Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: geefree on April 17, 2010, 03:16:11 pm
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Hi,
just curious, and wondering what all of your ambitions are in window cleaning?
Do you want to achieve multiple rounds in the long term, with people running them for you eventually,
or are you quite happy to work as you are, and keep a manageable round with a steady income, giving you some free time also?
How ambitious are you?
Gary.
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It's the latter for me Gary.
Lee
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I treat it like a job on flexi time, not a business ::). Not even a well paid job ;D.
So I`m not ambitious at all.
I wouldn`t mind a successful, thriving business and all the advantages that go with it but I`m not prepared to do anything about it.
Apathetic; that`s me :-\
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the latter 1 4me also ;D happy now 2 just plod along & leave all the hard work n long
hours 2 everyone else ;) i love havin an easy & simple life :)
the only thing i would like is my back 2b better, but money just cant buy somethings :(
any1 that wants 2do well in this business i wish them all the best ;D
as there is a lot 2b had out of it ;)
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plan is to get up to about 400 custy then split it in 2, and rebuild again to about 300 each van
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I don't want to employ, I subb when needed with trusted windies.
What I find myself doing is refining my work. Price all new work high & pass on less profitable stuff. Working less for more money is the goal, profit is king although I still invest in top quality gear & appearance. I only take on selected work now, I don't sell any either, just pass it on to friendly windies who need it more.
Commercial wise, I don't go for big names, chains, high street stuff but more independant/privately owned ventures. I find I get better money & loyalty with these & I'll take these on all day, for the right price of course.
I like flexibility, have a day or two off when I want, spend time with my family etc. I don't like pressure though, my commercial is almost on time every time but my domestic is quite relaxed with cleans between 5 & 7 weeks normally. ;) :)
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I suppose I'm pretty much the same. Don't want to build an empire but full respect for those that want a big biz. I like to have free time and a good bank balance, although this winter hurt me badly :(
That's the good part of this malarky, you can make it fit what you want. Look at Winp®oClean , he's pretty dozy, and he does OK ;D ;D ;D
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I suppose I'm pretty much the same. Don't want to build an empire but full respect for those that want a big biz. I like to have free time and a good bank balance, although this winter hurt me badly :(
That's the good part of this malarky, you can make it fit what you want. Look at Winp®oClean , he's pretty dozy, and he does OK ;D ;D ;D
;D ;D ;D
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Just signed my 7th franchisee, so pretty much achieved my ambition which was to have a business that's very easy to run, capable of self perpetuation, pays well for very little input after the initial few months per new recruit and provides me with a decent income in my retirement ;)
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bigger the better for me i am so motivated. I now have 5 full time window cleaners and have just landed a VERY lucrative contract. I am also involved in office cleaning but not too worried how that goes.
Have 4 fully kitted out vans and now feel like the sky is the limit, started sub contracting from some major players paying my guys day rate to fill in any gaps ( not that we have any gaps i will just employ more ) i will never sell up i would just employ a manager to run things for me, by the way i am still 'on the tools' and will never give up that, i wouldnt ask any of my staff to do a job i wouldnt do myself ( and at 38 i can still beat anyone on tops half my age i love it!)
my advice to anyone is never turn down work no matter what it is, i hear no one likes builders cleans but hey some one has to do it why not you be more confident in your work and take it on, anything. from little old ladies in bungalows to office blocks just crack on and do it.
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Just signed my 7th franchisee, so pretty much achieved my ambition which was to have a business that's very easy to run, capable of self perpetuation, pays well for very little input after the initial few months per new recruit and provides me with a decent income in my retirement ;)
well done Ian ;) good on ya ;) my m8 done the same thing, he got up 2
10 people then just sat back n counted the money ££££££ ;D he has a very nice life ;D
all he does these days is play golf.
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Just signed my 7th franchisee, so pretty much achieved my ambition which was to have a business that's very easy to run, capable of self perpetuation, pays well for very little input after the initial few months per new recruit and provides me with a decent income in my retirement ;)
well done ian could you send me some more information on how you have got involved in this type of business franchising out as the way i promote my business everyone asks am i a franchise just be something for me too consider, how far apart r u franchisees??????
