benny donnelly

  • Posts: 204
Building a wc business
« on: June 02, 2012, 10:18:23 pm »

Just curious to know what people aims are with their own business..

Are you more than happy with a good income/solid round etc?

Do you plan on expanding/fleet of vans, employees, etc?

Me personally im only into week 4 of my business and all has went to plan and im more than happy with it, still learning, getting faster, using less water etc but today i got thinking about a 1/3/5 years from now and im thinking big, i want more vans on the road and a substantail round including commerical contracts etc

As i say im only at the first hurdle but if ya dont think big ya cant become big!

P @ F

  • Posts: 6312
Re: Building a wc business
« Reply #1 on: June 02, 2012, 10:26:26 pm »
Sit back and chill for a while , i went charlie big spuds , took the world on , got the second van and staff , then lost 8k of commercial overnight , now back to 1 van with just me in it , happier , richer and less stessed , i would say w/c can be most distressing at times , but i would be stealing a punchline  ;D

Rich
I'm so lazy I'm getting tired of it !

Johnny B

  • Posts: 2385
Re: Building a wc business
« Reply #2 on: June 02, 2012, 10:47:04 pm »
I am 10 months into building my business up from scratch after moving to Ireland in July last year.

My aim is simply to keep building and refining until I have a decent business for myself as a sole trader.

John   

 
Being diplomatic is being able to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that they look forward to the trip.

windiewasher

  • Posts: 4393
Re: Building a wc business
« Reply #3 on: June 02, 2012, 11:22:52 pm »
just get the best work you can get and earn the most money you can for as few hours as possible.
6 hours a day is enough for me.
i wanted to take the world on but now im happiest ive been.
Takings off all first cleans till march 7th 2014
October  total=  cleaned  extra per month
November = cleaned extra per month
Total £  so far.

Ryan @ Transparent, Carlisle

  • Posts: 700
Re: Building a wc business
« Reply #4 on: June 03, 2012, 12:24:25 am »
well, i came with the attitude that i wanted more vans, staff etc..... but seeing other friends having problems with staff, had put me off. we now concentrate on getting quality work, at premium prices, and if everyday could be the same as my "favourite" day, then id be a happy man with one van, and 2 of us running the show!


rosskesava

  • Posts: 17015
Re: Building a wc business
« Reply #5 on: June 03, 2012, 01:24:35 am »
I'm happy with just me and constantly thinking of ways to do the job to the same standard but quicker. It's come down to small details like where and how I get stuff out the van and put it away again and loads of other little things which, when added up, make a difference.

I've been down the road of being the boss and employing, running contracts, being the administrator, worrying about cash flow, staff not doing this or that, going out and being 'pro active' and all that crud, talking the talk and walking the walk, but now, I'm more than happy with me and one van.

My earning are less but so are the stress levels and the hours I work. I have more than enough money to cover living expenses so I enjoy each day.

Maybe getting older has changed what I want out of life, and what I don't want, and responsibility and running a business proper, nah, I'll just stick now to being a one man band. I'm happy doing what I do.

Become big if that rocks you boat and I hope you get over your first hurdle and I genuinely hope you achieve your aims but for me, I'm not interested in overcoming hurdles any more and those hurdles get bigger the further you go. I've more than enough customers and that's good enough for me.
Just chant..... Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. It's beats chanting Tory Tory or Labour Labour.

Mike #1

  • Posts: 4668
Re: Building a wc business
« Reply #6 on: June 03, 2012, 05:22:23 am »
well, i came with the attitude that i wanted more vans, staff etc..... but seeing other friends having problems with staff, had put me off. we now concentrate on getting quality work, at premium prices, and if everyday could be the same as my "favourite" day, then id be a happy man with one van, and 2 of us running the show!



Same as ryan except i will always work alone my wife has hinted she would like to work with me but dont think i could put up with her all day . Mike

PurefectWindowCleaning

  • Posts: 2303
Re: Building a wc business
« Reply #7 on: June 03, 2012, 07:58:31 am »
I have 1 employee, and have always had the intension of exanding further, was ready to get 2nd van and 2nd employee... when we was trad.

Now we have just converted to water fed pole, the 2 of us are able to get thru the workload quicker, and as we are still learning wfp, we will only get quicker still.

So as it stands, I have no need for a 2nd van or 2nd employee.






Paul Coleman

Re: Building a wc business
« Reply #8 on: June 03, 2012, 08:45:13 am »

Just curious to know what people aims are with their own business..

Are you more than happy with a good income/solid round etc?

Do you plan on expanding/fleet of vans, employees, etc?

Me personally im only into week 4 of my business and all has went to plan and im more than happy with it, still learning, getting faster, using less water etc but today i got thinking about a 1/3/5 years from now and im thinking big, i want more vans on the road and a substantail round including commerical contracts etc

As i say im only at the first hurdle but if ya dont think big ya cant become big!

