[Shrek]

IMO its not worth taking any more than £35k a year in wages anyway. The amount of tax you start to pay when it nudges £40k and the self employed payment on accounts is a killer at that level for small sole trader businesses, assuming of course you report your earnings accurately. 

This is why i went LTD, my business is set to turn over an actual real throughput of  £55k of real cash by the end of March, not based on a customer list, this is actual accounts which is quite different.  I get 15 grand a year, the misses the same on PAYE..bills paid no worries.

Rest of the money stays in the business, i can draw some dividends down if i need to and more importantly my business is separate from my personal taxation. Still only working 4 days a week also, and at around £58k on my customer list (its gone down a bit due to some halted customers)..

Tax is a mare, especially paying on account. I also hate having to pay in July as well.

Thinking of going Ltd myself, but only if the wife stops working so she can be take some of my wage to reduce tax.

Shouldnt matter if the wife is still working, its still going to be better for you to go LTD.

If you are turning over more than £35k a year as a sole trader, you really are at the limit of what you can do and will start to pay too much in tax, but more importantly you will become a target from HMRC, as I was.

if you go Ltd, Take a PAYE salary (dont just take the 11500 allowance, take same wages where you pay some tax, that way you will build up NI contributions and your state pension will be worth more) Take what you need to live on, and if you need extra money for whatever, you have a dividend allowance which is tax free, and you can even borrow money from your own company and use it like a credit card if you really have to. PAYE is easier, as your company will pay the tax for you at source of wages, no payments on account.  Corporation tax is only 19 percent and that's due to go down again, plus no payments on account for that either.

Only downside is accounts and accountants, fees can be high especially in the 1st year of transfer from sole trader to ltd status if done correctly to the book..

Why is this Marc ?

[cleaniac]

Because the more money you earn the higher interest they have in collecting the correct amount of tax.

[Shrek]

Because the more money you earn the higher interest they have in collecting the correct amount of tax.

Oh ok

[cleaniac]

Its all about economy of scale.

[John Mart]

So, being honest, what do we reckon is an expected Turnover for a sole operator working say 6 hrs on the glass 5 days a week for 40 weeks a year?
I think some honest answers may help a few to see where they are compared to others.

In the south, after 3/4 years £70k is very achievable as a one man band. In 40 weeks.

[cleaniac]

Yep that's full time though.

No thanks to full time..

[Slacky]

I imagine the average WFP window cleaner in the south is easily capable of earning 50,000 before tax.

[dazmond]

So, being honest, what do we reckon is an expected Turnover for a sole operator working say 6 hrs on the glass 5 days a week for 40 weeks a year?
I think some honest answers may help a few to see where they are compared to others.

In the south, after 3/4 years £70k is very achievable as a one man band. In 40 weeks.

£70k with 3 months off a year?yeah!.....i bet theres loads earning that! ......i doubt it very much.....

[tlwcs]

So, being honest, what do we reckon is an expected Turnover for a sole operator working say 6 hrs on the glass 5 days a week for 40 weeks a year?
I think some honest answers may help a few to see where they are compared to others.

In the south, after 3/4 years £70k is very achievable as a one man band. In 40 weeks.

£70k with 3 months off a year?yeah!.....i bet theres loads earning that! ......i doubt it very much.....

It’s only me who holds me back 😁
I don’t know but would think it’s achievable

[Lee Pryor]

lol you lot need to start aiming a bit higher!

If I go to the reports page of cleaner planner and select revenue by user and select the date 1st jan 18 to 31st dec 18 here is what I see.

So not all of my team (10 cleaners) were with me for all of 2018 but from the ones that were here are their totals for the year. I will also say my staff all get 20 days paid holiday and all bank holidays off paid.

Andy £78,368
Chris £76,070
Danny £65,848
Dean £83,248
Luke £60,728 (he also had a month off extra when his wife was very sick)
Mike £74,623
Tom £72,660

[John Mart]

So, being honest, what do we reckon is an expected Turnover for a sole operator working say 6 hrs on the glass 5 days a week for 40 weeks a year?
I think some honest answers may help a few to see where they are compared to others.

