Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: joehagan on August 19, 2008, 02:43:57 pm
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LOOKING AT STARTING A NEW BUSINESS WONDERING WHATS THE BEST WAY TO GET INTO THIS. REALLY PONDERING OVER THE WHOLE VACUUM THING. DO I MAKE A DIY OR WHICH IS THE BEST ONE ON THE MARKET TO BUY. IS OMNIPOLE AND UPKEEPER THE ONLYS ONES OUT THERE... HELP ??? ???
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LOOKING AT STARTING A NEW BUSINESS WONDERING WHATS THE BEST WAY TO GET INTO THIS. REALLY PONDERING OVER THE WHOLE VACUUM THING. DO I MAKE A DIY OR WHICH IS THE BEST ONE ON THE MARKET TO BUY. IS OMNIPOLE AND UPKEEPER THE ONLYS ONES OUT THERE... HELP ??? ???
Omnipole are the leaders IMO for good reason.
If kev R spots this post he will i'm sure help you with your questions, I have just got back from cleaning gutters myself traditionally, messy job
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THANKS FOR YOUR RESPONSE. DO YOU ALWAYS WORK TRADIONAL OR HAVE YOU THE OMNIVAC
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THANKS FOR YOUR RESPONSE. DO YOU ALWAYS WORK TRADIONAL OR HAVE YOU THE OMNIVAC
Trad at the moment as no space, I do not have a vac yet, but the omnipole gutter vac is the one I will be getting as soon as I move.
Ian
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(Trad at the moment as no space, I do not have a vac yet, but the omnipole gutter vac is the one I will be getting as soon as I move.
Ian )
i presume you are a window cleaner, do you get alot of gutter jobs. can you see it a worth while venture to invest money into. ive been reading round on this site and that seems to be the general thought.
im a joiner/roofer in n.ireland and already have alot of the gear, ie van, box trailer, ladders, generator, powerhose. work got very slack here recently so a mans gotta keep thinking ;D i suppose my fear is if the work is out there and getting it!!!
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Id appriciate any views anyone has on this. very tempted to just jump in with two feet. Anyone recently get into this type of business. what first steps did you take?
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We can drum up enough work to keep me going 2 days a week doing gutter cleaning and conservatory cleaning and that is without canvassing.
I all my work from my website or window customers, could easily make it a full time business if i have the time to advertise and canvass it better.
I do all of mine trad at the moment, looking at WFP for conservatories soon.
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please pardon my ignorance........ whats wfp? ???
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(Trad at the moment as no space, I do not have a vac yet, but the omnipole gutter vac is the one I will be getting as soon as I move.
Ian )
i presume you are a window cleaner, do you get alot of gutter jobs. can you see it a worth while venture to invest money into. ive been reading round on this site and that seems to be the general thought.
im a joiner/roofer in n.ireland and already have alot of the gear, ie van, box trailer, ladders, generator, powerhose. work got very slack here recently so a mans gotta keep thinking ;D i suppose my fear is if the work is out there and getting it!!!
Yes I clean windows, and I will be investing in the vac when the space becomes available. I get quite a few gutter jobs, off customers and also from my website.
there are loads of houses that need there gutters cleared, i do not spean any time getting gutter jobs they come to me, I know full well I could make it full time along side window cleaning my problem is space, time and staff.
Ian
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i fully intend to start up a stand alone new business to run alongside my w/c round ,
gutter cleaning and complete conservatory cleaning
( i will buy omnipole etc and wfp trolley ) , i had planned to be ready for early summer , but im waiting to move !
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(Trad at the moment as no space, I do not have a vac yet, but the omnipole gutter vac is the one I will be getting as soon as I move.
Ian )
i presume you are a window cleaner, do you get alot of gutter jobs. can you see it a worth while venture to invest money into. ive been reading round on this site and that seems to be the general thought.
im a joiner/roofer in n.ireland and already have alot of the gear, ie van, box trailer, ladders, generator, powerhose. work got very slack here recently so a mans gotta keep thinking ;D i suppose my fear is if the work is out there and getting it!!!
Yes I clean windows, and I will be investing in the vac when the space becomes available. I get quite a few gutter jobs, off customers and also from my website.
there are loads of houses that need there gutters cleared, i do not spean any time getting gutter jobs they come to me, I know full well I could make it full time along side window cleaning my problem is space, time and staff.
Ian
thanks ian. pretty positive outlook then.
