[Rob_Mac]

I agree that employing is not everyones cup of tea and that we all have our own goals and things that we want to achieve - and it is quite conceivable that a one man operation could manage to do about £3000 - £5000.00 per month and would have a good life from this and put enough away for a comfortable retirement plan.

I am where I am because I need to constantly improve and it was not enough for me to be a sole operator - my way is not necessarily the right way but it is the right way for me.

Find what you want and solidify your business so that you can reap the reward you deserve - from the efforts you put in.

I will have at least 10 vans on the road in the next four years - from this side of the business alone.

We are opening up in a brand new sector where I see potential earnings in excess of £100.00 per hour for a nominal amount of work - compared to the manhours required to earn this through window cleaning there will be no comparison.

I could not do this without my window cleaning business but I also have done very little work since the 22nd November last year. This has allowed me to get back on top of both sides of the business and bring this third angle to fruition.

I love my window cleaning and will be eternally grateful for the start it has given me but it is not the future for us as a business because it is just too consuming on man hours, wages and running costs.

There are bigger margins to be earnt in other sectors.

Rob

[alanwilson]

I have a lad that works with me 2 days a week, my son runs the 2nd van on those 2 days so we basically work with staff 2 days a week, with each other 1 day and every other week I'm on my own for a day with the following week off for a day.

we find it works well because you're not stuck with the same person every day and you get at least one day off a week or a day to work on your own.  it suits the 2 staff as well as they are working 15hrs a week so only registered as part time, it saves on holiday pay also (as 5 weeks @15hrs - we give them an extra week each year).

after el insurance,wages etc each member of staff makes £70 a day for the business with a further £65 wages (they would normally do £150 - £180 a day each).

we could push them harder (a lot harder actually) but they are very good staff, never late, never any excuses from them (have had to send them home in the past for not being well enough to work), friendly, superb with customers too.

My son and I gave them both a small bonus last year (September), a hundred and fifty quid each,( bearing mind they only do 15hrs a week) since then they have both worked saturdays when we have needed them (4 times).

I know some wouldn't treat staff the same, others maybe pay more but overall I think we are pretty good to them and they repay that as best as we could ask.