Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Marc Stock on March 02, 2018, 07:41:46 am
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Well,having yesterday off and today has meant that next week i am working monday through to friday full time with well over £1600 to get through. This is the weekly figure i need to hit to get to my 80k a year target. It will be a good test to see if i can produce that level of work easily.
Normally i work 4 days a week, well 3 and a 3rd because the last working day on the fridays i tend to do my quarterly cleans.
How about you guys?
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(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1519977301_photo0hat.jpg)
I think it may take a while for this to melt where we are ;D
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Marc have you based your £80k on working 50 weeks per year then? That doesn't leave a lot of wriggle room - we have 8 bank holidays a year alone and as this week has shown a few days can be lost, and this doesn't include holidays.
The windows we have due next week along with the gutters we didn't do this week we have £10k to get done, between two of us - don't think we'll get it all done! We'll get some extra help in I think and work a few Saturdays to get the cash flow back up to speed. Although this doesn't include the extra jobs that have come in this week.
I'm in a bit of a pickle though as I have to have shoulder surgery in May, which means I can't do any physical work for 6-9 months. I need to work out a plan to help cover the work I won't be able to do.
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After being forced to take a week off because of the bad weather it'll be very tempting to start up again next week "all guns blazing" but you still need to pace yourself....
Pesronally I'm not going to attempt to catch up on the work I've missed. I'm just going to run a week behind schedule.
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Yes it is a bit tight, but these are 4-5hour working days maximum, so.
By time i am hitting 60k a year i will have another van and a part time worker to balance out the work a little.
As i approach 80k i hope to have a full time employee, and then onwards to stage 2.
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Yes it is a bit tight, but these are 4-5hour working days maximum, so.
OK. I like 4 to 5 hour working days. I'm trying to establish my round so I have no more than 6 hours per day 'on the glass'.
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I will stay off today as another load of snow is forecast later today, but I intend to start back tomorrow (Saturday) if possible, on a load of low-level ladder work.
My goals are more modest but I will be canvassing soon and have a target of £1k to £1.1k a week by mid summer. I don't want to go too crazy with it because my back and elbows sometimes give me an awkward time if I overdo it.
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By time i am hitting 60k a year i will have another van and a part time worker to balance out the work a little.
As i approach 80k i hope to have a full time employee, and then onwards to stage 2.
Genuine question; out of interest if you can clean £1600 a week on your own, why do you need an employee when you hit £60k a year?
You’ll be £20k short of work for one full time person (you) and you’ll then have a wage of around £26k a year so you’ll basically be in the exact position financially you’re in now (unless I’m missing something?)
You dont have to answer if you don’t want to, I know its a bit of a ‘delving into financials’ question.
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Is your new enthusiasm a result of coming off your anti-depressants Mark or is it a sub-conscious means of avoidance of an under-lying, unadressed emotional issue.
If it’s the first, fair play, if it’s the second - look out!
Or maybe it’s neither. Just, you never used to post on here like this up until a month or two ago.
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Yes it is a bit tight, but these are 4-5hour working days maximum, so.
By time i am hitting 60k a year i will have another van and a part time worker to balance out the work a little.
As i approach 80k i hope to have a full time employee, and then onwards to stage 2.
Genuine question; out of interest if you can clean £1600 a week on your own, why do you need an employee when you hit £60k worth of work?
You’ll be £20k short of work for one full time person (you) and you’ll then have a wage of around £26k a year so you’ll basically be in the exact position financially you’re in now (unless I’m missing something?)
You dont have to answer if you don’t want to, I know its a bit of a ‘delving into financials’ question.
Of course, its a perfectly legitimate question.
Personally for me; i have had enough of window cleaning. I want the business to get to a stage where i don't actually have to do the work anymore by the time i am 40 years old. I turn 38 this year and i figure by the age of 40 if i continue with this plan i should have a self running window cleaning business where i no longer have to do the work myself if i don't want to.
At 60k turnover i will be able to still live, and pay my bills with a part-time worker, with my reduced time on the glass. At that stage my job will change from full time window cleaner. to part time window cleaner, and part time canvasser. Then the last 20k push will happen relatively quickly because i will have 1, the time to do it 2, the energy. Then when I hit 80k turnover, i will employ a full time window cleaner, with a good salary and bonus structure, my job will change again from part-time canvasser to full time canvasser & business developer and i will get more work, and do the window cleaning for a while again until i get another employee to do the work. I will simply repeat this process.
Window cleaning is a great little business to be in, but i want new challenges in my life. Bramar Ltd is the vehicle for those new challenges with the StockClean branded window cleaning business, i might go into drain jetting, or even commercial window cleaning again. I will also look for new avenues of business with Bramar Ltd directly later on in life, possibly in facilities management.
Unfortunately though i still have bills to pay, rent to find, and kids stomachs to fill. So the window cleaning is very much the only way i can sustain any financial injection into my future plans. I don't have a house to sell to do it, or lottery winnings or money inheritance. i have to to it the slow way unfortunately.
But keeping these goals in mind, has made me enjoy my window cleaning business again, because i have a goal and a direction of what i want to achieve with it.
Hope that's a bit more helpful.
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Is your new enthusiasm a result of coming off your anti-depressants Mark or is it a sub-conscious means of avoidance of an under-lying, unadressed emotional issue.
If it’s the first, fair play, if it’s the second - look out!
Or maybe it’s neither. Just, you never used to post on here like this up until a month or two ago.
;D ;D Cor Blimey That's a deep question. Id like to think the 1st, but i have recently discovered things in my personal life which i will not share on a public forum that has given me, lets say a different outlook on life.
For the last 10 years, i have spent the majority of that time looking at other people in a negative way. People that I used to be close to, I lost through alienation due to my unpredictable behavior, and i have done some pretty shocking things to what used to be my friends in the past. Through therapy i have been able to let go of some of that guilt from my stupidity in my early years i suppose.
I will say they key person who has helped my is my wife, Debs. She has shown me so many new things about my own personality that i never understood, and helped me to manage it in a much better way. Coming off the meds has enabled me to come alive again.
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Well,having yesterday off and today has meant that next week i am working monday through to friday full time with well over £1600 to get through. This is the weekly figure i need to hit to get to my 80k a year target. It will be a good test to see if i can produce that level of work easily.
