Getting Your Balls Back & Out Of A Vice

Life can make it hard to see a future beyond what you have. Sometimes you just need a squeegee. 

How I Helped My Husband Get His Balls Out Of A Vice (By Pamala J. Vincent): I’d had it with the negative comments, the lack of desire, and his lack of purposefulness. I sat across the table from him and asked, “What happened to your smile? Where did it go?” His animated answer caught me off guard, “Work is exhausting and I’m tired of feeling like my balls are in a vice.” I said, “Then quit. I’m willing to sleep in a tent if it brings your smile back.”   

Sanity won out. He didn’t quit, but it opened discussions about this stage of life we find ourselves in. I love my man. He works hard to support us. We’re a two income family and both of us were working more hours than allowed us to live life. He’d reached the point of exhaustion working for someone else, and constantly feeling cautious that he might step out of line and lose his job, our health insurance, and his retirement. 

Some companies might be outstanding to work for, aware of the frontline worker who keeps them in business, but often once companies move beyond the ‘family size’ they become more about numbers and forget that it’s people who make them successful. All of a sudden the things we owned, seemed to own us. In an effort to help take back his power, I asked him, “If you didn’t do this job, what else would you want to do?” 

He had also reached a point in his life where the things of our twenties and thirties were the things of our twenties and thirties. We no longer are the couple who could play five softball games in one day, come back and do it for a championship on Sunday and still walk on Monday. The kids were off to college, and retirement is still years away…Now what? We weren’t ready to sit in recliners every day after work only looking forward to America’s Got Talent, or the ten o’clock news. 

After much discussion, he created a bucket list and answered the question, “If I lose this job, what else would I do?” He surprised me when he said he would like to wash windows. Being a naturally charismatic guy, I knew customers would love him. He did some research on what it took to be a good window washer, and found the supplies. For Christmas that year, I bought his company name, set up his business bank account, and business cards. We bought him a work truck and we plastered his business name and number on it. 

He started slowly doing bids, got the jobs and I did the scheduling and billing. Before long he was making more in a few hours a day than he did all day at his warehouse job. He’s taken his power back. During job negotiations, he refused to take a salaried position knowing once that happens, they dictate your hours. His new perception of his control over his life helped him take a stand that is better for him. I know my guy is not unique. Many men feel so responsible for their families they stay stuck in a job for more years then they should, and their dreams begin to die. There’s nothing wrong with being a responsible partner that supports a family, but dreams can make working to live bearable. 

But an amazing thing happened. The business grew faster than we could keep up. Before long, I was washing windows along side him. He no longer worried about what he would do if his warehouse business shut down, or he got frustrated enough to quit. His bucket list began to grow. In high school he was a competitive surfer. He’d surfed all of Oahu, but had always wondered what it would be like to surf other famous spots. So he added, Malibu, Maui, Huntington, Kauai, the Big Island, Australia, and Baja. To date, he’s surfed all those spots save the last two. His business is growing, we’re having a blast working on our bucket lists and the best thing yet is—his smile is back. 

Late Payments

Late payment is inexcusable, shameless and completely unfair. Independent professionals don’t receive regular income like employees and therefore rely on being paid on time to keep their business afloat.

Dash for cash leaves self-employed workers chasing £200 a month in late payments: The self-employed workers who keep Britain’s houses clean, tidy and well-maintained are among those owed £208 in an average month by customers who don’t have cash in hand to settle bills.

This means that the UK’s sole traders - including many cleaners, decorators and gardeners - are chasing nearly a fifth (18%) of their earned cash income each month, significantly impacting their cash flow and forcing them to spend time recovering debts. The figure rises to £1,846 for other small businesses with between one and nine employees.

Despite having the best intentions (86% of us agree that paying small businesses on time is important and 57% would prefer to pay by cash) 28% of us regularly have to dust off cheque books, make a dash to the cash machine (44%) or simply pay late (17%).

