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7.5k to start up
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ched999uk
Well-known member
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- 4,770
- Location
- Lancashire
It has to be a balance. You need a reliable van, water processing kit (unless using spotless), bolted in tank, pump, reel and reasonable wfp kit, plus tax, insurance, and enough left to pay your bills for a good few months!
- Messages
- 11,254
- Location
- Durham
You need to find out if there is enough customers to be had in your area as some areas are saturated with cleaners not just for windows but also add ons cleaning gutters etc
You have lads on local fb pages advertising to do everything for the cheapest rates around.
You have lads on local fb pages advertising to do everything for the cheapest rates around.
If you need a van to come out of that money I can't see it being enough. If your starting out with not alot of work where every penny is a prisoner then the most important thing is the van. Say 5k of your budget is spent on a van. At that price your going to need to be lucky if you don't need repair bills as you go along. Clutch etc which isn't a big problem if you have alot of work. A £600 garage bill when you haven't alot of work won't be a nice feeling.
- Messages
- 1,724
- Location
- Scotland
As regards a van, there is always finance as an option. However I wouldn’t commit to that until you’re sure you can make it work.
- Messages
- 11,289
- Location
- Sunderland Tyne and Wear
I'd just use Spotless initially, assuming there's one nearby.
Chris34
Well-known member
- Messages
- 1,726
- Location
- Stockport, Cheshire
I'd not bother with a CLX pole, just get an SLX, it will hold it's value and you won't have to buy another pole further down the line. If there is a spotless water nearby then use that to begin with otherwise get yourself an RO. An SLX will cost you £290 and includes the brush so it's a drop in the ocean with the budget you have but that's the most important tool for doing the work.
Working from a trolley with barrels is probably the fastest way you'll be up and running. I've started with a nano from pure freedom 4 years ago and it's still going strong. The nano is more expensive than the cheap diy set ups but the quality is far superior. It will likely hold it's value as well so the money spent on it you could get most of it back if you wanted to sell it.
So nano trolley = £745
SLX-22 = £290
10 barrels = £144
Total = £1,179 and you're good to go assuming you have a spotless water nearby
no spotless water? Allocate a further £400 and set up an RO system. Trust me, it's a lot less hassle than a DI system.
Van, don't blow the rest of the budget on a van. Get one for about £3k and use the rest of the money to keep everything serviced.
Business cards and leaflets - Allocate £200 and get them from vistaprint. You design them yourself. Yes you might not need them but you will look more professional if someone asks for your details.
£7.5k is a decent budget. I started with about £1k but already had a van.
Working from a trolley with barrels is probably the fastest way you'll be up and running. I've started with a nano from pure freedom 4 years ago and it's still going strong. The nano is more expensive than the cheap diy set ups but the quality is far superior. It will likely hold it's value as well so the money spent on it you could get most of it back if you wanted to sell it.
So nano trolley = £745
SLX-22 = £290
10 barrels = £144
Total = £1,179 and you're good to go assuming you have a spotless water nearby
no spotless water? Allocate a further £400 and set up an RO system. Trust me, it's a lot less hassle than a DI system.
Van, don't blow the rest of the budget on a van. Get one for about £3k and use the rest of the money to keep everything serviced.
Business cards and leaflets - Allocate £200 and get them from vistaprint. You design them yourself. Yes you might not need them but you will look more professional if someone asks for your details.
£7.5k is a decent budget. I started with about £1k but already had a van.
Do you have a close family member who could buy you a van or take one on finance and they pay the paymeants on it ?. When you get to a stage you have enough work to be able to pay it yourself then you could start paying them back or take over the payments.
That's a really helpful reply. Appreciate it pal, thank you
I could possibly do that, decent shout. Thank you
Chris34
Well-known member
- Messages
- 1,726
- Location
- Stockport, Cheshire
No problem. There are many options out there but the key thing is getting up and running quickly with minimal hassle. You could spend a week trying to do a diy type set up but that week you could have been out working and bringing in money. Obviously if you haven't got the money then you have to make do with what you can but you've got the money so I wouldn't mess about, just get it ordered and go and find a van, work on your business cards design etc. Within a week you could be out cleaning windows.
If you need an RO then I'd recommend this one from Doug
Complete Reverse Osmosis Systems - 4021, 4040, 450GPD
Rigorously tested RO systems built by ourselves using only the highest quality products. Bespoke systems also built to your specifications - call 01738 248585.
It's the one at the bottom of the page, the 450 gallon per day one for £258. You'll also need a water butt or some sort of storage tank. You also need to add a DI filter to the RO to 'polish' it off, basically the water will come out of the RO at about 5 to 10ppm, a DI canister then brings it down to 0 ppm. I use the 10inch type ones, you can get some the size of a fire exstinguisher and won't need the resin changing as often, however for me the 10" ones are better because I like to keep everything clean bacteria wise and 10" ones are easier to change.
Pentek Water Filter Housings
Housings suitable for 10 inch and 20 inch filters. All of our housings have pressure release. The essential Pentair filter housing spanner also available.
I've got two of the clear ones in the above link.
The RO takes roughly 4 hours to produce 200 litres of water with just normal tap pressure. I tend to use no more than 300 litres per day so it's fine.
Worst case scenario and it doesn't work out you can sell the van and give the money back.
ched999uk
Well-known member
- Messages
- 4,770
- Location
- Lancashire
I started by using my car to test the water so to speak! I bought a boot liner to contain leaks, a waterproof back seat cover to protect the interior as much as poss. I use to carry 6 barrels (strapped in), I had a small pump to transfer from barrels to backpack as my back isn't great. The Handy Sac trolley folded down to go behind passenger seat (I do have a Honda Civic with 'magic rear seats' that flip up), with the backpack next to it and 2 barrels behind drivers seat with 4 more in boot. I had a SLX27 to start and that would fit from passenger footwell over seat into the rear (used a shower cap over brush to contain drips). That worked well for 6 months then when I was happy that the work was OK and I was finding customers I bought a van.
Buy decent kit and it will help as in the beginning you don't know what you are doing. CLX poles are good upto about 18ft after that they get a bit bendy. So look round and if most houses are modern ones you might get away with a CLX18 unless you have to reach over a conny or extension.
Before you buy stuff post here just to check that there isn't anything better out there.
Buy decent kit and it will help as in the beginning you don't know what you are doing. CLX poles are good upto about 18ft after that they get a bit bendy. So look round and if most houses are modern ones you might get away with a CLX18 unless you have to reach over a conny or extension.
Before you buy stuff post here just to check that there isn't anything better out there.
