[Don Kee]

Just the same with trad, when i first learnt to trad i was crap, didn't even know how to fan, leaving streaks and needing to detail loads...not any more


you did learn of the best

I learned from some right chancer I met in a pub car park.

Vin

+1

[DG Cleaning]

If WFP really isn't any good then why are there so many people doing it?

I think it's only slagged off by those who can't afford it. Bless them.

I think your onto something there.

 

I was up and running for £500 van mount

Your forgetting the key part of that statement.......the van. 👍

I had the van when I was trad cars even for trad are a pain.

[sunshine windows]

I've had a few customers complain about the quality of finish after using wfp.

The trouble was, the outside glass was so clean, that they could only see the marks on the inside left by a tradder!!!

I'm kidding by the way, I started out using traditional tools for a few years and still use them on a regular basis.

Certain jobs on my round come up absolutely crap using wfp, so to keep the customer I will use the method that suits the job best  luckily it's only around  5 jobs  a month where I earn half price 😂

[Steven Biggs]

Did I read that right Dazmond , , you spend 5 k a year on wfp expenses . What you doing buying a new extreme every month  please explain as mine is only 500 a year and that's nearly all on resin .

[Mick Kent]

Did I read that right Dazmond , , you spend 5 k a year on wfp expenses . What you doing buying a new extreme every month  please explain as mine is only 500 a year and that's nearly all on resin .

I think daz has worked it out from the last few years of setting up everything that it adds to 5k a year if broken down from buyin vans/equipment. Daz hasnt penny pinched he has done his research and bought the best he could afford.
However like you say wfp expencies are minimal once everything has been bought.

[SeanK]

Did I read that right Dazmond , , you spend 5 k a year on wfp expenses . What you doing buying a new extreme every month  please explain as mine is only 500 a year and that's nearly all on resin .

That would be £25000 over five years so if you were earning £25000 a year, every fifth year you would be working for
nothing.
But then most on here earn that monthly.

[Mick Kent]

Did I read that right Dazmond , , you spend 5 k a year on wfp expenses . What you doing buying a new extreme every month  please explain as mine is only 500 a year and that's nearly all on resin .

That would be £25000 over five years so if you were earning £25000 a year, every fifth year you would be working for
nothing.
But then most on here earn that monthly.

If the costs were 25k every 5 years wfp then id defo be tradding.

[Steven Biggs]

It's still well over the top for a one man set up . I think those kind of figures put a lot of trad guys off from making the switch .

[SeanK]

It's still well over the top for a one man set up . I think those kind of figures put a lot of trad guys off from making the switch .

There are no real differences in expenses in either trad or wfp, that's how your catch out the Walter Mitties on here.
The biggest yearly expenses in window cleaning are holiday pay, insurances and fuel all of which you get with both methods.
Yes you could use a family car if you wanted to trad as cheaply as possible but most need second vehicle
which is another expense shared by both methods.

[G Griffin]

Dazmond might be including fuel costs, 'cos £2k a year tradding seems a lot, too.

[Jonny 87]

Mayb I'm doing something wrong then.lol

£5000 in expenses a year is less than what I pay. That's including fuel insurances equipment absoloutely everything.

If you run a business that turns over a "decent amount" as window cleaners should be, and keep your expenses to under £5,000 per year, then your doing well.

[Steven Biggs]

Jonny , if your a one man band and your paying anywhere near 5 k a year in expenses , wfp or trad then you are doing something drastically wrong ,

[Window Lickers]

Rubbish.

[Paul Coleman]

Expenditure for me with WFP:


So, say £3.7k a year for the van (fuel £2k, insurance £500 - repairs, maintenance MOT, tax disc another £1.3k (van is old to maybe average of £1k a year repairs/servicing - it has been more and has been less).

Premises and water - a bit over £2k a year.  Resin £200.

So vehicle, premises, water and resin is close to £6k before I start on anything else.
It would be easy to exceed £7k by the time I add on the other stuff like marketing, accountancy, tool replacements, pre-filters, membrane, home printing, telephone, hose, connectors,microfibres.  None of those (barring new poles) are a big cost but they do add up.
I appreciate that those who have home facilities for filtering and who only work within a few miles of home can reduce those costs a fair bit but neither of those options are open to me.

Furthermore, many of these expenses are a direct result of WFP.  Diesel is a lot more for a Trafic with 800l tank compared to a lightly loaded Ford Escort with trad stuff.  Also, no need for premises orextra water bill.  Vehicle insurance higher too.
Not rubbioshing what others say.  It's just how I find it.  However, the extra turnover is much greater than the higher expenses.