But the dash of shame to the cash machine to get money to pay Britain’s one man bands – or the red-faced “I’ll have to pay you next time” - could soon be a thing of the past.  Paym, the easy way to pay small bills, friends and family using just a mobile number, is available to more than 90 per cent of UK current account holders – and tradespeople can get paid straight to the number on their business card.

Craig Tillotson, Managing Director of Paym said: “Window cleaners, gardeners and decorators are facing challenges from well-meaning customers who often don’t have the cash on them to pay there and then. Paym is an easy alternative to accepting debit and credit cards which we know many of these types of business resist because they find them expensive or inconvenient. It will be a massive help with time-poor customers.

“We know that many small businesses rely on their mobile to run their business – and Paym makes it possible to use that vital phone number to easily accept payments. We’re urging businesses and self-employed people to sign up today and to spread the word amongst their customers – it should help both parties avoid awkward situations or inconvenient trips to the bank.”

Paym in action – case study

Tim Sutton is a sports therapist who offers massage and treatments that cost roughly around £30 per session. He currently has 1,500 customers on his database, treating around 30 people a week. The summer period is a busy time for Tim as more people venture outside for sporting activities.

He has been using Paym for nearly a year, originally for personal use but has now introduced it to his business. As a small business Tim used to only accept cash or cheques, not wanting to invest in and carry around a card machine.

Tim is a huge fan of Paym, he says: “‘Paym is perfect for my business and customers. Not only does it save me multiple trips to the bank, there’s no need to carry around handfuls of cash. It is quick and easy to use and my clients now only need to know my phone number.”

Payments are made through Faster Payments or LINK at the same speeds as existing current account, online, and mobile payments – most payments arrive in seconds.

The research from Paym also looked at how we as a nation rely on self-employed people such as our window cleaners and electricians, and how much we pay them for their services: Paym is an easy, secure way to send and receive payments to a current account using just a mobile number. Paym means there is no need to ask for other people’s sort code or account number, or tell them yours.

Other key findings from the research:

Young people (18 to 34-year-olds) are the most likely to make the dash for cash; more than half (56%) have done it in the last year, compared to just one in three (33%) of those aged over 55. One in six (17%) have paid a small business late because they didn’t have cash on them - which rises to 26% of those aged 18 to 34. 23% of sole traders have given up chasing a payment and 30% of sole traders have stopped supplying a customer due to consistent late payment.

Options for chasing late payments: Late payments are an increasing problem for small businesses. So, when the normal channels of chasing invoices have failed, here are some of the options available to ensure your finances remain solvent.

Go legal:

Federica Monsone, owner of network storage provider A3 Communications, decided to contact a solicitor after a client had ignored three invoices she had sent them. ‘My options seemed to be that I could either hire a debt collector, which I felt would cost too much money, or write the debt off,’ she says. 

For Monsone, neither of these options seemed cost-effective, particularly as writing the debt off would be no guarantee of future contracts with the client. ‘It seemed to me that the company was struggling so I was doubtful whether we would even get any more business from them. And even if we did, this might have been the first of many non or late payments.’

After doing some research Monsone eventually found a solicitor who wrote her client a legal letter demanding payment. She says: ‘This only cost £100, but it made us look serious enough for them to consider that there may be legal ramifications if they didn’t pay. I recovered all the money minus the interest they owed.’

Don't mess around:

Carl Hackman, director of debt collection agency CCI Legal, says that over the last two years there has been a growing demand on the part of small businesses for using their services. The company typically charges ten per cent of the total amount recovered. He says: ‘Small companies often don’t want to upset their larger clients. So by using third-party intervention it's diplomatic and tactful and in everyone’s interest.’

Hackman adds that the advantage for a small business with this approach is that it has a better chance of retaining its client, as the company is only paying what it owes. ‘No late charges are incurred and our fee is paid by the small business,’ says Hackman.

