Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: geefree on May 18, 2009, 06:25:14 pm
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Wether to take a young lad part time , with me,
or work my butt off a bit longer, until its got to a point where i can send someone capable , out alone with a van etc.
i dont really want to pay someone part time , just to make my working life easier, if it does not pay dividends,.... it has to make me more money !
but i understand two people in one van , will never double the amount of work one man does..... so i dont just want to break even ...(paying someone part time)
in other words. , staying on the same income , but working life made a bit easier
if you get my drift. ;)
which way did you guys go , when you reached break point.?
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Funny you should ask, i've just at the point you are but have someone starting tomorrow. I think that your thinking is faulty.
You plus someone else does not have to do double work.You only pay for one van and the equipment on it, so if you consider this a large investment you are not using it very well with just one person.
Or put it another way, if you had two vans and did twice the work would this really beat one van plus help doing 1.5 times the work?
In my case i get massively, uncatchably behind after holidays and have to fight for weeks to catch up.Then another holiday and then the same mess. I hoping catch up with this help and then, when i have some time go and find more work like i used too.
In my early days i would often start a day with no or very little work planned, and then, following a phone call, or an odd thought to try an area return with my pockets stuffed with cash.
In all honesty i haven't got enough for me and this guy if we are hitting fours everyday, but perhaps i will have the odd saturday off, or i will take on some insides which i tend to avoid, or i will go to a new area.
At the minute all i do is work, and there has to be a better way, even if it does mean earning less money.
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Personally Gazza....we started around the same time...I am not yet full but believe that day will occur around this time next year....
Come that day...I think I will then spend my time culling my herd so that only the profitable both cash & time stay in the herd...so this gives me the opportunity to bring in some new stock to bring the herd upto optimum capacity.
I aim not to have any staff but just to be a lone farmer....
Cheers
Dave.
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Thanks dave...
yes pingu ? ;D
well, it isnt faulty how i am thinking.... its why i am asking on here so i can get views, i have 101 notions of how it best to move forward, but we would be here for a month,
so i posted a couple of examples to get a reaction and some answers from experience,
its a brave and daunting move setting anyone on , and i do understand where you are dave....with falling behind after a holiday...
so a part time lad will help you there,
i know i will lose money to begin with.... but i do not want to take a step back, when its meant to be a step forward.
Gary.
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I'm glad you've got such a clear grasp of things ;D
Everyone seems a bit touchy today so i won't go off on any extended black adder type metaphor likening you to baldric etc, where i take my herd onto the newer pasture and obtain more milk in my churn by growing my herd and not being afraid of growth.
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God help the kid tomorrow ;D
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:D
fascinating outlook on things . ;)
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God help the kid tomorrow ;D
can you imagine the poor sod
:o :o :o
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understanderbly he's very excited, providing he's any good- and i'm sure he will be- i'm paying for him to have driving lessons and putting him through his test.He also gets to wear one of my uniforms.
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understanderbly he's very excited, providing he's any good- and i'm sure he will be- i'm paying for him to have driving lessons and putting him through his test.
thats good of you, fair enough, treat them well and they will hopefully work well
He also gets to wear one of my uniforms.
now thats a worry, i hope its suitable for the public, or will it be a " private in the back of the van " type of thing :o :o :o :o
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I reckon he'll last about six weeks tops.
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Agree with Pingu. Trim the heard when you have too much, build it further then take on part timer.
Now I'm a great boss, if anyone disagrees, I'll sulk for days. :)
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It might not work out but i know i am doing the right thing.
I really think you should chew on this this turnip a bit longer Gazza.If an employee can raise your work done by over 30% then it is probably worthwhile- even if you catch up at some point and end up with no work for the following day and in your terms lose money.
This magical jump that you mention, whereby you go to two vans more or less fully loaded with work, how does that work exactly without any transitional period?
Unless of course you are the farmer, and you marry the daughter of a neighbouring farmer, and both of your herdes are combined.This is reasonably unlikely, so apart from this?