Normally i work 4 days a week, well 3 and a 3rd because the last working day on the fridays i tend to do my quarterly cleans.
How about you guys?
i just moved my work schedule forward a week.sod trying to cram in this weeks lost work in as well.....lifes too short.....
i personally dont believe in working more than 30 hours a week now im in my mid forties.it stops burn out and getting fed up of the job....
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I’ve felt the same in the past after having time off trying to run round like an idiot it’s just not worth it,the 1st couple of days back and we will be back in the swing and sitting indoors for a few days will soon be missed enjoy the time off,at least we have a valid reason we have no reason to feel guilty about not working at the moment you will be probably the last thing on your customers minds at the mo.
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After being forced to take a week off because of the bad weather it'll be very tempting to start up again next week "all guns blazing" but you still need to pace yourself....
Pesronally I'm not going to attempt to catch up on the work I've missed. I'm just going to run a week behind schedule.
if you allow yourself say 6 weeks a year for holidays/sickness/bad weather days etc.one week off is nothing....and you dont feel bad that you ve lost out on earnings....
pacing yourself is very wise too.........no point trying to cram loads of work in and stressing yourself out...
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marc, do you work on your own and making £60,000 a year, you must charge a price for your services.
correct me if i have it wrong, but thats a very good wage to be coming in for a solo opperator
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Same as you Marc.
I need a record week next week (although we won't do 1600 quid even with lad helping me 16 hours)
This week's has hit me quite hard, I've just forked out for some canvassing and another van and then I only worked Monday and had to pay laddo his wages. We also got a massive leccy/gas bill to top it off.
Need 4 record weeks in march to claw it back. So normally I work 9-3, next week I will have to work till 5 most days.
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I don't believe sometimes what I read on here.
I'm 50 years old work 6 days a week 5.30 am till aleast 5pm
And I breeze that.
As long as you have variation which I do.
I wish I was forty again
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I don't believe sometimes what I read on here.
I'm 50 years old work 6 days a week 5.30 am till aleast 5pm
And I breeze that.
As long as you have variation which I do.
I wish I was forty again
I'm not sure what the hours you are capable of working has to do with the hours someone else is capable of working.
You can do things I can't.
I can do things you can't.
So what. We're all different.
Apart from that, even if I were able to work 11.5 hours a day, I'd probably choose not to.
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I don't believe sometimes what I read on here.
I'm 50 years old work 6 days a week 5.30 am till aleast 5pm
And I breeze that.
As long as you have variation which I do.
I wish I was forty again
really?i couldnt work them hours mate.25 -30 hours a week now at 46.ive got to fit in at least 3 weight training sessions in the gym per week ,rehearsals/gigs with my band(im a drummer),see the missus and the kids,take the dog for walks etc...i havent got the time/inclination to work the ridiculous hours you work....no need....your a long time dead mate....
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also i find by working shorter hours im actually more productive....i dont tire as easily and get more work done........i dont hang about....splash and dash and im done......
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marc, do you work on your own and making £60,000 a year, you must charge a price for your services.
correct me if i have it wrong, but thats a very good wage to be coming in for a solo opperator
Hi Johnny.
I am not at 60k turnover. Im am sitting just under 50k right now approx 3 & 2 3rd days a week.
My comments about the 60k, thats the figure i need to be able to have a temporary fella do some of the work in another van whilst i go out and do some hardcore canvassing, to get to 80k.
The hardest bit right now is this transition period, at 50k i cannot afford to pay someone to do the work, but i dont have the time available to do the aggressive canvassing needed to get to 80k. Even generating another 10k of business to get to my 60k so i can afford to employ someone to free up my time to push to 80k is going to be a challange.
I will add aswell, me and the missus is only taking a small wage of 11.5k each on paye..whilst we try to build the business.
The end result for stage 1 is an 80k window cleaning business paying a full time window cleaner approx 30k a year leaving 50k for mine and the missus, modest wages of 25k and i dont have to do the physical work anymore but just concentrate on repeating the process over and over again until we reach a form of financial freedom.
As far ad pricing goes, here in Surrey our average prices are knocking around the £30 per house mark.
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Same as you Marc.
I need a record week next week (although we won't do 1600 quid even with lad helping me 16 hours)
This week's has hit me quite hard, I've just forked out for some canvassing and another van and then I only worked Monday and had to pay laddo his wages. We also got a massive leccy/gas bill to top it off.
Need 4 record weeks in march to claw it back. So normally I work 9-3, next week I will have to work till 5 most days.
Tell you what mate. Before you know it, the sun will be shining, the phone will be ringing off the hook and this little struggle you are experiencing right now will be a distant memory. You'l look back with pride at just how resilient you have become, and you'l be a money making freight train not stopping for anybody.
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also i find by working shorter hours im actually more productive....i dont tire as easily and get more work done........i dont hang about....splash and dash and im done......
I agree and if you actually graft 6 hours is more than enough. I don't know how some work 8 or more hours a day, got too much else to do. I spend an hour a night sorting the van and rounds etc plus gym then making dinner, then time with kids etc.
I actually don't know how I managed when I used to work 8-5 in a job, wasn't home by 6 most nights and all you want to do with those hours is eat and slob about the house and fall asleep.
I'm happy with 25-30 hours on the glass and if anything I want to reduce that over the years not increase it.
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I don't believe sometimes what I read on here.
I'm 50 years old work 6 days a week 5.30 am till aleast 5pm
And I breeze that.
As long as you have variation which I do.
I wish I was forty again
I had a round about 5 years ago for Total. It was for a load of garage forecourts. I started at 5:30am and finished at 11pm. Started in central london and ended up in Portsmouth, and Chichester. It was a very big round, every week. I ended up losing the work when Gerald Ronson purchased the garages from Total and sold them off to individual franchise operators.
So i know what its like to do a long shift.
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I don't believe sometimes what I read on here.
I'm 50 years old work 6 days a week 5.30 am till aleast 5pm
And I breeze that.
As long as you have variation which I do.
I wish I was forty again
Thats pretty sad really imo when you think about it, do you not have hobbies etc. It's great you're still fit to do it, i certainly wouldn't want to work those hours now, even more so at that age. Work to live not live to work, however if your happy with that lifestyle then fair play.
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Fair point everyone
We are all different and want to achieve different goals.
My life at the moment is very calm.
