Quick Window Cleaning Links & Stories

Canny marketing ploy helps Men in Kilts clean up: During the recession, this company is doubling business. The Lower Mainland’s tartan army is growing. Men in Kilts is cleaning up, proving true the old Saturday Night Live adage: “If it’s not Scottish, it’s crap.” In the face of a worldwide recession, the Richmond-based window and gutter-cleaning company has seen its business double in each of the last three years. Sales are expected to top $1 million this fiscal year. “Business has been going great,” said president Nic Brand, who started MIK in 2002 on a shoestring budget out of the back of his beat-up 1985 Honda. “We are bucking the trend in terms of the recession. We broke a couple of sales in a month records in May and June.”
Business has been booming since CEO Brent Hohlweg came on board about three years ago, with MIK now boasting 15 to 20 employees during peak season and a fleet of eight trucks painted with a distinctive green tartan. All the employees wear kilts — in a tartan similar to Brand’s Sutherland family clan — and cheeky T-shirts reading: “No peeking.” “We were sitting around having a drink and my wife said: ‘Why don’t you wear a kilt, you are Scottish,” said Brand, 31, who’s family is from Aberdeen in Scotland. “It’s a blast, we have tourists come up and ask to take pictures with us. “I wear a kilt five days a week — it’s a natural disarmer. No one forgets us. And we do get asked [whether staff wear anything underneath their kilts] all the time and, yes, people do peek.” Brand said all MIK employees are put through Tartan Bootcamp, but aren’t asked to model a kilt during their job interview — or do their best Stuart Rankin impression, made famous by SNL’s Mike Myers.
“If you drive a tartan truck and wear pants, you get a lot of funny looks. So you have to wear a kilt,” said Brand. “Our guys just have to dig the freedom. You don’t have to be Scottish. We have Asian guys and Filipino guys and they all love it.” In pursuit of its goal to be “North America’s premier window and gutter-cleaning company,” MIK plans to sell franchises soon, with the first one in place by spring 2011. Also see previous blogs here.

Wyke Regis mugging victim's cash replaced by two businessmen: Two businessmen have chipped in to replace £80 cash that was stolen from an elderly Weymouth man in a brazen daylight robbery. The owner of Alf’s Fish and Chips in Chickerell Road, John Pearce, has given £40 of his own money to the 69-year-old victim who was attacked in Wyke Regis earlier this month. Mr Pearce’s generous offer has been matched by Pete McKernan, the owner of Wyke Window Cleaning Services. The donations follow an appeal by Dorset Police for witnesses and information after an elderly Wyke Regis man was attacked at 5.30pm on Thursday, August 6, in Shrubbery Lane.
The man had been walking home when he was struck on the back of the neck by what is believed to be more than one assailant. The attackers then stole £80 from their victim and fled as he lay helpless on the floor. A Dorset Police spokesman said the victim, who did not wish to be identified, suffered scratches to his face and was ‘understandably shocked and upset’. Mr Pearce, who is well-known for helping elderly people in the community with donations of food and help in funding day trips, said: “I just felt it was disgusting that an old man could be attacked like that and I felt sorry for him. Inspector Pete Meteau of Weymouth Police has praised Mr Pearce and Mr McKernan for their generosity and issued a fresh appeal for anyone with information to come forward. He said: “PC David Frampton is still appealing for witnesses to this robbery to come forward.” Insp Meteau added that anyone who saw the crime take place or who has information about those involved should contact Weymouth Police on 01305 222222 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Does everyone have their eyes shut while disaster happens right here in Clearwater and every other town across the country? I see so many businesses either closed or only open part time. They cut hours to save dollars. I just heard that three post offices in our area may be closing and one office has already moved the bulk mail to the Tampa postal facility. I know four business owners who are taking on cleaning jobs, lawn care, window washing, care of the elderly, car washing or any other job just to feed the family and try to pay some bills.

Empowering Children to.....ruin the economy! Today's blog is for Kathy Moreno who is struggling to take care of her 14 year old nephew. I know it can be hard to ask the children in our lives to make sacrifices and to help out when times are tough and money is tight. But I think it can actually be good for them to pitch in and contribute to both their own and the family's financial needs, within reason, of course.
Now, all this being said, children under the age of 14 are generally not permitted to work a "real" job and work should never interfere with a child's education. But there are things any young person can do after school to make money. Here's a few ideas to encourage your kids to consider as possible work opportunities: 3. Go to local shop owners in your area and offer your services as a window washer. The cleaner their windows are, the better their customers can see their goods. (Comment - is this legal???).

Carlisle window firm expands into new buildings: A Cumbrian window firm has tackled the recession head on by launching an ambitious expansion. Finesse, of Carlisle, has launched Finesse Architectural Systems, which offers glazing, fascias and facades for businesses. The company has taken on two units near its Denton Holme factory to run the business. The changes mean Finesse, which is celebrating 25 years in business this year, will operate three divisions: Finesse (windows, doors conservatories and garage doors) Finesse Direct (catering, cleaning and janitorial supplies for bars, care homes and schools, and Finesse Architectural Systems. The company already offers home office-backed ‘Secured by Design’ windows and doors to homeowners and will now offer its services to businesses across the UK.
Mr West, Finesse Architectural general manager, said: “We are really enjoying being part of Finesse Group. “Everything about the company is excellent; we have joined a great team that we have already felt the advantages of having the support of such an enthusiastic, professional and supportive team.” Finesse managing director Ian Milburn added: “We know we have an excellent base for this division. “Essentially all we are doing is taking the very best of what we do and offering it to the commercial sector across the UK. “We are confident that we have the teams, expertise, experience and networks to offer a first class service.”
Finesse was the first PVCu window company in Cumbria to receive the ‘Safer by Design’ award for its products. The award recognises manufacturers which help prevent burglaries and crimes on the home through the security of their products. Finesse’s windows were tested by security experts and the Association of Chief Police Officers, including a simulated 10-minute attack.

