[JonRead]

Hi - This is my first post and I'm a complete newbie.

I'm 42, married, kid, mortgage etc - I work in IT and make about 36G but increasingly I'm very unhappy in my job and my company has just made 99 redundancies and has now adopted a policy of outsourcing IT work to India where labour is cheaper - basically the writing is on the wall, I escaped the axe this time but it's only a matter of time and at my age and in this economic climate I don't want to be chasing IT jobs

I got into IT 5 years ago because I needed more money - before that I was working as a Green keeper - loved it but money was ****

So now I want to combine the outdoor work that I enjoy and I want to be making about what I'm making now ASAP

Is this a reasonable assumption? Can I pull in 35G+ Window cleaning?
Is the work really there for the taking (I'm in Swindon)


I going to start by doing doing the core courses at the BWCA and then I'm going to get a van and some kind of WFP system - either van mounted or trolley. I may even start using my car until I know what I'm doing

Do I need a van for the WFP trolley systems? - I've read that they can be used from a car but is that true?

Final question (for now ;-)) - the earliest I can start is September - is this a bad time to start? what is the best time to start?

Thanks - any advice from you guys much appreciated - best way to get started, earning potential etc

Friends/family all think I'm completely loopy even to be thinking of getting out of IT but my wife is on my side - I want to be my own boss!

Cheers

Jon

[Tom White]

Unless you're some sort of business whizz kid with a high level of business nous, I would say it would take quite a few years to be able to make £36K a year profit.  I don't, and I've been at it for nine years.

With being married, with kids, and a mortgage, I'd advise you to do what's safe, and that probably wouldn't be window cleaning.

[andyM]

Unless you're some sort of business whizz kid with a high level of business nous, I would say it would take quite a few years to be able to make £36K a year profit.  I don't, and I've been at it for nine years.

With being married, with kids, and a mortgage, I'd advise you to do what's safe, and that probably wouldn't be window cleaning.

Totally agree.
Unless you are going to buy a large established round to start you off I feel the odds are stacked against you to match the salary you currently earn within a short time.
Do you think you are cut out to be self-employed?
At times the weather can stop you working in this business and you don't get paid holidays and benefits as you currently do now.
Thats not to say it is impossible but it would not be easy.
 

[lee09]

why can't you  start until September? We have light nights and weekends, you could at least get some leaflets delivered and then knock to test the demand in your area. Or is it because you are unsure as to getting into this business with your current commitments
Lee

[weetot]

Don't listen to the Mr Negatives above.

Although they are dead right about the money side of things, unless you purchase a very good w/c business.  
If you're close to paying your mortgage off, then do the sums on what you want to live off.

Go to www.purefreedom.co.uk as their trolley folds down, and can be put in a car. Start leaflet dropping asap, theres probably a number of back posts regarding pricing domestic/commercial work etc:

Sorry its brief but this subject is massive

[JonRead]

Thanks for the feedback - much appreciated

Lee - Can't start till Sept because my wife is giving birth mid may and then we have to move house end of july - so mid august earliest really as we don't even know where we're moving to yet

"With being married, with kids, and a mortgage, I'd advise you to do what's safe, and that probably wouldn't be window cleaning" - problem is the job i currently have is not safe - no jobs are safe -

Any idea roughly what I should expect to be earning after 3 months from a standing start?

[Tom White]

Any idea roughly what I should expect to be earning after 3 months from a standing start?

This is a 'how long is a bit of string question', but considering experience is something you never have when you need it the most, I'd say you'd be lucky, and I mean lucky, if you can turnover £1K per month in the first three months, I'd say if you could, then that would be very good.

To be honest, for most of us (geniuses and whizz kids aside), it takes years to build up a good round of work with a mixture of decent sized commercial, large domestic, and compact smaller domestic properties.  Controlling your cash flow is another problem (I doubt there's a window cleaner in the UK who has never been skint, yet owed a small fortune in yet-to-be-paid work).

You'll also be a bit 'flabby' having worked in an IT environment (I left the army pretty fit and strong, and I still found the work really difficult; I just wasn't used to this sort of manual labour).

I don't really have any advice for you; we struggled for a lot of years when I left a well paid job to become a window cleaner.  I'm guessing that'll happen to you if you go the window cleaning route.

[Dave66]

there's no way u'll be able to build a round from scratch to earn 2k a month what your used too..

if you do take the plunge u'll prob have to try buy some work if there is any?

that's going to be a good few grand even before you buy the equipment...

i'd have a good long think about handing your notice in, let them lay you off, least you'll get a pay out 

[Richard iSparkle]

My advice would be to give Concept 2O a call.  They will get you set up with all the equipment you need, and tell you the ins and outs of building up a £35k plus business quickly.

I set up with their help last September myself...   

[cozy]

Here's a site that explains alot about this window cleaning malarky mate.

http://www.windowcleaningcoach.com/KeepingtrackofRound.html

See if that answers most of what you want to know. Good luck.