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Just signed my 7th franchisee, so pretty much achieved my ambition which was to have a business that's very easy to run, capable of self perpetuation, pays well for very little input after the initial few months per new recruit and provides me with a decent income in my retirement ;)
I admire and respect what you have achieved Ian. Even more so because you seem to have done it with a degree of humility and good grace and not allowed ego to take over. Respect to you.
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just had a gander at ur weg site.... very nice m8, looks a really good set up ;)
better than my m8 done his ;D dont tell him i said that tho ::)
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i like your style dave
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Its a tricky one for me to be honest, I go through phases. Some times I'd like to 'one day' Spend every day on the golf course or in the gym with good loyal employees running things for me, But some times I'd just be happy to tick over nicely knowing I'm responsible for everything and don't ever need to rely on anyone else nor have there troubles on my shoulders.
I think if I were to re write my business plan it would probably change monthly. lol Not likely to have that £1m annual turnover with such indecisiveness I know but that me. :-[ ;D
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good honest reply that mate i can tell just by your response that you need to be positive and stop thinking about your pastimes though mate no wrong in that though!
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plan is to get up to about 400 custy then split it in 2, and rebuild again to about 300 each van
i said that now i am there what do i do. got a lot of hard thinking to do starting now.
any one out there who has done this dont be shy tell me.
regards suds.
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My ambition is to hit a million
but would settle for what I have got now, to be able to stay in bed until I want to get up, employ someone in the office and have a team of guys bringing home the bacon, and not having to pick up a squeegie myself.
Its not without its stresses though, somedays I dont know what day it is or what planet I am on, on those days I could easily jack it all in. other days it feels all worth it.
On another note, I have just seen someone lose a £150k contract overnight, just goes to show you can't rely on anything in this game.
lo David, have u put a time limit on hitting ur target?
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my aim is to get to 250 customers by xmas.
then keep going if i get to 500 i will get another van and take someone on.
im motivated and ready to hit the streets and knock some doors,might be getting a door knocker to do 2 days work for me in about 1 month.
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What are your ambitions?
to be the biggest, most "well known" company in town ;D
Live comfortably, and being able to think "i'll buy a new car today, now, where did i leave that £10k"
;D
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In a years time I want to be able to take on someone. A year ago I couldn't get a job and had a family yo support. So we created a business :)
I'd like to be able to offer someone who was in my position when I first started out the chance to support their family.
Further from that I would like to be able to employ a handfull of guys, doing various work from residental, commercial to jet washing and gutter clearing.
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n ows it comin on wipers ;D
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to get ma 1000th custy bliss
then smile loads ;D ;D ;D
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Watch this space and wait and see......... 8)
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ambitions?to have a round like roy hardings!!im gonna stay as a one man band and concentrate on top end residential/small commercial for most of my work and slowly get rid of the lower paying work.
im not afraid of hard work but also i dont want it to take over my life! ;D
holidays and travelling are high on my list in a few years when my business is booming!im sure it will improve a lot as im a lot more pro in my work/attitude than i used to be.also wfp is on the horizon which will enable me to increase my daily work load.
my ambitions might seem low to some but im interested in getting a balance between work/home life and keeping my life as simple as possible as it makes me happier!!
as matt says window cleaning is a lifestyle choice!!
the freedom/no boss/no workmate idiots that do your head in/time off when you feel like it
the flexibility is fantastic!im so glad ive stuck at it all these years! ;) ;D
best wishes to you all
dazmond
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My ambition is to have several vans on the go, also to have several staff working for me and taking several hundred thousand per year.
It will be a lot of hard work but it will be worth it.
;D ;D ;D
Matt
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id like to just do the nicer jobs in time.iv now got 2 parttimers work for me but its early days iv only been at it 2 years ,im just going to go with the flow and try not to rush in too deep
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On another note, I have just seen someone lose a £150k contract overnight, just goes to show you can't rely on anything in this game.
