This is the story of Vince and his first few years in Spain. It’s the story of a winner, the story of somebody who did not give up on his dream. Vince, Karen and their son, Ross, came to Spain in 2005, had a few problems at first but stayed and are now enjoying their life on the Costa Blanca.

We spent the first 12 months living on next to nothing and spent over 15k sterling in the first year. Everything we had! Even though we had 15k we didn’t want to spend it on silly things like gas bottles to keep warm. Lol. How sad!

Anyway, I was basically crapping it after the first 6months as over half the cash was gone on rent, tools, advertising etc.THAT consisted of 35,000 leaflets!! Looking back on the first summer…no money no work and packet after packet of leaflets to trawl around everywhere with, you name it…we tried to get a leaflet there!

I remember very nearly giving up a one point and started thinking about some type of plan to go back to the UK. I worked out with the sale of my car and some careful budgeting we might be able to drive back…we brought 2 cats a dog and a boa with us, so flying wasn’t an option.

Anyway…I went for a game of snooker, a 2 weekly thing Karen’s brother used to pay for Ross and me. I was stood around the table and remember saying to Ross, ‘Ross, we have been here 8 months have less then 2 days a months work…we are lucky to get one job a fortnight and then they are just one-offs. It ain’t like the UK, so we will probably go back.’ ‘Ok’ he said. ‘Well at least it’s been fun’.

At that very moment a nice lady from San José called Pauline phoned. ‘Hello, is this the window cleaner?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘I saw you van in the car park (outside my house). Can you clean my house every month…you will come every month, won’t you?’ ‘Err….bloody too right, love, I thought.’ ‘Oh, and can you clean my neighbour and the lady across the street and the lady at the top of the road’ I then proceeded to obtain my highest ever break of eight!

I haven’t looked back since. I now have over150 full-time clients and 50 people that want it done as and when. We have also gone legal and supply facturas to our commercial (and my proudest) jobs, several Spanish factories we clean. I call them my “proper jobs” and these allow me to get out of the expat community and practice my Spanish.

I can’t help thinking though….how many of those 35,000 leaflets in that first eight months did the three of us really have to post?

Window Cleaning on the Costa Blanca www.vgcwcs.com Domestic and Commercial