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Hard thing working in close proximity with someone day in day out. I used to do it in my last job. First two weeks are great - someone new, something to talk about. Then the rot sets in for the next few weeks - they are too slow, want too many breaks, not good enough, stink of cigarettes, get on your nerves etc. If you can get through that period then it's make or break time for me.
Works the other way too of course!
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Clive how much are you paying the sprog?
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i allways worked with another guy when i was a carpenter, either off the same van or i would allways find some1 who was a laugh and i got on well with and we would team up, most of my best mates are from working together
i miss working with some1, when some1 helped me out last month to catch up, it was great to work with some1 again :) its something that i enjoy, its a lonely old job window cleaning sometimes
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He's in his twentys, i already know him, a plasterer who works hard, approx 8 ph, to start.
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Without sounding too pompous i think this is the new model.
I knew a trad guy who used to swarm houses with about twelve in his gang, four to a house, doing any three houses in the street at the same time.(I'm guessing but i don't know, that not all of them were on the books properly).A lucky customer would be nominated to make them all cup of tea ;D
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At the minute all i do is work, and there has to be a better way, even if it does mean earning less money.
:o :o :o :o You feeling alright? ;D
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i miss working with some1, when some1 helped me out last month to catch up, it was great to work with some1 again :) its something that i enjoy, its a lonely old job window cleaning sometimes
Matt
So i presume you were flat out? Forget all that guff about working with someone and loneliness, this was your chance to access what your upper earning ceiling was.Go on then, tell us, what was it, and how would it change your life if you were able to earn that every single day?And then tell me what you are waiting for?
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Without sounding too pompous i think this is the new model.
I'd personally say YOU HOPE its the new model, you cant possibly say it is when you havent given it a decent road test.
You hope, cos thats the option youve opted for.
Id personally say you'll be very very lucky to plumb a decent bod for the first time of trying. If the blokes got any nouse you wont see him for dust once the housing business re-invigorates itself, plasterers earn 3 times what you're paying him (or there abouts).
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Wether to take a young lad part time , with me,
or work my butt off a bit longer, until its got to a point where i can send someone capable , out alone with a van etc.
i dont really want to pay someone part time , just to make my working life easier, if it does not pay dividends,.... it has to make me more money !
but i understand two people in one van , will never double the amount of work one man does..... so i dont just want to break even ...(paying someone part time)
in other words. , staying on the same income , but working life made a bit easier
if you get my drift. ;)
which way did you guys go , when you reached break point.?
yes WE DO.... ok not quite double turnover.... but when you take away the running costs of another van etc .... it works out more... PLUS... i get to keep an eye on things..... ;)
the only thing i can say is that it takes about 6 months to get a guy to know your round and fully up to speed :D
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Matt
So i presume you were flat out? Forget all that guff about working with someone and loneliness, this was your chance to access what your upper earning ceiling was.Go on then, tell us, what was it, and how would it change your life if you were able to earn that every single day?And then tell me what you are waiting for?
to be honest clive, it was never about testing the water and seeing what the potential was, it was purely about me trying to catch up, afterall some of my work hadnt been done since oct, dont foget i had 3 weeks off in oct/ nov for my trip to orlando, then we had a fair bit of rain, then it was christmas, then i had my hernia op, so it was just that, trying to catch up
as earning went, he got what he earnt ( which was fair enough as it was a favour to help me out ) what would i earn if i had a guy on with me, i bet my income would increase by 30 - 50 % ( assuming i paid about 10 quid a hour )
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Slumbuster,
you are taking someone on so you dont fall behind, so you are at the crossroads then, i reckon,... its an investment for sure...(and a headache)...and i wish you well,
but like i said , i dont want to take someone on, and give them some of my cash, so i can take it easier....when i could keep the cash and work as i am....
i want to push us both on ,so we are both run off our feet...and making 50-60% more money.....
i dont worry about catching up.... if you are full, you cant !...but i aint behind....
so what are your guys views on the move forward into employing?
people who are doing it now, and at what point did you start.... and did you take part time or full. ;)