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UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: HampshireWindowCleaning on July 03, 2013, 07:48:32 pm

Title: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: HampshireWindowCleaning on July 03, 2013, 07:48:32 pm
Just out of interest and wondering what the potential is if you really push it, who on here has the biggest companies? Anyone running 10+ vans flat out, anyone turn over £500,000-£1,000,000+ per annum from window cleaning?
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: cgh window cleaning on July 03, 2013, 08:01:44 pm
Jv price used to come on here big commercial window cleaners in London and the south east.
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: wfp master on July 03, 2013, 08:12:11 pm
do they clean windows or just make a mess?  then collect the money or dont even bother cleaning? just asking ??? ???
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: jarvy on July 03, 2013, 08:33:58 pm
do they clean windows or just make a mess?  then collect the money or dont even bother cleaning? just asking ??? ???
As if a national would do that!   ;D
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: PoleKing on July 03, 2013, 08:41:37 pm
I make £1m+ but only declare £9k.
They'd stop my giro if they knew!
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: bobplum on July 03, 2013, 08:55:39 pm
I make £1m+ but only declare £9k.
They'd stop my giro if they knew!

 ;D
phew i thought it was just me :D
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: windiewasher on July 03, 2013, 09:13:28 pm
Cleanandsafe  ;D
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: PoleKing on July 03, 2013, 09:15:43 pm
Cleanandsafe  ;D

£1,000,000 divided by £1,300?
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: Moderator David@stives on July 03, 2013, 09:53:15 pm
The biggest window cleaning businesses turn over about £3-4 million, unless you include cleaning firms who also do there own window cleaning ie interserve, OCS etc.



Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: PoleKing on July 03, 2013, 10:25:46 pm
The biggest window cleaning businesses turn over about £3-4 million, unless you include cleaning firms who also do there own window cleaning ie interserve, OCS etc.





That you Dave?
Lend us a tenner
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: telfordwindowclnr on July 03, 2013, 10:52:59 pm
 ;D don't get too carried away by turnover mate. You could turn over 3-4 mil, but if your profit is 10k, a lot of us on here would beat the 3-4 mil guy hands down. I'm not interested in everyone's answer, but a better assessment of things would be to ask about turnover to profit ratios. Then you would know who has a good business. It is not always the guy with the biggest number.
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: Stephen.C on July 03, 2013, 11:02:38 pm
Matt Bateman, he's loaded and getting fatter by the day.
Works his staff to exhaustion while he sits in fat Joe's café in Basingstoke. ;D
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: windiewasher on July 03, 2013, 11:03:12 pm
Dazmond is the richest window cleaner.
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: windiewasher on July 03, 2013, 11:04:22 pm
Matt Bateman, he's loaded and getting fatter by the day.
Works his staff to exhaustion while he sits in fat Joe's café in Basingstoke. ;D
Pmsl.fair play to him  ;D
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: MATT BATEMAN (OWC) on July 03, 2013, 11:07:28 pm
Matt Bateman, he's loaded and getting fatter by the day.
Works his staff to exhaustion while he sits in fat Joe's café in Basingstoke. ;D

Whatchitlardarseorillsetmyvanonyou.  ;D


But you're right, I am loaded.  ;D
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: MATT BATEMAN (OWC) on July 03, 2013, 11:11:50 pm
Steve C just sent me this video of himself. He needs to see a doctor.

http://efukt.com/196_The_Love_Plug.html
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: Frankybadboy on July 04, 2013, 06:36:59 am
Steve C just sent me this video of himself. He needs to see a doctor.

http://efukt.com/196_The_Love_Plug.html
:o :o :o :o

that aint steve c his belly is bigger ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: Stephen.C on July 04, 2013, 07:58:23 am
 ;D Its all that good living
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: PAUL ERITH on July 04, 2013, 08:21:50 am
Turnover is vanity profit is sanity  ;) ;)
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: Moderator David@stives on July 05, 2013, 07:57:18 am

Turnover is everything, without it there can be no profit, let's face it who wants 90% of nothing

Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: Perfect Windows on July 05, 2013, 08:07:43 am
;D don't get too carried away by turnover mate. You could turn over 3-4 mil, but if your profit is 10k, a lot of us on here would beat the 3-4 mil guy hands down. I'm not interested in everyone's answer, but a better assessment of things would be to ask about turnover to profit ratios. Then you would know who has a good business. It is not always the guy with the biggest number.

Yes, I'm off out to spend my turnover to profit ratio on some bread rolls at the corner shop.  They all accept that round here...
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: Knocker on July 05, 2013, 09:08:27 am
Plimsol Publications  produce a report on the  UK window cleaning industry and they have listed 34 different companies that turn over more than £1,000,000
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: robert mitchell on July 05, 2013, 11:37:03 am

Turnover is everything, without it there can be no profit, let's face it who wants 90% of nothing


So if turnover is everything then you would rather have a turnover of 100000 with 30000 profit than 60000 turnover with a 40000  profit ?

Turnover is not everything.
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: Gav Camm lammy 283 on July 05, 2013, 01:15:22 pm
Deans quite big
Well he's fat
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: Dean Taberner on July 05, 2013, 01:20:15 pm
Deans quite big
Well he's fat

At least I've got hair son  :-X
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: SunShineCleaning on July 05, 2013, 01:28:40 pm
Plimsol Publications  produce a report on the  UK window cleaning industry and they have listed 34 different companies that turn over more than £1,000,000

Do you have a copy I could look at please?
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: Moderator David@stives on July 05, 2013, 01:58:53 pm
your comparisons are 30% and 66%, no matter what I would rather have 30 % or 66% net profit from £1m turnover, than 30% or 66% of £100'000 or £60'000 to use your figures

Without turnover profits can be very small

Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: formb on July 05, 2013, 02:07:08 pm
Quote from: David@st-ives
Without turnover profits can be very small

Yea but; without profit turnover is pointless.
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: Knocker on July 05, 2013, 02:21:11 pm
How about lots of turover with lots of profit (like the good old days)
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: Moderator David@stives on July 05, 2013, 02:36:25 pm
Out of large turnovers, large profits can be extracted, if you turnover 100k , no amount of percentage, profit is going to make you a millionaire, now out of a £1m turnover you might stand a chance.




