Female window cleaners

ska_lover

sounds a great idea. im sure women are up to baring the cold as well

jamesy

(There is nothing inherently 'male' or 'female' about cleaning.)


No but there is with a name like merry-maids

paddyrg

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

If it was a genuine self-employed relationship, and not an attempt to avoid employing them - HMRC would have the final decision on that.

Absolutely - but many trades and services use this model (builders, hairdressers, etc), so properly implemented it would have precedent at least :-)

And you wouldn't be happy for Jamesy to pop round and do the windows if your wife was home alone? :eek: remind me again which century we live in ...

Not wishing to give too many details away, but I know my DW has reasons to feel a lot easier with an unknown female tradesperson than an unknown male one. Century or what she *should* think is unimportant...

jamesy

Savvy_sue Do you think the name merry-maids was thought up with men in mind?

jamesy

Ok so i call it

SHEILAS WINDOW CLEANING


Do you think i will get many men applying?

paulwf

I'm not sure I'm following this thread properly, but then it has been a long day!

Just to be clear is your business plan based around one unemployed 18 year old saying they'd like a job? Before going any further forget about any particular staff member as they will come and go and write a business plan based on financial viability.

How strong a selling point will an all female team be? Balance this against how difficult it may be to find female staff...does one outweigh the other?

jamesy

paulwf wrote: »

I'm not sure I'm following this thread properly, but then it has been a long day!

Just to be clear is your business plan based around one unemployed 18 year old saying they'd like a job? Before going any further forget about any particular staff member as they will come and go and write a business plan based on financial viability.

How strong a selling point will an all female team be? Balance this against how difficult it may be to find female staff...does one outweigh the other?

no mate i have already said this in my first post (Well infact it is something that i have been considering for a long time!) its something that i have been thinking long and hard about, but never got round to doing anything about it. she just reminded me of something that i had in the back burner so to speak.

Savvy_Sue

paddyrg wrote: »

Not wishing to give too many details away, but I know my DW has reasons to feel a lot easier with an unknown female tradesperson than an unknown male one. Century or what she *should* think is unimportant...

Sorry, that's fair enough, it was just the way you said "I would be happy ..." rather than "my wife would prefer ..."

I defend to the hilt your wife's right to have a preference ...

Personally, I think that running an all-female team of window cleaners / decorators / cleaners / taxi drivers could cause as many problems as it solves. By all means advertise that there are both male and female staff and make a selling point of being able to supply female trades if that's the customer's preference. BUT do you then send out the ladies if a man requests it? Every time? Or do you 'vet' such requests? You have to keep your staff safe from sexual harassment.

And again, just personally, I find names which include 'Sheila' and 'Maid' scream stereotypical gender bias, and i wouldn't use them, never mind encourage my sons to work for them.

BTW, the insurance co with 'Sheila' in its name employs men in its call centre.

paulwf

jamesy wrote: »

no mate i have already said this in my first post (Well infact it is something that i have been considering for a long time!) its something that i have been thinking long and hard about, but never got round to doing anything about it. she just reminded me of something that i had in the back burner so to speak.

In your original post you raised some questions and I think they can be at least partially answered by giving the female applicant a work trial as you suggested.

Now is a good time to sit down and right out a proper business plan. In doing so you'll formalise exactly what problems and opportunities there are, you'll get a much clearer idea of where you are heading if you put it on paper than just mulling it over in your head.

paddyrg

@Sue - clumsy phrasing on my part! I would be happier knowing she was more comfortable :-)