The kids are off Hand my wife works full time I train twice a week (mixed martial arts)
So I really don't mind putting in the hours and also it's not just window cleaning we do so like I said a lot of variations.
Keep up the good post on your progress Mark I'm sure you will get to your target.
As for Dazmond. Don't no how you fit in any window cleaning LOL
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This thread reads like a scrip from only fools and horses!! ;D
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oops
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What you being the fool
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Play it nice and cool son.... ;D
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(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1520010647_GrouchyHighlevelIchthyostega-size_restricted.gif)
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I don't believe sometimes what I read on here.
I'm 50 years old work 6 days a week 5.30 am till aleast 5pm
And I breeze that.
As long as you have variation which I do.
I wish I was forty again
really?i couldnt work them hours mate.25 -30 hours a week now at 46.ive got to fit in at least 3 weight training sessions in the gym per week ,rehearsals/gigs with my band(im a drummer),see the missus and the kids,take the dog for walks etc...i havent got the time/inclination to work the ridiculous hours you work....no need....your a long time dead mate....
If you had a mortgage, kids, and ambition then you would need to do more work like others do, for some its not wanting to do more its the fact of having to do more.
Come on Daz... not all Of us want to live in a 1 bed cancel flat. Why cant you fit in 3 gym sessions and band rehearsals by doing 40/45 hours a week? Your not old your just 46! You should be smashing it still on the glass.
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marc, do you work on your own and making £60,000 a year, you must charge a price for your services.
correct me if i have it wrong, but thats a very good wage to be coming in for a solo opperator
Hi Johnny.
I am not at 60k turnover. Im am sitting just under 50k right now approx 3 & 2 3rd days a week.
My comments about the 60k, thats the figure i need to be able to have a temporary fella do some of the work in another van whilst i go out and do some hardcore canvassing, to get to 80k.
The hardest bit right now is this transition period, at 50k i cannot afford to pay someone to do the work, but i dont have the time available to do the aggressive canvassing needed to get to 80k. Even generating another 10k of business to get to my 60k so i can afford to employ someone to free up my time to push to 80k is going to be a challange.
I will add aswell, me and the missus is only taking a small wage of 11.5k each on paye..whilst we try to build the business.
The end result for stage 1 is an 80k window cleaning business paying a full time window cleaner approx 30k a year leaving 50k for mine and the missus, modest wages of 25k and i dont have to do the physical work anymore but just concentrate on repeating the process over and over again until we reach a form of financial freedom.
As far ad pricing goes, here in Surrey our average prices are knocking around the £30 per house mark.
Sorry mate but man up..
What is stopping you from going out a few eves a week for 2 hours at a time?? You say yourself you only do 3 days and 2 thirds a week. Stop with the excuses and just go out and bring the work in!
I start at 6am every morning at the lockup filling vans etc...then i go off for 8am and clean 30 fronts which i normally get done by 2/3pm depending how compact the day is! I then go home get showered and changed to pick up my team to go canvassing building up Milk rounds for Milk and More to start knocking for 5.30 untill 7.30 to get home for 8.30 to then relax.
Yes i work all the hours but i do this as i have pure work ambition and everything i do is max profit and gains.
At your prices im not sure how you are strugling to get past 50k doing 3 and 2 thirds a week..just build up more work so your out 5/6 days a week and then get a part timer in and repeat the canvassing for part timer untill he is full then do the same for you....Bobs your auncle. :-)
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I don't believe sometimes what I read on here.
I'm 50 years old work 6 days a week 5.30 am till aleast 5pm
And I breeze that.
As long as you have variation which I do.
I wish I was forty again
really?i couldnt work them hours mate.25 -30 hours a week now at 46.ive got to fit in at least 3 weight training sessions in the gym per week ,rehearsals/gigs with my band(im a drummer),see the missus and the kids,take the dog for walks etc...i havent got the time/inclination to work the ridiculous hours you work....no need....your a long time dead mate....
If you had a mortgage, kids, and ambition then you would need to do more work like others do, for some its not wanting to do more its the fact of having to do more.
Come on Daz... not all Of us want to live in a 1 bed cancel flat. Why cant you fit in 3 gym sessions and band rehearsals by doing 40/45 hours a week? Your not old your just 46! You should be smashing it still on the glass.
But he's not and seems happy so why should he?
There's not many that come across as content as Dazmond does.
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marc, do you work on your own and making £60,000 a year, you must charge a price for your services.
correct me if i have it wrong, but thats a very good wage to be coming in for a solo opperator
Hi Johnny.
I am not at 60k turnover. Im am sitting just under 50k right now approx 3 & 2 3rd days a week.
My comments about the 60k, thats the figure i need to be able to have a temporary fella do some of the work in another van whilst i go out and do some hardcore canvassing, to get to 80k.
The hardest bit right now is this transition period, at 50k i cannot afford to pay someone to do the work, but i dont have the time available to do the aggressive canvassing needed to get to 80k. Even generating another 10k of business to get to my 60k so i can afford to employ someone to free up my time to push to 80k is going to be a challange.
I will add aswell, me and the missus is only taking a small wage of 11.5k each on paye..whilst we try to build the business.
The end result for stage 1 is an 80k window cleaning business paying a full time window cleaner approx 30k a year leaving 50k for mine and the missus, modest wages of 25k and i dont have to do the physical work anymore but just concentrate on repeating the process over and over again until we reach a form of financial freedom.
As far ad pricing goes, here in Surrey our average prices are knocking around the £30 per house mark.
Sorry mate but man up..
What is stopping you from going out a few eves a week for 2 hours at a time?? You say yourself you only do 3 days and 2 thirds a week. Stop with the excuses and just go out and bring the work in!
I start at 6am every morning at the lockup filling vans etc...then i go off for 8am and clean 30 fronts which i normally get done by 2/3pm depending how compact the day is! I then go home get showered and changed to pick up my team to go canvassing building up Milk rounds for Milk and More to start knocking for 5.30 untill 7.30 to get home for 8.30 to then relax.
Yes i work all the hours but i do this as i have pure work ambition and everything i do is max profit and gains.
At your prices im not sure how you are strugling to get past 50k doing 3 and 2 thirds a week..just build up more work so your out 5/6 days a week and then get a part timer in and repeat the canvassing for part timer untill he is full then do the same for you....Bobs your auncle. :-)
Umm..Mick that is what i am doing.
