Window cleaners work atop The Sage music and arts centre in Gateshead, England, on Tuesday Sept. 25, 2007. The Sage Gateshead, is a landmark building on the banks of the River Tyne and is a major arts venue for England's northeast region. (AP Photo / Owen Humphreys, PA)

Mr Window Keeps His Eyes on Building a Franchise

One Bucket Leads to 14 Years of Successful Business

LAKE ELSINORE, Calif., Sept. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The destiny of some people is as clear as glass. Others struggle for years before accidentally stumbling into it. Garry Jalowka's window cleaning role evolved from an in-between job into a life-changing window of opportunity.

In 1993 -- then a struggling actor -- Jalowka needed a steady income. His uncle made a decent living washing windows. Jalowka asked himself, "how hard could it be?"

Apparently, more difficult than he'd anticipated.

"Many people assume window cleaning is pretty simple," Jalowka said. "I quickly had to learn all the tricks and industry tips required to become a professional window cleaner."

To motivate him, Jalowka's girlfriend -- now his wife -- laid down a challenge. As soon as he had three clients lined up, she would put up the $100 loan needed to start his business.

He started with one bucket and a squeegee, riding to jobs on public buses. 14 years later, Jalowka's business, Mr Window Cleaning, is doing so well that they're about to start franchising.

"I envision Mr Window becoming a household name someday," Jalowka said. "Franchising is the best way to reach that goal."

Jalowka also sees this as an opportunity to help others achieve their own goals of being their own boss, and enjoying the financial freedom and flexible work schedule Mr Window has provided him and his family.

"My passion now is to teach others how to be successful and generate their own wealth," Jalowka said.

Initial franchises -- in California, Nevada and Arizona -- will offer window cleaning, awning cleaning, power washing and blind cleaning. Additional services will eventually originate from Franchise Headquarters.

What separates Mr Window from other franchise opportunities is its infrastructure. "We're centralizing office duties at a corporate level," Jalowka said. "This will help franchisees to concentrate on growing their business."

Mr Window offers high quality, reliable services at competitive prices to commercial and residential clients of all sizes. "If there's glass on your building or home, it's our job to keep it clean," Jalowka said.

To learn more about Mr Window franchise opportunities, visit them at the West Coast Franchise Expo at the LA Convention Center from October 19-21, 2007. For additional information, call 877-MR WINDOW (1-877-679-4636) or visit www.MrWindow.com.

Website: http://www.MrWindow.com/

Window Cleaners Pose For Photo “On The Job”

The unusual photograph above shows a group of men working at what is considered by many as one of the most hazardous occupations—cleaning the windows of a “skyscraper” building. The photograph was taken from the 86th floor of the 102-story Empire State Building in New York, N. Y. As can be seen from the photo, the window cleaners trust their lives to stout leather belts which pass through rings in a leather girdle strapped around their bodies, the hooked ends of the belts being attached to metal lugs protruding from the window frames.

Passing Along A Family Business

MIDDLETOWN — For the second time, the Faulkner family business passes from father to son.

Ed Faulkner Sr., owned Middletown Window Cleaning from 1960 until sons Tom and Ed Faulker Jr. took over the business in 1979.
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Tom Faulkner (above) former owner of Middletown Window Cleaning & Janitorial Services, stands next to his son Butch, who now owns the business. Tom handed down the family business, which has served Butler, Montgomery and Warren counties for more than 50 years, to his son on July 1.Click to enlarge
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This year, Butch Faulkner squeegees his way to ownership.

He knew as a child he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, uncle and grandfather, partly because his grandfather said so.

"He'd hit me on the side of my cap and say, 'You're gonna own this business one day, Butcher.'"

Middletown Window Cleaning has served Butler, Warren and Montgomery counties for 54 years.

The company provides janitorial and residential services, including office cleaning, monthly and semi-annual home cleaning and water damage restoration.

Tom Faulkner said he's seen many changes in clientele — especially with the loss of Middletown's paper companies that were longtime customers. Now, janitorial services account for only 20 percent of the company's work. The rest is residential.

Before Ed Faulkner Sr. purchased the business from Middletown resident Frank Welch, he owned Ed Faulkner & Sons window cleaning service in Dayton.

He'd quit his factory job at Frigidaire to earn $1 an hour for a window cleaner who picked him up for work.

Walking in that legacy is "a pride thing," said Butch Faulkner whose 9-year-old son Thomas loves working with him.

If Thomas has his way, he'll be next in line to make the family proud.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2525 or dwilson@coxohio.com.

Clean Team UK

Residential cleaning is one of the UK's fastest growing market sectors with 2.7 million households spending around £11 billion every year on domestic help. With 4 years of success, thousands of regular clients and the backing of the MyHome group, Clean Team is now widely recognised as a proven leader in their field with their custom pure water fed pole window cleaning system providing cleaning without ladders.

Lee-Stuart Evans, founder of Clean Team, story is explained below;

Having given up trying to get a window cleaner for his property in Godalming, Surrey, Lee-Stuart struck out in 2003 and set up a window cleaning business from his second bedroom. Within 6 weeks his business had grown to 4 staff and over 600 regular customers and Lee-Stuart quickly realised that the key to expanding while maintaining quality was through a systematic approach with a strong brand, smart uniformed staff, full insurance and a professional approach to a trade that has historically been fragmented, shabby and unregulated.

