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WOMEN IN THE WINDOW CLEANING INDUSTRY 2011:
LADIES FIRST
(September/October 2011)
By Anne Richter
Five years after AWC’s first “Women in Our Industry” feature, several female window cleaners prove that women continue to expand their role and influence in this historically male-dominated field.
Sheila Smeltzer first entered the window cleaning business in order to support her other, arguably female-dominated, career.
“My husband had been a window cleaner for nearly eight years when we got married, and shortly thereafter, we decided to start our own business,” she explains. “I was the stay at home mom who refused to put her children in daycare, and after my husband and I divorced, I was determined to make sure my girls remained as unaffected as possible.”
Window cleaning, Sheila discovered, would provide her with greater control over her work and income while still allowing her the flexibility to “be a mom.” After her divorce, she chose to continue on her own the company that she and her husband had started, even though she admits that she had “no clue” how to actually clean a window. Now, Sheila serves as President of A+ Pro Window Cleaning based out of Supply, North Carolina, a company that she took on “in shambles” and transformed into a successful enterprise.
“Five years ago, I had pretty much just cleaned my first window,” she says. “Since then, I have tripled the size of my company and serve on the IWCA Board of Directors and two committees. Five years ago, I was attending my first IWCA convention. At last year’s convention, I won third place in the Medley window cleaning competition – you could say I’m the fastest woman window cleaner in the world!” she laughs.
Five years ago, just around the time Sheila was learning to clean her first window, American Window Cleaner published its first feature on women in the window cleaning industry. The perspective on women’s role in the industry, just like their role itself, seems to have changed quite a bit in that short time. Today, women are gladly tackling the more physically demanding job requirements while also taking on managerial and leadership responsibilities for the businesses they serve. Likewise, today’s women window cleaners are playing an important role in the industry at large; holding leadership positions for industry organizations like IWCA and acting as spokespeople for industry innovations and safety issues.
Creativity, dedication, and a “big picture” perspective of the window cleaning business are traits that have helped women window cleaners overcome stereotypes and find success in the field. A desire for independence and greater career flexibility has also been a driving force behind many women’s entrance into the industry. Kim Waller, President and Owner of Fish Window Cleaning in Virginia Beach, Virginia, worked in the paper industry for thirteen years after graduate school before deciding that she wanted to work for herself. She worked with Franchoice to explore what types of opportunities may exist and came across Fish. Kim opened her first franchise in 2003.
“For me, window cleaning was just like any other business,” says Kim. “Personally, I felt prepared for this industry from the management experience I had in the paper industry. I was used to working in an all-male environment and dealing with physical work with lots of safety considerations and entry-level folks.”
Kim applied the same strategy that she had learned in the paper business to her career in window cleaning. “I knew nothing about making paper but was able to go out and earn respect from the employees by getting them to teach me their skills and show me their issues and needs,” she explains. “I was committed to my work and always stood behind my word. The same concepts apply to window cleaning.”
For Melody Edwards, President and Owner of A-One Window Cleaning, Inc. in Hatfield, Massachusetts, window cleaning started off as nothing more than an after-school job and a means to earn some extra money for a backpacking trip to Europe. “I used to think I wanted a more ‘sophisticated’ office job,” says Melody. “I thought I found my dream job when I graduated and went to work in an office position for a high-end skin care company but, as it turns out, I didn’t love it.”
Melody hated being indoors all day and having to “fake” working when there wasn’t anything to do. As fate would have it, a few months after she left her office job, Melody got a call from the same window cleaning business where she had worked as a teenager – A-One – asking if she might have any interest in buying out the business. Seventeen years later, Melody has redefined her “dream” job. Not that it hasn’t been without its own set of challenges.
“Window cleaning as a profession is intimidating, never mind the fact that I’m a woman working in a male-dominated industry,” she says. But, Melody continues, many of the challenges she initially had to overcome were actually in her own head. “I was terrified that my customers wouldn’t trust my abilities, so I overcompensated by making sure to do all the difficult work myself. I proved myself – to be stubborn and stupid!” Now that she’s established herself in the industry, Melody no longer feels the need to prove her worth when it comes to the purely physical challenges of the job. “There are still a few times a year when someone (generally a woman) asks if I am going to bring a man to help me handle the ladders, but for the most part, my customers no longer question whether or not I can do the job,” she says. “Although, after a few back injuries and two children, I’m more than happy to hand over the ladders to my employees!”
Sheila, like Melody, has always been comfortable working in the field, and continues to do so as President of A+. She admits, however, that the physical challenges related to the job were greater than the challenges she faced as a business owner. “Ladder work, roof work, pressure washing…I do it all, but these aspects of the job are challenging for even the most physically-capable of women,” she says. “But I had to overcome this challenge if I wanted to get the work done.” Sheila credits her competitive nature and the work ethic she learned from her father, who just retired at age 73, with helping her prove to her colleagues – and to herself – that she could indeed “get the work done.”
“I have male employees who I hire to do ladder work and such, but I also genuinely enjoy doing it myself to demonstrate hard work, knowledge, efficiency, and perfection,” she concludes. “I earn respect from my employees by demonstrating my competency. I know in their minds they are thinking, ‘If she can do it, I can do it!’”
“Women shouldn’t be afraid to take on all aspects of this work,” Melody agrees. “I know many women who struggle with the ladder work, and I myself hadn’t done much ladder work when I was an employee of the company. When I bought the business, however, I invested in a personal trainer to build up core strength, and now I can handle ladders up to 32 feet. I am also proficient at water-fed pole use, and my proudest moment was last year, when I taught myself to operate a 65-foot boom lift for a job.”
