This little lot is a continuaton from me to those who feel not working is the Answer to laying in bed instead of working,
As those who have been following this topic will know I started my own business with the intention of providing employment for myself and being self employed you have the chance to do away with all those people you’d once worked for by their rules and their mistakes for you to live by, So from day one it’s all up to you and now you have to make sure you do it right or your the looser paying the price,
The chimney sweep side of things,
I decided to exspand the business to chimney sweeping because of the amount of calls i was getting asking for this service & the callers telling me they just could not get an experienced sweep,
After making contact with the council i found out that very few local 's provided such a service as full time chimney sweeps and if i got intouch with "N,A,C,S the association of chimney sweeps they could give you more info on this matter, This i did and the ball started rollings as to what training i needed to know about / insurance details etc And so I started to find out and get the training in all i needed to know to become a pro chimney sweep, I was amazed how easy it was to kill yourself my carponoxide poisoning coming down your chimney if the chimney was not ventilated correctly, But after all the training was completed I worked part time for a chimney sweep for no pay “But to have hands on further training” This worked out well because the sweep giving me his time was about to retire and he could no longer use the ladders both roof ladders and the normal ladders as he had problems with his legs, So i’d go out every few weeks and help for a day and he gave me advice and this was just what i needed before i went out and did my own work,
The weeks passed by and then they time became months and all the time the work kept on coming in, My team of cleaners in all the cleaning subjects was going well, I did not use any of the cleaning staff to do the chimney work as it was needed for fully trained staff to do this work,
So i bought a vehicle (Land rover) just for the chimney work, soot soon gives off a smell and i didnt want the carpet cleaning van or the window cleaning van to stink of sooty smell & it was handy having all the chimney tools of the trade in one place so Land rover & a small trailer we’re now sign written and a new name for this part of the business was put together “SOOTY & SWEEP”
chimney cleaning services, And to complete the Rover I had a metal chimney made and painted to look like a brick chimney mounted of the Land rovers roof with a sweeps brush sticking out, It turned many heads as the vehicle drove past and brought in much work and the start to a very interesting day to day life of what people are all about;
One such experience was a lady who wanted her chimney cleaned just after her 7year old daughters birthday party, The Mother had seen me cleaning a chimney and me going out side to see the brush had come out of the chimney, I’d given the niegbours warning to take the washing off the lines just incase of soot blowing out of the chimney should fall onto the clean washing (and it was a way of getting future work should they need a caring sweep “hence my newly printed card was left”)
As it was summer school holiday time offten children would be playing in the streets and wondering why this man was looking up at the sky, So i told them if you see the brush pop out of the chimney cheer loud and then close your eyes and make a wish ?? It may come true ! (plus it saved me looking for the brush)
Well the Lady im about to tell you about saw all my chimney ways and liked what she saw and booked a clean when her daughter & friends we’re having the birthday party,
I arrived and did my bit And do you know what, ? Every year after that first kids party that lady booked me to clean the chimney until the last year and i retired,(her daughters 6month old child was held in her mums arms on the last sweep in did)
So the point is you can get a lot more out of working than sleeping in doorways or laying in bed if you just try, I did and i could write a book on the many daily events that became part of a chimney sweeps life,
Hope you’ve enjoyed this one, more to come later,