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i fully intend to start up a stand alone new business to run alongside my w/c round ,
gutter cleaning and complete conservatory cleaning
( i will buy omnipole etc and wfp trolley ) , i had planned to be ready for early summer , but im waiting to move !
so you think its the next step? seems to be the mindset on this forum that commercial is the road to go. i think that would be a big step tho with insurance requirements and may be needing work statements etc. dont know just guessing. maybe its not that big of deal??
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please pardon my ignorance........ whats wfp? ???
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxqvqJK6s34
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Joe,
I am in the nw of Ireland and like many of the above get quite a bit of gutter cleaning, most of it from existing customers.
Last week I began the design and planning for a new stand alone gutter cleaning business that I intend to run along side my window cleaning business.
I am confident that there are as many jobs out there as necessary, particularly with strong branding, image and marketing. I will be the only business specifically offering gutter cleaning and think I can vey quickly become the market leader in my region with a bit of smart planning.
As the specialist (hmm ;)) in this area I intend to charge accordingly.
I would imagine that if there is enough work in my area that it should not be too different from where you are.
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lol water fed pole ;) nice one im learning all the time on this site ;D
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFI7lwOMnFU&feature=related
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you invested in one of these vacuums ye bluez?
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With a little marketing you will make a good living from gutter cleaning commercially. In fact with proper investment in the right tools, full awareness of the costs to do the job in the "usual" way (this varies from job to job) and knowing your health and safety you'll make a killing ;)
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hi kev some one mentioned you earlier! as i said before im a joiner/roofer in n.ireland and already have alot of the gear, ie van, box trailer, ladders, generator, powerhose. wat steps would i take to get into this business. kinda get the feeling im in at the start of it. do you work at this line off business
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I have had a demo of the guttervac and have not been overly impressed,They look ok, I am still considering if I will buy one for the pr aspects of it more so than the actual work end of things tbh. Mind you I said that about wfp so what do I know.
A bit afraid that if I buy one and market down those lines that I will then allmost by default have to use it for every job and I dont want to have to do that.
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I have had a demo of the guttervac and have not been overly impressed,They look ok, I am still considering if I will buy one for the pr aspects of it more so than the actual work end of things tbh. Mind you I said that about wfp so what do I know.
A bit afraid that if I buy one and market down those lines that I will then allmost by default have to use it for every job and I dont want to have to do that.
is there someone selling them local/ ireland?
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Hi Joe
There will soon be an agent covering Northern Ireland and Ireland
If you email me I will put you in touch.
Sorry removed email to prevent being bombarded with SPAM from automatic senders
Glyn
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hi kev some one mentioned you earlier! as i said before im a joiner/roofer in n.ireland and already have alot of the gear, ie van, box trailer, ladders, generator, powerhose. wat steps would i take to get into this business. kinda get the feeling im in at the start of it. do you work at this line off business
An Omnivac is really the bit of kit that is making the difference as companies don't want to see people using ladders and fair enough. I do a lot of gutter clearing / cleaning for commercial customers in my area. I also offer a few other services that sort of mesh together, for example high-level cleaning, cladding and window cleaning from ground level. When I bought my Omnivac etc, I had a large commercial job for it, but since advertising it we have been busier with the gutter clearing side than anything else. Lets face it its pretty recession proof - boom or bust gutter blocks and become overgrown!
Hope that helps ;)
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I have had a demo of the guttervac and have not been overly impressed,They look ok, I am still considering if I will buy one for the pr aspects of it more so than the actual work end of things tbh. Mind you I said that about wfp so what do I know.
A bit afraid that if I buy one and market down those lines that I will then allmost by default have to use it for every job and I dont want to have to do that.
The thing is with this bit of kit is it works - gutter cleaning is safer and easier. Granted it will not save you much time on the average semi because you have to consider setting up time but on an industrial unit or at height It will save you loads of time, keep you safe and do a really good job (if used correctly)
This is the next wfp ;)
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I have had a demo of the guttervac and have not been overly impressed,They look ok, I am still considering if I will buy one for the pr aspects of it more so than the actual work end of things tbh. Mind you I said that about wfp so what do I know.
A bit afraid that if I buy one and market down those lines that I will then allmost by default have to use it for every job and I dont want to have to do that.
dont feed the trolls !
The thing is with this bit of kit is it works - gutter cleaning is safer and easier. Granted it will not save you much time on the average semi because you have to consider setting up time but on an industrial unit or at height It will save you loads of time, keep you safe and do a really good job (if used correctly)
This is the next wfp ;)
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thanks guys that helps alot. so it seems this system is the business. id better move before some one else gets in on the patch!Kev do yo think i should just buy one and the work will be there or would you look about the work first ie do leaflet drop and round up a bit of business...
