Poll

quick poll.. what bits of growing a WC business do you find most challenging?

Customer service
2%
1 (2%)
Growing the business
24.5%
12 (24.5%)
Getting paid on time
10.2%
5 (10.2%)
Making enough money to invest into expanding
6.1%
3 (6.1%)
Too much time running about cleaning not enough time to grow the business
16.3%
8 (16.3%)
Dealing with staff
28.6%
14 (28.6%)
Something else?
12.2%
6 (12.2%)

Total Members Voted: 47

Voting closed: July 13, 2020, 10:02:27 pm

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
You say what are they doing that others aren’t well that’s the big question really,no one really knows if they are happy with what they are doing do they people can say what they like in the light of day when they have their own thoughts like we all do only they know if they wished they’d stayed smaller for less hassle.
Remember that it makes no difference what the first figure in the box is it’s what you’ve ended up with after the end of every January,I wouldn’t be thinking about going bigger at the moment anyway this time next year we will be at the start of the worst recession most of us have known.

KS Cleaning

  • Posts: 3896
You say what are they doing that others aren’t well that’s the big question really,no one really knows if they are happy with what they are doing do they people can say what they like in the light of day when they have their own thoughts like we all do only they know if they wished they’d stayed smaller for less hassle.
Remember that it makes no difference what the first figure in the box is it’s what you’ve ended up with after the end of every January,I wouldn’t be thinking about going bigger at the moment anyway this time next year we will be at the start of the worst recession most of us have known.
I got dizzy reading that🤣

Richard iSparkle

  • Posts: 2488
You say what are they doing that others aren’t well that’s the big question really,no one really knows if they are happy with what they are doing do they people can say what they like in the light of day when they have their own thoughts like we all do only they know if they wished they’d stayed smaller for less hassle.
Remember that it makes no difference what the first figure in the box is it’s what you’ve ended up with after the end of every January,I wouldn’t be thinking about going bigger at the moment anyway this time next year we will be at the start of the worst recession most of us have known.

https://bstrategyhub.com/businesses-that-are-recession-proof/

see number 8....
iSparkle Window Cleaning

www.isparklewindowcleaning.uk

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
No business is recession proof you are dodging bullets in a business like window cleaning with type of customers-properties-areas,it all depends what part of the country you are in and what you’re customers do for a living.
If you clean a lot of old people’s homes or retired people it’s different if you have a particular round that is packed full of airport workers hotel and travel industry workers then it may be a different story,it’s pretty much recession proof I agree if you are on your own or have just 1 employee I wouldn’t want to be having to sustain multiple employees in any industry even window cleaning come the end of the year.
My personal opinion is times between cleans will stretch out more people might not lose a lot of work but they will need to fill the gaps between the ones that don’t want it doing so often,it’s bound to effect everyone to some extent.

Pete Thompson

  • Posts: 951
some people here have managed it though.

so what are they doing.. which others are not?

thats the Q I'm left with

You have to remember the very important factor that many, many people who post a lot on here are actually clueless.  To be fair, I think this is a feature of forums generally, not just CIU.  The people who post the most (and with the strongest opinions) are often those who know the least.

There are plenty of people on here who think that a successful £1m turnover with window cleaning can't be done, but when someone comes on like Lee Pryor who has actually done it, and even says "this is how it's done" with details and even figures, they simply get abuse, told they are liars and eventually get fed up dealing with the morons and leave.

There is no point arguing with idiots on here, they are too numerous and (more importantly), having basically no life have way more time on their hands to sit trying to type out oh-so-clever put downs.  I'm sure we'll see an example before long.

Take, for example, one fairly prolific member on this thread, who has posted over 12,200 comments since they joined in 2007.  That's an average of one comment every 10 hours, of every single day (including weekends), of every single week, of every single month for 13 years.

You have to ask yourself about the quality of the advice from someone who has made life choices that have led them to a statistic like that.

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
Here I am you produce a figure of what someone earns that turns over 1 million pounds a year,after Vat and Tax what do they actually earn.
Say I have 10 vans what do I autually earn in my pocket so I can go out and spend on 🧁,a man like you must know the answers.

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
I’m already up to 30-35k a year on vans leased without wages building rent the list is growing,but wait I’m looking forward to the nearly 50% I’ve got to give to Rishi 🤣 and that’s just out of my cut,blimey just thinking about it has got my swivel 🪑 spinning.

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
No one or me is saying that a 1 million turnover cannot be done I’ve never said that or heard anyone else say that,I have said that just because someone is doing that it means nothing again I have said it’s all about margin.
Let’s say you pay staff on average 30k a year and an average on vans and business premises of 150k so x 10 on the staff side making an average total of  450k,after all the other expenses  and with Vat and Tax on the last bit to the 1 million what’s the guvnor ending up with. 
I reckon it’s pretty close to 10-14k a month after Rishi’s been round for tea.

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
some people here have managed it though.

so what are they doing.. which others are not?

thats the Q I'm left with

You have to remember the very important factor that many, many people who post a lot on here are actually clueless.  To be fair, I think this is a feature of forums generally, not just CIU.  The people who post the most (and with the strongest opinions) are often those who know the least.

There are plenty of people on here who think that a successful £1m turnover with window cleaning can't be done, but when someone comes on like Lee Pryor who has actually done it, and even says "this is how it's done" with details and even figures, they simply get abuse, told they are liars and eventually get fed up dealing with the morons and leave.

