It's been five years since AWC Magazine featured an article on the controversial subject of scratched glass, specifically the argument over what causes it, who is to blame, and window cleaners being sued, some into oblivion, over it. During the time hence, nothing has really changed, as this writer has been able to discern. There has been no paradigm shift settling the issue. However, a bulletin commissioned by the Glass Committee of the International Window Cleaning Association (IWCA) has added a new twist to the controversy that some think errs too far on the side of the glass industry on the blame issue.(...)

The outsourcing of business functions and processes is no longer a trend confined to large companies. Many businesses – big and small – are turning to outsourcing as a means to reduce expenses and create greater operational efficiencies. Outsourcing has grown even more prevalent in light of the recent economic downturn and subsequently sluggish economy, as companies are forced to identify every opportunity to cut costs and trim the fat from their balance sheets.(...)

Everyone who has invested a great deal of time, money and energy into their window cleaning business should want to see the business continue and flourish after their departure. Surprisingly, according to a recent national survey, 25 percent of family business shareholders who are entering their senior years haven't completed any estate or succession planning other than writing a will. But succession planning for a business owner involves more than just deciding how assets will be divided after the owner, shareholder or partner's death.(...)