[d s windowcleaning]

why pay for work which really dont belong to anyone i honestly cant see how a window cleaner can sell a round that dont belong him so what are we paying for when we buy a round how can the seller guarantee that once i have bought a round that the first time i turn up the customer aint going to say im not having you clean my windows fair enough it minght have taken years for a round to be built up and we look at it as being our patch but what are we exactly buying  i built up my own round of over 700 houses on a fortnightly basis totally through good work and recomendatins so jt just gos to show you dont have to buy something when in a sense no one owns it

[Majestic]

i built up my own round of over 700 houses on a fortnightly basis

700 Houses in a fortnight is good going
If you work 6 days thats about 58 houses per day
if you do a 10 hour day in summer  thats about 10mins per house
I am more of a 7 hour day

I think you just buy the good will , you should have some form of contract saying that x window cleaner will not work in x area for a length of time that way he cant get back his old customers

[colley614]

I think John has answered the question in one there. Your paying the good will of customers that have stuck to one person for years. Plus if you get a contract keeping the old window cleaner out of your area then your round will pick up a lot quicker. I think that buying work is a quick way of getting your hands on an established round that you can mold into your own. Rather than spending your first 12 months walking the streets knocking on doors

[d s windowcleaning]

so how do you go on when companys for example roundbuilders canvass a round for you where dos the good will come into it there as its not a established round then whats there to prevent other window cleaners moving into the area and taking the work you have just paid for

[Helen]

exactly the same situation whether you have purchased work or set it up yourself. With someone who has roundbuilt for you you are paying them for their time and work,not goodwill element, its then down to you to you to provide the service to hold on to your customers and get the loyalty factor. Whichever way you have got your work other wc's can still market those areas. If you have purchased an area from another WC, who has been cleaning the area himself, it is likeley that he will introduce you, therefore the customers know you straight away, it is likely that he has kept them clean right up until sale and you just take over, you haven't had to canvass/market etc etc

[StevePB]

   Buying a round is like buying any other business. You buy any kind of business assets apart, you are buying that business's ability to generate cash from either selling a product or providing a service. You are NOT buying customers, you are buying the strength of the business's reputation, quality of service, customer care recognition, brand if it has one and its general perception by the public/customer of providing a product or in this case a service regardless of who is actually on the customers premises performing the service/task, ie the original window cleaner or someone who has taken over the business. It does not matter if the business is a sole trader or employs 100 cleaners, the business has to have the above credentials along with a view to progress or expand if desired, and that is what you are buying, customers are not bought they are won.

Also it is just aswell there are people willing to buy rounds as what would cleaners do after years of building a business with a good customer base if there was noone to invest their money in it and continue the business/service.I would rather someone pay me what I thought the round was worth and they would then continue with it, they are happy, I am happy and the customers would certainly be happy as they still receive the good service hopefully that they are used to. The other option would be to let all that hard work go down the drain, leave customers months maybe years without a window cleaner until they are again canvassed by somebody because noone would buy my round.
So in a word, thank god there are adventureous people willing to take a chance on something new job wise, or someone who has an established round already but simply does not have the time to canvass and has the sense to realize that a quicker time saving option would be to buy a round. Just like any other business, window cleaning rounds are no exception, a business is a risk but a good business is a risk well worth taking, and buying a good window cleaning round which has loyal customers because they have received a good service is in my view a brilliant investment where you not only receive a good income but a great amount of satisfaction aswell. Amen

Regards Steve.

[Captain Scarlet]

if somebody buys screwfix ( sure to be worth alot of money, millions upon millions ), they don't actually buy anything, apart from a brand name, suppliers list, a few office buildings and most importantly a CUSTOMER BASE. Screw fix' customer base is there most important asset, they don't even stock there tools, they just have the manufacturers or internal suppliers send them out to customers. Luke

[matt]

they don't even stock there tools, they just have the manufacturers or internal suppliers send them out to customers. Luke

are you sure on that, as i know some1 who worked for them and they have a MASSIVE distrubition center

i brought my round, well most of it

1 guy was retiring
1 guy was going back home to oz
1 guy was cutting back after a illness

it worked fine for me

i worked it a few times and then put leaflets though the houses inbetween the houses i didnt do, i now have a very compact round ( dont move the car at all in the day )

i only paid 1 X the clean though and worked it once with the guys and they didnt pay me, just took 1/2 off the bill i owed

[sair]

i have bought two rounds 18 years ago the round is now worth 90 k

just about too buy a domestic small round of a friend as there moving

i would not buy from a buisness that  developes rounds,  as it is mostly good will that keeps things going

yes there is work out there but finding something in the area that you wish to work is a good way of getting a foot in and earning money whilst you develop it yourself

[Moderator David@stives]

Steve PB

Great post , couldn't of put it better myself.

Dave

[Captain Scarlet]

when i did work experience with a sparky that is what he told me about screw fix, we had a very similar conversation to this, not sure if its true to be honest, luke

[StevePB]

  Cheers Dave, great weather we are having down here, a late summer I hope

[Majestic]

great weather

I wanted it to rain today as we have been inside all day doing a builders clean

[Londoner]

Its going to rain next week because I am on holiday.

[matt]

aye, forecast is poor for next week, are well its been fun while the summer laster 

[niceandclean]

I looked at buying a round once, my advice is look at the jobs before you buy. I did'nt buy in the end as they were not priced right for me, some were ok, but most were too cheap. I canvassed and have canvassers now, priced at my rates, much cheaper. I can get a few new customers, clean, get some more money together, get more work, and so on. 

[Richy L]

im just to buy some work from tosh.
1.5x monthly value. its all inbetween my work anyway. so its just filling in the gaps.
I haven't bought a round before, and i never thought i would, but it makes sence to sometimes.

[geefree]

I looked at buying a round once, my advice is look at the jobs before you buy. I did'nt buy in the end as they were not priced right for me, some were ok, but most were too cheap. I canvassed and have canvassers now, priced at my rates, much cheaper. I can get a few new customers, clean, get some more money together, get more work, and so on.

[Tosh]

im just to buy some work from tosh.
1.5x monthly value. its all inbetween my work anyway. so its just filling in the gaps.
I haven't bought a round before, and i never thought i would, but it makes sence to sometimes.

Richy,

How has it worked out?  Are my ex-customers okay with you? 

I actually had two 'thank you' letters, for finding them a new window cleaner; which was nice, and wishing me well.

Has it worked out for you?

[Village Gleam]

So you think your round is worth nowt then daveshaw?

And anyone who thought otherwise and bought your business, ill advised?