F.A.Q’s about our training

Although we are happy to come to you, we prefer to undertake training in Birmingham where we have good relations with local business who allow us to use their glass for training. They get their glass repaired for free and you get to learn your skill on real contracts, boosting your confidence and getting genuine site experience.

Your training will be carried out by one of our highly skilled and experienced Master Glass Polishers. It is in our best interest to ensure that you get the very best training, as you will be representing us at some point, and our future development is dependent on your being successful as a glass polisher.

During your five days training you will learn the skills and techniques needed to remove any level of scratch damage from any type of glass surface. You will also spend time learning about the statutory side of the business, site specific documentation, required insurances, terms and conditions of service - all the really boring but necessary stuff - although we do try to make this as painless as possible.

In 3 ways. Firstly, we have our own glass polishers in the field. Secondly, while you work on our contracts, we pay you a fixed daily rate on which we make a profit. This rate works both ways. When you require additional man-power for your contracts, you can hire our technicians for the same rate. Thirdly, you will need to purchase consumables for your own contracts though our nominated suppliers as this helps us all to keep consumable costs down through group purchasing agreements.

Absolutely, and so will you. Remember, you are looking to start a profitable business, not a charity.

Glass polishing as an industry is growing daily. There are many different systems and many different approaches to glass polishing, most of which do not produce the required results. As the scratched glass repair industry grows, we will all need a larger workforce to cope with demand for our services. Using a network of skilled technicians on a sub-contracted basis is more cost effective than employing your own techncians directly.

No. The scratched glass repair industry is still very young. Until very recently formal qualifications and there are still no industry regulations (other than Health & Safety legislation) within the glass polishing industry. A number of professional glass polishing companies have recently come together to form The Guild of Glass Polishers, us, to promote the industry to both public and private sectors and to instill a standard of best practice with the industry. The Guild is also working towards increased recognition and awareness for the glass polishing industry, opening new markets for us all . The Guild does not aim, claim, pretend or want to be an industry governing body. Our members work for themselves in partnership with The Guild for the betterment of us all.

We do refer work in your area and we invite you to join us on our contracts around the UK, for which we pay a standard daily technician rates. But.... and let's be very clear about this point, we make no guarantees to provide you with constant work. Do not rely on us to keep you in work. Although we think of you as a partner in our industry, you are starting your own business and need to be able to stand on your own two feet.

There are many ways to sell yourself, but the most important marketing tools you have will be your mouth and the internet. You need to scream and shout about who you are and what you offer. You will also need a good website. 90% of all your new enquiries will come through your website. How did you find us?

There are two things that we will insist on; You will use our recommended polishing systems and consumables purchased from our nominated suppliers. You will operate within the guidelines set out by ourselves and our founding members. This is not a control issue, more a way to ensure that we all operate in the same professional manner, providing a first class service to our customers and producing the same outstanding results.

Absolutely. To use McDonalds as an example, every McDonalds store looks and operates the same way, even though some are franchise and some are company owned. When you use a McDonalds you know exactly what to expect. In the same way, we can project the same sort of brand image and create client confidence by operating as one. For example, included within your start-up package is a uniform which we all wear. Granted, it is a little on the loud side, but our aim is to create a visual association with glass polishing and service excellence. None of this uniform is branded with logos or phone numbers because often several different Guild members will be working alongside each other on the same site. It would look unprofessional to have 4 or 5 different names and numbers on display when we are all supposed to be the same company.This works in your favour too. When you employ Guild members, every glass polisher on that site will be working for you, giving the impression that it is your workforce.

Firstly, we are not conceited enough to think that we know everything. If you do not agree with a way we do things, speak up. You may have a better method, solution or idea and we would love to hear it. Secondly, we would try to work through any problems that you may have, and let's not forget that we are investing in you and your business, so it is in our best interest that you be happy and successful. If no workable solution is forthcoming, then unfortunately, we would part company. This would not stop you or limit you from operating as a glass polisher, but you would not trade under The Guild of Glass Polishers brand and you would not benefit from network discounts for consumables or be able to hire Guild technicians. Not operating within the guidelines would also negate any money back guarantee offered by ourselves in relation to your business.

