Wagtail, Water Meters, Videos & Other Window Cleaning News

Willie Wagtail & his daughter? of Wagtail tools gives a demo' with the new Slimline Wagtail & Wagtail Wet Scraper. Another innovation for window cleaners. The fastest squeegee yet!

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"Not that Knot" was created as an entry for the "Save A Friend Work safe Teen safety Video Contest" and in March 2009 was awarded "First Place." There is a good chance that this video will be shown before movies in some Oregon theaters in the month of June.


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Viral marketing...find out why it's called that & how it can help your window cleaning business - this is the way I did it!

Call for widespread water meters UK: "Near universal" water metering should be introduced in England and Wales to help protect supplies, the Environment Agency has recommended.
Metering should start in areas that are particularly vulnerable to water shortages in the future, it adds. But the Campaign for Water Justice called the plans a "travesty", saying the poor would be hit hardest. The agency also says there should be rewards for water companies that reduce the amount of water they provide. Its water strategy sets out measures it thinks should be implemented to protect resources up to 2050. The agency, responsible for water policy in England and Wales, also says there needs to be a complete review of the way the industry is regulated. Ian Barker, head of water resources at the Environment Agency, said: "We need to use what we have more carefully because the sources on which we currently rely will become less reliable in the future." He said not all the messages about reducing water use in the home were getting through. The installation of meters was practical in about 90% of homes and customers could request free meters from their water company, Mr Barker added. However, Neil Fishpool, from the Campaign for Water Justice, said the Environment Agency should be putting more pressure on the water companies to put their act in order, before tackling the consumers. "Water is an absolutely essential commodity. We can all do without gas or electricity at some stages. But you try living without water," he said. "To meter everybody regardless of their circumstances or how many children they have is absolutely a recipe for disaster." The report points out that 25 million people in England and Wales are already living in areas where there is less water available per person than in Spain or Morocco. More news here.

Czech coalition govt agrees to lower VAT on some items: Czech coalition government approved a bill on Monday which lowers the value added tax (VAT) from 19 percent to 9 percent in some sectors. These include small repair services of bicycles, shoes, leatherware, textile furnishings and clothes, window cleaning and household cleaning, hair salons and home nursing services. Kalousek is adamant that the bill will boost employment in all regions. "There are restaurants, barbers and window cleaners in all regions," Kalousek said, believing they all appreciate the reduced VAT rate.

Checklist: Choosing a Domain Name - When you are starting a business, it may be prudent to do so with the Internet in mind, even if the business is not intended to be web-based. The World Wide Web can serve as the best advertising medium for your products or services and has the potential to reach more consumers than any other medium. If your business is entirely web-based, its presence, and therefore its name, on the Internet are of the utmost importance. The following guidelines can help you to choose a business name with an Internet presence in mind. Although using your actual business name or some variation thereof will attract existing customers or potential customers who have already heard about your business, using a product or service descriptor, like window-washing.com, may more effectively attract new or potential customers. More here.

Vienna - Some 3,700 Austrians injure themselves every year while spring-cleaning, a safety watchdog organization said Thursday, urging the population to do chores at a more leisurely and safer pace. Among those involved in such accidents between March and April, a third suffered broken bones and a quarter sustained open wounds in 2007, said the Austrian Road Safety Board, which also campaigns for other safety issues. "Window-cleaning is one of the classics," said Anton Dunzendorfer, one of the organization's experts. People often stand on unstable chairs or assemble "furniture towers" instead of using ladders. Accidents happen because people want to finish their chores as fast as possible, according to Dunzendorfer. "Stress and a hectic pace are the most common causes for injuries."

An avid cyclist was killed in a head-on collision with a lorry after he strayed into oncoming traffic on a Spanish cycling holiday, an inquest heard today. Fitness fanatic Peter Mitchell, from Burnham, was seen with his head bowed as he negotiated a series of bends around roadworks near San Sebastian last August, during a sun-kissed 1,200km cycling trek. But tragedy hit when he missed a bend and collided with an oncoming large goods vehicle, which was said to be travelling at about 60kmh on the other side of the road.He was pronounced dead at the scene after suffering multiple injuries. The 60-year-old, who ran a window cleaning business and was a keen marathon runner, left behind two children in their 20s and his Japanese-born wife Rieko. He was riding with his friend Tony Nester, who said he had an 'infectious personality' and made friends easily. Peter Bedford, Berkshire coroner, recorded a verdict of accidental death at the Windsor Guildhall inquest."I'm sure he was doing what he loved to do, cycling on holiday in a foreign country," he said."It had all the makings of a wonderful occasion. I am so sorry that it turned to tragedy."