[Paul Coleman]

Hi guys

just a topical which was briefly touched on in a thread the other month -

for all year experienced long term wfp or trad guys and the newbies been going in last 12 months -

q- if you were starting again for the first time is there anything you would different?
 

Yes.  Quite a bit of it if I'm honest.  Bear in mind there was no internet when I started though.

[prestige cleaners]

work more, laze less.

[Ian101]

Thanks to this forum not really much I would have done differently ... only mistake I made was going in for a website that was designed to be future proof i.e theres a lot of stuff on there that I dont do or now never will like domestic cleaning / eot cleaning and too little on it about window cleaning.

Best bit of advice I got on here was minimum pricing which gave me a pricing level to work from.

[dazmond]

pricing! : :

im still cleaning a lot of cheaper work but its very compact!my prices are a lot better for newer work though.

i would of gone wfp sooner if id of known about it and i really shouldnt of bought a fibre glass pole!!


we all make mistakes its the only way we learn!!


ive got to admit after 16 years im really starting to build a much better business!better late than never!!


round software as well.miles better than a pen and notepad!!



dazmond

[Darranvps]

I did start again in March this year!
What I did different from the very 1st time I setup, was to sort out insurance, health and safety stuff etc, built a website, complimentary stationary, got a van with all equipment, then I began chasing commercial customers - no domestic.
Now 8 month's later, we already have 2 vans, some nice work up and down the country and we have some good contacts for future work.

[Steve_c]

Darren my wife Saw you in Hook yesterday, she said you looked very professional.

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

go straight for carbon fibre poles dont waste money on crap fibreglass

Same here.

Wish I'd had carbon poles right from the off & better brushes. Also wish I'd realized that many suppliers haven't a clue about wfp & will sell you anything! :

[Darranvps]

Darren my wife Saw you in Hook yesterday, she said you looked very professional.

Hi Thanks for that, we are

Have a great day!

[ronnie paton]

darren is the work all priced well?

you have done extremly well in a short period of time pal.

[mark blundell]

the only thing i would do differently is i would not have gone out collecting money.

i only collect from two small ares now and thats only because they expect it (because the guy i bought the work from always collected friday nights) and if i did not go i would never get paid from them

It only takes me 1 hour, friday evening every 6 weeks but it still winds me up

hi can i ask how you collect your money now thanks mark

[e newlands]

would take more time before buying kit ask more questions check out the market more
brought a lot of stuff without doing enough investigation and research on what was avaliable before parting with my readdies
wasted a lot of money buying the wrong equipment

[Crystal-clear]

Would go straight to van mount, spend what needs to be spent not try and scrimp and save on silly trolleys crappy poles and even worse Ro systems -_-

[Gav Camm lammy 283]

when i was buying bigger van
would of either transit or transporter
no trafic vivaro or primaster 

[bobby p]

when i first started,just about 2 yrs ago,a local guy offered me his whole round,vans ,men,the lot. still wonder if i should have bought it !

instead im now sloggin away alone, wondering just why am i doin this full crazy round :

[Darranvps]

darren is the work all priced well?

you have done extremly well in a short period of time pal.

Hi,
I think it is priced OK, the main thing is we are happy with what we do and we always ensure it is profitable. We try not to take on too much work that is less than 2 men a day.
We have trained (in my case re trained) in IPAF, CSCS, PASMA, NVQ Level 2 (although still waiting for the certificates from impact 43) We are all CRB checked. All of which gives the customer confidence that we can do what we say we can.

One of the main things for me is that I have time on my hands to chase up new customers, which obviously helps a great deal.

My wife is actively involved within the business, although she doesn't clean windows, she does the accounting etc, and will shortly do a NEBOSH course, which I think will help us a great deal in the future.

In any business it is always important to set your goals from the outset, and work towards achieving them. Once reached, set yourself higher goals...............

Always ask yourself.........

Is it that I can't or is it that I won't?

[brianbarber]

Forget the trolley and cheap poles.
Go straight for van mount and SLX pole .


Mr B

[Alex Allen]

Hi guys

just a topical which was briefly touched on in a thread the other month -

for all year experienced long term wfp or trad guys and the newbies been going in last 12 months -

q- if you were starting again for the first time is there anything you would different?
 

have a plan
rather than an idea then make things up as i went along  :
good thing about a plan is you can start anytime 

[LWC]

I was trad for about 6 years, when life was simple lol. Now WFP for past 4 - 5 years.

The first mistake was getting a trolley, did my back in real bad. Van mount all the way.

Second mistake, spending loads of dosh on posh vans, sign wirtting and equipment.

Yeh it looked smart, but didnt earn me any more money. I sold the vivaro and havent really spent a penny since. Harris poles at £15 a pop have been the biggest money saver ever. I was spending £120 on xtels that would wear after 3 - 4 months. Harris last ages! Last one lasted me a year and it was only top section spinning.

In the other vans i had 2 pumps and 2 varistreams. Now all i have is 1 pump, and its been pumping 2 reels for year and a half now no bother. No varistream just a tap and run back to tank.

I coulda setup for less than £500 years ago bought a good enough van, pug partner or maybe a dispatch or even a old transit for £1000 - £1500...instead i spent around £15k on 2 vans, equipment, bit here bit there etc etc etc.

Learn from your mistakes tho dont you. I still wish id kept my old Partner and plodded on in it, but had bigger plans with the Vivaro, but nothing really changed.

If it aint broken...dont fix it.

[mark mann]

I was trad for about 6 years, when life was simple lol. Now WFP for past 4 - 5 years.

The first mistake was getting a trolley, did my back in real bad. Van mount all the way.

Second mistake, spending loads of dosh on posh vans, sign wirtting and equipment.

Yeh it looked smart, but didnt earn me any more money. I sold the vivaro and havent really spent a penny since. Harris poles at £15 a pop have been the biggest money saver ever. I was spending £120 on xtels that would wear after 3 - 4 months. Harris last ages! Last one lasted me a year and it was only top section spinning.

In the other vans i had 2 pumps and 2 varistreams. Now all i have is 1 pump, and its been pumping 2 reels for year and a half now no bother. No varistream just a tap and run back to tank.

I coulda setup for less than £500 years ago bought a good enough van, pug partner or maybe a dispatch or even a old transit for £1000 - £1500...instead i spent around £15k on 2 vans, equipment, bit here bit there etc etc etc.

Learn from your mistakes tho dont you. I still wish id kept my old Partner and plodded on in it, but had bigger plans with the Vivaro, but nothing really changed.

If it aint broken...dont fix it.

 what an open honest assesment and statement and your comments kinda strike a chord with me - i havent been too bad with the wc kit i started out with and what ive spent has been stuff that helps you keep making money rather than the luxuries (tho i look forward to affording carbon fibre poles) - im in my 40s now and whilst its not window cleaning i remember spending thousands on designer clothes - and think how much dosh id have it i hadnt wasted so much dosh on them - im thinking the same with my window cleaning biz - if its essential or an ideal purchase then yeah but not for vanity sake.

thanks for all replies on here but really liked this one

[LWC]

No problem mate, well im only 25, so ive made my mistakes early mate. I kick myself for doing it now and am still paying for them, grrrr.

By time im 30 i want to be well sorted...which i will

Such a shame i spent so much on equipment, made no odds, i work out of a Ford Galaxy, cheap setup...still looks tidy obviously. Ive had some of my best days in it.