Have you planned this
Reading a book today, a few thoughts bobbed into my mind. How often had I jumped into something, eyes shut, only to regret things later. Even more so with business ventures, it’s taken effort to make a mess of things and cost me money. Don’t even start me on personal relationships.
When I was a mere electrical apprentice, A fellow apprentice and I decided to earn some extra cash in the evenings by setting ourselves up as window cleaners. I lived in Dudley at the time, and Ivanhoe Street was nearly half a mile long with over 300 terraced houses, and they all had dirty windows.
That was our market research. Lots of houses, dirty windows, let’s do it.
I acquired two pairs of ladders from my dad – no, he didn’t know. First business problem, I lived in a top floor flat. Have you ever tried manouvering two pairs of ladders up two flights of stairs to keep them safe at night.
We spent a week visiting every house on Ivanhoe Street and had almost 200 confirmed customers. Next week, we started the cleaning. The great day arrived. We would clean the roadside windows first, then move to the backs and clean those.
Business problem number 2. My mate turned up with a 5 step bunk bed ladder on his roof-rack
I forgot to mention, he said. I’m afraid of heights so I thought I could clean the bottom windows and you could do the tops. WHAT. Well, we’re committed now so ok.
No good, he could get to one step on the ladder and then froze, so he only cleaned as far as he could reach from the ground. I did the rest, even though it didn’t seem a sensible balance of workload.
So … the first 30 or so houses cleaned at the front, now to the backs.
Business problem number 3. The houses were built on a slope. The backs of all the houses had three floors plus a garret floor. There was no way that our ladders would reach. Why o why hadn’t we checked this first.
This is when Mr “Don’t like heights” steps in with a brilliant idea. Let’s tie the ladders together with some string so that they will reach. I will stay on the ground, he proposed, and let you know if they start to slip.
Oh, really. You expect me to go up there, 40 feet or more, while you sit on the grass watching me risk life and limb with a piece of string. I don’t think so. We had a massive argument, abandoned the window cleaning project and never got paid anything. Our customers wouldn’t pay until the front and back windows were cleaned.
Laughable now, and always a good story when the beer is flowing.
So lessons learnt. Sometimes you just have to get on and do things, but at least give the project a little forethought and make an effort at planning.
We’ve all done it and I’ll bet there have been some hilarious errors among the WA community – and not so hilarious as well.
Take care everyone.
Think, plan, action - and enjoy life.
Bux
Recent Comments
47
Love it Bux. I have a window-cleaning business and I've seen lots of window-cleaners come and go over the years. I'd like to use your amusing story as an example of how little thought some would-be window cleaners give to a cleaning business.
As you say, laughable now, and a good story when the beer is flowing.
Rick
Absolutely you can use it Rick. If you look up google Maps and find Ivanhoe Street in Dudley, West Midlands, you will see the houses.
Young and impulsive times.
I hope it helps.
Bux
Hahaha, I can easily believe you learned a good lesson from that one, Bux!
My business plan was to stay in school as long as possible and play guitar every step of the way. Luckily, it turned out to be profitable. Lol 🤣 😂
Rock On! 🤘
Frank 🎸
That's good Frank, and everyone loves a musician.
it wasn't until recently that I was told that people write music for drums. I thought they just bashed away at stuff ad hoc.
Bux
Hi Bux
There are charts and music for every instrument.
Playing the guitar is just my hobby, although I did make money to pay for school books teaching and playing here and there. 😎
Frank 🎸
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Good morning Bux,
I think we've all had great business ideas that sound great on paper, but not quite so good in reality! I have to admire your get up and go and the fact that you gained 200 customers so quickly, that's quite impressive!
Like everything, there is always more to every job that meets the eye, it's important to do our homework before we start a major project.
I'm sure that's a great pub story and it's great that you can laugh about it now! It probably wasn't quite so funny at the time though!
Have a great week.
Roy
Not funny on the day, funny the next week. Especially as lots of our potential customers saw me in the street and kept asking when I was coming to clean the windows.
You have a great week too Roy.
Bux
I know exactly where you are coming from, Bux!
One of the mistakes that I made when I was a boy was taking on too much work and thinking that I would be able to cope. Instead, I would let people down, not deliberately, but I was a boy/young man! Sometimes, we have to learn the hard way!
All the best to you, Bux.
Roy
Exactly right Roy. We all make that mistake, I'm sure.
We have to learn to say not now, later or just plain no.
Or better still, - let me think about it after I've enjoyed my coffee.
Have a great Easter Roy.
Bux
The interesting thing is that we never stop learning! I still think we are better off to make mistakes than to do nothing at all, if that makes sense. At least we can learn from our mistakes, or hopefully we can!
I agree, we have to be careful not to be people pleasers, sometimes the best thing we can do is just to say no!
Coffee works wonders for me first thing in the morning; it helps to get me going! Rightly or wrongly!
Enjoy the Easter break.
Roy
If we are making mistakes, it means we are trying. If you don't want to fail, sit on the sofa all day and watch TV.
Saying no sometimes is the right thing to do, and as for coffee, well, what would I do without it.
That's so true, Bux! Sadly, there are a lot of people who would prefer to sit on the sofa all day!
I hear you, Bux!
A very happy Easter Sunday to you.
Roy
And to you and your family Roy. Enjoy and give thanks.
Bux
Thank you, Bux, much appreciated.
Roy
😎