B
boarcity
at end of the day its up to you. all i can tell you is that IN MY OPINION you need workers
Welcome to the UK Window Cleaning Forums
Starting or own a window cleaning business? We're a network of window cleaners sharing advice, tips & experience. Rounds for sale & more. Join us today!
Sod it, You're all fired!
- Thread starter Green Pro Clean Ltd
- Start date
Help Support WCF:
Green Pro Clean Ltd
Well-known member
- Messages
- 8,103
- Location
- Nottingham & Derbyshire
What he needs and what he's actually entitled to are two entirely different things.
He came to me to top up his regular job, minimum wage in a pub where obviously he get's the hand holding he so craves,
From me he get's paid more in 2 days than he does on the other 4 days he does in the pub and i'm the one he wants to take for a cnut?
If your happy with customers calling up saying 'I've been charged for my windows and half of them aint done' well fair play to you mate but I can't run a business like that.
He came to me to top up his regular job, minimum wage in a pub where obviously he get's the hand holding he so craves,
From me he get's paid more in 2 days than he does on the other 4 days he does in the pub and i'm the one he wants to take for a cnut?
If your happy with customers calling up saying 'I've been charged for my windows and half of them aint done' well fair play to you mate but I can't run a business like that.
Diwrnach
Well-known member
- Messages
- 3,309
Employees aint for me, I like to limit stress to an absolute minimum, I know having employees will increase stress, I would rather less money and stress free thatn more money and hassle.
B
boarcity
employees do increase stress- but ONLY at first, the settlin in period which can be a year in my experience. not forever
what i mean is once you have proper systems in place , the employee just becomes another cog in the machine. you might need to fettle that cog sometimes ,same as you need to fettle a loose hose connection, you get my drift.
henry ford didnt go back to making cars on his own when his workers went on strike.
i personally feel no stress at all from workers , oh iv had my share of stress in my life who hasnt, praps iv had more n most, but not from workers now.
by proper systems i mean you are set up n organized to get a steady Constant in flow of new work, this fuels the fire so to speak. Whether you do that by leaflets,facebook,doorknock or a combo of all those [ this is known as puttin out several lines in the water] works as good as guaranteed coming in forever
what i mean is once you have proper systems in place , the employee just becomes another cog in the machine. you might need to fettle that cog sometimes ,same as you need to fettle a loose hose connection, you get my drift.
henry ford didnt go back to making cars on his own when his workers went on strike.
i personally feel no stress at all from workers , oh iv had my share of stress in my life who hasnt, praps iv had more n most, but not from workers now.
by proper systems i mean you are set up n organized to get a steady Constant in flow of new work, this fuels the fire so to speak. Whether you do that by leaflets,facebook,doorknock or a combo of all those [ this is known as puttin out several lines in the water] works as good as guaranteed coming in forever
Last edited:
Green Pro Clean Ltd
Well-known member
- Messages
- 8,103
- Location
- Nottingham & Derbyshire
Wow, now I know how to suck eggs Boars! /emoticons/tongue.png
It's like this, I give em 3 months, they f&*k up enough I don't give em a forth, this is window cleaning, not brain surgery, it's now hard work they just got to be willing to work hard.
Why on gods green earth would I give em a year to do in my barnet?
I have my lines in the water boars, I got new work coming in every day these days.
As I said I am now just going to take the quality work and do away with anything that's an inconvenience and have a peaceful happy existence instead of putting up with ingrates!
Yeah sure I may be 42 not 22 but I guarantee, in fact will even wage that I will keep pace if not out pace any 22 year old on the windows.
It's like this, I give em 3 months, they f&*k up enough I don't give em a forth, this is window cleaning, not brain surgery, it's now hard work they just got to be willing to work hard.
Why on gods green earth would I give em a year to do in my barnet?
I have my lines in the water boars, I got new work coming in every day these days.
As I said I am now just going to take the quality work and do away with anything that's an inconvenience and have a peaceful happy existence instead of putting up with ingrates!
Yeah sure I may be 42 not 22 but I guarantee, in fact will even wage that I will keep pace if not out pace any 22 year old on the windows.
SWCS
Well-known member
- Messages
- 54
I'd rather work alone. Once I've built up enough work for myself I'll stop taking new custies.
I worked for a company for over 10 years and saw some useless people try, and fail, at the job.
Seen lads sign work off without going near the place, dodge windows in the most obvious way possible and try engineering accidents.
I'm trying to build up a good reputation here, not throw my work down the pan.
Let someone else have the stress.
I worked for a company for over 10 years and saw some useless people try, and fail, at the job.
Seen lads sign work off without going near the place, dodge windows in the most obvious way possible and try engineering accidents.
