I know you are not picking on me, by now they would be calling me names
I am slightly different to you in that I am soon to have a operation on my foot which will mean I cannot clean windows for at least 6 months maybe more, the surgeon doesn't want me to do anything like window cleaning for 1 year.
Although I had the same operation last year on my other leg, and I went back to work after 2 weeks, I know that I will not be able to do the same this time, but if I had no choise then you never know.
So because of this, I have been planning and making my business work with this in mind.
I have compacted my round into the minimum amount of days that it can be clean in, I have taken on staff and started a new cleaner who also drops leaflets when he is not cleaning.
I now have got to the stage where I have no option but to expand futher, its does not matter whether its a franchisee or more staff.
The main problem when you take this leap forward is the same when you first start off as a sole trader, its the unknown and what is going to happen and will you suceed.
When you put another van on the road, you will take a drop in profits for a while untill you get more customers, this now creates another problem in how to get more customers.
So to address some of these issues, I have built a round that can be cleaned in 4 days, I employ my staff on a salary instead of an hourly rate, so they get the same amount of money whether they work 3 days a week or 5, but I do have a bonus in place on all work done over a certain figure over the month.
So by doing this I have built my business upto 4 days a week, I can then add more work into the next 2 days until they are full, I will then look for another member of staff and they will clean for the 2 days until I build them upto a 4 day week.etc
The other option to employing more staff is franchising, this is an ideal way forward, I can release some work from my round which eases the pressure off my employees and the money from the franchise can be used to gain even more work.
Unlike Ian who make over £5k profit from every franchise package he sells I will not make a penny, instead all of the money they pay me will be used for equipment and marketing to get more business.
This will be the same with all my franchisees.
With regard to the canvassers, these are all young people from the age of 18 to 24 and they come under the wage incentive scheme that the goverment pay for, it is the same as the apprenticeship scheme.
Because they are classed as an apprentice, for the 1st year you can pay the just £100 per week, but I think this is unfair, so i have set mine at £150 plus commssion.
and before the attackers start with using people, this job comes with prospects, I will be able to teach them all about sales, not just door knocking, they will even have the option to be a cleaner and owning their own Free franchise after a few years.
The scheme works well and off course you will get the chancers who want everything but don't want to pay for it, this is why I am spending all day tuesday interviewing, there will also be 1 weeks try out without pay, before I decide on the right person or persons for the job.
I always beleive that you have to pay for quality and if I can get quality staff, then I am willing to pay the maximum to keep them.