[AuRavelling79]

Thanks for the feedback - much appreciated

Lee - Can't start till Sept because my wife is giving birth mid may and then we have to move house end of july - so mid august earliest really as we don't even know where we're moving to yet "With being married, with kids, and a mortgage, I'd advise you to do what's safe, and that probably wouldn't be window cleaning" - problem is the job i currently have is not safe - no jobs are safe -

Any idea roughly what I should expect to be earning after 3 months from a standing start?

Jon - please please please take what I say in the spirit it is meant. You've a child on the way and you're moving house and you want to start a new business, you'd be crazy to start window cleaning in September.

First things first:-

Why not manouever things to get redundancy and a payout if possible. Are you moving up in cost of house or down? Is this your first child and does your wife work?

Look out the window at the perfect window cleaning weather - now go back three months as your fingers turn blue, your hoses freeze and your customers either moan because you're late or because you've turned up when it's icy.

Very few owner operators turn over 36K without some help. It will take at least 5 years of dedicated slog to get there from a standing start and I think the golden days of easily finding work are gone,

If you could live off of 20K then I think you have a chance. Then from that base weed and prune and 36k is possible in time.

Think it through and keep asking on here.

Blessings!

[Richard iSparkle]

My advice would be to give Concept 2O a call.  They will get you set up with all the equipment you need, and tell you the ins and outs of building up a £35k plus business quickly.

I set up with their help last September myself...   

forgot the link. Sorry!

http://www.concept2o.com/

[bumper]

not that easy bad weather raining snowing,even when its baking weather i pack up early you just carnt win with the weather,if you off sick you  dornt get paid

[ARWindows]

I agree with Richard Concept 20 will provide you with the best system and their knowledge and expertise will be invaluable their hot water systems are expensive but you get what you pay for.

[Dave Anderson]

Jon I used to be in IT and through the Y2K period 'contracting' was the name of the game and money was good and you'll more than likely have heard stories about the cash that was once on offer...but now you are aware that IT is a game that can be done from almost anywhere.

36k in IT is an ok amount but in window cleaning I doubt many turn that over (so no where near profit)...there are the big hitter one man bands but that will not have come easy.

You sound like you have alot on your plate at the moment and starting up a new business is hard in so many ways, its not impossible but it's hard.

Look at some of the advice of people on here and find someone you think sounds like they know what there about and pick their brains.

Gold and Tosh have been on here since the late 1920's so they know their business...

It's not impossible but a good round takes time ...unless you can buy a well established and well run round the money will take time...and this route has many pitfalls too.

No-one can really give you exact advice other than their experience but you could do way worse than Tosh & Gold.

Ever thought about contracting and building a round?

Good luck
Dave.

[Tom White]

I agree with Richard Concept 20 will provide you with the best system and their knowledge and expertise will be invaluable their hot water systems are expensive but you get what you pay for.

So you get some good quality kit at an extortionate price, which really does equal some pure water coming out of a brush head (which was probably designed to sweep floors with in the first instance), what can Concept 20 do to turn you into a high flying window cleaner turning over £35K in your first year?

I'm sorry to sound sceptical here, but I am.

[bad trippy]

I agree with Richard Concept 20 will provide you with the best system and their knowledge and expertise will be invaluable their hot water systems are expensive but you get what you pay for.

So you get some good quality kit at an extortionate price, which really does equal some pure water coming out of a brush head (which was probably designed to sweep floors with in the first instance), what can Concept 20 do to turn you into a high flying window cleaner turning over £35K in your first year?

I'm sorry to sound sceptical here, but I am.

Spot on Tosh, he would be better off going to pure freedom, better still a second hand set up from ebay or here

[S]

Not another start up

[Mike_G]

I agree with Richard Concept 20 will provide you with the best system and their knowledge and expertise will be invaluable their hot water systems are expensive but you get what you pay for.

So you get some good quality kit at an extortionate price, which really does equal some pure water coming out of a brush head (which was probably designed to sweep floors with in the first instance), what can Concept 20 do to turn you into a high flying window cleaner turning over £35K in your first year?

I'm sorry to sound sceptical here, but I am.

Agreed

[Richard iSparkle]

I agree with Richard Concept 20 will provide you with the best system and their knowledge and expertise will be invaluable their hot water systems are expensive but you get what you pay for.

So you get some good quality kit at an extortionate price, which really does equal some pure water coming out of a brush head (which was probably designed to sweep floors with in the first instance), what can Concept 20 do to turn you into a high flying window cleaner turning over £35K in your first year?

I'm sorry to sound sceptical here, but I am.

the fastest way to get where you want to get, is to get the help of somebody who's already got there. concept 2o will give you the equipment, the business model, the training (start-up and ongoing), the support and mentoring etc etc.

you can set up on your own, and some people will do very well on their own.  some of them will fail, and many more will scrape around earning something of a living, but with the extra bother of running their won business, and the risks that entails.

buying a great franchise fast tracks you to success, and also dramatically reduces the chances of failing.  they're not for everyone (franchises that is), some people want to do their own thing, which is fine, but they are an option that you need to consider at startup...  also it is a lot easier to get bank funding with a franchise with a good track record.