To make profit a small turnover will severely restrict you
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: robert mitchell on July 05, 2013, 03:31:38 pm
As turnover increases costs usually go up .

So it often happens that profit can decrease with an increase of costs (insurance, staff, equipment etc).

The amount of profit you make is the most important figure.

You can have two businesses with the same turnover and very different profit figures.

Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: Perfect Windows on July 05, 2013, 05:07:53 pm
As turnover increases costs usually go up .

So it often happens that profit can decrease with an increase of costs (insurance, staff, equipment etc).

The amount of profit you make is the most important figure.

You can have two businesses with the same turnover and very different profit figures.



Really?  That's an odd conclusion.

Let's take a couple of aspects.

You buy a PC to do your accounts when you reach a turnover of £50,000.  You're probably still using one PC when you have a turnover of £200,000.

You buy a 4040 RO when you're turning over £50,000.  You're probably still using the same 4040 when your turnover is £500,000, just much more efficiently.

I would suspect that of the items you mention, staff costs and equipment costs stay level in terms of proportional share of turnover.  I would also suspect that insurance per person is smaller the bigger you get.

So, contrary to what you've said, "As turnover increases costs usually go up" they may well decrease as a proportion of turnover, if anything, leading to higher profit margins and thus higher profits.



Still, this isn't really an argument about profits or turnover is it?  It's a justification for staying small.  Which is fine, but it doesn't make it correct.

Vin
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: Rob_Mac on July 05, 2013, 05:11:49 pm
I am not going to say what my profit margin is and this may not be relevant but mine has gone up, each year for the last seven, as the business has grown. Smart business working or improved charging, I certainly am not smart ;)

Rob ;D
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: richard jagger on July 05, 2013, 07:10:42 pm
We are the biggest window cleaning company by far.
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: Dean Taberner on July 05, 2013, 08:56:43 pm
My turnover has gone up x10 in the last 6 years and is still rapidly going up,

The profit on the other hand hasn't gone up x10 but it certainly has gone up quite significantly and that is still climbing too.

Rather like the game football manager where you start off in the conference south and try to work your way up.

All good fun and a great challenge,

Dean.
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: Moderator David@stives on July 05, 2013, 09:09:50 pm
We are the largest in St Ives by far
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: Dean Taberner on July 05, 2013, 09:12:46 pm
We are the largest in St Ives by far

You don't like it though do you Dave? Windows?
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: Moderator David@stives on July 05, 2013, 09:29:04 pm
I hate windows Dean
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: Dean Taberner on July 05, 2013, 09:31:44 pm
I hate windows Dean

I thought you did,

I don't hate them, But find them a bit boring at times.
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: Philip Osborne on July 05, 2013, 09:44:37 pm
;D don't get too carried away by turnover mate. You could turn over 3-4 mil, but if your profit is 10k, a lot of us on here would beat the 3-4 mil guy hands down. I'm not interested in everyone's answer, but a better assessment of things would be to ask about turnover to profit ratios. Then you would know who has a good business. It is not always the guy with the biggest number.

So speaks an experienced man! ;)

(We've got to stop complimenting each other's posts, people will think there's something going on! lol)
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: telfordwindowclnr on July 06, 2013, 08:39:19 am
 
;D don't get too carried away by turnover mate. You could turn over 3-4 mil, but if your profit is 10k, a lot of us on here would beat the 3-4 mil guy hands down. I'm not interested in everyone's answer, but a better assessment of things would be to ask about turnover to profit ratios. Then you would know who has a good business. It is not always the guy with the biggest number.

So speaks an experienced man! ;)

(We've got to stop complimenting each other's posts, people will think there's something going on! lol)
;D  ;D
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: Matt. on July 09, 2013, 08:04:10 pm
Am certainly not the biggest, but by far the best
Title: Re: Biggest window cleaning companies
Post by: robert mitchell on July 09, 2013, 09:27:48 pm
As turnover increases costs usually go up .

So it often happens that profit can decrease with an increase of costs (insurance, staff, equipment etc).

The amount of profit you make is the most important figure.

You can have two businesses with the same turnover and very different profit figures.





Really?  That's an odd conclusion.

Let's take a couple of aspects.

You buy a PC to do your accounts when you reach a turnover of £50,000.  You're probably still using one PC when you have a turnover of £200,000.

You buy a 4040 RO when you're turning over £50,000.  You're probably still using the same 4040 when your turnover is £500,000, just much more efficiently.

I would suspect that of the items you mention, staff costs and equipment costs stay level in terms of proportional share of turnover.  I would also suspect that insurance per person is smaller the bigger you get.

So, contrary to what you've said, "As turnover increases costs usually go up" they may well decrease as a proportion of turnover, if anything, leading to higher profit margins and thus higher profits.



Still, this isn't really an argument about profits or turnover is it?  It's a justification for staying small.  Which is fine, but it doesn't make it correct.

Vin

No its not a justification for staying small.

Its not an argument either , the point i was making is that turnover is not everything .

In your business model where you franchise then your costs probably do not go up significantly but in other business models they will, for instance if you employ , have several vans, higher insurance costs , maintenance , maybe renting a unit etc etc.

A lot depends on how you run your business.

A high turnover is useless if your not making a profit.