We are so confident that we can train you to become a first class glass polisher and that we can provide you with the help and support you will need to start and build your own successful scratched glass repair business that we offer a full money back guarantee if you do not recoup your initial investment with us.

Yes there is competition in the glass polishing industry. It would not be much of an industry if there weren't. There are a number of glass polishing companies in the UK today, some are one man bands and others employ 2 or 3 technicians. We know our competition pretty well, most of them personally and we have worked with most of them, and even trained a few of them. We are not in the business of putting anyone down. Anyone who has the gumption to get up and make it for themselves deserves respect. Because we know our market and the glass polishing systems being used within it, we know the strengths and weaknesses of our competitors. We have used the majority of the glass polishing systems available, so we know what we are talking about when we say that our own systems are by far the most effective being used in today's market.Our system allows us to guarantee distortion free repairs and allow us to be at least 3 times quicker than our nearest rivals.

Well, naturally we are going to say that we and our members are the best. We really do believe that together with our members, we provide the very best glass polishing service in the U.K. There is no real way to prove this, other than to say that we are probably the busiest scratched glass repair providers in today's market. It is also worth noting that, on paper, we are one of the most expensive in the UK and yet our customers come back to us time after time and our members are busy. However, do not just take our word for it, if you are serious about becoming a glass polisher, we would urge you to take a good look around first and do your research. Google is probably the best place to start, search 'glass polishing', 'scratched 'glass repair', 'repair scratched glass', in fact any term you can think of to do with glass polishing. Ring around and talk to people, find out about their charge rates, how busy they are, what systems they use, but more importantly, ask if they can produce invisible repairs and if they guarantee distortion free repairs. Also ask if they can remove weld and grind spatter, many cannot. If you are told that it is not possible to produce distortion free results, come back and talk to us and we will arrange a demonstration for you.

Well that is the million dollar question. The truth is that it is really down to you. If you are prepared to put the work in, you could realistically expect to earn £35,000 to £50,000 in your first year. As you build your client base and win repeat business this figure will climb considerably. If you were to work every day of the year as a sole polisher on your own contracts with two weeks holiday it is possible to earn in excess of £110,000. A realistic outlook would be to earn £36,000 in your first year, £52,000 in your second year and to average £70,000 per year after that. This could be dramatically increased if you decided to employ additional polishers to work for you.

Glass polishing is the repair of scratch damage to glass. It is a service very much in demand throughout the UK and Europe. It is not exciting or sexy but it does pay very well. Everything you need to polish glass can be carried in a shoulder bag. You can start as a sole trader. You do not need to be VAT registered to begin with. You will need insurance - Public Liability You will need C.S.C.S training (Health & Safety) You may need I.P.A.F training (use of access equipment) You will need a bank account - We pay by BACS and so do many of our customers. We refer work in your area. We do sub-contract to you on our contracts. We do provide full support in starting and developing your business. We do hire our polishers to you for your contracts. We do not charge franchise fees - You are not buying a franchise. We do not charge license fees - You do not need a license to use our products. We offer a money back guarantee. We need you to be successful for our own business to succeed. You can pick up the phone for help and support 24/7.

That's it. You're a glass polisher. You're on your own. Good Luck!! No, not really. Some companies may take that view, but at The Guild of Glass Polishers we are looking at the bigger picture. We need you to be successful for our own business to succeed.3 or 5 days training is not going to turn you into a professional glass polisher. In this time you will master the basic skills of removing scratch damage from glass, but nothing substitutes for experience. They say that you don't start to learn to drive until you have passed your driving test. It is much the same for glass polishing.This is why we offer you (and actively encourage you) to work alongside our own glass polishers, not as a trainee or apprentice, but as part of the team, building your confidence, allowing you to learn within the industry, still as your own boss and more importantly earning money as you do.

Pick up the phone and call us - we love talking about glass polishing