[daniel worgan]

Mark 200 of those customers cud be sacked off coz crap payers I cud have400-500 customers for myself n start earning money for myself

Richy i think the above statement makes sense in your case.
You definatley have ambition and ideas,but for whatever reason it's not really working out how you wanted...so go back to basics and get back your life (and a decent income as well).Dont worry about your staff,they dont seem to have put themselves out for you when you offered them to earn extra in order to secure their jobs...just close the business down and start all over again.
Go round to all the customers you want to keep,have a chat with them and tell them you will be doing the windows in future and not to allow anyone else to do them (just in case one of your workers tries to nick your work)
I reckon after a few months you will have some motivation and ambition back and you can move forward from there...
I like a trier.....good luck to you whatever you do..
 

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

Go back to basics & start again. Get rid of everything surplus to you & 1 other man. Get rid of all the crap work & keep the cream. For the assets that you can sell then pay any debts off with it.

Had a mate in another trade in similar circumstances, he ran before walking, had ideas beyond his capability & budget, had multiple vans, staff etc & his final years turnover was 270,000!!!! YET, in five years he never made a "profit" of more than what he did as a sole trader with virtually no overheads!

In the end he got taken for 40k & finished him off in that way of business.

He went back to basics 3 years ago, wasn't so blase & silly this time & is now doing VERY well with two permanent staff & subbies when needed, in-fact, he doesn't do much on the job work these days. He is now much better off & happier.

[Ian101]

Richy I could give u opinion and thoughts but would take too long to type so if u fancy a pint 1 nite next week gissa shout but not the Knot though.

[andyM]

I would agree with a lot of whats been said. Forget about going down the pub, I would sit down today and start working out:
* Which member of staff you want to keep on
* Sort out the best paying work from your rounds to keep
* Organise selling on the work you don't want
* Organise what vehicles/equipment you don't need and put up for sale
* See if you can terminate the lease on the rented unit
* Chase up all money owed

[colley614]

Its very honest of you to admit your weaknesses, but cos you can admit them it means you can fix them if you want to...

Peolpe that are not self aware cant change but you can, you just need to get your head in the right place and you can do it all again. I would call a meeting with your staff and lay it all on the line, unless they step up they will be unemployed....

Wish I'd had that advice when everyone was judging me a couple of years ago. Now I think to myself your judging me on your potential, not mine!

[Dean Taberner]

Window cleaning can be very distressing at times.

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

Window cleaning can be very distressing at times.

Yep, & you can be very boring stating the fact at every opportunity!

[bobplum]

I'm going to watch Port Vale instead and then drink, ill need a drink after that.

port who

[Dean Taberner]

Window cleaning can be very distressing at times.

Yep, & you can be very boring stating the fact at every opportunity!

Ill do something to excite you tonight.

[Dean Taberner]

I'm going to watch Port Vale instead and then drink, ill need a drink after that.

port who

The mighty valiants,

I'm there now waiting for the action to unfold, the fans are protesting against the board.

Being a port vale fan can be very distressing at times.

[Jackal]

get a van, with you and ur best worker, and take all the cream of than round,  all the best payers and sell the rest off,  

or as above, but get ur crap you dont want,  get a  van, get the other 2 staff give them a van and round as reduncy and say bye,  let them run on there own

my opinion is do what santa vader said in his first sentence,get rid of the 2 worst workers,1 van 2 of you sell the poop and earn a good wage for yourself,remember you should be earning alot more than your employees,just be careful they dont try to nick the work cuz doubt the 2 you sack are going be happy

[trevor perry]

only you know your current overheads and how much work you need to get through to cover these, write down all your overheads and i mean everything then look realistically on which of these you can get rid off, now again look realistically at any jobs that arent worth doing and increase price to make worthwhile if they dont accept increase then sell them if posssible or dump them, finally with work left see how many men needed to cover work including yourself get rid of workers you dont need then get on with it, if in 6 months you are still not making anything and cant trim your expenses anymore then im afraid its time to pack up, but hopefully you should start seing things working out and then build slowly and dont take on overheads or staff unless you really need them.

[Blue Frog Systems]

Take the cream and one guy, work that between the two of you.

What about subbing out the customers you dont want ? that way you will still make off them without the hassel of cleaning / collecting them.

[Crystal-clear]

sounds like you need about 700 more customers for the amount of staff,constant door knocking u need to have someone or 2 people doing about 40+ hours a week on the doors each

[David lyddon]

Richy,window cleaning by nature is a tough business to expand,by that i mean employing people to make you a goog living without being on the tools.
I tried it 20 years ago,never again,unfortunately we have to hire unskilled staff,mostly muppets.
Take care of yourself,keep it lean and mean.

[richywilts]

Cheers for all the advice lads I try to be a positive person usually and think we can work thru certain circumstances but I don't think short term il cope unless I take drastic action, there's a real negative vibe going round as if every one is just waiting for the worst and pointless working hard.im gna take me self away t,oz nite and have a long think before I go back

[birdymiller]

I have been on my own since new year, i have tried expanding over the years but it never worked out. Got around 800 customers and currently timing every job with a view to increasing prices. Probably going to take me around 5 weeks to get round, so can afford to lose a few after price rise.

[Klean07]

You need to be careful that your staff don't nick your work when you get rid of them mate.

If I was you I'd go to the pub, watch liverpool hammer stoke (fingers crossed), forget about window cleaning until tomorrow afternoon/night and chill. That's what I'm going to do anyway.

Dean.

Did you enjoy the game Dean? Yawn yawn 0-0!!

[colley614]

Cheers for all the advice lads I try to be a positive person usually and think we can work thru certain circumstances but I don't think short term il cope unless I take drastic action, there's a real negative vibe going round as if every one is just waiting for the worst and pointless working hard.im gna take me self away t,oz nite and have a long think before I go back

Good luck with it Rich and nice one for today bud, You helped me out there.

[richywilts]

No probs Keith hope they cum up clean