[Peter Stevenson]

Hi,

I currently work for a cleaning contractors company which is in Leeds as a cleaning supervisor and my wage is £8.50 per hour. The actual contract is based in Southampton, I basically run the whole show, employing new employees, covering for absentees, filling in the wage sheets, ordering equipment and materials etc..

The reason I've come to this forum is to seek advice to start-up my own cleaning company, I believe as I am already running the contract at the moment with a team of 8 cleaners but actually earning someone else a wage who is sat inside an office and not helping at all, and only phones me every few months to see if everything is running smoothly...   

I run a very good professional team and I have a several reliable cleaners who want to come with me and try and get our own cleaning contract. We're not after loads of contracts, ideally starting with small/medium size contracts, we're only aiming for enough to secure ourselves for a annual wage and not to secure more than that.

The information we are seeking is how to actually set-up our own company to start applying to potential clients i.e. registering a company name, writing up contracts, legal documents needed, what kind of insurance needed?

Any help would be most appreciated.

Pete.

[Fox]

Hi Pete

If you are going to go alone I wish every success but remember that that person sitting in an office is the person who did the marketing to get the contract, sold the services, does the payroll, buys in the equipment and materials etc etc etc, they also gave you a job!

No offence but running a contract with 8 cleaners is nothing like running a Company.  I sit in an office most of my day running a small/medium sized business while many people who work for me are out on site supervising and cleaning, I do not see them as 'earning me a wage' and think your thoughts on that matter are way past the mark!

Do a search on this site and you will find plenty of info on how to start up and what you need to have in place.  Here's a short list to start you off -

P&EL Ins
Employment info inc contracts
Client contract terms and conditions
H & S
COSHH
Risk Ass

Fox

[AJCleaningServices]

Hello Peter,
Info how to register a company available here: http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/
You could follow the links in my signature, to see get access to some of the legal documents, which you may require.  From here you can also get some info as well: www.point2point-cleaning.co.uk 
I would also suggest visiting your local Business Link
Good luck,
Arthur

[blacksheep]

hi, you can add this to your list ,may help www.lawpack.co.uk a book on employment law , everything you need to protect your rights as an employee or employer  from hiring to firing   by melanie slocombe regards blacksheep

[AJCleaningServices]

hi, you can add this to your list ,may help www.lawpack.co.uk a book on employment law , everything you need to protect your rights as an employee or employer  from hiring to firing   by melanie slocombe regards blacksheep

blacksheep,

If you ask me whether I can add to my list/signature the link to www.lawpack.co.uk, the answer is I cannot.  Because maximum number of characters allowed to be used in the signature is 200 and my signature, which includes the BBC code, is made of exactly 200 characters. 

I am afraid, there is nothing I can do about it.

Regards,

Arthur

[Ian Gourlay]

Arthur ,

Did you buy that Cleaning Point Kit £77 you have mentioned in previous posts.

Was it worth a pound a page

[AJCleaningServices]

Arthur ,

Did you buy that Cleaning Point Kit Ł77 you have mentioned in previous posts.

Was it worth a pound a page

Ian,

I did not buy it, but looking at the list of the documents, which point2point includes in this kit, I would say it is worth £77.  It is much cheaper than a franchise…

I am saying it also because I have paid over £700 to a solicitor for preparation "Statement of Terms and Conditions of Employment" and "Grievance & Disciplinary Procedure", so if I knew at that time about point2point I would have saved myself about £600.

The contents of point2point was briefly discussed here

Regards,

Arthur

[blacksheep]

sorry AJ CLEANING did not read all thread, my thread was meant for peter, who was as i thought looking for advice the link is a book which i found very helpful and i thought he may as well regards blacksheep

[lynngc]

i bought the point2point manual and cd recently.
i found it more for if you wanted to run an agency.
still worth every penny.
i changed the wording of the(agency) to company on letter heads etc. just play around with it.
i found it a good starter point
has many documents, on the cd which you will use, and standard customer letters

good luck

lynn

[Peter Stevenson]

First of all I'd like to thank everyone for their responses.

Fox, no need to get stroppy as everyone is entitled their opinion. I strongly disagree with your comments and as for the lack of communication via myself and my employer is totally unacceptable, I believe their should be some kind of contact between the employer and employees for good understanding of what needs to be achieved to retain a good business. I mean how hard can it be to use a phone 

Yes my employer sealed the contract, but as clearly stated within my thread I prepare the sheets for entering into the payroll software, the materials and equipment are ordered by me and paid by the company I supervisor at, therefore I basically do a hell of alot! And if you do not see it as us cleaners/supervisors not 'earning you a wage' then why do it?

Update: After doing some research we have managed to register a company name, drawn up the terms and condition along with other paper work with our lawyers and we have prepared that all important contract ready to sign with a company. We have proposed several offers to businesses today and we will await for their response. Thanks again for the advice!

