Iowa Window Service Inc

A Lesson Learned The Hard Way

Iowa Window Service has been serving the Des Moines area since 1991, beginning as a full service, high-rise window cleaning company with employees until 2005 when an epiphany occurred—I was angry all the time! And a small business within the cleaning/service industry cannot fully satisfy the customer (or the owner!) with low-paid employees.

The problem within this industry concerning employees is twofold. 1) With low-paid employees, you get what you pay for. It's an extremely rare find when a self-motivated, hard working, trustworthy employee is hired within the cleaning service industry. 2) There is no choice but to pay low wages to employees within this industry due to its nature and market, therefore the battle for the small business owner and their customer never ends! Good help can't be found by offering low wages, but nothing but low wages can be offered! It's circular!

The Solution

In 2005 I sold the high-rise portion of my business and fired all employees. I decided to only work with other one-man window cleaning businesses to accomplish more work and bigger jobs than any of us could have completed as individuals.

The problem was solved. All workers were clearly self motivated, proven by the fact that we all owned and ran our own business. There were no low-paid workers due to the removal of the expenses that come with having employees under the government's mighty hand within the service industry. All of us made more money, provided completely satisfactory work, and didn't have to charge more than we did when we offered unsatisfactory work with our low-paid employees!

The Humor of it All

I've heard local window cleaning businesses with low-paid employees mock companies like myself, saying that we're not really legit when we "sub" our work out to each other. They actually brag to their customers that they use "actual" employees. I've been there and done that, and I know the truth. Now, so do you.

Dave
Iowa Window Service, Inc.