Personally I am OK with maximising my income as a single operator in the most hassle free manner possible.  So, decently priced work where I can mostly turn up and clean without having to make appointments, customers who don't mess about, jobs with fairly decent access or better.  Once you filter out the work that gets in the way of the above, you can earn a decent income without the hassle of employees.

brynley

  • Posts: 283
Re: Building a wc business
« Reply #9 on: June 03, 2012, 10:36:59 am »
i did think about employing as i am always behind with my work, but i'm nearly 56, morgage paid off,i would like to work just 4 days a week, so i decided against it.

 instead i have sold off some of my work, i am getting better priced work in. my ultimate aim is as i'm sure everyone's is to work less for more money.

benny donnelly

  • Posts: 204
Re: Building a wc business
« Reply #10 on: June 03, 2012, 01:04:37 pm »

I can see the sense in keeping small and having a really good round to work on month after month, less headaches, no messy customers etc, for me its early days but the thought of at least trying it at being big sounds good.

Imagine you have a fleet of maybe 5 vans, good solid substantail domestic round, extensive commerical work and an office where you would be running the operation managing canvassers, trying for more work overlooking the whole business -- Is there anyone here has a business doing something near this scale would be good to hear how much work it really is

windiewasher

  • Posts: 4393
Re: Building a wc business
« Reply #11 on: June 03, 2012, 01:13:31 pm »

I can see the sense in keeping small and having a really good round to work on month after month, less headaches, no messy customers etc, for me its early days but the thought of at least trying it at being big sounds good.

Imagine you have a fleet of maybe 5 vans, good solid substantail domestic round, extensive commerical work and an office where you would be running the operation managing canvassers, trying for more work overlooking the whole business -- Is there anyone here has a business doing something near this scale would be good to hear how much work it really is

like you say your in week 4.get a feel for it before aiming too high.wait till the weathers bad and you cant make any money.
get through the winter before you make big plans
Takings off all first cleans till march 7th 2014
October  total=  cleaned  extra per month
November = cleaned extra per month
Total £  so far.

GDwindowcleaning

  • Posts: 1049
Re: Building a wc business
« Reply #12 on: June 03, 2012, 01:51:14 pm »
What a positive bunch you are....

Steve Sed

Re: Building a wc business
« Reply #13 on: June 04, 2012, 12:45:43 am »

rosskesava

  • Posts: 17015
Re: Building a wc business
« Reply #14 on: June 04, 2012, 01:02:54 am »
What a positive bunch you are....

What's that got to do with it. Being positive doesn't only mean having a bigger and bigger business. Being positive is also being happy doing what you are doing.

It's a modern thing that you have to always be looking to get 'bigger' and if you don't then you are not being 'positive'.

If a person is completely happy doing what they are doing at what ever level of business then what is more positive than that?

Big isn't always better.
Just chant..... Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. It's beats chanting Tory Tory or Labour Labour.

bobby p

Re: Building a wc business
« Reply #15 on: June 04, 2012, 06:31:04 am »
im going to put the brakes on expanding when i have about 6 partime workers, i have 4 at the moment.

  i didnt start in this biz with the plan to make big money, i started  it as a coping mechanism for a problem in my personal life .  that problem looks like it wont go away anytime soon and by keeping setting myself different challenges  i get on with my life and a by product is making good money!
 
Also i find i  really enjoy swinging a squeegee and think i always will  ;)

 

Perfect Windows

  • Posts: 4102
Re: Building a wc business
« Reply #16 on: June 04, 2012, 11:58:11 am »
One of the things I love about this game is the flexibility it gives.

There are guys who want to turn over £80 a day then stop
There are guys who want to be the whole UK's window cleaning company of choice
There are guys who want to spend time with their kids but earn enough to keep the bailiff from the door
There are guys who want to run a two man van to its fullest capacity
There are guys who want a good holiday every three months
There are guys who want to run half a dozen vans

...and everything inbetween.

You can do what you want and you shouldn't be judged for it.  However, the moment you start to say on here where in that list you sit, people from other parts of it jump on you (we've already had one on this thread).

All I will say is that if you're positive and surround yourself with people who are positive, you can create exactly the business you want to create to fulfill whatever wishes you have.

Vin

Knocker

  • Posts: 180
Re: Building a wc business
« Reply #17 on: June 04, 2012, 12:13:59 pm »
Some guys do over £3 million a year in window cleaning

G Griffin

  • Posts: 40745
Re: Building a wc business
« Reply #18 on: June 04, 2012, 12:14:52 pm »
What a positive bunch you are....

What a negative post.

Good post, Vin.
I treat it as a job on flexi time, not a business  :-\. I'd like a better business, more money etc but I'm not prepared to do the hard work. I also realise there are benefits to my apathy  ;D.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

GDwindowcleaning

  • Posts: 1049
Re: Building a wc business
« Reply #19 on: June 04, 2012, 12:38:29 pm »
Sit back and chill for a while , i went charlie big spuds , took the world on , got the second van and staff , then lost 8k of commercial overnight , now back to 1 van with just me in it , happier , richer and less stessed , i would say w/c can be most distressing at times , but i would be stealing a punchline  ;D

Rich

The first line is sit back and chill for a while.....

How is that helping a guy who is 4 weeks into a new business?

He obviously has ambition yet not one said go for it....

My comment wasnt aimed at people running one man bands and if it looked that way then I apologise....

Just not much encouragement....