[Fox]

Me? Stroppy? Never!   

That wasn't any where near stroppy for me - actually it was very polite! As you say everyone is entitled to their opinion but surely you realise once you voice that opinion on a public forum you may get people who disagree!

I don't recall saying anything in my post about your employers lack of communication and I do happen agree with you on that point, I was merely stating that employers do not just sit on their rears waiting for employees to earn their wage for them!  Infact I could go as far as reversing the whole thing and say that the employer is the one allowing the employee to make a living!  There are two sides to a coin, more to a book than it's cover etc etc etc!

Anyhow good to know from your update you are getting on ok and hope you get some response from the businesses you have sent proposals to.

Fox 

[CMS]

Oh boy! There's one guy heading for a fall?

It just goes to demonstrate that you haven't got a clue what we actually do Peter.

Now that you're 'ready to go and awaiting decisions' I presume you have in place all the other stuff such as..........

Insurance
Risk Assessments
COSHH Data
Training
Registration with Inland Revenue
VAT
Bank Account


I thought so..........

[CMS]

Hi,

I basically run the whole show

No you don't....nowhere near!

[Peter Stevenson]

Oh boy! There's one guy heading for a fall?

It just goes to demonstrate that you haven't got a clue what we actually do Peter.

Now that you're 'ready to go and awaiting decisions' I presume you have in place all the other stuff such as..........

Insurance
Risk Assessments
COSHH Data
Training
Registration with Inland Revenue
VAT
Bank Account


I thought so..........

CMS, nice of you to join in the conversation...

For your information I wouldn't rush into setting up a new business and we have been very careful and patient gaining information in each necessary department. We have gone over this information with a business advisor and we are all set to go, everything is now set-up 

[Peter Stevenson]

Me? Stroppy? Never!   

That wasn't any where near stroppy for me - actually it was very polite! As you say everyone is entitled to their opinion but surely you realise once you voice that opinion on a public forum you may get people who disagree!

I don't recall saying anything in my post about your employers lack of communication and I do happen agree with you on that point, I was merely stating that employers do not just sit on their rears waiting for employees to earn their wage for them!  Infact I could go as far as reversing the whole thing and say that the employer is the one allowing the employee to make a living!  There are two sides to a coin, more to a book than it's cover etc etc etc!

Anyhow good to know from your update you are getting on ok and hope you get some response from the businesses you have sent proposals to.

Fox 

Fox: I apologise if I misinterpreted you, I appreciate your advice and knowledge.

[CMS]

Oh boy! There's one guy heading for a fall?

It just goes to demonstrate that you haven't got a clue what we actually do Peter.

Now that you're 'ready to go and awaiting decisions' I presume you have in place all the other stuff such as..........

Insurance
Risk Assessments
COSHH Data
Training
Registration with Inland Revenue
VAT
Bank Account


I thought so..........

CMS, nice of you to join in the conversation...

For your information I wouldn't rush into setting up a new business and we have been very careful and patient gaining information in each necessary department. We have gone over this information with a business advisor and we are all set to go, everything is now set-up 

So, you have all of those things in place then?

[garyj]

I think what Peter is doing is a great idea. And when he is up and running I hope some of his staff follow his lead and do the same to him. His old company may even have a court claim for loss of earnings.

Peter you are the lowest of the low, over the years I've seen many people try the same trick, and EVERY time they have come unstuck.

[CMS]

Well said Gary

Peter, when you've done all this preparation, won your business, risked your money etc. (in fact all of the things that your employer has done for you)..................I sincerely hope that someone just like you comes along and takes it all away.

When you come to compete in the 'real' world you'll find it very different. THAT is when you'll realise that there is more to running a cleaning company than you think there is.

[preston powerblast]

Let the games begin as they say.
Lets face it anybody can actually do this and go it alone.
Very few succeed.
But at least spare a thought for the guy who has kept you and you colleagues in work. Who has trusted you whole heartedly and by the sounds of it and thinks you are very competant at your job and leaves you to get on with it without breathing down your neck all day.
But I am a great believer that what goes around comes around, and in this industry its bad to burn your bridges.
But many start up their own cleaning companies and rely on big firms for a bit of sub contract work to get started, but someone like yourself just couldnt be trusted because you would be trying to to steal the contract and people wouldnt deal with you.
Wish I was employed.

[CMS]

I think you've got the picture now Peter. We have all worked bloody hard to build our businesses. Then you have the cheek to come on here and ask us for advice on how to 'steal' your employers contract.

If you'd have come on here saying you wanted to run a cleaning business and then gone off and won a contract fairly, we would have had far more respect for you. We would even have helped you - well I would anyway.

I hope you lose a fortune. You've already lost your self respect.