[P @ F]

Look, a Metro and a boat is me final offer !
Just remember , you get nothin for 2 in a bed ......well.....only a fatter bird within 9 months 

Rich , gotta go M&S at 6 sharp 

[G Griffin]

Look, a Metro and a boat is me final offer !
Just remember , you get nothin for 2 in a bed ......well.....only a fatter bird within 9 months 

Rich , gotta go M&S at 6 sharp 

 

[Lee Burbidge]

Gazza , can i  ask what you consider to be bulging at the seams ?
I only ask as im in the same position i think , only i have been down the van and worker number 2 road already .
It did not work for me and as a result im left in the same position as Richy Wilts and Dave Salkeld .
I have never been so stressed in my life , as a result , her indoors said to take some time off and get it sorted , this i did and last weekend i built a data base to see exactly what i had on the books , this is when i realised that it was no wonder that im on the stage of burnout .

Turns out that i have .........20k of domestic in one area
                                           10k of domestic in another
                                           10k of commercial.

So 40k in all , its no wonder the round and myself were suffering , i had no idea of what i had on the books as i dont run George or WCP !

As a result i just drove to my brothers house and handed him 2.5k of work on a plate , needless to say it got a smile and a big thankyou out of his ugly mug !
Still may need to fire off more , but dont want to go too mad yet !

My only advice to you is forget 5 vans for the moment , forget 1 in fact , get a good worker first , then get him a van later down the line , it cost me big time , i ran before i could walk you might say .....7 years W/C ing nearly went up in smoke !

I still got 2 vans though .....well more like 1.5 actually  

Regards Rich

  


  

Hey Richard, we love the picture of your van. Can we publish it? Please email me at lee@windowcleaningmagazine.co.uk

[geefree]

Morning,

By bulging , i mean i am flat out out as a one man band , so i am considering my options,

Of course , at the moment i could move people around to six weekly etc etc..

but ifi am going to plan to move forward, then i need a long time plan... hence the 5 year thing.

Also , i did mention self employment in my first post.


Rich, and others,... i dont know what went on with you, or David S, ( enlighten me)

But if things went wrong, could you and i learn from this?

how did you lose out , and end up back at square one.?

Dave Morris,  what do you mean be careful what i wish for?

I dont want to run before i can walk, so maybe it would be better to take the first step, a part time guy and walk from there?

Then maybe start trotting next year?

Regards.

[Window Washers]

P&f if you are hitting 40k a month on your own, I want to be your new best freind  


to the OP

Finding the right staff is the key, I had one gut then 2 then three, then 2 then 1 then none and back up again.
finding work is not the hard part the right staff is.

I personally would not want to employ anyone that is young again as a main driver as the insurance goes through the roof, and they come up with every excuse you would have thought of when that age.

have fun getting to 5 vans the paper work after 5 people becomes a lot harder, my target is three van and 4.5 staff and that is plenty as I dont want to do more work than I already do nor do I want a job

[P @ F]

Window washers, HEHEHEHE , my home made data base does not work as you are thinking !!!!!!!

The 40k is for the year !

If i was on 40 a month mate i would have a fleet of spankin new pink T5's , not a lonely Y reg and half a combo !

It does just go to show the difference in peoples expectations of what can be earnt , it can be done sure , but not by me , 40 k a year puts me on 770 a week with no time off !
I had 40k on the books , i never got it all done though , just worked it out and it is only 153 a day , that i can do easily but not every day of the year , it would appear that my pricing is to blame , too many jobs and not enough money for them .

Thats why i gave my brother the work , it wasnt crap , it just needs a price hike , as i said earlier , i want the smallest amount of jobs for the most return , my plan now is the old get a new custie , price it well and put an old custie my brothers way .
He wont mind and he is not full yet , he was well happy to get the work , nobody gave me 2.5k of work when i was building the round .

Rich

[P @ F]

Lee Burbidge , have sent you mail , pc was playin up with attachments , so you can use , no problem

Rich

[Window Washers]

Guzza message me if you need help with futher plans I have some experance as a business coach and have been in differant businesses and have been window clean for the last 4 years.Getting one`s focus rite when we move through each stage of business.Growing in business is not easy but not impossiable.
If you message me I will give you my phone number and we can chat.  Richard

Thanks a nice thing to offer Wizkid (Richard) 

[richard jagger]

Guzza message me if you need help with futher plans I have some experance as a business coach and have been in differant businesses and have been window clean for the last 4 years.Getting one`s focus rite when we move through each stage of business.Growing in business is not easy but not impossiable.
If you message me I will give you my phone number and we can chat.  Richard

[geefree]

Thanks for all your replies,

I really did think there were more people who could respond , must be more one man band outfits on here than i realised.

[P @ F]

OK Gazza , you have me for 1 night only , what do you want me to tell of my horror ?
Meant to give you the lowdown last night , but the 3 musketeers played up no end !

What do you really want to hear ?

