Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: dazmond on June 16, 2015, 08:24:44 pm

Title: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: dazmond on June 16, 2015, 08:24:44 pm
van(including signwriting,vinyl wrap etc)
poles/brushes
system/tanks/pumps/hose reels/DI vessels
ladders/trad gear
backpack/sprayers etc
workwear including wet weather gear
stationary/business cards/leaflets etc
round software

ive spent around £10,000 which is a bit less than i thought really! ;D
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: martin hulstone on June 16, 2015, 08:30:24 pm
About 13,000. 6 grand on the van
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: Dave Willis on June 16, 2015, 08:40:52 pm
About 55 - 60K I would imagine.
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: Clever Forum Name on June 16, 2015, 08:41:54 pm
You forgot vision Daz ;)
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: chris turner on June 16, 2015, 08:42:45 pm
Probably way to much.
Iv sort of become addicted to buying new equipment, spent over £1000 last month alone, new pole, new membrane, 4 new brushes, new aquatap, new di vessel, new backpack, 2 new squeegees, new hose for main reel...
I find myself scouring the various sites almost weekly for any new products  :o
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: DaveG on June 16, 2015, 08:59:14 pm
About 3k
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: Smudger on June 16, 2015, 09:23:47 pm
Shudder to think....

Darran
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: kempy on June 16, 2015, 09:33:32 pm
A new 40/40 membrane is my worst item I buy . Hate it , £180-£220 and it's just boring piece of kit ... Lol .
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: Scrimble on June 16, 2015, 09:46:28 pm
how many on here still think turnover is how much they earn
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: SeanK on June 16, 2015, 09:52:49 pm
Easily around the £20k mark and easily £5k of that on crap like Dragonflys and Brodex alloys.
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: Rich Wilts on June 16, 2015, 11:12:14 pm
30K. Van, system, poles etc.
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: LT carpet cleaning on June 17, 2015, 01:05:23 am
how many on here still think turnover is how much they earn

Most I imagine.  :'(
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: DaveG on June 17, 2015, 07:07:51 am
About 3k

Actually, .more like double that!  :o ::)roll
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: andyM on June 17, 2015, 07:19:06 am
30 Trillion Rupees.
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: dazmond on June 17, 2015, 07:20:15 am
Easily around the £20k mark and easily £5k of that on crap like Dragonflys and Brodex alloys.

20k?for a sole trader?what van have you got sean?has that been your main outlay?
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: wpclean on June 17, 2015, 07:54:39 am
I am a sucker for new products, just can't help myself it is an addiction  ;D
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: jk999 on June 17, 2015, 07:58:19 am
What he's really trying to  say is five k on crap n rest off its on vision that's y he's  slating  it because  he wants it all to himself  lol 😆 😆 😆
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: Jonny 87 on June 17, 2015, 08:47:01 am
Depends how you look at it really.

About £10,000 when I first switched to WFP with van and WFP equipment.

Now I usually spend about £6,000-£8,000 a year on expenses. (Fuel, new equipment etc.)

I should really curb my spending on new stuff as I do feel my costs are a bit high for a sole trader. I'm nearly there now though with my optimal set up, and then after that the plan is just to maintain and replace. So that should help. :) that's the plan anyway. Lol
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: Rich Wilts on June 17, 2015, 09:01:21 am
Depends how you look at it really.

About £10,000 when I first switched to WFP with van and WFP equipment.

Now I usually spend about £6,000-£8,000 a year on expenses. (Fuel, new equipment etc.)

I should really curb my spending on new stuff as I do feel my costs are a bit high for a sole trader. I'm nearly there now though with my optimal set up, and then after that the plan is just to maintain and replace. So that should help. :) that's the plan anyway. Lol

Thats how it is here. A couple of years ago I got a new Transit Custom, with a 650 litre Grippatank system fitted. We have a range of poles, all Gardiners, 18' SLX, 2 X 25' SLX and a 47' Extreme.  My only purchases these days are new resin, new pump, new pre-filters, the odd brush when a new one comes out and thats pretty much it. 
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: kempy on June 17, 2015, 09:12:17 am
+1
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: Walter Mitty on June 17, 2015, 09:40:00 am
The 3 year old van with tank fitted cost me £10.5k originally.
Poles must have cost me another £3k over the years (I include one pole that was £1.7k.)
A trolley, backpacks, reels, a non-standard size holding tank (so it could fit through the door), membranes, resin, water, unit rental etc., I dread to come up with a number really.
And don't get me started on van repairs and vehicle hire.
Ouch!
Whichever way I slice it though, apart from the first year when I converted to WFP, the profit has always been more than trad bevcause the higher turnover far outstrips the higher expenses.
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: SeanK on June 17, 2015, 09:49:07 am
What he's really trying to  say is five k on crap n rest off its on vision that's y he's  slating  it because  he wants it all to himself  lol 😆 😆 😆

 ;D ;D
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: SeanK on June 17, 2015, 10:01:42 am
Easily around the £20k mark and easily £5k of that on crap like Dragonflys and Brodex alloys.

20k?for a sole trader?what van have you got sean?has that been your main outlay?