In the south, after 3/4 years £70k is very achievable as a one man band. In 40 weeks.

£70k with 3 months off a year?yeah!.....i bet theres loads earning that! ......i doubt it very much.....

Well it’s certainly very achievable. It takes hard work in generating the work and not even above average prices tbh. That’s obviously not profit and it’s only 40 weeks and easily done between 9 and 3.

My experience of why window cleaners fail to earn is that they get to a certain level (say £200 a day) and think they’re full. Thereafter they are always panicking when they lose a customer or two because they’ve stopped seeking more work and relying on walk ups and recommendations.

Incidentally my three guys do a little more than Lee’s, but they don’t travel as far.

[Lee Pryor]

Also one of our goals for this year is each guy doing a bit more per day. So far this is working well just bu giving each of them about £30 more per day on average. I hope to see them all doing over £80k a year as a result. So far so good.

[dazmond]

lol you lot need to start aiming a bit higher!

If I go to the reports page of cleaner planner and select revenue by user and select the date 1st jan 18 to 31st dec 18 here is what I see.

So not all of my team (10 cleaners) were with me for all of 2018 but from the ones that were here are their totals for the year. I will also say my staff all get 20 days paid holiday and all bank holidays off paid.

Andy £78,368
Chris £76,070
Danny £65,848
Dean £83,248
Luke £60,728 (he also had a month off extra when his wife was very sick)
Mike £74,623
Tom £72,660

wow they are very impressive figures Lee but i bet they work more than 5 or 6 hours a day.still very good though!

[Lee Pryor]

oh yes I forgot to mention that.

My guys all work full time, 5 days a week and are out of the yard before 7am most days as we cover a huge area. 40 miles or more radius

[֍Winp®oClean֍]

Also one of our goals for this year is each guy doing a bit more per day. So far this is working well just bu giving each of them about £30 more per day on average. I hope to see them all doing over £80k a year as a result. So far so good.

If I was one of your guys I'd be out on my own!!

[Lee Pryor]

well none of them are.

Its not as if they could be doing that in year 1 if they did. maybe year 3 if they were lucky. All my team are earning over £30k a year, paid holidays, pention, sick pay ect with no stress, all they do is turn up, go home and get paid. They have it all looked after for them. Not everyone wants to work for themselves or have all the other things that go with running a business.

[Stoots]

I would imagine doing 70k a year to be p easy in the right area

I COULD do 1500 a week if I wanted to, full time Mon to Friday 7-8 hours a day and thats at "northern prices" of £10-£12 a house.  So what's that almost 70k a year for a 45 week year. .

When chaps talk of average prices of £20 or more surely they must be able to do £400-£500 a day solo? Vat threshold must be fairly easy to do in some areas at that kind of pricing.

[Shrek]

oh yes I forgot to mention that.

My guys all work full time, 5 days a week and are out of the yard before 7am most days as we cover a huge area. 40 miles or more radius

How do you manage to start work at 7am on residentials - are your customers not still in bed  and it’s dark?

[֍Winp®oClean֍]

well none of them are.

Its not as if they could be doing that in year 1 if they did. maybe year 3 if they were lucky. All my team are earning over £30k a year, paid holidays, pention, sick pay ect with no stress, all they do is turn up, go home and get paid. They have it all looked after for them. Not everyone wants to work for themselves or have all the other things that go with running a business.

Or.... 80k per year with no boss! they could have 6 months off and still be earning more money.

[tlwcs]

oh yes I forgot to mention that.

My guys all work full time, 5 days a week and are out of the yard before 7am most days as we cover a huge area. 40 miles or more radius

How do you manage to start work at 7am on residentials - are your customers not still in bed  and it’s dark?

I have few I do from 7am. They’re normally off to work at 7-30 ish and me in and out with the gate relocked before they leave   There’s always ambient light from the house