Rich

[Moderator David@stives]

Gazza

Bit busy to explain to much, but with 5 vans comes a mental rollacoaster that will change your working life forever.

Maybe you will come out the other side ok, , but its not without a big price you will pay, both physically and mentally.

It also has huge rewards but, you will have to work hard 24 hours a day, for a few years  to acheive your goal.

If you want a chat, give us a call, maybe I can give you pointers to make that journey easier.

[Moderator David@stives]

P&F dont forget the puddles in the bottom of the pumbbox

[wightsurf]

16 yr old lasted 4 wks  
21 yr old            4 mnths
24 yr old    sacked
23 yr old    sacked
Romanian  4 hrs   shook my hand and said hes had enough
50 yr left for another job
18 yr old 1 day,never to be seen again
29 yr old still here,but not with out probs

All this in 2 yrs,i had dreams get extra work take on someone build up do the same again Was the plan.
Not given up yet!

[poleman]

Well I have two vans, two employees, good prices, normal ever day stress stuff (just part of working life)

Im happy  have a very good income, BUT it has taken years to get where I aim and just doesnt happen over night!

[Richard Shepherd]

I did 16 years as a manager in a mad busy warehouse, managing 40 blokes on a variety of shifts before starting as a windie.

I now do less hours for more money without all the stress. Have enough work to keep me going 4 days a week, every week.

Would hate to get back in to having to rely on others turning up for work. Keep it small cherry picking all your best work until you have the best posible round and enjoy life..

[Window Washers]

Gazza

Bit busy to explain to much, but with 5 vans comes a mental rollacoaster that will change your working life forever.

Maybe you will come out the other side ok, , but its not without a big price you will pay, both physically and mentally.

It also has huge rewards but, you will have to work hard 24 hours a day, for a few years  to acheive your goal.

If you want a chat, give us a call, maybe I can give you pointers to make that journey easier.

Dave I can see what your saying.

You expanded from 1 or 2 vans to quite a few very quickly as last time I spoke to you you where a lot smaller outfit, I know that was a while ago, could be years ( ).

could you add some of the growing pains for found and learnt the hard way going from 1 to 3 vans thew more staff etc ?>

[Helen]

Gazza

Bit busy to explain to much, but with 5 vans comes a mental rollacoaster that will change your working life forever.

Maybe you will come out the other side ok, , but its not without a big price you will pay, both physically and mentally.

It also has huge rewards but, you will have to work hard 24 hours a day, for a few years  to acheive your goal.

If you want a chat, give us a call, maybe I can give you pointers to make that journey easier.

Dave I can see what your saying.

You expanded from 1 or 2 vans to quite a few very quickly as last time I spoke to you you where a lot smaller outfit, I know that was a while ago, could be years ( ).

could you add some of the growing pains for found and learnt the hard way going from 1 to 3 vans thew more staff etc ?>

Growing pains!!!!
No sleep, so suitcases under your eyes and shares in pro plus
No hair left (pulling it out withe stress of staff)
No holidays without being to turn off 100%
Your business runs you, not the other way round.
Hangovers every morning as "staff" issues drive you to drink

When it all goes right!!!
Well worth all the hard work you put in and the income is your reward(if you've got it right on pricing and wages)

It worked for us and got us what we wanted whilst we did it. Would we do it again, no thanks

[Window Washers]

Gazza

Bit busy to explain to much, but with 5 vans comes a mental rollacoaster that will change your working life forever.

Maybe you will come out the other side ok, , but its not without a big price you will pay, both physically and mentally.

It also has huge rewards but, you will have to work hard 24 hours a day, for a few years  to acheive your goal.

If you want a chat, give us a call, maybe I can give you pointers to make that journey easier.

Dave I can see what your saying.

You expanded from 1 or 2 vans to quite a few very quickly as last time I spoke to you you where a lot smaller outfit, I know that was a while ago, could be years ( ).

could you add some of the growing pains for found and learnt the hard way going from 1 to 3 vans thew more staff etc ?>

Growing pains!!!!
No sleep, so suitcases under your eyes and shares in pro plus
No hair left (pulling it out withe stress of staff)
No holidays without being to turn off 100%
Your business runs you, not the other way round.
Hangovers every morning as "staff" issues drive you to drink

When it all goes right!!!
Well worth all the hard work you put in and the income is your reward(if you've got it right on pricing and wages)

It worked for us and got us what we wanted whilst we did it. Would we do it again, no thanks

lol sounds about right Helen 

do you feel like adding in some details there at all ?

[Moderator David@stives]

Helen

So so true

I have been there and I am now learning to chill, got a full time admin and a full time ops manager

I think that's the 2 main things you need, to make your life easier, along with letting an accountant deal with the tax issues and a friendly hr firm for staff issues
Until that time in the words of dean taberner " window cleaning can be very distressing at times"

Ian , when I have more time I will elaborate on some of the hundreds of stressful times we have had