[drive surgeon]

been in business for 4 years now, been up and down like a yo yo.  luckily still living with parents so have no mortgage so when i have had not so much work in winter i have been ok as i have low out goings.  believe me though its still been hard, buying all the gear,getting the work etc,  i have been working from my little  renault kangoo but need to get a bigger van and hot washer to get contracts as i have no water on board.  i have been busy in spring and summer but need all year round work,, i have been cautious about buying a van and machine incase i dont get the work but if i dont get the gear i wont progress in business,, its a tricky situation.  i think while im at home still i should go for it as when move out i wont have the luxury of being able to buy anything. :

[Ian Rochester]

It's pretty much a question only you can answer, you know how well your business is doing and you know what the market for your type of work is in your area.

How are you going to finance it, are you taking a loan out or are you investing your own money.

[drive surgeon]

just going to pay for it on finance monthly, the van is £300 per month nearly for 4 years.

[drive surgeon]

well i just know all the contract pressure washers use a tank in their vans, the council pressure washers all have big tanks in their transits,  when i get it im going to push a lot if i can to get stuff

[karygate]

have you thought about getting one of those tanks made into trailers , you know what i mean

[BDCS]

With the price of diesel it still amazes me that people are obsessed with humping water about. I have a 600ltr ibc but I only use it when I clean windows, conservatorys or the very rare pressure wash job where they have no water. I'd say 99% of all other drive work I just fill the wheely bin when I get there with the customers water - even if you work with the tank in the van I'd still fill when I got there, I only use a 15l/min machine then most hoses keep up. As for the van I got an ex Balfor Beaty van for a grand with £235 in signs which is perfect - it gets there and the most important part of any van for me is the hand brake because it spends most of its time parked ! I bought a trailer bowser and have never used it untill this week when I may be forced to.
  I spend the money on the gear inside and very little on the van or advertising but if your doing a very good job then word of mouth works big time. A good website is well worth the fiver a month it costs then you only need to add good content, the photos (even if their not your own) and then work on the keywords.
 As for keeping busy in winter its just a case of being able to say yes when the phone rings - having a broad knowledge of the trade and being prepared to give things a go - I clean carpets, hard floors, drives, windows, gutters, jet drains and do cctv surveys, remove grafitti, cut the grass at the probation office and have a bouncy castle business !
 So yes I think you should spend carefully but on the right things
  "GEAR BEFORE BEER"

[BDCS]

I personally think the gutter vac would be good given the perfect world but gutters rarely are. Domestics have overhanging slates, leaf guards, conservatorys etc that would make life difficult and commercial buildings apart from small units have valleys with hoppers etc. others may swear by them - a lot of money tied up for a limited usuage - IMO. I clean gutters the old fashioned way - by ladder with a body to foot it, I use drain rods with a drop scoop so reducing ladder movements - I also have the gutter hook for the telescopic lance which I only use very rarely as the debris only blocks the downpipes.
  The best thing for earning money is my drain jetter but you have to learn to enjoy the finer points of working with chocolate mousse and its perfume

[mav]

I bought a van from auto trader a Renault Master 3.5 tonne and a honda 13hp pressure washer that is integral to a 1000 liter tank the reason I got a big van was in case I get a job with no external water supply, I can fill tank up and use my own supply. BDCS is right though you don't want to be carrying water about so I am having a ballcock system fitted and a drain tap so if there is any water left after the job I can just open tap and run water out of the tank therfore minimising the use of deisel.

[keith b]

Drive Surgeon,

I would not expand your business by investing in equipment just yet!..........try and get the work first..........many successful businesses adopt a networking philosophy! i.e. join local business communities or the chamber of commerce or your local conservative or freemasons club!

My stance would be to either do what BDCS is doing, or invest in trying to get bigger contracts with larger corporations.............(you can always hire specialist power washing equipment before buying!.....you can then factor this into your bid/costing).

How about looking at training courses on cleaning heritage buildings alongside other cleaning methods?.......don`t just look at the domestic market!

[drive surgeon]

i have joined the bni,  ( business network institute )  only been in it 6 weeks,  hoping to get a lot of work from it given time/  think i will get van first then get hot washer later.

[drive surgeon]

need to get van first, then get tank then get sign written, jesus i could go on and on!  good job i am at home its scary stuff!

[drive surgeon]

yes i have it sign written, but when i get new van i meant!    bben quieter this week..

[drive surgeon]

leaflets etc  , word of mouth

[drive surgeon]

going to get van in feb just before the rush of work in spring,  then get hot washer!!