[Marc Stock]

Well just been through a thorough clean up of customers on the database. I decided to remove customers on the database that fell into the following categories:

1) canceled more than 2 occasions in the last year
2) removed customers that were marked "on hold" for various reasons (building work being done or will contact me when ready again).
3) removed drossy customers that just are not worth the effort.

my list has gone down from 300 customers to just 283.  with a new reduced turnover of £47k per year from £49,700. its made me feel a bit....blahh  . but at least i have a solid basis to build from in 2018.

i always seem to hit a peak...and kind of stay there...not this time i am ready for a big old push. By March 2019 i need to be around £80k per year. which is an extra £33k so here is my plan.

Working on the following figures:

£47,377 divided by 283 customers is an average yearly turnover of £167.41 per customer, which isn't actually that bad TBH I was quite surprised.

So to get to 80k per year turnover, starting from January 2018 to March 2019 i need an extra 195 customers  based on my figures.

15 months into 195= 13 new customers per month, every month for 15 months to March 2019. That is also depending on the following factors:

No one dies from my current list
No one cancells
and I get off my backside and canvass

So there you go. as of January 2018 i need to have at least 13 new customers to get a good start on my 15month push to 80k

And i'm going back to a 5 day week, no more 4 days (sometimes 3.5 day, due to some fridays being a half day). I consider this as my last big push in my window cleaning career; 15 years of window cleaning and i have had enough. I want to get the business to a new level where i can comfortably employ someone full time, failing this if i cant make it work thats it...im selling up and doing something else.

[paul alan]

Sounds like a plan!

I had plans like this last year and exceeded them, feel well made up with myself.

Don't sit round thinking about figures and numbers too much or you'll start to feel daunted, just put your head down and keep going and you'll be surprised at what you can do.

I reckon 13 new customers per month is conservative and you should have no problems achieving that, canvassing is enjoyable as long as your getting the customers in. Its crap when you not!(which was rare)

As your probably aware though you'll need to go through a lot more than 13 customers per month to retain 13 customers per month.

Last year i worked myself to the point of exhaustion with the first cleans, they are hard work and i found no way around this. But because of my very high first clean standards, i started canvassing in march and went for around 6 weeks but had to stop knocking because i couldn't keep up with the work coming in due to recommendations. It stayed like this all year.

I am going to do a cull this year and maybe a little canvass too.

Good luck mate, but having said that if you set your mind to this you wont need it.

If a man is so determined to do something, it will be nearly impossible to stop him.

[Stoots]

Nice one Marc.

I'm drawing up similar plans.

I have 315 custys for 40k (my prices are no where near as good as yours) that's probably 250 4 weekly, these rest 8 weekly and a few 12s..

I need to drop about 20 of them as they are just poor jobs, bad payers etc.

So I need another 300 roughly to get to my target of 80k.

So I need to double my round, and it want to achieve it by the end of 2018.

I might not manage it but will try 

I have a plan in place to gain new work but it's going to need some £££investment

Ive realised I don't want to do this job 5 days a week for the rest of my life so the plan is to build a little business with an employee or 2 and free up some time to look into other ventures.

But next year I need to up my game to 5 days a week and longer hours to get there first. Looking forward to getting back to it.

[tlwcs]

Well just been through a thorough clean up of customers on the database. I decided to remove customers on the database that fell into the following categories:

1) canceled more than 2 occasions in the last year
2) removed customers that were marked "on hold" for various reasons (building work being done or will contact me when ready again).
3) removed drossy customers that just are not worth the effort.

my list has gone down from 300 customers to just 283.  with a new reduced turnover of £47k per year from £49,700. its made me feel a bit....blahh  . but at least i have a solid basis to build from in 2018.

i always seem to hit a peak...and kind of stay there...not this time i am ready for a big old push. By March 2019 i need to be around £80k per year. which is an extra £33k so here is my plan.

Working on the following figures:

£47,377 divided by 283 customers is an average yearly turnover of £167.41 per customer, which isn't actually that bad TBH I was quite surprised.

So to get to 80k per year turnover, starting from January 2018 to March 2019 i need an extra 195 customers  based on my figures.

15 months into 195= 13 new customers per month, every month for 15 months to March 2019. That is also depending on the following factors:

No one dies from my current list
No one cancells
and I get off my backside and canvass

So there you go. as of January 2018 i need to have at least 13 new customers to get a good start on my 15month push to 80k

And i'm going back to a 5 day week, no more 4 days (sometimes 3.5 day, due to some fridays being a half day). I consider this as my last big push in my window cleaning career; 15 years of window cleaning and i have had enough. I want to get the business to a new level where i can comfortably employ someone full time, failing this if i cant make it work thats it...im selling up and doing something else.

