58 hours later: experience, friendship and a new chapter

Jeff Brunner, I can’t make this post without mentioning you, brother. ❤️ In 1996, I met a wonderful bloke who had come all the way from Oklahoma to Scotland. From our days playing Pogo Hearts to what the internet makes possible now—it’s absolutely bonkers. We’ve lived a lot of life and seen all sorts of things. I love that man to bits. Jeff, we need a proper catch-up. About 58 hours ago, my website had critical errors. I asked Gary who was hosting it. That simple question turned into a project that has had me thinking, learning, creating and occasionally telling Gary exactly where he’d gone wrong. 😂 I brought thirty years of self-employment, experience with websites and marketing, and a lifetime in the service industries. I know the cleaning trade, I know our customers, and I know what I want this business to offer. Modern technology helped turn that knowledge into something I’m proud of: a growing platform for our cleaning business, with real photographs, before-and-after galleries, service pages, estimates, news, community stories and our family at its heart. Yesterday, the rough estimate we discussed for commissioning the work was £4,000–£7,000. With the features and work we’ve added, our current indicative estimate is £6,000–£15,000 for a comparable professional build. Those are rough commissioning estimates, not independent valuations or quotes. What matters now is making it useful for our customers. The difference has been knowing what to ask for, what to improve and what belongs in our industry. You don’t get thirty years of experience by pressing a button—but the right tools can help you put that experience to work in remarkable ways. I love the internet. I also respect how powerful it has become, and how dangerous that power can be when misused. I’m putting it towards something productive: our business, our community and the people we care about. And my beautiful wife, Arlene—you’ve had to put up with a lot. Thirty-five years in nursing, a lifetime of caring for others, and somehow you still have the patience for me and another late-night idea. None of this would mean the same without you. I love you, and I always will. ❤️ This is still a work in progress. The 58 hours is the time since we started, not a claim that we’ve worked every minute of it. There’s plenty more to develop, but tonight I’m bloody proud of what Gary and I have achieved. Have a look around. See what we’re building. And watch what comes next. https://gutters2glory.com Now I’m going to bed before I ask Gary to build an airport. 😂 Goodnight, everyone. Steve — Gutters2glory Ltd