But confidence and physical aptitude is only one small part of what makes women window cleaners successful. Strong business acumen and an understanding of what makes the industry “tick” is key. And, perhaps because of the gender barriers that they have overcome, women in the window cleaning industry seem to have a keen sense of how they can differentiate themselves from their competitors and win the trust and ongoing business of their clients.
“This is a service business,” Kim asserts. “You can’t ever forget that. So at the end of the day, the best window cleaner isn’t necessarily the fastest or strongest; he or she is the one who provides the best service while cleaning windows.”
Melody finds that being a woman can offer unique advantages when it comes to client service. “Women tend to have a special understanding of customers’ needs,” she says. “For example, at my house, I’m in charge of cleaning my floors. If a contractor came into my home with muddy shoes, I wouldn’t be happy! For that reason, I always take off my shoes when I enter a customer’s house. Customers – especially women – view their homes as a reflection of themselves, and they care about the details of your work. Paying attention to those details sends an instant message that says ‘I care about your home and you can trust me to take care in it.’”
Kim notes that window cleaning has “attracted a lot of newcomers” as the economy struggles and more people look to go into business for themselves. But she reiterates that as is the case with any other business, professionalism, client service, and flexibility are crucial. “To me, you aren’t going to be around for very long if you don’t listen to the customer and treat them with respect,” she says. “You also have to be flexible to the changes – with respect to workforce, equipment, safety requirements, and how people find you and recommend you to others.”
As the face of the industry changes, the women who are becoming an even larger part of it support and in many cases help advance that change and innovation. Flexibility and adaptability certainly seem to be a common thread amongst the women window cleaners who have achieved notable success. Kim remarks on the technology that is constantly changing the industry, as well as the effects of the Internet and social media on customer satisfaction and referrals.
“Change is inevitable,” agrees Sheila. “Window cleaning is a service, but it is also very technical. At the end of the day, we all want the same thing: an industry that allows us to work safely on quality glass. Working together toward these common goals will allow us to rise up as a more recognized and professional industry.” Sheila expresses enthusiasm over the “great strides” that have been made when it comes to earning greater recognition for the window cleaning profession. “Advances are being made with respect to safety, equipment, education, and glass – we’re earning greater respect as a profession and that’s sure to improve in the future. I’m excited that I am part of an industry that has endless demand for new developments and innovation.”
Melody cites “innovation and information” as the two parts of the industry that she is most passionate about. Although she plans to sell her business next year, she has every intention of remaining an active member of the window cleaning community. She is currently in the process of writing a book geared toward window cleaners who are just starting out in the industry. “I began writing it specifically for women, but as I continue to write, it’s obvious that my knowledge is relevant to anyone in the industry – male or female,” she says. Underscoring the importance of education and sharing information, Melody believes that all experienced window cleaners should be open to mentoring. “I certainly don’t claim to know everything or do everything the right way,” she explains. “I am an expert on making mistakes and learning the hard way. But I’m also committed to using my expertise to save others the troubles that I have gone through.”
For these women, flexibility and out-of-the-box thinking translates just as easily to the more technical, “on-the-job” aspects of the window cleaning business as it does to the larger industry trends and innovations. “I’m always looking for ways to get things done more safely or efficiently,” Kim says. “And I’m not afraid to ask for more information or admit when I don’t know something.”
“Being a great window cleaner requires a unique way of thinking – a mix of logic and creativity,” Melody says. “People think I’m crazy carrying around 30+ squeegee sizes, but I can’t tell you how much time it has saved us! If I’m working on a house that has thirty windows that are 6/6 panels, that equates to 24 squeegee passes per window, or 720 panels to wash in total. One 6” doesn’t cut it. Having the right squeegee size cuts down on wiping, streaking, and hand pain, and makes training employees much easier.”
Different from many others in the business, Melody also uses double-sided buckets. “The bucket on a belt is a great invention, but it was definitely invented by a man with no hips,” she says. “A double-sided bucket allows me to keep equipment dry on one side, which a five-gallon rectangular bucket does not. Since I specialize in residential work, this method works best for us.”
When it comes to advising other females in the industry, the words of wisdom from those women who have been there speaks equally well to women in any male-dominated field and, arguably, to the men as well.
“Respect has to be earned, regardless of your position,” says Kim. “Learn the trade so you can speak intelligently about it. Dress appropriately and show that you know what you’re doing when you speak with potential clients – especially with property managers, construction supervisors, and the like.”
“Hire women!” advises Sheila. “I have always hired men until this year, when we ended up having an entirely female residential window cleaning crew. My customers have commented on the quality of work and the greater comfort of having ladies in their home.”
Sheila also recommends seeking out opportunities for long-term contracts. “It helps with projected cash flow and provides for year-round opportunities for employees,” she says. “Combine services that are complementary to each other [A+ offers window cleaning, pressure washing, and janitorial] so that you can deliver comprehensive interior and exterior maintenance packages.”
Melody cautions that all window cleaners – women and men alike – should take care of their bodies. “I thought I was invincible until I hit 30 and suffered my first back injury,” she says. “Physical therapy is expensive…stretching is free. I have put one of my employees in charge of leading daily stretches and that has been great.”
And, says Melody, “Don’t hire people based on experience alone – hire people who are customer service-oriented and eager to learn.”
“Women need to decide if they are going to approach window cleaning as a business or as a job,” says Kim. “If you want to build a business that’s going to be around for ten or twenty years, you’re going to have to make investments in people and equipment.”
But, above all, women in the window cleaning industry must approach their career without doubts as to their abilities and without a sense of limitations. Because, as the stories of these and other successful women window cleaners go to show, with hard work and the right attitude, there are no limitations. And because they’ve had to work that much harder to prove themselves, these ladies are more than prepared to meet the challenges faced by the industry as a whole.
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