Great post 
Tony

[Dry Clean]

LOL. its not a great posts it makes no sense what so ever, unfortunately when it comes to business talk its hard to be nice and honest at the same time, its why posts like these tend to be more of an backside kissing exercise than anything thats ever constructive.
Your never going to get off the tools unless your prepared to risk your time and more importantly your money, doesnt matter how wealthy the area is you work in.
If you want to employ then find the money to employ and do it now, next spend the spare time you now have getting enough work to keep your employee occupied, its as simple as that.

[Dry Clean]

There's no such thing as comfortably employing, even in an area where an employee can knock out £60k, after employee costs,
vat and so on you would be lucky to get a 25% return, therefore your talking a minimum of 4 employees to get you off the tools.

[tlwcs]

LOL. its not a great posts it makes no sense what so ever, unfortunately when it comes to business talk its hard to be nice and honest at the same time, its why posts like these tend to be more of an backside kissing exercise than anything thats ever constructive.
Your never going to get off the tools unless your prepared to risk your time and more importantly your money, doesnt matter how wealthy the area is you work in.
If you want to employ then find the money to employ and do it now, next spend the spare time you now have getting enough work to keep your employee occupied, its as simple as that.

Full of Christmas joy Shaun?  I think it's a great post. Setting goals or having a business plan is part of my business, it was nice to read Marc's

[Marc Stock]

LOL. its not a great posts it makes no sense what so ever

Sorry Dry Clean. Please let me clarify.

Crabble be sgug. Hughs hhsh it a nan by lala heh yehafeg.

Done hehy don wiandy byonat bomg losn hsj heha ns. Plen ana. Eh hana  hhak hhauy jong op haun long hin ahaub he jo nob nom long chi via bang bang

Hope that clarified things for you.

From now on i will reply to your posts in the language you are familiar with as demonstrated above. You never have anything positive to say anyway.

[Marc Stock]

Nice one Marc.

I'm drawing up similar plans.

I have 315 custys for 40k (my prices are no where near as good as yours) that's probably 250 4 weekly, these rest 8 weekly and a few 12s..

I need to drop about 20 of them as they are just poor jobs, bad payers etc.

So I need another 300 roughly to get to my target of 80k.

So I need to double my round, and it want to achieve it by the end of 2018.

I might not manage it but will try 

I have a plan in place to gain new work but it's going to need some £££investment

Ive realised I don't want to do this job 5 days a week for the rest of my life so the plan is to build a little business with an employee or 2 and free up some time to look into other ventures.

But next year I need to up my game to 5 days a week and longer hours to get there first. Looking forward to getting back to it.

Well good one mate.

Lets keep in contact and see how we get on. Ignore Dry Clean no one seems to speak his language.

[Johnny B]

I always enjoy reading about the plans for expansion etc, and hope you all get somewhere near where you want to be.

I am generally very happy with the way my business is going, but it's now time to refine it.

I am currently sorting out my work schedules so that I can start working smarter. It will take a few weeks to be fully implemented and working, but I am looking forward to the challenge and making it happen.

John

[Og]

Go for it!!

[dazmond]

Nice one Marc.

I'm drawing up similar plans.

I have 315 custys for 40k (my prices are no where near as good as yours) that's probably 250 4 weekly, these rest 8 weekly and a few 12s..

I need to drop about 20 of them as they are just poor jobs, bad payers etc.

So I need another 300 roughly to get to my target of 80k.

So I need to double my round, and it want to achieve it by the end of 2018.

I might not manage it but will try 

I have a plan in place to gain new work but it's going to need some £££investment

Ive realised I don't want to do this job 5 days a week for the rest of my life so the plan is to build a little business with an employee or 2 and free up some time to look into other ventures.

But next year I need to up my game to 5 days a week and longer hours to get there first. Looking forward to getting back to it.

if your round is bringing in 40k a year how come your always skint mate?

paying off debts?

[Stoots]

Nice one Marc.



I'm drawing up similar plans.

I have 315 custys for 40k (my prices are no where near as good as yours) that's probably 250 4 weekly, these rest 8 weekly and a few 12s..

I need to drop about 20 of them as they are just poor jobs, bad payers etc.

So I need another 300 roughly to get to my target of 80k.

So I need to double my round, and it want to achieve it by the end of 2018.

I might not manage it but will try 

I have a plan in place to gain new work but it's going to need some £££investment

Ive realised I don't want to do this job 5 days a week for the rest of my life so the plan is to build a little business with an employee or 2 and free up some time to look into other ventures.

But next year I need to up my game to 5 days a week and longer hours to get there first. Looking forward to getting back to it.

Well good one mate.