I'm trying to build up a good reputation here, not throw my work down the pan.
Let someone else have the stress.
Green Pro Clean Ltd
Well-known member
- Messages
- 8,103
- Location
- Nottingham & Derbyshire
Status update, end of week 1:
132 total jobs on the list, 3 jobs missed due to no access, 2 jobs missed due to external construction going on, 1 job sacked off as she still can't pick up after her dog, another sacked off due to bad payment and one cancelled due to moving down south.
124 total jobs completed on time with no dramas, home by 3:30 each day.
Van and system running like a dream.
Usually Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are spent doing collections to make sure wages are together for the weekend but not this week as no wages going out now /emoticons/smile.png)
Got to catch up with plenty of customers I haven't seen in a while,
No calls saying your lads done this, your lads not done that etc etc.
Relaxed all weekend ready and looking forward to work tomorrow.
Now the system works for me, not me working for the system.
To surmise, I can't understand why I didn't get rid of the staff a long time ago. I am so much happier this week with the world as a whole once again.
132 total jobs on the list, 3 jobs missed due to no access, 2 jobs missed due to external construction going on, 1 job sacked off as she still can't pick up after her dog, another sacked off due to bad payment and one cancelled due to moving down south.
124 total jobs completed on time with no dramas, home by 3:30 each day.
Van and system running like a dream.
Usually Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are spent doing collections to make sure wages are together for the weekend but not this week as no wages going out now /emoticons/smile.png)
Got to catch up with plenty of customers I haven't seen in a while,
No calls saying your lads done this, your lads not done that etc etc.
Relaxed all weekend ready and looking forward to work tomorrow.
Now the system works for me, not me working for the system.
To surmise, I can't understand why I didn't get rid of the staff a long time ago. I am so much happier this week with the world as a whole once again.
B
boarcity
id wondered how you were getting along. i couldnt go back to bein on my own now id be dead within 6 months from burnout
Green Pro Clean Ltd
Well-known member
- Messages
- 8,103
- Location
- Nottingham & Derbyshire
I think the key for me is that I just work to my own pace, I never really felt like this is work, I just mosey about, chat to custies and some windows get cleaned along the way.
Also I am considerably fitter at 42 than I was at 22, I feel like I am right in my prime and getting fitter by the year.
As a teen / young adult it was all party, fast food no sleep and video games with several excess stones around the middle.
As a so called middle aged man I hit the gym an hour a day, always before work as I hate the posers that go after work to use it as a pick up joint, hit the pool at least twice a week and the dog gets walked around an hour a day and I can't recall the last time I ate something as full of shite as a burger from the chippy.
Also the massive stress reduction this past week has me feeling more like 32 than 42 so happy days are here again! /emoticons/smile.png)
Also I am considerably fitter at 42 than I was at 22, I feel like I am right in my prime and getting fitter by the year.
As a teen / young adult it was all party, fast food no sleep and video games with several excess stones around the middle.
As a so called middle aged man I hit the gym an hour a day, always before work as I hate the posers that go after work to use it as a pick up joint, hit the pool at least twice a week and the dog gets walked around an hour a day and I can't recall the last time I ate something as full of shite as a burger from the chippy.
Also the massive stress reduction this past week has me feeling more like 32 than 42 so happy days are here again! /emoticons/smile.png)
B
boarcity
have you heard from the lads at all?
Green Pro Clean Ltd
Well-known member
- Messages
- 8,103
- Location
- Nottingham & Derbyshire
Only to ask when one of them can expect their P45, but that's it Boars.
Good on you Darren
Kill the stress before it kills you
I toyed with the idea of getting a bit more work and taking someone on but after thinking about it for a couple of months and your situation i think i would rather stay on my own
My son will be working with me off and on for a bit of spending money which i am happy to do and it keeps a good father son relationship as at 14 he is already out more and more..won't be long before he is off doing his own thing so i enjoy any time spent with him at the moment
I reckon we're better off without the stress of employees and i know all work done in my company name is to the high standard people expect from me
I couldn't be dealing with "he missed my frosted bathroom window " etc
Kill the stress before it kills you
I toyed with the idea of getting a bit more work and taking someone on but after thinking about it for a couple of months and your situation i think i would rather stay on my own
My son will be working with me off and on for a bit of spending money which i am happy to do and it keeps a good father son relationship as at 14 he is already out more and more..won't be long before he is off doing his own thing so i enjoy any time spent with him at the moment
I reckon we're better off without the stress of employees and i know all work done in my company name is to the high standard people expect from me
I couldn't be dealing with "he missed my frosted bathroom window " etc
Green Pro Clean Ltd
Well-known member
- Messages
- 8,103
- Location
- Nottingham & Derbyshire
An alternate way to consider it Davey is by the numbers.