There is no point arguing with idiots on here, they are too numerous and (more importantly), having basically no life have way more time on their hands to sit trying to type out oh-so-clever put downs.  I'm sure we'll see an example before long.

Take, for example, one fairly prolific member on this thread, who has posted over 12,200 comments since they joined in 2007.  That's an average of one comment every 10 hours, of every single day (including weekends), of every single week, of every single month for 13 years.

You have to ask yourself about the quality of the advice from someone who has made life choices that have led them to a statistic like that.

At a bit of a loose end this evening then Pete 🤣🤣

Slacky

  • Posts: 7654
You say what are they doing that others aren’t well that’s the big question really,no one really knows if they are happy with what they are doing do they people can say what they like in the light of day when they have their own thoughts like we all do only they know if they wished they’d stayed smaller for less hassle.
Remember that it makes no difference what the first figure in the box is it’s what you’ve ended up with after the end of every January,I wouldn’t be thinking about going bigger at the moment anyway this time next year we will be at the start of the worst recession most of us have known.

This time next year? What’s happening between now and then?

There’s plenty of recession proof businesses btw.

Smudger

  • Posts: 13227
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

www.oddbodscleaning.co.uk

johnwillan

  • Posts: 313
Hi Richard

Nothing really, it all works rather well, yes we get a few issues from time to time but overall it's fairly simple.

HTH

John

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
https://www.goalcast.com/2017/10/06/rick-rigsby-the-wisdom-of-a-third-grade-dropout/

A window cleaner giving advise to another window cleaner 🤣🤣🤣,it’s not difficult this building a window cleaning business I don’t see many people running a million £ turnover business saying my numbers are outrageously wrong though do we 🤣🤣 I reckon I’m fairly close.

Stoots

  • Posts: 6042
No one or me is saying that a 1 million turnover cannot be done I’ve never said that or heard anyone else say that,I have said that just because someone is doing that it means nothing again I have said it’s all about margin.
Let’s say you pay staff on average 30k a year and an average on vans and business premises of 150k so x 10 on the staff side making an average total of  450k,after all the other expenses  and with Vat and Tax on the last bit to the 1 million what’s the guvnor ending up with. 
I reckon it’s pretty close to 10-14k a month after Rishi’s been round for tea.

Thats the thing, any one of us could re invest and re invest until we hit 1k turnover. Thats the easy part...the hard part of course is dealing with all the stress that would cause which most of us wont have the stomach for...

And i agree, when you look at the huge amount of stress and the poor margins you decide actually i dont want any part of that poop and stay on your own.

Richard iSparkle

  • Posts: 2488
Hi Richard

Nothing really, it all works rather well, yes we get a few issues from time to time but overall it's fairly simple.

HTH

John

That simplicity is what I seek John!

 :D
iSparkle Window Cleaning

www.isparklewindowcleaning.uk

johnwillan

  • Posts: 313
No one or me is saying that a 1 million turnover cannot be done I’ve never said that or heard anyone else say that,I have said that just because someone is doing that it means nothing again I have said it’s all about margin.
Let’s say you pay staff on average 30k a year and an average on vans and business premises of 150k so x 10 on the staff side making an average total of  450k,after all the other expenses  and with Vat and Tax on the last bit to the 1 million what’s the guvnor ending up with. 
I reckon it’s pretty close to 10-14k a month after Rishi’s been round for tea.

Thats the thing, any one of us could re invest and re invest until we hit 1k turnover. Thats the easy part...the hard part of course is dealing with all the stress that would cause which most of us wont have the stomach for...

And i agree, when you look at the huge amount of stress and the poor margins you decide actually i dont want any part of that poop and stay on your own.

That's an awful lot of assumptions :)

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
Yes I’m waiting to be told different.

KS Cleaning

  • Posts: 3896
No one or me is saying that a 1 million turnover cannot be done I’ve never said that or heard anyone else say that,I have said that just because someone is doing that it means nothing again I have said it’s all about margin.
Let’s say you pay staff on average 30k a year and an average on vans and business premises of 150k so x 10 on the staff side making an average total of  450k,after all the other expenses  and with Vat and Tax on the last bit to the 1 million what’s the guvnor ending up with. 
I reckon it’s pretty close to 10-14k a month after Rishi’s been round for tea.
All this second guessing what the big boys are taking home is getting boring, you need to let it go🤣

johnwillan

  • Posts: 313
Yes I’m waiting to be told different.

I don’t think you’re too far of the mark but it will vary from one business to another

Some will see those as good returns, others won’t

Some can do it without major issues, others can’t.

I guess it’s a case of find your niche and run with it.

Good Luck

johnwillan

  • Posts: 313
You say what are they doing that others aren’t well that’s the big question really,no one really knows if they are happy with what they are doing do they people can say what they like in the light of day when they have their own thoughts like we all do only they know if they wished they’d stayed smaller for less hassle.
Remember that it makes no difference what the first figure in the box is it’s what you’ve ended up with after the end of every January,I wouldn’t be thinking about going bigger at the moment anyway this time next year we will be at the start of the worst recession most of us have known.

Or conversely, happy that they’ve grown.

Understanding’Modern Monetary Policy’ might help allay your fears.

Good Luck