Please dont tell me to 'man up' as you put it
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I don't believe sometimes what I read on here.
I'm 50 years old work 6 days a week 5.30 am till aleast 5pm
And I breeze that.
As long as you have variation which I do.
I wish I was forty again
really?i couldnt work them hours mate.25 -30 hours a week now at 46.ive got to fit in at least 3 weight training sessions in the gym per week ,rehearsals/gigs with my band(im a drummer),see the missus and the kids,take the dog for walks etc...i havent got the time/inclination to work the ridiculous hours you work....no need....your a long time dead mate....
If you had a mortgage, kids, and ambition then you would need to do more work like others do, for some its not wanting to do more its the fact of having to do more.
Come on Daz... not all Of us want to live in a 1 bed cancel flat. Why cant you fit in 3 gym sessions and band rehearsals by doing 40/45 hours a week? Your not old your just 46! You should be smashing it still on the glass.
no need to mick.....ive got no desire to "smash it on the glass" working 40-45 hours a week.its too much for me these days pal...
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marc, do you work on your own and making £60,000 a year, you must charge a price for your services.
correct me if i have it wrong, but thats a very good wage to be coming in for a solo opperator
Hi Johnny.
I am not at 60k turnover. Im am sitting just under 50k right now approx 3 & 2 3rd days a week.
My comments about the 60k, thats the figure i need to be able to have a temporary fella do some of the work in another van whilst i go out and do some hardcore canvassing, to get to 80k.
The hardest bit right now is this transition period, at 50k i cannot afford to pay someone to do the work, but i dont have the time available to do the aggressive canvassing needed to get to 80k. Even generating another 10k of business to get to my 60k so i can afford to employ someone to free up my time to push to 80k is going to be a challange.
I will add aswell, me and the missus is only taking a small wage of 11.5k each on paye..whilst we try to build the business.
The end result for stage 1 is an 80k window cleaning business paying a full time window cleaner approx 30k a year leaving 50k for mine and the missus, modest wages of 25k and i dont have to do the physical work anymore but just concentrate on repeating the process over and over again until we reach a form of financial freedom.
As far ad pricing goes, here in Surrey our average prices are knocking around the £30 per house mark.
Sorry mate but man up..
What is stopping you from going out a few eves a week for 2 hours at a time?? You say yourself you only do 3 days and 2 thirds a week. Stop with the excuses and just go out and bring the work in!
I start at 6am every morning at the lockup filling vans etc...then i go off for 8am and clean 30 fronts which i normally get done by 2/3pm depending how compact the day is! I then go home get showered and changed to pick up my team to go canvassing building up Milk rounds for Milk and More to start knocking for 5.30 untill 7.30 to get home for 8.30 to then relax.
Yes i work all the hours but i do this as i have pure work ambition and everything i do is max profit and gains.
At your prices im not sure how you are strugling to get past 50k doing 3 and 2 thirds a week..just build up more work so your out 5/6 days a week and then get a part timer in and repeat the canvassing for part timer untill he is full then do the same for you....Bobs your auncle. :-)
Umm..Mick that is what i am doing.
Please dont tell me to 'man up' as you put it
Ok maybe not ‘man up’ didnt mean to touch a nerv. But you need to put in the time which you said you havnt got when you have as you only do 3 days and 2 thirds a week.
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i dont know how you can be arsed mick with all that canvassing...i loved it when i started 25 year ago.every new customer was a buzz.....but not now...im happy with my lot.....im comfortable and content.....a nice work/life balance....
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marc, do you work on your own and making £60,000 a year, you must charge a price for your services.
correct me if i have it wrong, but thats a very good wage to be coming in for a solo opperator
Hi Johnny.
I am not at 60k turnover. Im am sitting just under 50k right now approx 3 & 2 3rd days a week.
My comments about the 60k, thats the figure i need to be able to have a temporary fella do some of the work in another van whilst i go out and do some hardcore canvassing, to get to 80k.
The hardest bit right now is this transition period, at 50k i cannot afford to pay someone to do the work, but i dont have the time available to do the aggressive canvassing needed to get to 80k. Even generating another 10k of business to get to my 60k so i can afford to employ someone to free up my time to push to 80k is going to be a challange.
I will add aswell, me and the missus is only taking a small wage of 11.5k each on paye..whilst we try to build the business.
The end result for stage 1 is an 80k window cleaning business paying a full time window cleaner approx 30k a year leaving 50k for mine and the missus, modest wages of 25k and i dont have to do the physical work anymore but just concentrate on repeating the process over and over again until we reach a form of financial freedom.
As far ad pricing goes, here in Surrey our average prices are knocking around the £30 per house mark.
Sorry mate but man up..
What is stopping you from going out a few eves a week for 2 hours at a time?? You say yourself you only do 3 days and 2 thirds a week. Stop with the excuses and just go out and bring the work in!
I start at 6am every morning at the lockup filling vans etc...then i go off for 8am and clean 30 fronts which i normally get done by 2/3pm depending how compact the day is! I then go home get showered and changed to pick up my team to go canvassing building up Milk rounds for Milk and More to start knocking for 5.30 untill 7.30 to get home for 8.30 to then relax.
Yes i work all the hours but i do this as i have pure work ambition and everything i do is max profit and gains.
At your prices im not sure how you are strugling to get past 50k doing 3 and 2 thirds a week..just build up more work so your out 5/6 days a week and then get a part timer in and repeat the canvassing for part timer untill he is full then do the same for you....Bobs your auncle. :-)
Umm..Mick that is what i am doing.
Please dont tell me to 'man up' as you put it
Ok maybe not ‘man up’ didnt mean to touch a nerv. But you need to put in the time which you said you havnt got when you have as you only do 3 days and 2 thirds a week.
I think thats window cleaning, he has other business interests
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i dont know how you can be arsed mick with all that canvassing...i loved it when i started 25 year ago.every new customer was a buzz.....but not now...im happy with my lot.....im comfortable and content.....a nice work/life balance....
I enjoy it Daz.
