[deeege]

199 +vat is  6  credit card size ads in a free paper (6 weeks) I did this two years ago to give it a try , we got no work from it not one job at all

3000+ vat is what a paid to get the post office to drop me 4000 leaflets with the early morning post , we got 2k worth of work back and only 7 regaular jobs utter  rubbish

now 199 + vat seems cheap and worth a gamble to me its 100% tax able so youll get this back at the end of the year and if hes doing the hard work getting the work I am in ! if I got my cash back plus 70% then in the first 6 months  its paid for itself anything after that is profit

If only it worked like that!

[Smudger]

Agree Deege,

Darran

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

Agree Deege,

Darran

it all comes back, we have to be vat reg , and at the end of the year our accountant pulls his hair out trying to find things to off set agains tax/vat , the more you earn the more off sets you need so rather then giving the tax man it I would rather try other things

[Smudger]

Sorry, that makes no sense to me whatsoever


Darran

[Rich Wilts]

the more you earn the more off sets you need so rather then giving the tax man it I would rather try other things

You're not entirely clued up with all things mathematical are you.

You pay 29% tax and N.I. on income, leaving 71% for you.

I'd rather keep 71% personal and 29% to HMRC rather than on the other hand giving 100% to a supplier or service provider. This is why keeping expenses down to a minimum is usually seen as a good thing. Try it, you'll have more money in your pocket, guaranteed.

[8weekly]

Great to see Steve doing so well.

The rest of you can keep mocking him and getting nowhere fast.

Or you can try and follow great men like us 

No picture without punch let me share the same stop light so us stars can shine together. Excuse me I want to herl.

Moderators note: Hi Steve - I noticed this post has brought this thread back to the top - I'm glad you're doing well but if you are interested in advertising please contact advertising@cleanitup.co.uk.

It's not that long ago the main moderator was never finished plastering requirements for contractors all over this place!!

Yeah, but in order to sub for DM you didn't have to attend a £200 + VAT "training course".

I'd happily attend the course, at £200 it has to be the biggest bargain in CIU history. The cost of One decent local paper advert and you gain a large geographical area for the UK's leading and most prominent Solar Panel cleaning contractor!!
 Just £200 buys you the knowledge that has cost probably hundreds of hours in research, you can apply it to any solar panel cleaning you do and the open and continuous possibility of contracting for good priced work. Bargain!!

You said that a moderator was asking for subbies and the implication was that if it was ok for him, it ought to be ok for SS. I was pointing out to you the difference. With DM you didn't have to pay £200 to get the work, with SS you do. Effectively SS is therefore advertising his course (though he doesn't mention it unless prompted) because he has already been told not to advertise. If you need the work and think it's worth a punt, then fine, but it doesn't alter the fact that he's selling directly to the forum members and not paying to afpdvertise.

[Matt.]

Well ................ Technically that is correct

[ChumBucket]

Great to see Steve doing so well.

The rest of you can keep mocking him and getting nowhere fast.

Or you can try and follow great men like us 

No picture without punch let me share the same stop light so us stars can shine together. Excuse me I want to herl.

Moderators note: Hi Steve - I noticed this post has brought this thread back to the top - I'm glad you're doing well but if you are interested in advertising please contact advertising@cleanitup.co.uk.

It's not that long ago the main moderator was never finished plastering requirements for contractors all over this place!!

Yeah, but in order to sub for DM you didn't have to attend a £200 + VAT "training course".

I'd happily attend the course, at £200 it has to be the biggest bargain in CIU history. The cost of One decent local paper advert and you gain a large geographical area for the UK's leading and most prominent Solar Panel cleaning contractor!!
 Just £200 buys you the knowledge that has cost probably hundreds of hours in research, you can apply it to any solar panel cleaning you do and the open and continuous possibility of contracting for good priced work. Bargain!!

You said that a moderator was asking for subbies and the implication was that if it was ok for him, it ought to be ok for SS. I was pointing out to you the difference. With DM you didn't have to pay £200 to get the work, with SS you do. Effectively SS is therefore advertising his course (though he doesn't mention it unless prompted) because he has already been told not to advertise. If you need the work and think it's worth a punt, then fine, but it doesn't alter the fact that he's selling directly to the forum members and not paying to afpdvertise.

Do you think DM didn't receive any money for the work he advertised on here? DM was advertising opportunities that made him money as a direct result of that action. He was selling his business as a service provider to sub contractors.

[sunshine windows]

You're only going to save around 20% of the initial outlay on tax at the end of the year

[Rich Wilts]

Mr Rhino, would you consider SS to be competition? Or would you just not bother entering into a tendering process if you knew his business had also been invited to tender for a commercial panel cleaning job? 

Knowing what you know about the prices that are often quoted on here.

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

You're only going to save around 20% of the initial outlay on tax at the end of the year

I wish I only paid 20% tax ive been a higher tax payer for years 

[Smudger]

You're only going to save around 20% of the initial outlay on tax at the end of the year

I wish I only paid 20% tax ive been a higher tax payer for years 

More fool you !

Best find a better accountant 

Darran

[telfordwindowclnr]

I don't think anyone is asking Steve to divulge contacts, or even how to get solar panel cleaning work, from reading many have asked questions more to do with the dangers of cleaning solar panels to which Steve appears to be more antagonistic rather than helpful. ( just my impression from reading threads)

For my part, if Steve required a sub-contractor in the far reaches of Norfolk then I'm happy to have an adult, business style conversation about it.

Darran

We do need an Approved Contractor for Norfolk if you are interested.

[telfordwindowclnr]

Great to see Steve doing so well.