Lets keep in contact and see how we get on. Ignore Dry Clean no one seems to speak his language.

I never listed to anyone  but myself mate.

Not interested in what anyone else says can't be done, that's their limitations talking.

[Stoots]

Nice one Marc.

I'm drawing up similar plans.

I have 315 custys for 40k (my prices are no where near as good as yours) that's probably 250 4 weekly, these rest 8 weekly and a few 12s..

I need to drop about 20 of them as they are just poor jobs, bad payers etc.

So I need another 300 roughly to get to my target of 80k.

So I need to double my round, and it want to achieve it by the end of 2018.

I might not manage it but will try 

I have a plan in place to gain new work but it's going to need some £££investment

Ive realised I don't want to do this job 5 days a week for the rest of my life so the plan is to build a little business with an employee or 2 and free up some time to look into other ventures.

But next year I need to up my game to 5 days a week and longer hours to get there first. Looking forward to getting back to it.

if your round is bringing in 40k a year how come your always skint mate?

paying off debts?

Im not skint mate, but not got a lot of spare brass either..

I have some debt 200 quid a month loan, 200 quid a month van.

But I have 5 kids and all the usual bills and a girlfriend that only works 16 hours a week so theres not a lot left after tax and insurance etc.

Bit different to being a single man with council rent! 

But that's a forecasted 40k from now, last tax year I didn't turn over anywhere near that amount, this time last year I had 180 customers...Spent 7k this year on marketing as well so not much left really.

[dazmond]

Nice one Marc.

I'm drawing up similar plans.

I have 315 custys for 40k (my prices are no where near as good as yours) that's probably 250 4 weekly, these rest 8 weekly and a few 12s..

I need to drop about 20 of them as they are just poor jobs, bad payers etc.

So I need another 300 roughly to get to my target of 80k.

So I need to double my round, and it want to achieve it by the end of 2018.

I might not manage it but will try 

I have a plan in place to gain new work but it's going to need some £££investment

Ive realised I don't want to do this job 5 days a week for the rest of my life so the plan is to build a little business with an employee or 2 and free up some time to look into other ventures.

But next year I need to up my game to 5 days a week and longer hours to get there first. Looking forward to getting back to it.

if your round is bringing in 40k a year how come your always skint mate?

paying off debts?

Im not skint mate, but not got a lot of spare brass either..

I have some debt 200 quid a month loan, 200 quid a month van.

But I have 5 kids and all the usual bills and a girlfriend that only works 16 hours a week so theres not a lot left after tax and insurance etc.

Bit different to being a single man with council rent! 

But that's a forecasted 40k from now, last tax year I didn't turn over anywhere near that amount, this time last year I had 180 customers...Spent 7k this year on marketing as well so not much left really.

i can understand why you want to build a bigger business now mate.

good luck.

[Stoots]

Nice one Marc.

I'm drawing up similar plans.

I have 315 custys for 40k (my prices are no where near as good as yours) that's probably 250 4 weekly, these rest 8 weekly and a few 12s..

I need to drop about 20 of them as they are just poor jobs, bad payers etc.

So I need another 300 roughly to get to my target of 80k.

So I need to double my round, and it want to achieve it by the end of 2018.

I might not manage it but will try 

I have a plan in place to gain new work but it's going to need some £££investment

Ive realised I don't want to do this job 5 days a week for the rest of my life so the plan is to build a little business with an employee or 2 and free up some time to look into other ventures.

But next year I need to up my game to 5 days a week and longer hours to get there first. Looking forward to getting back to it.

if your round is bringing in 40k a year how come your always skint mate?

paying off debts?

Im not skint mate, but not got a lot of spare brass either..

I have some debt 200 quid a month loan, 200 quid a month van.

But I have 5 kids and all the usual bills and a girlfriend that only works 16 hours a week so theres not a lot left after tax and insurance etc.

Bit different to being a single man with council rent! 

But that's a forecasted 40k from now, last tax year I didn't turn over anywhere near that amount, this time last year I had 180 customers...Spent 7k this year on marketing as well so not much left really.

i can understand why you want to build a bigger business now mate.

good luck.

Aye I want more from life than grafting everyday without a great deal to show for it. 

The thing is when you have 5 kids if you earn minimum wage like I used to a few years ago you get a lot of benefits, now I earn 30k plus I lose them so not that much  better off really..that's why the only real option is growth of the business if I ever want to have any decent money.

[nathankaye]

Nice one Marc.

I'm drawing up similar plans.

I have 315 custys for 40k (my prices are no where near as good as yours) that's probably 250 4 weekly, these rest 8 weekly and a few 12s..

I need to drop about 20 of them as they are just poor jobs, bad payers etc.

So I need another 300 roughly to get to my target of 80k.

