Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Sunshine/Cleaning on May 28, 2009, 07:52:40 am
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What are your top headachs for those who have been Window Cleaners for above say 5 years?
Mine has always been the employ/sub-contract problem.
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Have you tried Neurophen ? ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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If he works hard I'll take on anyone. ;)
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Customers.
;D
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If he works hard I'll take on anyone. ;)
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Customers.
Getting them or dealing with the awkward ones? Or both?
;D
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Finding the right staff is an ongoing problem ::)
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cos you dont buy them nice enough company cars lol
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credit control
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cos you dont buy them nice enough company cars lol
lol
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VAT , book keeping and Employment laws. Not forgetting custies who think you are sitting there waiting for them to call so you have work. ???
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Maintaing the desire to go out each day and sweep windows...again and again and again...i.e having a motivation failure this week..
Just being a sole trader is sometimes a strain...boredom being my main issue with it all and of course spiders....I hate spiders...did I mention spiders?
Dave.
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What are your top headachs for those who have been Window Cleaners for above say 5 years?
Mine has always been the employ/sub-contract problem.
Same, ive given up.
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I have never employed.
I dont intend to either as I know not only would that be a complete pain in the arriss but it would also play havoc with one of the basic reasons of why I became self-employed, by denying me the freedom to choose what I do with my day. You have an obligation to yourself and the individual when you employ.
Saying that, I seriously have been considering my workload and I will have to seriously face this soon; I will either have to employ or bin a laod of work or sell....Im thinking selling is the best option for me at the mo.
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Best keep it simple.
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Matt,
I like your way of thinking, I thought the same way when I first started out and sometimes wish I'd stuck do just doing what I could on my own and be happy with it.
Instead people kept on offering me more and more work and I took on more and more staff, currently 19, of which 6 are window cleaners.
Staff is a big headache, or it can be at times, there is always something that needs sorted, they'll only tell you something is broken the day after you needed it for a job, never when it happens, or when it's starting to give up the ghost.
Ultimately responsibility needs to be delegated to those you can trust and empower them to drive the business forward. We have probably 5 staff who literally control what's done and when by the rest of their team, this allows me to move away from being hands on at every job and look at where the next opportunity is.
It can backfire if you get your judgement wrong, and it did on us earlier this year, that has been resolved now ;)
Customers can be a problem, but generally if you provide a good service and good communications at a realistic price then they will be happy and not bother you.
Credit control, we run with an on going outstanding debt of several £,000, you just need to continually chase up the ones who fail to pay on time, again we got stung for nearly £2K last year from a commercial job that went to the wall very suddenly, but we have learnt from it.
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I don't qualify for your five year rule, but i was struck by some of the answers including your own. You could maybe rephrase it to , do you have a job or a business? And what criteria seperates the two?
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happy on my own but i know that could change. i used to haev 30 guys work for me in previous job so know what the hassles are like
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Some very good replies for you, some not to & others to try.
We have a constant debt of many k & lost about 5k since jan similar to Ian. You must have employees behind that are good & want to take the business forward. You need good office person to assist in managing all the paperwork, i had p/t office lady & did the rest, it becomes a strain doing 70-80 hours a week after awhile. But it still nevere all gets done.
I,m chilling for the next 12 months, i have a few irons in the fire but, sick of fraudulent behavior from some companies, so i will maintain what we have & build slowly, taking on new work as it comes.
I,ve just got a new toy so i will be away camping most weekends this summer & enjoy life more, i,ve ploughed all my energy into business for little reward, but, some of that hard work as retained clients & given me a stable base to continue through this recession.
Gary
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good on you gary getting through he rcessions is half the battle done.
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What recession?
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Trying to get good prices when new w/c's and dole brigade are charging ridiculously low prices