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Hi Joe
There will soon be an agent covering Northern Ireland and Ireland
If you email me I will put you in touch.
Sorry removed email to prevent being bombarded with SPAM from automatic senders
Glyn
you are omnipole though glyn? shall i contact you via the shop?
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I have had the kit for 14 months now and it is the best on the market.There is nothing to compare tbh. I did a fire station the other week and they'd paid top dollar (council footed the bill I s'pose.) anyway they loved the H&S side of it only one place where we needed a cherry picker but had a mate on that as he'd just finished painting a warehouse with one.I would say buy one now as with the credit crucnch you never know when things are going to get tight.
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thanks guys that helps alot. so it seems this system is the business. id better move before some one else gets in on the patch!Kev do yo think i should just buy one and the work will be there or would you look about the work first ie do leaflet drop and round up a bit of business...
Just buy one, put a website up or add to yours, I would suggest a targeted Adwords campaign too, and you'll be too busy before you know it!!! ;)
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I have had the kit for 14 months now and it is the best on the market.There is nothing to compare tbh. I did a fire station the other week and they'd paid top dollar (council footed the bill I s'pose.) anyway they loved the H&S side of it only one place where we needed a cherry picker but had a mate on that as he'd just finished painting a warehouse with one.I would say buy one now as with the credit crucnch you never know when things are going to get tight.
had you previously been involved in this work?
how do you come up with prices, im afraid of starting too low and not getting the prices up, on the other hand start to high i might get damn all lol
espiecally with the likes of that fire station or any body like the council i wouldnt have a clue were to start. i suppose like my normal work (roofing carpenter) you would soon get the drift of it.
oh one other thing is the insurance required expensive, is there a revelent amount needed for commercial work ie £1 million/£10million????
sorry ive got so many questions, lucky to find this forum really eh ;D ;D ;)
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Where is a good place to get sample photos of the guttervac in action? I am taking Kevin R's advice and am putting a website together myself and want to put some relevant pics in it.
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Where is a good place to get sample photos of the guttervac in action? I am taking Kevin R's advice and am putting a website together myself and want to put some relevant pics in it.
I borrowed a couple of Glyns (with permission when I started) now he's borrowed a couple of mine (with permission). Its always better to have your own of course, wearing your own gear as it sells you. Don't forget people that are looking for you have been trawling the web, If they see loads of the same photos you lose credibility. So if your going to borrow ask and secondly get your own as quickly as possible ;)
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Good point.
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personally I HATE gutter cleaning with a passion.
I only tried it once, for a customer I had for a long time. Took ages, was dirty work and not paid as much as window cleaning.
Gutters, pah, you can keep em.
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personally I HATE gutter cleaning with a passion.
I only tried it once, for a customer I had for a long time. Took ages, was dirty work and not paid as much as window cleaning.
Gutters, pah, you can keep em.
I would be happy if everyone in my area adopts this attitude ;)
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I have had the kit for 14 months now and it is the best on the market.There is nothing to compare tbh. I did a fire station the other week and they'd paid top dollar (council footed the bill I s'pose.) anyway they loved the H&S side of it only one place where we needed a cherry picker but had a mate on that as he'd just finished painting a warehouse with one.I would say buy one now as with the credit crucnch you never know when things are going to get tight.
had you previously been involved in this work?
how do you come up with prices, im afraid of starting too low and not getting the prices up, on the other hand start to high i might get damn all lol
espiecally with the likes of that fire station or any body like the council i wouldnt have a clue were to start. i suppose like my normal work (roofing carpenter) you would soon get the drift of it.
oh one other thing is the insurance required expensive, is there a revelent amount needed for commercial work ie £1 million/£10million????
sorry ive got so many questions, lucky to find this forum really eh ;D ;D ;)
£2 per metre on commercials £45 per side domestics, plus a bit for the garage/porch/extensions if any. Glyns your man for this the ionics doesnt reach high enough and the nozzle I think is to big.
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I have had the kit for 14 months now and it is the best on the market.There is nothing to compare tbh. I did a fire station the other week and they'd paid top dollar (council footed the bill I s'pose.) anyway they loved the H&S side of it only one place where we needed a cherry picker but had a mate on that as he'd just finished painting a warehouse with one.I would say buy one now as with the credit crucnch you never know when things are going to get tight.
had you previously been involved in this work?
how do you come up with prices, im afraid of starting too low and not getting the prices up, on the other hand start to high i might get damn all lol
espiecally with the likes of that fire station or any body like the council i wouldnt have a clue were to start. i suppose like my normal work (roofing carpenter) you would soon get the drift of it.
oh one other thing is the insurance required expensive, is there a revelent amount needed for commercial work ie £1 million/£10million????
sorry ive got so many questions, lucky to find this forum really eh ;D ;D ;)
£2 per metre on commercials £45 per side domestics, plus a bit for the garage/porch/extensions if any. Glyns your man for this the ionics doesnt reach high enough and the nozzle I think is to big.
seems to good money. wold you do an offer to get started??
