The Guild of Glass Polishers was born to promote and develop the glass polishing industry and to provide free advice and guidance to those using glass polishing services.
As an organisation, we may be the new kids on the block, only being formed at the end of 2015, but don’t let that fool you. The team behind The Guild and those running it have been at the very top of the glass polishing industry for many years.
At a time when the industry is making the leap from being a ‘niche’ trade skill to a mainstream industry service, action is needed to support those providing glass polishing services and to safeguard those using these services.
Founded and run by a team of highly experienced and skilled professional glass polishers, The Guild recognises the need for industry guidelines to aid our members in providing the best service possible and affording industry customers the best value for money.
Working with our members, The Guild has developed a code of best practice together with enhanced Standards of Visual Quality demanding higher standards.
For the first time in our industry’s history, Industry Recognised Qualifications, specific to glass polishing, are being released by The Guild and supported by The Glass & Glazing Federation. This not only provides some structure to our industry, it helps to safeguard industry users, helping them to easily identify professional glass polishers, securing the best services available.
Industry recognition is a key focus for us and our members. As a ‘niche’ industry, we are not recognised by organisations such as insurance companies or C.I.T.B, meaning that services and facitlities avialable to other mainstream markets are not available to our members. Industry recognition will also open doors to new markets which may not be aware of the benefits glass polishing services have to offer.
Strength in numbers. Most glass polishing companies are small, some being lone tradesmen. Working together with other Guild members and The Guild itself, gives our members access to advice, support and guidance. Many of our member work onsite with other members to complete larger contracts or to call on specialist glass polishing skills or access skills such as M.E.W.P. or rope access. Numbers count, particularly when purchasing. By coming together we can negotiate better rates for purchasing tools, equipment and consumables, securing greater discounts for liability insurance, vehicle leasing and training courses. In todays world,even small savings go along way.
For new members coming into the industry, The Guild offers a wealth of invaluable information and experience, which can make the difference between becoming a success or a failure. 70% of new glass polishing companies do not make it through their first year. This is because they are not aware of the problems they will face trying to survive in a niche industry. Operating within the construction industry has many pitfalls. Just being a good glass polishers is not enough these days. You also need to be a strong administrator, an excellent marketing person, a good bookkeeper and you need very thick skin. To be fair, this is true of any industry, but dealing with the amount of red tape and statutory legislation in the construction industry and most importantly, making sure you get paid can be an art form in itself.
For the glass polishing industry to develop and grow and for those within it to be successful there needs to be a readily available form of support and structure and this is what The Guild of Glass Polishers aims to provide.