Im a gambler and have a serious gambling addiction and what controls it is the canvassing i do, its like medicine to me being a commission based canvasser instead of going in the bookies/casino or online gambling sites! i look forward to every eve to go and get my canvassing hit instead of thinking in the day to hit a bookies or log online etc! I basically walk for a few hours and knock on doors and get paid for every pint the customer has after a 4 week retaining period. I see it as a game and a bit of excersise that i do with a decent bunch of blokes. All id be doing is watching soaps with the mrs in the 2 hours im out so its not as bad as it sounds.
Where its snow and ice everywhere im not doing it this week and instead im at home twidling my fingers.
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marc, do you work on your own and making £60,000 a year, you must charge a price for your services.
correct me if i have it wrong, but thats a very good wage to be coming in for a solo opperator
Hi Johnny.
I am not at 60k turnover. Im am sitting just under 50k right now approx 3 & 2 3rd days a week.
My comments about the 60k, thats the figure i need to be able to have a temporary fella do some of the work in another van whilst i go out and do some hardcore canvassing, to get to 80k.
The hardest bit right now is this transition period, at 50k i cannot afford to pay someone to do the work, but i dont have the time available to do the aggressive canvassing needed to get to 80k. Even generating another 10k of business to get to my 60k so i can afford to employ someone to free up my time to push to 80k is going to be a challange.
I will add aswell, me and the missus is only taking a small wage of 11.5k each on paye..whilst we try to build the business.
The end result for stage 1 is an 80k window cleaning business paying a full time window cleaner approx 30k a year leaving 50k for mine and the missus, modest wages of 25k and i dont have to do the physical work anymore but just concentrate on repeating the process over and over again until we reach a form of financial freedom.
As far ad pricing goes, here in Surrey our average prices are knocking around the £30 per house mark.
Mark does your wife work on the tools with you?
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She does all the admin.
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i dont know how you can be arsed mick with all that canvassing...i loved it when i started 25 year ago.every new customer was a buzz.....but not now...im happy with my lot.....im comfortable and content.....a nice work/life balance....
I enjoy it Daz.
Im a gambler and have a serious gambling addiction and what controls it is the canvassing i do, its like medicine to me being a commission based canvasser instead of going in the bookies/casino or online gambling sites! i look forward to every eve to go and get my canvassing hit instead of thinking in the day to hit a bookies or log online etc! I basically walk for a few hours and knock on doors and get paid for every pint the customer has after a 4 week retaining period. I see it as a game and a bit of excersise that i do with a decent bunch of blokes. All id be doing is watching soaps with the mrs in the 2 hours im out so its not as bad as it sounds.
Where its snow and ice everywhere im not doing it this week and instead im at home twidling my fingers.
fair play mick.ive had various addictions over the years.luckily i never got into gambling(i think it was because robby box who starred in "big deal" in the 80s was always in trouble!) ;D ;D
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I don't believe sometimes what I read on here.
I'm 50 years old work 6 days a week 5.30 am till aleast 5pm
And I breeze that.
As long as you have variation which I do.
I wish I was forty again
You make it sound like working 5.30am till at least 5pm is a good thing ?
In terms of you being able to keep that up i guess it shows the good state of your health. But in all reality if you're doing that 6 days a week, what sort of life is that ? How much life you get doing that ? I can't see many spare hours there to go have some fun, any fun doing anything.............
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She does all the admin.
That might just be a solution to your problem right there.
M y wife has worked with me for years and she does a great job and keeps up, she turns a 5-6 hour into a 3-4 hour day.
I know ity may just be a no go as were not all cut from the cloth but wouldnt it help you get through to the point where your ready for another van?
More work at no extra cost!
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Yes it is a bit tight, but these are 4-5hour working days maximum, so.
By time i am hitting 60k a year i will have another van and a part time worker to balance out the work a little.
As i approach 80k i hope to have a full time employee, and then onwards to stage 2.
I dont understand why you need to be earning 60-80 k before getting an employee I know lots of window cleaners that employ 2 or more people and they don’t earn that much ????
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Yes it is a bit tight, but these are 4-5hour working days maximum, so.
By time i am hitting 60k a year i will have another van and a part time worker to balance out the work a little.
As i approach 80k i hope to have a full time employee, and then onwards to stage 2.
I dont understand why you need to be earning 60-80 k before getting an employee I know lots of window cleaners that employ 2 or more people and they don’t earn that much ????
dont forget his missus is part of the business mate (and needs a wage too).....he s not a sole trader.....
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The missus does come out with me sometimes. But mostly she does all the bookkeeping admin and credit control
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Yes it is a bit tight, but these are 4-5hour working days maximum, so.
By time i am hitting 60k a year i will have another van and a part time worker to balance out the work a little.
As i approach 80k i hope to have a full time employee, and then onwards to stage 2.
I dont understand why you need to be earning 60-80 k before getting an employee I know lots of window cleaners that employ 2 or more people and they don’t earn that much ????
Have you read the thread thoroughly?
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“Money’s only something you need in case you don’t die tomorrow.”
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Don't read all your posts Marc but is franchising not a better option?
I think that employing could be a headache.
You could get to 60k then franchise say 35k.
Don't know what the monthly tribute is you get back off that but u would have thought its better once you have a few guys signed up.
I'd imagine it's more hands off which is what id want.
Just an opinion, obviously not had any experience in employing people.
Just an average window cleaner but a fairly happy one, have got to improve as I've not got the savings I should have but also not got the debt either, small mortgage family car and van bought outright. (I do owe the wife some for van 😁)
Hope to be out next week but not going to drive or work in dangerous conditions!
Just spent 6k on a newer van don't want to smash it or myself up.
Don't think my customer's are too worried I'm running late, busy getting their kids looked after as schools being shut.
Then dealing with restricted public transport, struggling to get to work.
Whats worse being a windy who can't work, or working for someone else and having to face this sh!t.
Think temperatures go up Sunday with rain so that should hopefully be an end to this weather 😒
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Yeah its already 2 degrees here in Woking snow melting.
At the end of the day franchising is still an option. For example after 5 or so years of business growth on the window cleaning, i could package up the whole thing and sell another one as a business package with staff.
Many people franchise because they just want an easy life. But how many franchisees out there can honestly say that buying a franchise was a good business decision. Not many. I have met franchise operators from chips away, to molly maids, and asked them was is worth it and honestly speaking the answer is mostly, "it will be" or "im waiting for someone else to buy my franchise off of me" i have never actually met a franchise operator who is happy with the business model they bought into, the only happy one is the frachisor as they have their frachisee by the short and curlies tied up in a contract.