Having been there myself (although it wasn't £150k - the annual value was about a 3rd of that) I can vouch for that. Losing that amount per year hurts :'(
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I have many goals like steps I started with nothing and a year out of work. No cash to buy a squeegee. But there is always a way its the internal drive that makes me work up the ladder. I will work hard and smart and as a consequence will make cash. That is if my health holds out. But I will build my business quietly and work my business plan as long as I can. My aims are really personal and not one target is based on money. his will be my seventh business and I have walked this road before we are old friends.
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To meet Craig B for a coffee :D
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to get ma 1000th custy bliss
then smile loads ;D ;D ;D
good luck mate dont know how ya av had nearly 1000 custies with ur reputation in wrexham cant believe 942 have sacked u thats gotta be a record ;D ;D ;D
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if your ambition in window cleaning is not based on making money then whats the point?put it this way if i won the lotto i wouldnt do this job as a hobby(although there probably one saddo on ere who would!!) :P :P ;D ;D
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to get ma 1000th custy bliss
then smile loads ;D ;D ;D
good luck mate dont know how ya av had nearly 1000 custies with ur reputation in wrexham cant believe 942 have sacked u thats gotta be a record ;D ;D ;D
;D ;D ;D he wants 2beat my 934 ;) ;D oh sorry lamster :( there i go again ;D
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It seems strange people base it on number of customers & not profit?
e.g. I'd rather have 500 £20 accounts than 1000 @ a tenner. :)
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My ambition is just to continue enjoying the daily challenges of running a growing business.
Some of these challenges are set by myself, other creep up upon me and take up my time until I've beaten them.
I have reached the stage where no nasty letters fall through my letter box and we have spare money for two or three foreign trips a year for our family. I'd now like to move it up a notch, to having business premises, having more employees, adding a zero or two to my takings each year ..........
I always said I'd be happy when we were a million pound a year business; now that's some achievment but aiming high keeps me motivated ....... I sometimes think I get more pleasure from securing a new contract than I do from carrying it out; the buzz felt when the boss of a big firm says, " Okay, we'd like you to do the work " is brilliant, and I want more.
To be honest just earning enough to pay the bills and having a bit of spare cash doesn't do it for me; if I'm going to the effort of running my own business - and that's what we're all doing on here whether we think so or not - I want a business that's as profitable and well known as I can possibly make it, there's no point otherwise; but that's just my opinion ;D
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;take it easy fishing relax,I fogot :o I only do what I want now :-* trust me you will get fed up of wc :'( its gave me a good time and still is because of who I am,
not knocking it :-* its the petty people that make you fink er ??? ::) :-\ I have had enough :o ::) ??? :-X :-\ I just been there done it but hey, its been like on a bike too free................... go where you want too :-* I have had so much fun...
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so you still do a bit then terry?who do you think you are?so you are a fast window cleaner!not much of an achievement is it? :P ;) ;D ;D
im fast and ive been doing it 16 years!i also played drums in various bands for years and help alcoholics/addicts rehabilitate themselves.i dont see what the attraction is of the "fastest window cleaner on the planet" stuff!
its comical really!still if you enjoy bein up there then fair enough!
best wishes
dazmond
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My wife say's I'm the fastest at sex ;D; I'm so quick it's unbelievable really. But I can get quicker; I'm practising hard. Is that a good ambition ??? ??? ???
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Nearly at the point where I can get my 3rd Van and concentrate on building the business full time. Reckon I need another £1500 of monthly before I can do this comfortably though.
It's very tempting to just keep working because then you're getting all the money for the work but then you'd never expand.
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to get ma 1000th custy bliss
then smile loads ;D ;D ;D
good luck mate dont know how ya av had nearly 1000 custies with ur reputation in wrexham cant believe 942 have sacked u thats gotta be a record ;D ;D ;D
e r arrrr kid wot u like there lad lol ;D ;D ;D
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Thanks for your kind comments, Paul and PR Window Cleaning ;)
richywilts: I know we've e-mailed in the past but I cant find you in my address book. If you e-mail me again I'll try to answer any new questions.
thanks,
Ian
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hiya ian
my email is richardwiltshire36@yahoo.co.uk
cheers