So I need to double my round, and it want to achieve it by the end of 2018.

I might not manage it but will try 

I have a plan in place to gain new work but it's going to need some £££investment

Ive realised I don't want to do this job 5 days a week for the rest of my life so the plan is to build a little business with an employee or 2 and free up some time to look into other ventures.

But next year I need to up my game to 5 days a week and longer hours to get there first. Looking forward to getting back to it.

if your round is bringing in 40k a year how come your always skint mate?

paying off debts?

Im not skint mate, but not got a lot of spare brass either..

I have some debt 200 quid a month loan, 200 quid a month van.

But I have 5 kids and all the usual bills and a girlfriend that only works 16 hours a week so theres not a lot left after tax and insurance etc.

Bit different to being a single man with council rent! 

But that's a forecasted 40k from now, last tax year I didn't turn over anywhere near that amount, this time last year I had 180 customers...Spent 7k this year on marketing as well so not much left really.

i can understand why you want to build a bigger business now mate.

good luck.

Aye I want more from life than grafting everyday without a great deal to show for it. 

The thing is when you have 5 kids if you earn minimum wage like I used to a few years ago you get a lot of benefits, now I earn 30k plus I lose them so not that much  better off really..that's why the only real option is growth of the business if I ever want to have any decent money.

A family certainly keeps you motivated, i know that one (xwife n 3 kids and currently with wife n 3 more little ones..... Haha its the x who drains ya) 
But having any type of business plan pushes that motivation in the right direction for the right rewards.

Its great to read plans and not to see too much negative comments on the thread

[Stoots]

Nice one Marc.

I'm drawing up similar plans.

I have 315 custys for 40k (my prices are no where near as good as yours) that's probably 250 4 weekly, these rest 8 weekly and a few 12s..

I need to drop about 20 of them as they are just poor jobs, bad payers etc.

So I need another 300 roughly to get to my target of 80k.

So I need to double my round, and it want to achieve it by the end of 2018.

I might not manage it but will try 

I have a plan in place to gain new work but it's going to need some £££investment

Ive realised I don't want to do this job 5 days a week for the rest of my life so the plan is to build a little business with an employee or 2 and free up some time to look into other ventures.

But next year I need to up my game to 5 days a week and longer hours to get there first. Looking forward to getting back to it.

if your round is bringing in 40k a year how come your always skint mate?

paying off debts?

Im not skint mate, but not got a lot of spare brass either..

I have some debt 200 quid a month loan, 200 quid a month van.

But I have 5 kids and all the usual bills and a girlfriend that only works 16 hours a week so theres not a lot left after tax and insurance etc.

Bit different to being a single man with council rent! 

But that's a forecasted 40k from now, last tax year I didn't turn over anywhere near that amount, this time last year I had 180 customers...Spent 7k this year on marketing as well so not much left really.

i can understand why you want to build a bigger business now mate.

good luck.

Aye I want more from life than grafting everyday without a great deal to show for it. 

The thing is when you have 5 kids if you earn minimum wage like I used to a few years ago you get a lot of benefits, now I earn 30k plus I lose them so not that much  better off really..that's why the only real option is growth of the business if I ever want to have any decent money.

A family certainly keeps you motivated, i know that one (xwife n 3 kids and currently with wife n 3 more little ones..... Haha its the x who drains ya) 
But having any type of business plan pushes that motivation in the right direction for the right rewards.

Its great to read plans and not to see too much negative comments on the thread

Yeh I have 3 with ex, 2 with current.

My gf just give birth 3 days ago (Xmas Eve) hence why I'm typing this at at 3:50 in the morning  . As you will know the more you earn the more the Ex gets so it's a double edged sword.

[Dry Clean]

LOL. its not a great posts it makes no sense what so ever

Sorry Dry Clean. Please let me clarify.

Crabble be sgug. Hughs hhsh it a nan by lala heh yehafeg.

Done hehy don wiandy byonat bomg losn hsj heha ns. Plen ana. Eh hana  hhak hhauy jong op haun long hin ahaub he jo nob nom long chi via bang bang

Hope that clarified things for you.

From now on i will reply to your posts in the language you are familiar with as demonstrated above. You never have anything positive to say anyway.

Grow up, if all your looking for is a pat on the head then you need to make that clearer, your business plan is idiotic but just to
be positive, Iv heard you have a excellent singing voice.

[Dry Clean]

Great posts Adam, the problem is as a sole trader you can only do so much and getting to the next level (employing ) involves
risk and upfront costs which can be daunting when you have a young family to support.
Unfortunately mate its that which usualy stops guys in their tracks, the question you need to ask yourself now is, are you prepared to take that risk and can you afford/raise the extra costs ?