[Don Kee]

Moyesy i may have mis read your post but how on early are you soending over a grand on your tax disc?! Unless you have 5/6 vans out then fair enough but i think most are on about one man bands...

[SeanK]

Expenditure for me with WFP:


So, say £3.7k a year for the van (fuel £2k, insurance £500 - repairs, maintenance MOT, tax disc another £1.3k (van is old to maybe average of £1k a year repairs/servicing - it has been more and has been less).

Premises and water - a bit over £2k a year.  Resin £200.

So vehicle, premises, water and resin is close to £6k before I start on anything else.
It would be easy to exceed £7k by the time I add on the other stuff like marketing, accountancy, tool replacements, pre-filters, membrane, home printing, telephone, hose, connectors,microfibres.  None of those (barring new poles) are a big cost but they do add up.
I appreciate that those who have home facilities for filtering and who only work within a few miles of home can reduce those costs a fair bit but neither of those options are open to me.

Furthermore, many of these expenses are a direct result of WFP.  Diesel is a lot more for a Trafic with 800l tank compared to a lightly loaded Ford Escort with trad stuff.  Also, no need for premises orextra water bill.  Vehicle insurance higher too.
Not rubbioshing what others say.  It's just how I find it.  However, the extra turnover is much greater than the higher expenses.

Paying £3.7k a year for a van that's so old its costing a grand in repairs like I said its very easy to spot the Walter Mitties
on here.

[Paul Coleman]

Moyesy i may have mis read your post but how on early are you soending over a grand on your tax disc?! Unless you have 5/6 vans out then fair enough but i think most are on about one man bands...

You are misreading.  Note "repairs, maintenance MOT, ..." before "tax disc".  The commas indicate a list of things included in the £1.3k.  "Tax disc" is just one of those items (its a bit over £200.

[Paul Coleman]

Expenditure for me with WFP:


So, say £3.7k a year for the van (fuel £2k, insurance £500 - repairs, maintenance MOT, tax disc another £1.3k (van is old to maybe average of £1k a year repairs/servicing - it has been more and has been less).

Premises and water - a bit over £2k a year.  Resin £200.

So vehicle, premises, water and resin is close to £6k before I start on anything else.
It would be easy to exceed £7k by the time I add on the other stuff like marketing, accountancy, tool replacements, pre-filters, membrane, home printing, telephone, hose, connectors,microfibres.  None of those (barring new poles) are a big cost but they do add up.
I appreciate that those who have home facilities for filtering and who only work within a few miles of home can reduce those costs a fair bit but neither of those options are open to me.

Furthermore, many of these expenses are a direct result of WFP.  Diesel is a lot more for a Trafic with 800l tank compared to a lightly loaded Ford Escort with trad stuff.  Also, no need for premises orextra water bill.  Vehicle insurance higher too.
Not rubbioshing what others say.  It's just how I find it.  However, the extra turnover is much greater than the higher expenses.

Paying £3.7k a year for a van that's so old its costing a grand in repairs like I said its very easy to spot the Walter Mitties
on here.

Fuel £2k.  Insurance £500.  Tax disc £200.  Repairs AVERAGE of £1k which includes tyres, brakes, steering, MOT. It cost me about £2.5k one year when I had the gearbox stripped.   Buying a new one would be much more per year.

So, why Walter Mitty - or are you just being your usual a-hole self?

Actually, forget it.
You win you Bast d.
I'm off.

[Perfect Windows]

Paying £3.7k a year for a van that's so old its costing a grand in repairs like I said its very easy to spot the Walter Mitties
on here.

Your comment makes literally no sense.

£2.7K of that would be spent if the van were brand new.  A thousand for servicing and repairs is probably not a bad average over time.  Why would that make him a "Walter Mitty"?

Vin

[Perfect Windows]

There are no real differences in expenses in either trad or wfp, that's how your catch out the Walter Mitties on here.
The biggest yearly expenses in window cleaning are holiday pay, insurances and fuel all of which you get with both methods.
Yes you could use a family car if you wanted to trad as cheaply as possible but most need second vehicle
which is another expense shared by both methods.

Expenses over the past year or two for me, WFP, that wouldn't apply if I was trad.  In no particular order.

Filters
New membrane when I contaminated the old one
Resin
Charcoal (for my filtering)
New pole to replace worn out pole
New brushes
New hose
Water (metered, it's a lot of cash)
New transfer pump
Electricity costs (booster pump 1kW, transfer pump 900w)

I know trad guys would have some expenses I don't have but not comparable.

I must be a Walter Mitty, too, to have come up with that list without really working at it.

Vin