes Customers????

Morning I already have my van so I am just looking at a pole and trolly system at the moment to practice with. Any advice on what to look for is welcome.

Spoon fed much?

You have the entire web and a search bar on this forum which has covered these topics about backpacks/trolley systems countless times. Give it ago and you’ll find the answer your looking for.

Dan65 said:

Morning I already have my van so I am just looking at a pole and trolly system at the moment to practice with. Any advice on what to look for is welcome.

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Hi Dan, We all want answers right away, I was the same. A clx 22 pole with ezysnap male fitting and a Gardiner backpack with ezysnap female fitting should get you started.

https://gardinerpolesystems.co.uk/all-products/water-fed-poles/telescopic-poles/clx-ii-carbon-composite-pole/pole-clx-22.html

https://gardinerpolesystems.co.uk/all-products/pure-water-systems/portable-systems/the-gardiner-backpack/gardiner-pure-water-backpack-v3-22-litre.html

A 26cm medium brush with 2mm pencil jets should get you started. ?

OnPoint said:

Spoon fed much?

You have the entire web and a search bar on this forum which has covered these topics about backpacks/trolley systems countless times. Give it ago and you’ll find the answer your looking for.

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I think it's just nice to communicate directly with people.

Could we not put together a ‘thinking of starting up’ thread and pin it. It’s the same questions and same general advice given every week when these threads pop up. 

Thanks Grand Master for the link Im on it 

I'm a wee bit nervous regarding preen and clean entering Scotland? It might be good if they keep their minimum £8 price on the table but if they cut it then they could seriously be a competitor. They should start appearing all over the North of England next month. It will be good to keep an eye on them and give the forum weekly updates if they enter different areas. ?

OnPoint said:

Spoon fed much?

You have the entire web and a search bar on this forum which has covered these topics about backpacks/trolley systems countless times. Give it ago and you’ll find the answer your looking for.

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And if everyone did that the forum would stagnate... just saying like ?

Ritchie said:

And if everyone did that the forum would stagnate... just saying like ?

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There is one thing we all seem to hate and that's doing everything our self. I went to move my business bank to the TSB. It says on their website, drop into your local branch if you can find one and they will talk you through it. So in I went and it was like a revolving door, I ended up back outside with a headache and no further forward. They want you to do everything by yourself on the net. So I gave it a try and think it went okay but will need to wait 7 days for an email. Its the future I'm afraid, would love the good old bank manager to reappear but not going to happen so that's why we get sent round in circles.

Wonder whether these unhelpful bank staff will one day look back when they're unemployed and say to themselves - maybe if I hadn't of treated customers so poorly and handballed the task the customer asked to the internet, maybe I might of had a job today...

Ritchie said:

And if everyone did that the forum would stagnate... just saying like ?

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I don't think it would stagnate, there's always plenty to talk about. The same obvious question (What do I need to start up and how much will it cost?) is asked on a weekly basis I'd say. Sometimes several times a week by different people. Nothing wrong with that but it can be be very wearing when several of us have to keep repeatedly answering the same question with our more often than not, at least slightly different answers. I think folk need to do some in depth studying before asking so at least they will have some idea of what is what. If we ask advice it's good manners to give feedback to those that gave it, yet few do. 

I have offered to go through the equipment and give hands on coaching on two occasions In the past year to people who have asked about starting, on this forum. This help was offered free as we all have to start somewhere. On both occasions I wasted my time. One (a local taxi driver) came along, seemed very enthusiastic. My son and I coached him thoroughly for an hour. All the while he was getting texts from his girlfriend harassing him to take her shopping which was interrupting the flow and wasting our time. He was going to start after getting back from a holiday. We would even have lent him some of our spare (but in good order) equipment Never heard from him again. 

The other guy was from further away (two hours) . I spent a fair bit of time advising him on the phone and offered him a day's coaching on all the aspects of the equipment and techniques. I made plans to teach him as much as possible in a day due to the travelling distance. He never came up.

Folk need to make a serious effort. Do some in depth prior research. If they are offered a day's training with an experienced operator, be very grateful, take a day off work and jump to it. I would have loved the opportunity of some coaching when I started six years ago. 

An observation of mine : A lot of the time people want something until it's available. And the easier it's made for them the less it's valued. 

Bit of a rant, but I felt it needed to be said. ?

Ahem! Just saying like. ?

Clearview Lee said:

Isn’t that funny, I’m looking at doing the opposite ?

Jacking-in the hard work of window cleaning for something less taxing in retirement.

id love to find A product or something I can buy cheap and sell online. 
 

Suggestions very much welcome!

Click to expand...

 One of my best mates does building work, but fed up of getting knackered etc, so he started buying and selling stuff online. Hes a bit of a gypsy, his dad was a proper one and hes inherited the knack of knowing what he can make a profit on. At car boots etc he always finds a profit. Worth specializing in a certain area, master it and then you know what your doing. stereo equipment is one area, but takes a while to know ya stuff.

Anyhoo, its saturday and im off out to get trolleyed ? ? catch y'all laters

Thanks man.

Appreciate it.