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Can't see why - youll find it harder to up the price the next time if you start low.
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I have had the kit for 14 months now and it is the best on the market.There is nothing to compare tbh. I did a fire station the other week and they'd paid top dollar (council footed the bill I s'pose.) anyway they loved the H&S side of it only one place where we needed a cherry picker but had a mate on that as he'd just finished painting a warehouse with one.I would say buy one now as with the credit crucnch you never know when things are going to get tight.
had you previously been involved in this work?
how do you come up with prices, im afraid of starting too low and not getting the prices up, on the other hand start to high i might get damn all lol
espiecally with the likes of that fire station or any body like the council i wouldnt have a clue were to start. i suppose like my normal work (roofing carpenter) you would soon get the drift of it.
oh one other thing is the insurance required expensive, is there a revelent amount needed for commercial work ie £1 million/£10million????
sorry ive got so many questions, lucky to find this forum really eh ;D ;D ;)
£2 per metre on commercials £45 per side domestics, plus a bit for the garage/porch/extensions if any. Glyns your man for this the ionics doesnt reach high enough and the nozzle I think is to big.
£45 per side on domestics ??? where in the UK are you.... I really need to look at my prices as I am way to low :o
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For domestic gutter work I charge £1 per foot... For commercial I charge £2.50 per foot.
Last year I was doing a fair bit of gutter cleaning work - because I pushed the service... This year I haven't bothered with it because I don't particularly like doing the work, although there is some good money in it!
The only specialist commercial company I've ever found for gutter cleaning is www.totalgutters.co.uk - I once enquired about subbing some work out to them and they quoted me about £800 a day labour (for 2 men) + cherry picker costs etc... :-\
Andy
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im in n.ireland. dont no if id get them prices here. saying that ive never cleaned gutters and charged any one!(done my own, no its a pain like!) just thinking if someone came to my door asking that kind of money id chase them lol but suppose id do it myself were other people might not
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For domestic gutter work I charge £1 per foot... For commercial I charge £2.50 per foot.
Last year I was doing a fair bit of gutter cleaning work - because I pushed the service... This year I haven't bothered with it because I don't particularly like doing the work, although there is some good money in it!
The only specialist commercial company I've ever found for gutter cleaning is www.totalgutters.co.uk - I once enquired about subbing some work out to them and they quoted me about £800 a day labour (for 2 men) + cherry picker costs etc... :-\
Andy
thanks for the info andy. do you use tradional methods ??
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do you use tradional methods ??
No, I've been using pressure washer + extendable lance + gutter attachment - A bit of a messy way of doing it, but saves using ladders and does a good job.
I would like to invest in a gutter vac if I had the money.
Andy
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do you use tradional methods ??
No, I've been using pressure washer + extendable lance + gutter attachment - A bit of a messy way of doing it, but saves using ladders and does a good job.
I would like to invest in a gutter vac if I had the money.
Andy
morning any what size pressure washer do you use???
i have a job to complete aprox 25/30 foot.....I am needing a presure washer to check the downpipes..
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For domestic gutter work I charge £1 per foot... For commercial I charge £2.50 per foot.
Last year I was doing a fair bit of gutter cleaning work - because I pushed the service... This year I haven't bothered with it because I don't particularly like doing the work, although there is some good money in it!
The only specialist commercial company I've ever found for gutter cleaning is www.totalgutters.co.uk - I once enquired about subbing some work out to them and they quoted me about £800 a day labour (for 2 men) + cherry picker costs etc... :-\
Andy
Commercials £7-8 per meter - look at the alternatives and price accordingly. If they need £10,000 worth of scaffolding your hardly going to do it for £300 are you?
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anyone got any close up pics of the new style omnivac poles. their website does not have any clear ones.
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andy
ive got 3/4 pics of the new poles when i set mine up put yr email adress up and i.ll send them through as i don,t know how to put pics up
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can,t send them thorough its saying default email
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can,t send them thorough its saying default email
if you wouldnt mind could you send those pics through t my address as well, thanks. email address on my profile, cheers mate
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their website does not have any clear ones.
That because they don';t want anyone else to see the detail - make of that what you will!!!
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pics came through
thanks very much
Cameron