The rest of you can keep mocking him and getting nowhere fast.

Or you can try and follow great men like us 

No picture without punch let me share the same stop light so us stars can shine together. Excuse me I want to herl.

Moderators note: Hi Steve - I noticed this post has brought this thread back to the top - I'm glad you're doing well but if you are interested in advertising please contact advertising@cleanitup.co.uk.

It's not that long ago the main moderator was never finished plastering requirements for contractors all over this place!!

Yeah, but in order to sub for DM you didn't have to attend a £200 + VAT "training course".

I'd happily attend the course, at £200 it has to be the biggest bargain in CIU history. The cost of One decent local paper advert and you gain a large geographical area for the UK's leading and most prominent Solar Panel cleaning contractor!!
 Just £200 buys you the knowledge that has cost probably hundreds of hours in research, you can apply it to any solar panel cleaning you do and the open and continuous possibility of contracting for good priced work. Bargain!!

Where are you Chumbucket? We still have a few gaps in our UK coverage. Not many though.

[telfordwindowclnr]

Good priced work?

You mean sub contracting for someone. Whats wrong with getting better priced work yourself and not having to pay the middle man? I have never ever understood the desire to sub-contract for someone else, I mean why bother being self employed in the first place.

Are you in need of work?

Can't you secure your own?

I'm in need of no work, however, my mind stretches beyond the scope of myself and indeed my immediate and current circumstances. I wouldn't go out of my way to clean any domestic solar array- even my own customers. I would however go out of my way to clean larger solar arrays provided the money was right. Even then, it's still my choice whether the money is right or not. If I was to get asked independently of Solar Steve to clean a solar array, I would still have that knowledge gained to take forward with me. It's more likely that in Steve's position and experience, he can price commercial arrays at a price that leaves both him and the contractor with a big smile on their faces.

Just flown back from Cornwall to Birmingham and have done a deal with a company to clean around 180,000 panels. They have used a window cleaning company to do some panel cleaning for them already. We are 25% higher than their price, but he want US for who we are and they intend to secure another portfolio too. They have a better chance of securing their work if we are their panel cleaning partner. That's their words, not mine. Another HUGE reason in their minds why they trust us with so much work is that we can guarantee that all of our workforce has been, guess what.... Trained. They know it is self-accredited, but to their minds, that's enough. We have still done more than anyone out there in the UK to set a standard.

They said they spoke to other companies about their expertise in this field and always wanted to speak to me last. They spoke to many other companies but wanted to be sure that there was a difference between me and 'the competition'. They said there wasn't a difference, there was 'a gulf'.

All the grief I have received on this and other forums over the last few years is a pointless waste of everyone's breath. I know what I am doing and know what this industry wants. To hear such positive comments about me and my business from one of the most well-respected solar companies in the South West has made all of the grief worthwhile. 

But thank you for the grief. It has been a motivating factor for me. 

[telfordwindowclnr]

the more you earn the more off sets you need so rather then giving the tax man it I would rather try other things

You're not entirely clued up with all things mathematical are you.

You pay 29% tax and N.I. on income, leaving 71% for you.

I'd rather keep 71% personal and 29% to HMRC rather than on the other hand giving 100% to a supplier or service provider. This is why keeping expenses down to a minimum is usually seen as a good thing. Try it, you'll have more money in your pocket, guaranteed.

I think it depends on your viewpoint. Keeping expenses to a minimum is no good if you want to expand your business. The £200 for training is just another essential business expense in many people's minds. They view training , including training in new fields as essential as putting diesel in your van. It's not optional, it's essential if you are running a business.

[Smudger]

I don't think anyone is asking Steve to divulge contacts, or even how to get solar panel cleaning work, from reading many have asked questions more to do with the dangers of cleaning solar panels to which Steve appears to be more antagonistic rather than helpful. ( just my impression from reading threads)

For my part, if Steve required a sub-contractor in the far reaches of Norfolk then I'm happy to have an adult, business style conversation about it.

Darran

We do need an Approved Contractor for Norfolk if you are interested.

If your stuck, then I'm always happy to help out.

But we would have to have a serious discussion regarding "approved" and "pricing"

Cheers
Darran

[8weekly]

Isn't it time that this was locked to stop him bumping the thread??

[Rich Wilts]

the more you earn the more off sets you need so rather then giving the tax man it I would rather try other things

You're not entirely clued up with all things mathematical are you.

You pay 29% tax and N.I. on income, leaving 71% for you.

I'd rather keep 71% personal and 29% to HMRC rather than on the other hand giving 100% to a supplier or service provider. This is why keeping expenses down to a minimum is usually seen as a good thing. Try it, you'll have more money in your pocket, guaranteed.

I think it depends on your viewpoint. Keeping expenses to a minimum is no good if you want to expand your business. The £200 for training is just another essential business expense in many people's minds. They view training , including training in new fields as essential as putting diesel in your van. It's not optional, it's essential if you are running a business.

The level of expenses any business incurs is optional.  Susan's a bit thick when it comes to figures, you should read her back posts if you think she knows what she's talking about.

I'm in business to make money - not give it away, lose it, squander it or fritter it unnecessarily.

[Bungle]

Isn't it time that this was locked to stop him bumping the thread??

Where else would SS advertise his business apart from forums where people are window cleaners. I'd guess that he wouldn't be able to tap subcontractors up if it weren't for the free advertising he gets on the forums.

I'd love to know how much this Cornish farm is paying regarding SS's 25% higher price. Even if he was charging just 10p extra per panel they would be coughing up 18 grand more than their other cleaner.