Now this shows me that the majority of franchise business oprations are simply not at a stage really where franchising is effective.
McDonald's, subway, and the big franchisors all existed as stand alone established businesses first with staff.
When you buy a McDonalds franchise you buy the whole lot, you staff it, you kit it you spend a couple of million. Its because you know that the business model works, and the branding is established. McDonald's exisited as a stand alone burger business for decades before even the 1st franchisees bought into the model.
A business based on a franchise, for the sake of it will never really grow to huge amounts.
A busineess that proven itself as a brand, that is profitable with staff and a customer base in demand of that brand..thats a good ground for a propper franchise.
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Hahaha
Don Kee.
I am not comparing myself to McDonalds.
You are hilarious.
Ian Lancaster is an established window cleaning business, and had been for decades.
You sir just demonstrated that you do not pay attention you what you read. All i am saying is that at this stage i do not want to franchise because i personally dont think my business is ready.
Put your glasses on mate before replying.
Lee Pryor is probbably ready to franchise now, id say that he probbably had considered it weather he will who knows?. A 500k investment in a pryors window cleaning buisiness would work very well because he had demonstrated success with staff tell you what if i had 500k and lee was selling a franchise operation for another area id seriously consider it.
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Oh..Don Kee?
You deleted your thread?
I wonder why?
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Hahaha
Don Kee.
I am not comparing myself to McDonalds.
You are hilarious.
Ian Lancaster is an established window cleaning business, and had been for decades.
You sir just demonstrated that you do not pay attention you what you read. All i am saying is that at this stage i do not want to franchise because i personally dont think my business is ready.
Put your glasses on mate before replying.
Lee Pryor is probbably ready to franchise now, id say that he probbably had considered it weather he will who knows?. A 500k investment in a pryors window cleaning buisiness would work very well because he had demonstrated success with staff tell you what if i had 500k and lee was selling a franchise operation for another area id seriously consider it.
You would be a fool then Marc.... Pryors is such a young business and has yet to prove it's position of stability, client retention etc without constant huge investment. You would seriously invest half a million into this company?
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Yes i honestly think i would.
Lee has a very good working knowledge on motivating people, granted he is a young business; but you know what? I think we are on the cusp of a major shake up in the window cleaning business.
For years and years window cleaning has been seen as a bucket and mop man, cottage industry.
If lee continues his growth, it wouldn't surprise me if in 5 or 10 years time the majority of window cleaning businesses will be run by known brands up and down the country.
Lee's brand is the only one i know of that has reached out to enough people over a wide enough area to make a decent impact.
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This happens at the turn of every new year on CIU....... a couple to half a dozen would-be entrepreneurs get all over exited, over-encourage each other and 99.9% of the time their enthusiasm exceeds their will/capability. A great storm is whipped up, lots of bollox is spoken followed by the mandatory willy measuring contest and then shortly after everything continues as normal and usually as it did before the great frenzy!! LOL.
It does make for great entertainment though- if a little "cringe" at times!!
P.S. this is not a dig at anyone, just a general observation..... before anyone starts crying!
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I think there will definitely be some huge business in the next decade that operate national or at least county wide doing residential windows.
However unless some large business comes along and seriously undercuts the market (which is not really possible on a large scale as the profit margins are not there) there will always be room for sole traders and small businesses.
Maybe eventually 20 years down the line it will all change, there will be better ways to clean windows or it'll all be self cleaning or all done with nationals etc, who knows...
I plan on getting my piece of the pie whilst I can though, but I would be surprised if I was still involved in window cleaning in 30 years time. I want to grow as soon as possible and look into other businesses, I think it's better to have numerous interests and investments rather than out all your eggs into one basket with residential window cleaning.
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If lee continues his growth, it wouldn't surprise me if in 5 or 10 years time the majority of window cleaning businesses will be run by known brands up and down the country.
Thats never going to happen. The nature of the business is that guys can get in to this with a minimum of £300 and thats why there will always be fresh individuals coming in to the trade without the need for large branded businesses.
Companies far bigger than Pryors have been in this game since before he was conceived and they haven't made a jot of headway in what you're suggesting.
Customers like local. Fact.
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Hahaha
For the most part, i agree with you.
But always be prepared for that time when the willy waving contest, turns into something a bit more serious.
Your right though it may all just die down again for someone else to start wanging their todger about. But then again it might not either.... ;D
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I think there will definitely be some huge business in the next decade that operate national or at least county wide doing residential windows.
However unless some large business comes along and seriously undercuts the market (which is not really possible on a large scale as the profit margins are not there) there will always be room for sole traders and small businesses.
Maybe eventually 20 years down the line it will all change, there will be better ways to clean windows or it'll all be self cleaning or all done with nationals etc, who knows...
I plan on getting my piece of the pie whilst I can though, but I would be surprised if I was still involved in window cleaning in 30 years time. I want to grow as soon as possible and look into other businesses, I think it's better to have numerous interests and investments rather than out all your eggs into one basket with residential window cleaning.
Amen to that.
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This happens at the turn of every new year on CIU....... a couple to half a dozen would-be entrepreneurs get all over exited, over-encourage each other and 99.9% of the time their enthusiasm exceeds their will/capability. A great storm is whipped up, lots of bollox is spoken followed by the mandatory willy measuring contest and then shortly after everything continues as normal and usually as it did before the great frenzy!! LOL.
It does make for great entertainment though- if a little "cringe" at times!!
P.S. this is not a dig at anyone, just a general observation..... before anyone starts crying!
I have to agree to a certain point mate... ;D
God loves a tryer though.........
just be careful as ambition can cut you down and make you ugly(not just on the outside either)....... ;D
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Anyone on here used Ian Lancaster's franchise plan and happy?
Especially small one man bands?
Good luck to you Marc!
I'm too content and definitely room for improvement.
Guess I'm lazy, I get worn out reading these goal setting posts. ;D ;D
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Some really good points made on this thread.
Marc, seriously consider franchising. Do not think you need loads of money behind you and be well known. If you can show someone how to clean windows to a really good standard and then get them all the work they ever want, you are more than capable of franchising your business. Contrary to popular belief, you will have people fighting to sign up if you do it right. Good luck with your expansion.