Lets say you decide on one employee, full time 40 hours per week (based on a 4 week month as my rota)
Lets say you are as generous with wages of £10 per hour, that's £400 per week times 4 weeks £1600 per month, times 12 months £19200 per year
So £19200 per year in wages, additional expenses include employee liability about £400 per year, an traditional vehicle (we will assume you have a spare van) so road tax, insurance, MOT servicing etc, say allow another £1500 per year then uniform, tools etc etc and on and on
Lets just round it to say £22'000 in outgoing cash to have a 'helper'
If all he is doing is £10 jobs (just an assumption to keep it simples) you will need aprox 184 jobs per month just to cover his wages and expenses before taking a penny yourself.
Here's the stinger! You have to trust them to actually do those jobs and not f*&k them up.
I prefer to think of it as being £22'000 I do not need to go and find. Seriously, helper? at those prices who's helping who?
I would keep your boy part time Davey perhaps with a carrot of good grades on his exams, possible college and always a job cleaning windows whenever he wants, after all you started the business to help your family, not some stranger.
Lets say you decide on one employee, full time 40 hours per week (based on a 4 week month as my rota)
Lets say you are as generous with wages of £10 per hour, that's £400 per week times 4 weeks £1600 per month, times 12 months £19200 per year
So £19200 per year in wages, additional expenses include employee liability about £400 per year, an traditional vehicle (we will assume you have a spare van) so road tax, insurance, MOT servicing etc, say allow another £1500 per year then uniform, tools etc etc and on and on
Lets just round it to say £22'000 in outgoing cash to have a 'helper'
If all he is doing is £10 jobs (just an assumption to keep it simples) you will need aprox 184 jobs per month just to cover his wages and expenses before taking a penny yourself.
Here's the stinger! You have to trust them to actually do those jobs and not f*&k them up.
I prefer to think of it as being £22'000 I do not need to go and find. Seriously, helper? at those prices who's helping who?
I would keep your boy part time Davey perhaps with a carrot of good grades on his exams, possible college and always a job cleaning windows whenever he wants, after all you started the business to help your family, not some stranger.
B
boarcity
View attachment 4136 mentioned to my lads a bloke on the window cleaning forum just sacked all his workers at the same time and now goin back to working on his own
"really? " they replied and nowt more was said.
"really? " they replied and nowt more was said.
Last edited:
I am hoping he does well at school
He is mildly aspergers so is a computer genius (taught his class for a lesson at age 8 as he knew more than the teacher did about Microsoft powerpoint and excell)
But there will always be a job for him if needed
He is mildly aspergers so is a computer genius (taught his class for a lesson at age 8 as he knew more than the teacher did about Microsoft powerpoint and excell)
But there will always be a job for him if needed
Jackwindowcleaner
Well-known member
- Messages
- 76
You crack me up Green, hats off to ya. Are you WFP now or still tradding?
Smurf
Well-known member
- Messages
- 20,533
I like being my own boss so I can boss myself about /emoticons/biggrin.png
Also I have no hassle/grief from employees and have so much more freedom to do what I like when I like without the added stress.
As far as burn out is concerned for me that is never going to happen as I do very little as it is and my wife will vouch for that :laugh:
I still can't get my head around how come you are not compulsory vat registered yet @boarcity with the amount of ppl that work for you?
£82,000 (the ‘threshold’) in a 12 month period but you must be over that threshold by now surely?
Also I have no hassle/grief from employees and have so much more freedom to do what I like when I like without the added stress.
As far as burn out is concerned for me that is never going to happen as I do very little as it is and my wife will vouch for that :laugh:
I still can't get my head around how come you are not compulsory vat registered yet @boarcity with the amount of ppl that work for you?
£82,000 (the ‘threshold’) in a 12 month period but you must be over that threshold by now surely?
I might have to sack a new custy
Turned up and she was nice on facebook
Said money was hidden in a box for me as she may be out
She was in
Didn't answer door
Went out walking straight past me on the ladder without saying a word and the tenner in the Box was all 20 pences and 50s
Can't be arsed with that
Turned up and she was nice on facebook
Said money was hidden in a box for me as she may be out
She was in
Didn't answer door
Went out walking straight past me on the ladder without saying a word and the tenner in the Box was all 20 pences and 50s
Can't be arsed with that
Smurf
Well-known member
- Messages
- 20,533
Bless her at least you got paid I suppose /emoticons/biggrin.png
Smurf
Well-known member
- Messages
- 20,533
Regarding not speaking she probably did not want to distract you whilst you were up your ladder working just in case you fell. Some ppl are funny like that so you should not take it personally.