Alternative options:

Benjamin Smart, regional manager of Business Link London, suggests there are other things you can do before taking legal action or calling in a third party. He says it is a good idea to visit the company first and find out if there are any discrepancies with the outstanding balance.

‘This should be followed up with a phone call to set a date and standing order for when the money is due to be paid by the client,’ says Smart. 'If it is a large amount of money, say around £100,000, this is the point where you can get the bank to bring in invoice financing. If the company doesn’t follow through with the payment the bank pays 90 per cent of the money upfront to you, and then chases the debtor with legal action.’

Kick up a fuss:

In a landmark victory for small businesses, Justine Thompson, director of training company MTa International, took on pharmaceutical giant Boots for extending its payment policy to 75 days and charging a 2.5 per cent processing fee. She says: ‘As soon as we started to get the media involved and I had agreed to speak on the radio, they backed down and changed their terms back to 30 days with no 2.5 per cent fee.’

But Thompson is sceptical about the options currently available to SMEs. She says: ‘I don’t see debt collection as being any better at gaining leverage than legal options; when SMEs start to kick and fuss they are in danger of losing their clients. I was fortunate because I wasn’t in a position where I was reliant on the Boots contracts.’ For Thompson, small businesses need to join together to fight larger organisations. ‘It’s not just a business issue but a moral and ethical one too and it’s not something they can fight on their own.’

Self-employment body supports calls to end late payment scandal: IPSE, the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed, has today supported calls from business groups, the FSB and IoD, to put an end to the scandal of late payment.

Simon McVicker, Director of Policy and External Affairs at IPSE, said: “Late payment is inexcusable, shameless and completely unfair. Independent professionals don’t receive regular income like employees and therefore rely on being paid on time to keep their business afloat.

“Late payment is a key issue for the self-employed which is why it is at the forefront of our manifesto. The Conservatives are taking steps in the right direction by acting on IPSE’s proposal for a small business conciliation service and enforcing the Prompt Payment Code, but we still must put pressure on big businesses to do the right thing when it comes to paying their suppliers. We would like to see all the major Parties agree to this before the General Election."

A survey commissioned by IPSE with ComRes shows overwhelming support from the general public to tackle the problem of late pay. The survey asked 1,000 ‘traditional’ employees and self-employed professionals in the UK’s most marginal constituencies and found 79% support strengthening rules to prevent this issue. The survey also found 78% of people support developing a way for small businesses to settle disputes without court action. 

Simon McVicker added: “IPSE stands with the IoD and the FSB in tackling the scandalous problem of large businesses bullying suppliers by enforcing long payment terms. “Our research shows that the general public overwhelmingly support proposals to end the scandal of late payment and we hope big businesses will wake up to public opinion. 

“Late pay means microbusiness owners get caught in a catch-22 situation - they rely on regular pay but can’t excessively chase payment because it ruins relationships. We will continue to work with Government and business to ensure the culture of payment is radically changed across the board.”

R.I.P. Window Cleaner Lee Teske

Lee Teske, a recent start-up in window cleaning.

Man cleaning windows dies after 70-foot-fall at St. Cloud hotel: A man who was cleaning windows Sunday at the Kelly Inn in downtown St. Cloud fell 70 feet to his death in what police are saying was probably an accident. Firefighters responded to the scene at about 5:08 p.m. Sunday. Police were called about 15 minutes later and learned that the man had been cleaning windows and fell approximately 70 feet, said Assistant Police Chief Sue Stawarski.

Police were unable Monday to confirm the man’s identity, but family members identified him as Lee Teske, 56. He was self-employed and had experience working as a window washer in downtown Minneapolis and in St. Cloud, according to his sister, Dawn Witschen. He worked alone and didn’t have any employees, she said.

Teske had a safety harness on that rescue workers had to remove when they were treating him, said Greg Newinski, battalion chief at the St. Cloud Fire Department. Teske apparently fell onto the breezeway that connects the Kelly Inn to the River’s Edge Convention Center. He then fell from the breezeway to the ground, Newinski said.

