Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: redstarwindowcleaners on February 09, 2014, 09:17:14 am

Title: Want to expand but not enough work for 2 vans
Post by: redstarwindowcleaners on February 09, 2014, 09:17:14 am
Been thinking of getting another van up and running
have a spare van and a little investment in equipment  / using some of my spare kit will be able to get another on the road
Have a fella who is reliable honest and willing and is avaliable from april
And will work for a daily wage
But I have not got enough work to keep 2 X vans on the road full time
I was thinking of him taking over my round paying him a fixed daily rate and copping the profit
I will need to keep building the second round but whilst doing this thinking of subbing work out to fill the shortfall then gradually reducing as i gain more work myself
only have subbed a little work in the past from a friend to help him out as he was to busy but did not want to let down his existing clients so the rate was good

have been looking over the past few weeks and have seen quite a few leads but have not really gone any further as i can't ommit to April
anyone sub work and is it financially viable once thoes further up the food chain have taken their cut

any views appreciated
 

anyone
Title: Re: Want to expand but not enough work for 2 vans
Post by: Clever Forum Name on February 09, 2014, 09:33:18 am
Can't you work from one van with two men full time?

Crack through the work quicker, then go canvassing?
Title: Re: Want to expand but not enough work for 2 vans
Post by: redstarwindowcleaners on February 09, 2014, 09:47:31 am
Can't you work from one van with two men full time?

Crack through the work quicker, then go canvassing?


don't know
thought about it but working together would it as productive  as 2 vans
Working with someone on domestics not sure I would gain much time
if larger commercials agree
Title: Re: Want to expand but not enough work for 2 vans
Post by: robertphil on February 09, 2014, 10:09:34 am
go get a loada new work is what i would do in your position .   facebook ad, fliers,doorknock etc
Title: Re: Want to expand but not enough work for 2 vans
Post by: redstarwindowcleaners on February 09, 2014, 10:15:01 am
go get a loada new work is what i would do in your position .   facebook ad, fliers,doorknock etc
[/quote

yes but it takes time
has taken 20 months to get where i am now]
Title: Re: Want to expand but not enough work for 2 vans
Post by: PurefectWindowCleaning on February 09, 2014, 10:21:32 am
1 van 2 men surely?

Power flyer!

Sorted  ;)
Title: Re: Want to expand but not enough work for 2 vans
Post by: bobplum on February 09, 2014, 11:05:32 am
Can't you work from one van with two men full time?

Crack through the work quicker, then go canvassing?

this is what i hope to do in April
Title: Re: Want to expand but not enough work for 2 vans
Post by: robertphil on February 09, 2014, 11:21:05 am
go get a loada new work is what i would do in your position .   facebook ad, fliers,doorknock etc
[/quote

yes but it takes time
has taken 20 months to get where i am now]
you should easily be able to rake in 5 new jobs per week even if you are half arsed about it . double that if you put urself about properly .
Title: Re: Want to expand but not enough work for 2 vans
Post by: Clever Forum Name on February 09, 2014, 11:21:34 am
In your position. Two men one van. Leaflet and door knock.

You will save money but not subbing.

A lot more work involved.
Title: Re: Want to expand but not enough work for 2 vans
Post by: redstarwindowcleaners on February 10, 2014, 05:54:49 am
Can I run 2 X poles and hoses from 1 X pump or do i need to double up and get another pump box  inc battery controller and pump
Title: Re: Want to expand but not enough work for 2 vans
Post by: Total shine cleaning services on February 10, 2014, 07:19:50 am
I jumped in with both feet, bought a second van and put someone in it, at the time the round wasn't big enough for even one person, we are slowly getting there and it has freed up so much of my time, I often canvass, do first cleans and back him up on awkward jobs, go for it but to achieve this you have to put any self doubt straight out of your head..!

Graham
Title: Re: Want to expand but not enough work for 2 vans
Post by: jk999 on February 10, 2014, 08:09:04 am
Can you afford to live without the money you would be loosing by setting this guy on if so I would just keep to one van at mo till you build up your round
Title: Re: Want to expand but not enough work for 2 vans
Post by: Steven White on February 10, 2014, 02:51:34 pm
I couldn't double up my customers overnight to give enough work for another person.  So I put a second station on my existing van doubled up on poles. I got a school leaver who was willing to register as self employed and payed him 25% of what we both did. So he'd get about £75 a day. I started hi on one day a week and that would increse as I got more customers. It was better than he got on the dole. But he worked with me 5 1 day weeks then got an apprentership. Luckily he didn't leave me later on when I had more customers than I could handle alone. I would think about doing something like this gradually rather than taking someone on full time. Your not going to double your custies overnight unless you get a contract to clean a hospital all of a sudden, or some other mamoth job you'll need an extra bod for.
Title: Re: Want to expand but not enough work for 2 vans
Post by: redstarwindowcleaners on February 10, 2014, 07:07:31 pm
Good info
thanks
I need to have a good think about it
thanks again
Title: Re: Want to expand but not enough work for 2 vans
Post by: Ian101 on February 10, 2014, 07:35:12 pm
Ive been in this situation a few times and just prodded at it and not had a proper try until recently.

If you have lots of money then just plough in and buy another van ... get yer man off and on his own and you build up the workload.

however if like me you cant afford to do it this way then this is what Im doing.

Ram van1 up with work till a min of £5k to £6k so much work that you have to work flat out constantly inc Saturdays .... need a day off then get yer man out on his own on a Saturday .... basically you have to sweat the asset and squeeze every drop out of it .... then split round and get second van up and running ... maybe split £6k round as £4k and £2k and build up again.

Getting the 2nd van is the most expensive to do then once this is done your away.

Just my opinion  :)
Title: Re: Want to expand but not enough work for 2 vans
Post by: Marc Stock on February 10, 2014, 07:40:11 pm
Thats exacyly what im aiming to do. keep me posted how you get on pls
Title: Re: Want to expand but not enough work for 2 vans
Post by: Ian101 on February 10, 2014, 07:43:24 pm
Thats exacyly what im aiming to do. keep me posted how you get on pls

who me ??  :)