Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: mick partington on July 28, 2009, 08:37:43 pm

Title: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: mick partington on July 28, 2009, 08:37:43 pm
hi all im new on here iv been having a look round but my question not been asked to my nowledge.
my windowcleaners offered me his bisiness hes 60yrs and wants to retire im being made redundant and need work, i dont want to course any problems with him so im not including anymore detials.
to get to the point he,s really run the business down he cleans several town houses in my street including mine and charges £1 per 3wk clean [was 80p untill he increase earler this year i always piad £1 because i felt guilty takeing 20p change.
he says the round does a couple of hundred quid a month when i asked how much he wanted all he,d say is not much now bare in mind my windows are in a pretty poor state of clean so are the rest of his round is it worth buying this round from him and trying to build it back up.
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: johns window kleen on July 28, 2009, 08:39:11 pm
Noooooo!!!!
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: elite mike on July 28, 2009, 08:42:35 pm
run


as fast as you can

or offer him a fiver for the list and go round the custys and explain that

to offer a realistic service at todays prices

take it or leave it
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: clean on July 28, 2009, 08:42:48 pm
hi all im new on here iv been having a look round but my question not been asked to my nowledge.
my windowcleaners offered me his bisiness hes 60yrs and wants to retire im being made redundant and need work, i dont want to course any problems with him so im not including anymore detials.
to get to the point he,s really run the business down he cleans several town houses in my street including mine and charges £1 per 3wk clean [was 80p untill he increase earler this year i always piad £1 because i felt guilty takeing 20p change.
he says the round does a couple of hundred quid a month when i asked how much he wanted all he,d say is not much now bare in mind my windows are in a pretty poor state of clean so are the rest of his round is it worth buying this round from him and trying to build it back up.

ARE YOU MAD ?  :o
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: Scrimble on July 28, 2009, 08:43:07 pm
dont waste your time, the round is worthless
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: stephen s on July 28, 2009, 08:45:40 pm
sounds like a great time to go canvassing  ;D
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: mick partington on July 28, 2009, 08:51:15 pm
when i tell other people what we pay our cleaner thay gasp with astonishment i new many of his cliants will not take kindly to a large increase but thay like me must realise its unrealisticly low so im thinking increase to £3.50 and take it from there its better than the £64.95 i,ll get from the job centre.what you think
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: aztec on July 28, 2009, 08:53:35 pm
go for it mate i like your attitude
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: Clive McDonald on July 28, 2009, 08:56:58 pm
Hi Mick,
you seem like a nice bloke.If I asked you to clean your own windows how much would you want me to pay you and how long would it take?

Can you get round the back of your house easily?

How many an hour could you do if they were close together (compact), and how many if there was a ten minute drive in between each house?

At his prices how much does the wc earn a day?
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: Moderator David@stives on July 28, 2009, 09:00:12 pm
His round isnt worthless.

I would buy it for a nominal amount (Very small amount). Then I would walk the round, tell each and every customer that you are taking over but the new price would be £...... whatever it needs to be.

Explain to the customers about the pricing, I am absolutely positive about 80 % will sympathise and pay the new rate straight away, those who wont arent worth having anyway..

It has got to be worth a punt, get the customers at your prices, then you are onto a winner.
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: Neil Williams on July 28, 2009, 09:04:31 pm
Have I missed something or is he really charging one pound per property?
If so, and these customers have been used to paying £1 then putting it up 300% won't go down well.
Build your own round is these circumstances at an hourly rate you're happy with.
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: mick partington on July 28, 2009, 09:12:38 pm
iv lived here 20yrs in that time its gone from 65p to 80p to £1 i need to know what its worth as iv no experince in windowcleaning at all
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: Central Window Cleaners on July 28, 2009, 09:16:44 pm
I would buy it for max of £100, even if you put the prices up and lost 50% of them you would still make it back in the first month
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: Dean Taberner on July 28, 2009, 09:19:08 pm
His round isnt worthless.

I would buy it for a nominal amount (Very small amount). Then I would walk the round, tell each and every customer that you are taking over but the new price would be £...... whatever it needs to be.

Explain to the customers about the pricing, I am absolutely positive about 80 % will sympathise and pay the new rate straight away, those who wont arent worth having anyway..

It has got to be worth a punt, get the customers at your prices, then you are onto a winner.

Very small amount ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: HIGH LEVEL WINDOW CLEANERS (scrimmy) on July 28, 2009, 09:19:36 pm
His round isnt worthless.

I would buy it for a nominal amount (Very small amount). Then I would walk the round, tell each and every customer that you are taking over but the new price would be £...... whatever it needs to be.

Explain to the customers about the pricing, I am absolutely positive about 80 % will sympathise and pay the new rate straight away, those who wont arent worth having anyway..

