I was the first in my local area to go wfp, as far as I am aware at least. Have to be honest though, I don't think I ran the business in the right manner for the first 3 or 4 years wfp. It wasn't until the 4th year that I actually made more money than when I was trad, in terms of net profit. I presume most of you hyper pro wfp guys never did trad? It seems many are unaware how much a man with a ladder can earn with the right work. I think thats the key for both methods, do the right work for the method to be most effective.
In those first few years of wfp, 30 or 40% of the work was simply no quicker, or even slower than trad. The odd job was twice as quick. Overall, I got round roughly 3 hours quicker per week using wfp once I was up to speed. I never really thought about it, £75 quid a week better off, happy days I figured. In reality it was just the tip of wfp's potential.
It kind of hit me that commercial work where was where the money was. After 3 years of a 90% domestic round I started taking the day off fridays to canvas commercial work. I even became a council approved contractor. The reality was this was when wfp became worth it.
I don't think a domestic only round really benefits from wfp much, in the case of what mine was, not at all. Those 3 hours got eaten into by the "out of hours" hassal that wfp brings. The extra running costs also eat into the extra dough you think your making. I lost some very well paid work on the domestic front due to the method I was using, it hurt.
From what I have read, I think this site is a bit of a wfp convention. Probably a fair number of young guys who have never really given working off a ladder a shot, and don't know much about it. My business is now wfp, and suited in the main, to wfp. You know what though, the window cleaner who has done best in my local town is 1 guy with a ladder. He told me he has averaged 62k gross profit over the last 5 years. You see his motor and house, you would believe him. He does work his ass off mind, 10 hour days in the summer. There is a firm with 3 employees, the boss lives in a bog standard 3 bed semi, and is financed up to the eyeballs with his flash vans and ionics systems. He used to work for them, and started wfp just after me. Doesn't appear to be doing that well on face value.
There are a lot of polers round my way living in rabbit hutches, just getting by. I don't think its about being quick, or a "busy fool". Get the right work and keep it, thats my message. Applies to either method.
I think the way forward in our trade in to go wfp now, all in all. But if your not intending to get the right work, and just solidier in with a round made for ladders, I wouldn't even bother.
Sorry to go on, tell its raining here eh! :