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Oh..Don Kee?
You deleted your thread?
I wonder why?
Because it was unnecessarily harsh, and I can never be bothered arguing with someone that knows it all.
Good luck to you mate, genuinley.
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I just like living in a 5 bedroom house
Driving my nice car
Having two nice holidays a year
Wearing designer clothing .
To have nice things in life you work hard.
That's what I taught my two children and they have very good jobs .
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I like being able to eat Steak 7 times a week, sadly because of the weather i can only afford to have it 6 times next week which is such a shame!
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Some really good points made on this thread.
Marc, seriously consider franchising. Do not think you need loads of money behind you and be well known. If you can show someone how to clean windows to a really good standard and then get them all the work they ever want, you are more than capable of franchising your business. Contrary to popular belief, you will have people fighting to sign up if you do it right. Good luck with your expansion.
Have you used Ian Lancaster's franchiseing package?
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Yes it is a bit tight, but these are 4-5hour working days maximum, so.
By time i am hitting 60k a year i will have another van and a part time worker to balance out the work a little.
As i approach 80k i hope to have a full time employee, and then onwards to stage 2.
Yes I think so and still say you don’t need to be earning that much before employing Evan if you and your wife are working together I know several cleaners who have one or two employees earning far less than you are doing now what you are earning now is very good on your own on the glass , to earn what you are most employed people should have to be doing a senior management job so I think you are doing very well do you really need to earn 80 k is it worth the hassle? Why do you want to earn that much ? Running your own buisness is a personal thing we all do it differently but sometimes if the bar is set to high it can become a burden , personally as long as I can pay the bills wages and make a small amount to cover unexpected things that’s all Ime intrested in , I wish I could earn what you do for the time you spend working you must be in a good area why not just keep going as you are ? Why work more if you don’t need to , Ime trying to cut back from 5 days a week to 3 the way Ime doing it is to dramatically price jobs higher so I don’t get to many but the ones I do are very well paid and then drop the poorer paying ones hopefully I will end up with less work for the same money that’s the plan anyway have to wait and see how it goes good luck with your plans hope you achieve what will be best for you 👍
I dont understand why you need to be earning 60-80 k before getting an employee I know lots of window cleaners that employ 2 or more people and they don’t earn that much ????
Have you read the thread thoroughly?
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Hi Marc
Have you got an email address I can contact you on?
Cheers Greg
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Hi Marc
Have you got an email address I can contact you on?
Cheers Greg
iwanttobeamillioniare@aol.com
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Some really good points made on this thread.
Marc, seriously consider franchising. Do not think you need loads of money behind you and be well known. If you can show someone how to clean windows to a really good standard and then get them all the work they ever want, you are more than capable of franchising your business. Contrary to popular belief, you will have people fighting to sign up if you do it right. Good luck with your expansion.
Have you used Ian Lancaster's franchiseing package?
Ian’s package enables you to start up your own franchising window cleaning business, you don’t become one of his franchisees. I follow a very similar business model to Ian’s and have very happy franchisees. I’m now in a position where I do not need to clean windows to make my living with my window cleaning business. I still work in the business every day as I’m currently re investing and working hard to make it even bigger. (I want a total of 30 vans within the next 6 years) I will then retire completely from working (I could retire now but have an income level I want to hit before doing so) and draw a ‘healthy’ living from it without any work whatsoever. Hopefully one of my sons will then take up the business and grow it even bigger. It has been really hard work and a lot of sacrifices have been made to get it to where it is now.
I would suggest anyone looking to build a larger then one/two man business to consider the franchising route.
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Ok my email is
Info@stockclean.co.uk
David & Greg
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Marc have you based your £80k on working 50 weeks per year then? That doesn't leave a lot of wriggle room - we have 8 bank holidays a year alone and as this week has shown a few days can be lost, and this doesn't include holidays.
The windows we have due next week along with the gutters we didn't do this week we have £10k to get done, between two of us - don't think we'll get it all done! We'll get some extra help in I think and work a few Saturdays to get the cash flow back up to speed. Although this doesn't include the extra jobs that have come in this week.
I'm in a bit of a pickle though as I have to have shoulder surgery in May, which means I can't do any physical work for 6-9 months. I need to work out a plan to help cover the work I won't be able to do.
Hi Tom 👍10k of work between two in a week 😂
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Refer to reply #26 ;D
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This thread reads like a scrip from only fools and horses!! ;D
More like Jackanory ;D
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Some really good points made on this thread.
Marc, seriously consider franchising. Do not think you need loads of money behind you and be well known. If you can show someone how to clean windows to a really good standard and then get them all the work they ever want, you are more than capable of franchising your business. Contrary to popular belief, you will have people fighting to sign up if you do it right. Good luck with your expansion.
Have you used Ian Lancaster's franchiseing package?
Ian’s package enables you to start up your own franchising window cleaning business, you don’t become one of his franchisees. I follow a very similar business model to Ian’s and have very happy franchisees. I’m now in a position where I do not need to clean windows to make my living with my window cleaning business. I still work in the business every day as I’m currently re investing and working hard to make it even bigger. (I want a total of 30 vans within the next 6 years) I will then retire completely from working (I could retire now but have an income level I want to hit before doing so) and draw a ‘healthy’ living from it without any work whatsoever. Hopefully one of my sons will then take up the business and grow it even bigger. It has been really hard work and a lot of sacrifices have been made to get it to where it is now.
I would suggest anyone looking to build a larger then one/two man business to consider the franchising route.
Hi David, thanks yep meant how you said but wrong choice of words.
So you don't use Ian's model?
Have spoken to a few franchisees over the years oven kleen, chips away.
As Marc says all unhappy with there lot.
But with yourself I'd imagine it's alot more one to one hands on.
I'm sure your only to happy to help your franchisees👍
That's why companies mentioned don't work well.
Oven kleen doesn't give you a customer base for their franchisees (hope got terminology right😁)
Just training then tied into their van lease deals.
I think franchiseing a window cleaning business could be a really good thing.
But knowing how to get from one man band to your 1st franchisee would be quite an achievement.
To be honest I don't know how complicated and stressful I would want things to get.
Hats off to you David you've worked very hard id imagine and deserve the fruits of your labour.