Ben's friends protest at club: Friends of Ben Lund gathered outside Funktion Rooms for a peaceful protest as the nightclub re-opened on Monday night. The Pevensey Road venue had its licence suspended by authorities following the death of 19-year-old Ben after an assault at the club in July. The popular window cleaner, of York Road, suffered bleeding around the brain and his death is being treated as murder. The council called an emergency meeting shortly after the fatal incident and closed the club in the interest of public safety and to prevent serious crime. But last week the licensing committee decided the nightclub could re-open with strict conditions. Friends and family of Ben were upset by the council's decision and when Funktion Rooms re-opened its doors on Monday night, a large group of people stood outside with placards and candles.

Marissa Shaw, 17, and Steve Ayers, 48, were candidates for Lifeguard Rookie of the Year this summer at Doheny, San Clemente and San Onofre State Beaches. In a polling of their peers, Shaw today tallied the most votes and won. He is a 48-year-old veteran marathoner, triathlete, long-distance swimmer and canoeist. Marissa Shaw and Steve Ayers, who both live in San Clemente, are first-year lifeguards this summer at the area's three state beaches. Ayers, with an extensive background as a water-based athlete, had never worked in a lifeguard tower until this summer. "I was making my kids do junior guards," he said. "I told them that being a junior guard leads to the best job in the world, being a lifeguard. So my daughter said, 'You know, Dad, it sounds like something you always wanted to do and never did.' " He's doing it part-time this summer, along with his commercial window-washing business and real estate broker's license. "I love it," Ayers said. "I would actually pay to do this. I live by Riviera. I skateboard to work when I guard there. I'm kind of proud of that."

Mixed feelings over controversial building: It boasts a cutting edge design... but who's going to cut the grass on the roof? An old folks' home in Rotherham is stirring mixed responses among locals - who claim the eco-friendly hexagonal building looks less like a residential complex and more like a flying saucer has landed. The home, named Lord Hardy Court after Lord Hardy of Wath, the former Labour MP for Wentworth Peter Hardy, sits on the junction of Haugh Road and Green Rise. And with a grass-covered roof, hexagonal structure, and timber frames, Lord Hardy Court isn't a typical residential care home. Since February the strange building has been home to more than 60 elderly people who enjoy en-suite bedrooms, and communal areas such as coffee rooms and conference rooms. The building is also designed to be eco-friendly with sedum planted on the roof to help absorb rainfall, and has been designed to let in as much light as possible and provide its own power. Lord Hardy Court was part of a wider scheme which included the building of another home in Dinnington, Davies Court - which is also an eco-friendly design. The cost of building the two homes was £19 million and consultations began in 2005. But while the home celebrates cutting-edge and environmental building technology, neighbours overlooking it are dissatisfied with the way in which the home has been built. Phil Revill, 68, a retired window cleaner, said: "I don't like it. I think it's horrible. It's awful. Before it was built there were trees and when they built it they said they would be landscaping it but they haven't."

Gecko New Media has made several new appointments including the appointment of Dave Mallins as technical director. The Edinburgh-based-digital agency has also recently added legal firm Simpson & Marwick, national window cleaning contractor Greig Avinou, social enterprise Space Unlimited and Edinburgh girls’ school, St George’s to its client list.

For most people, looking down from the top of Blackpool Tower is the climax of a family day out on the promenade. For two “urban climbers” it was the culmination of two years of planning, many nights of practice and a thirst for adventure. The two men, calling themselves Scott and Stepping Lightly, scaled the 518ft steel-latticed tower under cover of darkness and from the outside. Police and the tower’s owners were aghast, but the stunt thrilled other urban climbers or “builderers”, those who delight in ascending the outside of tall buildings. The feat was done purely for the achievement, Scott told The Times yesterday. “It’s a personal challenge — you look at Blackpool Tower and think, there it is,” he said. They even climbed with cleaning fluids and a cloth to leave the building as they found it. “If you leave a mark you get rid of it. If you leave some damage you ring up and settle the bill,” Scott said. “We don’t break and enter.

Could this be the end of ladders? Miranda Tozier-Robbins should've just bought a ticket for the Circus. The woman who was arrested in April outside Britney Spears' Calabasas home after security guards caught her peering into a ground-floor window was cleared of trespassing Thursday but found guilty of misdemeanor peeking. For real! We didn't know that existed, either! Tozier-Robbins told E! News at the time that there was "no obsession with Britney"; rather, she had been practicing documentary filmmaking, paparazzi-style (which, to her apparently, meant in an invasive and illegal manner).
For peeking, the 26-year-old has been sentenced to three years' probation, fined $100 plus penalties and ordered to continuing staying at least 100 yards away from Spears, her kids and her residence, as per the terms of a previous restraining order. Tozier-Robbins must also perform 240 hours of community service. We're thinking window washing might be in order.