Well, for the second year on the run, my annual ‘Sweep Swap’ didn’t really turn out as expected…
Last year, the expansion of Mr Soot Chimney Sweep meant that the ‘swap’ saw more exchanging of business ideas than chimney cleaning tips.
This year, we’ve gone more back to the latter. But rather than me hitting the road, people have actually started coming to me.
That’s because, as reported here, I’ve become an on-site trainer for the Guild of Master Chimney Sweeps.
This, effectively, sees new Guild sweeps shadowing me for one or two days. There are Guild onsite trainers up and down the country, and I’m one of those for the North West area.
In a way, it’s been a natural progression to training my colleague Peter, who completed his Guild training last year.
Peter has not only come on leaps and bounds, but he’s also undertaken specific training in CCTV inspections, thatch and historic properties and is now a HETAS-Approved Chimney Sweep.
Training people is actually more enjoyable than I thought. It’s a massive responsibility and you are of course always aware the influence you can have on trainees.
When I was new to the industry, I found the whole thing a complete whirlwind and I probably forgot twice as much as I remembered.
I distinctly recall being irked at how there was seemingly never a straight answer to many aspects of sweeping. Moreover, I found it mind-numbingly confusing when you’d ask for opinions on equipment and get completely conflicting answers from people.
I guess this is why I’m always at pains to stress, when showing trainees a technique or piece of equipment, that this is what works for me – but my advice is always to listen to other opinions and eventually you will find your own way.
For a lot of trainees, their previous experience in manual work or another trade comes in handy. In stark contrast, coming from a white collar background, I found it all a bit of a terrifying experience. After all, I hadn’t even driven a van before I picked up a set of rod and brushes!
That was a long time ago now, but I do still recall being wracked with uncertainty.
So it feels a real privilege to be able to give something back by helping the next generation of chimney sweeps. I learn a lot from them actually and it makes me think about my own skills, techniques and ways of doing things.
A lot also ask about the business side of things – this is encouraging as it’s a regular topic of conversation on my Trade Entrepreneur podcast, which I launched at the start of this year.
Some worry that, particularly if they’re also based in the North West, that I’ll not want train them as I’ll see them as ’competitors’.
Like I’ve said previously, that mindset isn’t one I can personally comprehend. I don’t see fellow sweeps as competitors, regardless of whether they’re in the same area or even same street! We are merely colleagues in the same industry, and should hopefully be able to be friendly and help each other out.
Doing ’battle’ with each other is pointless. I see it a lot in certain sectors and, to my mind at least, it’s just daft. The only people we should be doing battle with is ourselves as individuals; striving to be better for ourselves and the customers we serve.
I tell this to all new sweeps and they are always heartened by the fact that both myself, and the Guild in general, foster such a positive outlook and spirit of co-operation.
So this training, coupled with the continual significant growth of my own business, has meant that I just simply haven’t been able to get away this year. Time seems to have gone so fast and now we’re here, about to embark on yet another ’silly season’ as we sweeps call it – the mad rush between August and December.
Like I’ve said before, when you work by yourself, it’s always difficult/nigh on impossible to do any meaningful self-evaluation. It’s even harder when your annual Sweep Swap plans go awry.
However, by becoming a Guild on-site trainer, it’s not only helping a new breed of sweep, but it’s also helping me keep a check on myself…
David is the owner of Mr Soot Chimney Sweep
