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The evolution dilemma.....

Green Pro Clean Ltd

Well-known member
Messages
8,103
Location
Nottingham & Derbyshire
I offer several add on services to my business all the way from roof cleaning to pressure washing, conservatory valeting and more.

As these services have take off and gone strength to strength the diary has filled and filled. Never a bad thing.

However the services were originally to fill the gaps on quiet window days but now it seems the windows are filling days on quiet add on days.

The add on are a lot more lucrative than the windows (even though the windows are month in month out) and I find myself annoyed that I need to postpone jobs that are more profitable cause the windows are due.

I am considering (yet again) selling off the windows and just focusing on the much more lucrative add ons.

Suggestions, thoughts?

 
I had this dilemma last year

Like you say i started doing add ons and they where for rainy days and weekends

Before i knew it i was chocka with drives etc and ended up working in evenings

And sat and sun

Not doing it this year for sure

This year is going much more relaxed and unless i get asked i wont push drives etc

Im sure whatever you do youll make money

 
I personally wouldnt give it up and sell off @Green Pro Clean Ltd

You have a great window cleaning buiseness by the sounds of it. As you say its month to month money, not sitting waiting for the phone to ring for add on work.

Its your personal info, and if you dont want to say then dont, but what difference on a monthly basis are the finances like in below scenarios. Use made up figures if you like but illustrate the real life difference in monetary terms in each case below e.g A - £10 , B £40 etc

A - Just doing the add on work and dropping windows.

B - keeping as it is..?

C - keeping half the cream work and flogging / dropoing half, and doubling your time doing add on stuff?

This will dictate your direction if ££££ is the main focus.

 
I find myself annoyed that I need to postpone jobs that are more profitable cause the windows are due.
Is there a way you can increase the amount earned on the windows to rival the add on work? That way is the best of both worlds.

or..... sub out the windows? personally i'd be reluctant to give up my windows - its my bread & butter money, even if other work is more lucrative, i know that each month the window money comes rolling in... (I'm very risk adverse whereas others would 'go for it')

 
would that £2k from windows be an average of 2 days per week for the month?

and your add ons the remaining 3 days per week?

 
okay, presuming its a 20 work day month (most are) mon-fri x 4.

you are spending 25% of your work days cleaning windows..... and yet its producing OVER 25% of your monthly income so by the figures you provide the windows are more lucrative!

I think we need more data then 1 month to get an accurate picture of the income in relation to jobs done

 
That's the issue @Spartan you need more data that i'm not too keen to share at present.

I like you calculation but you have made the assumption that add ons are filling up the remaining 15 days of this month. This is not the case. This month they are perhaps 7 days all being well. So in essence are twice as lucrative as the windows but not as certain every month as the windows.

 
GreenPro Clean,

when i said 'we need more data' i wasn't actually requesting it, more simply saying that without it, it makes it very difficult to extrapolate what is more lucrative and by what percentage....

5 days on the windows brings in £2k - £400 per day average....

7 days of add ons brings in the remaining £4850 - £692 per day average which is an increase of just over 70% per day (certainly not be sniffed at) but as you say - not as certain/reliable as the windows.

 
I think @Green Pro Clean Ltd if you have data you want to keep private but im assuming is more lucrative towards the add ons then its the same formula as above.

If the windows produce more than 25% of the income then you would be "wrong" ? to drop it if it still only takes up 25% of your working days. ( 5 days)

If this number drops to say 15 % of your income for 25% of your time then you need to make a call.

IMO though although add ons may produce more cash than windows, windows will still be your guaranteed money. Which is a massive factor if you actually need that cash every month.

But you have the data you know the numbers mate.

 
take another guy on ,self employed canny understand how your round was"int full before,I,ve had word with my accountant had all clear to take guy on self employed with kitted out van

 
As been mentioned your windows will always be there, your other work is not regular.

I had three weeks cream work out of my area when I was trad,sold it off.I totally regret it ,should of just leased it out , still kicking myself.

Oh yes two guys grafting if it was done WFP would only take one guy

 
One of the key factors not to be overlooked is that the window custys provide a good portion of the add on jobs.
Well that's your answer mr Green, without the window customers your add on jobs wouldn't be so great, catch 22. The window customers open doors for you so to speak, that advertising would not do, both jobs go hand in hand, take

Somebody on, whilst there doing the windows you get on the soft washing,2 -3 days a week , well that's what I would do, the windows are our bread & butter the rest is a bonus, don't get rid of your banker i.e. Windows

 
A couple of other factors to consider that solely money perhaps

1. Enjoyment, is there a service you really prefer doing over another?

2. Where do you want to be in 10 years time and is your business model scalable?

If you want to stay as a sole trader forever then doing everything is great.

If you want to employ and take a step back eventually them I think window cleaning is by far the easiest to grow and scale. Imagine having 5 employees if you didn't do wimdowsand just did the other work and the marketting costs required to constantly get the phone ringing for ad ons and the uncertainty around suppling enough work for your employees.

Personally if I was in your position I would consider employing someone to do your windows and knowing you are a good canvasser you could build that up nice and full for your employee and then fill your boots personally with the other jobs. That way you could still get your leads from your customers make a profit on the windows and have more time and make more money doing add ons.

 
It's the one word to make you cringe!
EMPLOYEE.

No one will ever take your business as seriously as you do. :sad:
A partner then (or someone along those lines)

As you so rightly say, if they have as much time/money invested in the business as you do then the drive will be there.

Me and my best mate often talk about going in together with the work, it makes perfect sense for us, he has certain qualities that would benefit me and vise versa.... We're both just too comfortable at the moment /emoticons/biggrin.png in time we probably will

 

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