Quickly joined by his wife Stephine and brother Ben, the family team took their pilot franchise to its current size with 6 vans, 3500 regular monthly customers and an annual turnover of £425,000. They moved from the bedroom to their current offices in Farnham in 2006. Having rejected the 'man with van' operation for a management franchise-style operation, they also developed a customised pure water fed pole cleaning system having broken or found faults with all of the major 'commercial' window cleaning kits on the market. The pilot franchise model and pole cleaning system were the heart of their success.

With the pilot model proven, Clean Team were bought by the MyHome plc group in 2007. MyHome International plc have over 10 years experience in the domestic services market and were looking for other companies that would benefit from their completely templated system.

The Package

The package for franchisees includes a system of operating business developed by Unilever, which was developed to create a successful turnkey business. Everything is covered from HR systems, through time and motion studies, all the way to the Clean Team ServiceCeo IT system. Clean Team provides you with all the knowledge and support you need and eliminates the dreaded new business learning curve which Lee-Stuart, Stephine and Ben had to overcome when they started their business.

Clean Team franchisees are not window cleaners. They are talented individuals who manage and build an efficient window cleaning business, but fear the risks of working entirely on their own. They see the value of working with a proven business format.

Clean Team's success is built on their unique management systems. These systems breakdown the whole process of operating and growing a business into simple, manageable steps to give predictable and profitable results. With a Clean Team franchise you are combining your management skills with our expertise and experience to build your own successful business - a great partnership!

Training & Support

Clean Team want you to succeed. That's why we provide one of the most thorough training and support programmes in the franchise business. It includes:

Setting up: we will advise you on all aspects of setting up your business including opening a bank account, VAT and NI registration, accounting practice, vehicle acquisition, templates, marketing materials and operating supplies and equipment.

Intensive Training: Our comprehensive 3 day training course covers everything from how to prepare for business and getting off to a flying start, winning customers and keeping them, working on your business not in it, through to building and managing your team. Franchisees are shown how to operate a premium window cleaning business using our pure water fed pole system and will be introduced to Clean Teams propriety software programme - Clean Team ServiceCeo - which helps track and manage virtually every aspect of the business.

Nurturing programme: A 90 day close-support programme to help with the initial staff recruitment, HR and customer acquisition, all designed to ensure your business gets off to the best possible start.

But the support does not end there - newsletters, meetings, an intranet, a helpline, continual updates on technology and systems development all help to grow your business and keep ahead.

Who’s cleaning up now?

A company set up in a first-floor flat by two brothers in Purley celebrated its 20th anniversary with a fun day for employees.

Gary and Paul Jeal began Chequers Contract Services as a window cleaning company in 1987, with a Morris Marina as their company car.

Their sister Kate Ward later joined the family business and it expanded into a building and maintenance company which, combined with the cleaning company, now has an annual turnover of £4.9m.

“We especially wanted to thank our staff, who have been both loyal and hardworking. Much of our success can be attributed to them and we certainly could not have been so successful without their help.”
Kate Ward

They celebrated the anniversary on Sunday with a fun day at Parsons Pightle in Coulsdon Road, Old Coulsdon, attended by more than 200 people.

Kate said: "We especially wanted to thank our staff, who have been both loyal and hardworking. Much of our success can be attributed to them and we certainly could not have been so successful without their help."

They also raised more than £1,000 for the Glass Slipper Appeal, part of the Royal Marsden's Cancer Campaign.

Pro-white WINDOW CLEANER candidate wants your vote

He is the first challenger to incumbent Rep. John Legg in District 46.

By THOMAS LAKE, Times Staff Writer
Published September 14, 2007
John Ubele, 29, is a window cleaner by trade. He is the first challenger to Legg for the District 46 seat in the state House of Representatives. And he is operations manager for the Nationalist Coalition, a St. Petersburg-based white nationalist group that wants to create its own media, education system, government and white-only living space.
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Fliers with the group's name, Nationalist Coalition, circulated along Redfield Drive, near Little Road and Fox Hollow Drive.
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PORT RICHEY - John Ubele wants you to put him in the statehouse. He wants to take state Rep. John Legg's job. He promises good things: Lower homeowner's insurance. Order in the classroom. Less money for politicians, more for vocational training. His official platform veers toward mainstream conservatism.

But Ubele has another platform, one he doesn't mention on his candidate Web site, and here is the short of it:

He wants to build a national pro-white political party.

Ubele, 29, is a window cleaner by trade. He is the first challenger to Legg for the District 46 seat in the state House of Representatives. And he is operations manager for the Nationalist Coalition, a St. Petersburg-based white nationalist group that wants to create its own media, education system, government and white-only living space.

"Ultimately," the Coalition's Web site says, "we will do whatever is necessary to achieve this White living space and to keep it White."

Ubele filed his candidate papers July 2. This is not his first run for office. Last November, after saying that black Americans who complain about discrimination should go back to Africa, he came in last among six candidates for Pasco's Mosquito Control Board. He got barely 3 percent of the vote.

Ubele could not be reached for an interview on Thursday, but his Nationalist Coalition has been busy this week. Fliers with the group's name circulated along Redfield Drive, near Little Road and Fox Hollow Drive. They depict Uncle Sam with a Star of David on his hat.

"WE WANT YOU! To die so Israelis don't have to," the flier said. "Now American soldiers are being killed so that Israeli soldiers won't have to fight their enemies for themselves."

Legg, the incumbent Republican from Port Richey, said he found it offensive and frightening.

"I mean, it appalled me," he said. "Because it's a deliberate thing on Rosh Hashanah."

It was unclear whether the rhetoric changed anyone's views. Sharon Quass, 54, said she picked up the flier, read it twice, crumpled it up and threw it in the trash.