Dazmond, around £10k on a van( Dispatch) about £500 to have it wrapped £2500 on a ready built system and £1500 on a gutter vac. £600 on a Dragonfly indoor kit with extra mops.
Poles advertising and all the rest at least £2k and would easily add another £3k since then on bits and bobs and better poles.
Had a nice redundancy package burning a hole in my pocket at the time.
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: dazmond on June 17, 2015, 07:28:50 pm
hopefully you ll make it pay over the next few years sean with that outlay. :)

ive tended to buy cheaper older vans and built  DIY systems but spend lots on the best poles,workwear and wet weather gear and boots!oh and a private number plate for my van! :)

im not interested in gutter vacs and indoor dragonflys etc.i stick to window cleaning and add ons with existing equipment.im on course to turnover close to 42k this year as a sole trader which is more than i ever could of imagined even a few years ago.

looking to the future i think ill stick with DIY systems but invest in a nearly new van in a few years.

best wishes


dazmond
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: SeanK on June 17, 2015, 07:47:18 pm
To be honest Dazmond that's been over a period of 7 going on 8 years and I would say unless something very unexpected
crops up your only talking around £2k a year over 10 years which doesn't sound as bad when put like that.
Less if you consider you will still have some capital value left in the equipment.
Vans can be a hard expense to work out which way is best, you can buy cheaper older vans and change them more often
or buy newer and keep them longer, I think at the end of the day there isn't much difference in cost both ways.
I was intending to keep my van for 10 years but with the small amount of miles I do yearly and the way the van is wearing
I could certainly get another 5 or more years from it, so will hang onto it.
The gutter vac was a bad buy for me at that price as you cant get the prices needed in my area to cover that sort of cost.
A cheaper model would have been more cost effective.
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: Soupy on June 17, 2015, 07:53:08 pm
Some interesting reading there.

I've always wandered what the market value of our defenders might be.

Take Stig 2 for example:
(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1434178074_S2-1.jpg)
(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1434178093_S2-6.jpg)
(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1434178098_S2-5.jpg)
(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1434178082_S2-2.jpg)

What would the market value be?

Landy: 30k miles, 2008 worth (for argument sake) £10k ish

WFP: 2 man cold system. Baffeled 500l custom tank fits very low in the Landy. Full or empty, you wouldn't know it's there. 2x 270 degree directional Cox hose reels.

I appreciate that the set up is fairly 'niche', you either like Landies or you don't. Would there be a market? How much would you pay? Any ideas?
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: Stoots on June 17, 2015, 08:07:03 pm
For window cleaning, van, websites, clothing, signwriting, poles, van mount, etc about £2`000
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: Dave Willis on June 17, 2015, 08:17:17 pm
hopefully you ll make it pay over the next few years sean with that outlay. :)

ive tended to buy cheaper older vans and built  DIY systems but spend lots on the best poles,workwear and wet weather gear and boots!oh and a private number plate for my van! :)

im not interested in gutter vacs and indoor dragonflys etc.i stick to window cleaning and add ons with existing equipment.im on course to turnover close to 42k this year as a sole trader which is more than i ever could of imagined even a few years ago.

looking to the future i think ill stick with DIY systems but invest in a nearly new van in a few years.

best wishes


dazmond

We've only had 10 weeks this year and you're on course for 42k?
Dazmond, did you used to count chickens in your previous life?
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: Mick Kent on June 17, 2015, 08:56:06 pm
 ::)roll

Again!!!
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: chris turner on June 17, 2015, 09:33:01 pm
how many on here still think turnover is how much they earn

For most on here turnover probably is how much they earn ;) ;D
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: dazmond on June 17, 2015, 09:34:17 pm
so?the same questions get asked again and again on here mick! ;D

im just keeping the CIU tradition going! ;D ;D
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: dazmond on June 18, 2015, 08:13:25 am
For window cleaning, van, websites, clothing, signwriting, poles, van mount, etc about £2`000

i bet you ve spent more than that mate in reality!how much did your van cost you?
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: dazmond on June 18, 2015, 08:20:45 am
Probably way to much.
Iv sort of become addicted to buying new equipment, spent over £1000 last month alone, new pole, new membrane, 4 new brushes, new aquatap, new di vessel, new backpack, 2 new squeegees, new hose for main reel...
I find myself scouring the various sites almost weekly for any new products  :o

ive been through that stage before mate but after a while you tend to streamline what you need and realise that you have enough equipment/spares to make money for years to come with just a few little purchases now and then to keep your business running smoothly. :)
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: SeanK on June 18, 2015, 10:12:49 am
Probably way to much.
Iv sort of become addicted to buying new equipment, spent over £1000 last month alone, new pole, new membrane, 4 new brushes, new aquatap, new di vessel, new backpack, 2 new squeegees, new hose for main reel...
I find myself scouring the various sites almost weekly for any new products  :o

ive been through that stage before mate but after a while you tend to streamline what you need and realise that you have enough equipment/spares to make money for years to come with just a few little purchases now and then to keep your business running smoothly. :)

Totally agree, I don't even keep a lot of spares now as things can be delivered so quickly and I have a trolley as a backup.
What would happen to me was I would buy a spare, keep it until it was needed and then find it was faulty with the
guarantee up.
Title: Re: how much have you spent on everything?(van,equipment etc)
Post by: slap bash on June 18, 2015, 10:23:37 am
how many on here still think turnover is how much they earn


I totally agree with your statement. I so often read statements on here concerning pricing that leads me to believe you are right in your assumption. Some just there low prices as if they have expenses difference to your own business.  I would go future and say there are some with not business understanding at all. But because we operate our own businesses we can mess up the industry at will, with out responsibility to our fellow window cleaners.