I take it you must have employed like Ian Lancaster in the past and come to the end of your rope with it😁
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Marc have you based your £80k on working 50 weeks per year then? That doesn't leave a lot of wriggle room - we have 8 bank holidays a year alone and as this week has shown a few days can be lost, and this doesn't include holidays.
The windows we have due next week along with the gutters we didn't do this week we have £10k to get done, between two of us - don't think we'll get it all done! We'll get some extra help in I think and work a few Saturdays to get the cash flow back up to speed. Although this doesn't include the extra jobs that have come in this week.
I'm in a bit of a pickle though as I have to have shoulder surgery in May, which means I can't do any physical work for 6-9 months. I need to work out a plan to help cover the work I won't be able to do.
Hi Tom 👍10k of work between two in a week 😂
Ah Bumgle, you took your time!
If you read it properly you will see it's because we didn't work at all last week - so with what's due window cleaning wise this coming week and what we didn't get done last week (gutters)that is what we have due - I never said two of us will get it done. Marc said what he had due to get done and I said what I had due to get done.
If you're that concerned I can email you the screenshots of aworka?
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When i was canvassing i had a few guys from the Ezy clean franchise call and ask me to build them some work. They had the hump paying 20 percent of everything they did as royalties but such is life if you pay into a franchise, It isnt for me but never say never.
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When i was canvassing i had a few guys from the Ezy clean franchise call and ask me to build them some work. They had the hump paying 20 percent of everything they did as royalties but such is life if you pay into a franchise, It isnt for me but never say never.
This is exactly my point.
Im not saying franchising as a business model is bad, or doesn't work. It works alright, for the franchisor.
But to have truly happy franchisees, the intrinsic value of the brand needs to be there, and in my opinion in the majority of cases, setting up a new business & brand with no real market penetration to start with, as a franchise, yeah ok you might get some success, but in most cases (not all cases) the franchisee becomes disillusioned with paying royalties to someone for a brand with no real market recognition or penetration.
Now going back to Ian Lancaster, he used to be an avid poster on another forum, and is and remains a very very respected individual. He already had an established brand to build his franchise on as he has been window cleaning since (if i remember rightly) the 1960's. So in my opinion he has a good basis to franchise.
And again with Lee Pryor, yes he is a young business in comparison to many on here, he has already achieved a market penetration of over a million households, but again give it a few years and 15k customers later, he had enough market penetration to sell what i would call a big ticket franchise.
Am i making sense.
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Sorry Marc, no your not.
A happy franchisee is one with the amount of work they want, not whether or not there brand is recognised. Brand recognition may be the case in an industry that is not repeat business like window cleaning.
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I'm no expert but i would think its just as important to find the right type of person to be a franchisee and not just take anybody or the first person to come along on to be one.
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Marc have you based your £80k on working 50 weeks per year then? That doesn't leave a lot of wriggle room - we have 8 bank holidays a year alone and as this week has shown a few days can be lost, and this doesn't include holidays.
The windows we have due next week along with the gutters we didn't do this week we have £10k to get done, between two of us - don't think we'll get it all done! We'll get some extra help in I think and work a few Saturdays to get the cash flow back up to speed. Although this doesn't include the extra jobs that have come in this week.
I'm in a bit of a pickle though as I have to have shoulder surgery in May, which means I can't do any physical work for 6-9 months. I need to work out a plan to help cover the work I won't be able to do.
Hi Tom 👍10k of work between two in a week 😂
Ah Bumgle, you took your time!
If you read it properly you will see it's because we didn't work at all last week - so with what's due window cleaning wise this coming week and what we didn't get done last week (gutters)that is what we have due - I never said two of us will get it done. Marc said what he had due to get done and I said what I had due to get done.
If you're that concerned I can email you the screenshots of aworka?
Hi Tom 👍 Yes please.
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Sorry Marc, no your not.
A happy franchisee is one with the amount of work they want, not whether or not there brand is recognised. Brand recognition may be the case in an industry that is not repeat business like window cleaning.
Ok well. Its very clear that the way i do business is in the minority.
:P
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Marc have you based your £80k on working 50 weeks per year then? That doesn't leave a lot of wriggle room - we have 8 bank holidays a year alone and as this week has shown a few days can be lost, and this doesn't include holidays.
The windows we have due next week along with the gutters we didn't do this week we have £10k to get done, between two of us - don't think we'll get it all done! We'll get some extra help in I think and work a few Saturdays to get the cash flow back up to speed. Although this doesn't include the extra jobs that have come in this week.
I'm in a bit of a pickle though as I have to have shoulder surgery in May, which means I can't do any physical work for 6-9 months. I need to work out a plan to help cover the work I won't be able to do.
Hi Tom 👍10k of work between two in a week 😂
Ah Bumgle, you took your time!
If you read it properly you will see it's because we didn't work at all last week - so with what's due window cleaning wise this coming week and what we didn't get done last week (gutters)that is what we have due - I never said two of us will get it done. Marc said what he had due to get done and I said what I had due to get done.
If you're that concerned I can email you the screenshots of aworka?
Hi Tom 👍 Yes please.
I've just seen you're based in Warwickshire (apparently) Bumgle.. that explains a few things .
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How did the week go?
I’m glad to be back for a full weeks work after the snow.
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Yes i got all the work completed, very happy about that. Well... nearly all but two jobs, one of which wanted inside & out cleaned so thats been rebooked for next Wednesday and the other had a dirty great hole in the driveway due to a gas leak.
So did £1560, havent been paid for all of it yet though...
I started at 8:30am on the glass and was often finished by around 4pm i didn't stop for lunch though and i was going all out. A youngester around mid 20s would easily do it.
Considering the weather, and the hard disk crashed on thrusday, i have done well. Had to re install everything on a new hard disk, but was back up and running in 5 hours
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Yes i got all the work completed, very happy about that. Well... nearly all but two jobs, one of which wanted inside & out cleaned so thats been rebooked for next Wednesday and the other had a dirty great hole in the driveway due to a gas leak.
So did £1560, havent been paid for all of it yet though...
That’s a good week.
Nice one.
Hope this is the start of the good weather coming in........
Who am I kidding, I live in Scotland, it will be wet and miserable for 8 months now till next winter.
;D
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Just a normal Scottish summer for you then johny ;D ;D
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Just a normal Scottish summer for you then johny ;D ;D
A good Scottish summer is to have warm rain. ;D