It has got to be worth a punt, get the customers at your prices, then you are onto a winner.

totally agree ;)
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: mick partington on July 28, 2009, 09:20:24 pm
slumpbuster
if the gates locked he only does the front you cant expect him to climb over can ?
im going to ask how much he earnes per hour but he,d have to be grease lightning to earn over a fiver  ::)
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: Dean Taberner on July 28, 2009, 09:22:25 pm
This has got to be a wind up thread,

I honestly did consider posting something like this a few months ago when I was half cut,

80p houses :o :o :o :o

Please ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: mick partington on July 28, 2009, 09:26:30 pm
no wind up thing is im still interested i want to get into this business just trying to get my head around it, this guy as a better tan than simon cowell he goes away 5 times a year  :o
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: Perfect Vision on July 28, 2009, 09:27:41 pm
Dam paying for that, I'd charge HIM for the round and hasstle id have to go through :-\ lol
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: mci services on July 28, 2009, 09:28:37 pm
think of it this way, as mentioned you offer a very small amount, increase by 400% that will make the round worth £800 quid a month and if you lose 20% you still have a round worth £640, thats not a bad start to a new w/c business with something to work on to building a good business. ask what he wants for the round he may only be looking for a few quid so thinks hes not letting anyone down
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: Dean Taberner on July 28, 2009, 09:36:13 pm
Mick,

Theres a decent round for sale on here that neil williams is selling,

Or even this one for 100k? ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

http://www.windowcleaningroundforsale.co.uk/index.php?pageNum_showAds=1&totalRows_showAds=157

Neils is a page before this,

80p houses arent the problem,

Its the 80p customers that are,

Dean
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: suds window service on July 28, 2009, 09:37:07 pm
sorry to off topic.
 CENTRAL WINDOW CLEANERS . just been looking at your web site,looks very good may i ask who did it for you?
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: tomy jackson on July 28, 2009, 09:40:46 pm
if its not a wind up give him the furst clean muny but at new price of 4 to 5 £ ,so theos that cansill no muny for him ,custys will all kow thayv had it good
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: mick partington on July 28, 2009, 09:43:26 pm
deantaberner
thanks for that, thiers none in my area i would much prefere to buy a good established round, im nr manchester anyone got one up for grabs please pm me
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: martinsadie on July 28, 2009, 09:44:23 pm
if its not a wind up give him the furst clean muny but at new price of 4 to 5 £ ,so theos that cansill no muny for him ,custys will all kow thayv had it good
i thought you were the old window cleaner selling   ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: martinsadie on July 28, 2009, 09:45:21 pm
deantaberner
thanks for that, thiers none in my area i would much prefere to buy a good established round, im nr manchester anyone got one up for grabs please pm me
where near Manchester
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: Dean Taberner on July 28, 2009, 09:56:10 pm
deantaberner
thanks for that, thiers none in my area i would much prefere to buy a good established round, im nr manchester anyone got one up for grabs please pm me

Mick,

Realistically not many people will buy the 100k round on here,

A list of customers maybe worth a shot but at 80p a go its pointless,

As some have said it could lead to leads but most people payingt 80p dont/cant give a monkeys about the quality of work,

Even as a list,

I wouldnt throw £20 at it.

Imagine their faces when you increase from say 80p to £5. Which still would most prob be shockingly priced,

Dean
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: tomy jackson on July 28, 2009, 09:56:40 pm
no stan my lowest is £2 but 60 of em
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: mick partington on July 28, 2009, 10:01:10 pm
now now i seid at the start of the thread i dont want to say were i am so no conflict with the gentleman in question [hardly fair to name and shame nice bloke just let his round go a bit :-X]
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: tomy jackson on July 28, 2009, 10:04:02 pm
thers a man who posts on hear can voch that its true
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: AuRavelling79 on July 28, 2009, 10:31:01 pm
no wind up thing is im still interested i want to get into this business just trying to get my head around it, this guy as a better tan than simon cowell he goes away 5 times a year  :o

hang on a minute .... goes away 5 times a year at £1 a house ... I smell a rat here ...
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: martinsadie on July 28, 2009, 10:31:57 pm
no wind up thing is im still interested i want to get into this business just trying to get my head around it, this guy as a better tan than simon cowell he goes away 5 times a year  :o

hang on a minute .... goes away 5 times a year at £1 a house ... I smell a rat here ...

Blackpool for the weekend
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: paul04 on July 28, 2009, 10:33:52 pm
1 pound a house
i nearly charge that much per window
 
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: dai on July 28, 2009, 10:42:24 pm
I can't believe this, surely they know Stan Ogden was charging more than that.
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: mlscontractcleaner on July 28, 2009, 10:52:06 pm
That's why they dumped him for this old fella ;)
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: bad trippy on July 29, 2009, 12:22:13 am
Have I missed something or is he really charging one pound per property?
If so, and these customers have been used to paying £1 then putting it up 300% won't go down well.
Build your own round is these circumstances at an hourly rate you're happy with.
only 300%?
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: Platinum NW on July 29, 2009, 01:13:22 am
BUY IT

If youve got the time and determination buy it - Dont expect to pay much but once you have the round you can only improve it. If you lose alot of customers by increasing the price you will still bee making a profit you just have to provide a high quality service

You never know 12months time you could make yourself a nice profit by selling up like me !!!!
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: johns window kleen on July 29, 2009, 07:43:51 am
no wind up thing is im still interested i want to get into this business just trying to get my head around it, this guy as a better tan than simon cowell he goes away 5 times a year  :o

hang on a minute .... goes away 5 times a year at £1 a house ... I smell a rat here ...