Officials from the Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration were in St. Cloud on Monday to review the details of the case, said James Honerman, communications director for the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry.

He said that window washing has been a point of focus for OSHA. During the time period of 2009-2011, three Minnesota workers died on the job while washing windows, he said. That led to the creation of a program that started in March 2012 that focused on making window washing safer. Minnesota also was the first in the nation to have a window-washing safety standard, he said.

Slashers & Window Cleaners Falls

If you wear different hats - you're a slasher.

'Slashers' Find Challenges, Satisfaction in Multiple Jobs - You're a "slasher" if: People ask what your job is and you can't come up with a simple, one- or two-word explanation. You work at one thing in the morning and something else in the afternoon, evening or weekend. A portion of your workday is devoted to balancing equally pressing but often conflicting demands on your time.

"Slashers" are self-employed people who juggle multiple jobs, sometimes related, sometimes not. According to career experts, during a tight job market it's common to see people of all ages, including those over 40, taking on extra work for the extra cash. SecondAct asked people who've adopted the "slasher" life to talk about what they do, how they got started and what they've learned about juggling multiple gigs. Last week we published Part I in this occasional series.

Bill "Stretch" Coleman, 58, residential window and blind cleaner/stilt walker/entertainment company owner in Denver.

How I got started: I started the window-cleaning business 28 years ago. My partner Jerry and I were on our way to a dinner party and the sun was shining on some very dirty windows. Jerry ran off some fliers on his boss's copier, I hung them on about 100 doors, and our business was off and running. We made about $11 an hour that first day. Years later I embarked on a second childhood as a stilt performer with the Colorado Clowns. My first parade was as a 9-foot-tall Uncle Sam. I have a variety entertainment company with stilt walkers, dancing Christmas trees, giant parade puppets, a bubble tower and group play activities. We (go to) fairs, festivals and special events within 1,000 miles of Denver.

My typical day: I start my day with coffee and the computer, responding to email, researching festivals and events, and designing clown props. Monday is usually administration day. Tuesday through Friday is window and blind cleaning. On weekends, I entertain at festivals, parades and special events. Both businesses are seasonal, with February being the slowest month of the year; June through September is very busy.

Best part: The best part of being self-employed is the continuous challenge to create.

Biggest challenge: Self-discipline. Being creative and simultaneously exercising self-discipline is like mixing oil and water.

Best tip: Be self-aware. Know what you don't want to do, and be willing to explore the things you might want to do.

Updated: Window cleaner injured in fall: A window cleaner has been injured after falling while working on a house in Southend. The man fell from a ladder while cleaning first-floor windows at a house in Parkstone Drive at about 9.05am. He was taken to Southend Hospital where he is being treated for a head wound and injuries to his ribs and wrist. His condition is not thought to be life-threatening.

Dauphin County judge praises victim, sends child molester to state prison: After praising the victim for her fortitude, Dauphin County President Judge Todd A. Hoover this morning imposed an 11-to-22-year state prison sentence on convicted child molester Gary Brown. Brown, 67, of Dauphin, pleaded guilty in May to charges that he had molested the victim almost daily between 2001 and 2003, when she was ages 13 to 15. The victim, who is now in her 20s, told Hoover that Brown told her the abuse was "OK with God." Hoover applauded the woman, who asked that Brown be sent to prison, for not allowing the abuse to overwhelm her life. She excelled in school, earned college scholarships and has begun a career in the medical field.

Brown said he has "rededicated my life to Jesus Christ. I am doing all I can to atone for what I have done." Defense attorney Herschel Lock said the molestation might have stemmed from injuries Brown suffered decades ago when he fell several stories from Strawberry Square in Harrisburg while working as a window washer. Hoover didn't buy that as an excuse for what he termed Brown's "persistent deviant behavior." "To me, it's a great loss that you were in her life at all," the judge told Brown.