Probably does,
Strangeways, Belmarsh, Durham, Broadmoor, and Wormwood Scrubs, with the odd mini weekend break at Rampton.
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: Londoner on July 29, 2009, 08:42:00 am
Personally, I would think of it as a practice round. Play with it but start an entirely separate round nearby for top money and I do mean TOP, TOP, TOP money.

You are in this business to make money not to clean windows. Forget that and you end up like him.
Take no prisioners.
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: Alistair@AWC on July 29, 2009, 09:39:06 am
Buy it for £200 and stick all the prices upto £5, take it or leave.

What have you got to lose!!

Even if you only retain 40 of his customers you'll have your money back in 3 weeks
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: Central Window Cleaners on July 29, 2009, 10:04:36 am
Hi Suds,

I did the website myself about 3 years.

Now just costs me the anual hosting cost and renewal of the domain names
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: d s windowcleaning on July 29, 2009, 10:34:05 am
my mate took over a round from the last window cleaner who had been doing them for years and at low prices .
when he took over the round he explained to the customer that he was taking over and the new price would be x£s , he didnt lose 1 customer when putting the prices up .
i would take a gamble on this round , if you didnt and and the old window cleaner just packed in , the customers would look for a new cleaner who would come in with his own prices which will be a lot more than £1 .
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: daz1977 on July 29, 2009, 12:26:15 pm
hi what part of country r u in?
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: Scrimble on July 29, 2009, 12:37:55 pm
an old window cleaner gave me about 70 customers cause he was retiring, problem was they were priced at 2 to 6 pounds and a couple at 8, i went round all of them gave new price and about 60 said no.

i came away with about 10 new customers, i paid nothing for the round and i wouldnt have either. same goes with yours,



Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: Londoner on July 29, 2009, 01:00:17 pm
Most people are not going to accept a 300/ 400/ 500% increase and that only brings it up to a fiver.

What the old boy has done has poisoned the round effectively. It happens.
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: Mike_G on July 29, 2009, 03:20:11 pm
Must be a wind up?
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: s.hughes on July 29, 2009, 04:16:22 pm
This is a windup, no way can it be true.
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: mick partington on July 29, 2009, 04:33:49 pm
just been reading through some of the replys thankyou, im defo going to buy it but at not much money as im expecting to lose most if not all his custys when i up the prices.
some think its a windup its not,im true to my word and i,ll post on here details of how it works out i value the advice i,ll get along the way.
with all this rain i,d be hard put to earn any money at all how do you cope with all this rain every day?
 thanks for help mick
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: mick partington on July 29, 2009, 04:49:31 pm
he charges £1 in my street theres a few shops at £? and not sure what he charges elswere but he told me £200 to £300 a month no windup
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: ian1972 on July 29, 2009, 04:53:38 pm
sounds like the prices they charge round leigh and wigan and most defo a joke lol
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: Platinum NW on July 29, 2009, 04:55:04 pm
Tell him your plans for the business and tell him its not worth so id offer him £100
You dont know if the work is quality or even if the customers are loyal as they may just see him as the cheapest window cleaner in britain
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: mick partington on July 29, 2009, 05:01:31 pm
sounds like the prices they charge round leigh and wigan and most defo a joke lol
give that man a cigar ;D
Title: Re: should i buy a rundown business
Post by: SherwoodCleaningSe on July 29, 2009, 09:41:46 pm
There is a cost to cleaning someones windows, insurance, petrol, equipment, ect.  I know the cost per house on my round is more than £1, so that if I only charge a £1/house then at the end of the month I'd be in debt with out even attempting to pay any other household bills(income).

Sounds like the guy has income coming from else where as well.  DHSS(lots do this), pension, spouse or another job, what ever the case he knows that his round isn't viable, it's just a beer money round, earn enough to have a few drinks that night.

If he's had the round for 20 years then thats 20 years of people not knowing what the true cost of window cleaning is and it's going to take you more than one visit to convince even just 50% of the round.  At the same time your trying to pick up a new trade and be good at it.  You say that your in a turning of town houses, in all honesty these aren't really worth doing for much less that £10.  How would you feel if the window cleaner disappeared and a new one wanted to charge you a 1000% more, it's not really feasible.

There is also the chance that after selling the work he might reappear again, especially when some customers don't like the new price see him down the pub and ask him back.  I'd canvass up your own new work at good prices, for every one of yours you'd have to do 10 of his.

Simon.