Franchise Prospectus

[Master Jedi Alejandro]

Why would anyone want to buy a franchise a window cleaning round? All you do is set up your own and call it after a local area. The biggest advance I have seen is doing add-ons which can keep a customer loyal to you. I don't generally do work for folk I don't clean their windows unless I'm quiet. One of my windy customers has given me a lot of work, painted outside of their house, removed trees and built fences all round their garden. That's the way I see my future with customers all built on trust but you can't have a full round or you wouldn't have the time. ?

You could argue the same with becoming employed rather than self-employed. If folk have the capital but are worried they'll waste it and end up with nothing, then franchising might seem like a good middle ground. Make almost as much as doing it on your own but without all the work to set up and a lot less trial and error.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

You could argue the same with becoming employed rather than self-employed. If folk have the capital but are worried they'll waste it and end up with nothing, then franchising might seem like a good middle ground. Make almost as much as doing it on your own but without all the work to set up and a lot less trial and error.

I agree if they can give you plenty of customers to begin with which will give you a good start. I suppose it all comes down to money one has to start with. I was lucky because I had the van and ladders to begin with so it only cost me £80 for a starter pack. It then begins to hold traction and customers come and go. I like to copy something that works, then it seems to have a better chance of growing. Busy this week with the weather temperature getting into double figures. ?

 

[Master Jedi Alejandro]

I agree if they can give you plenty of customers to begin with which will give you a good start. I suppose it all comes down to money one has to start with. I was lucky because I had the van and ladders to begin with so it only cost me £80 for a starter pack. It then begins to hold traction and customers come and go. I like to copy something that works, then it seems to have a better chance of growing. Busy this week with the weather temperature getting into double figures. ?

For sure. You also had the luxury of being able to build at a organic rate. if someone needs to get into it and start making money from the get go then it's a big pro if customers provided.

Mate, its gonna be taps aff! ?

 

[Iron Giant]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all of your replies.

The original link to the prospectus has been taken down as it was viewed as advertising… That’s fair enough – However, I wasn’t advertising I was genuinely after constructive feedback.

The main issue that everyone is pointing to is that we don’t give the Franchisee any work to get started with, and that we don’t build their customer base for them.

Let’s go back 15 years to when I first started out… I noticed that Ian Lancaster started to Franchise his window cleaning business back then. This as far as I know was the first time a window cleaning business was ever franchised (please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong). Ian did this as he wanted an income from his franchisees when he retired.

Ian’s model was to give his franchisees £1000 per month of work straight away, and then build the franchisees round to as much work as the franchisee wanted / could handle.

There is nothing wrong with Ian’s model… He has done well from it… He then started selling his Franchise pack to other window cleaners so that they could do the same with their business… I actually bought Ian’s pack for £1500 back about 5 or 6 years ago, but never acted on it and didn’t franchise back then.

Ian’s model became the standard for franchising a window cleaning business in the UK…

“Most” window cleaning businesses that franchise do offer work straight away, and offer to build the franchisees round for them.

This method obviously works… But it doesn’t mean that it’s the ONLY way that it will work.

You need to also look at the Franchise industries way of doing things as a whole.

Dyno Rod / Metro Plumb / Oven Clean / Oven Wizards / Maid 2 Clean / ChipsAway – and 95% of other franchises do not give the franchisee work straight away and / or promise to get them as many customers as they want.

Yet these companies are constantly taking on more franchisees and thus growing their brands more and more.

Yes, you could argue that these are well known brands… But they weren’t to begin with – they have grown their brand through franchising – this has made them become well known.

The company that we have partnered with run 4 other franchise brands – Wilkins Chimney Sweeps / PVC Vendo / Stumpbusters and Thomas Cleaning… The franchisees within these 4 brands turned over a total of £7.6m in the last financial year – None of these brands give work to their franchisees or promise to build them a customer base… Each franchisee is responsible for building their own business within that brand. You can’t say that hasn’t worked if they turned over £7.6m between them last year.

At the end of the day if you want to invest in a window cleaning franchise and be given all your work by the Franchisor and just go and clean windows then there are franchises out there that will do that.

We are looking for franchisees who want to invest and are interested in building their own business within a growing brand… They will have the full support of us and a Franchising company who already runs 4 other successful Franchise brands turning over £7.6m per year behind them.

We have 2 pilot franchisees launching in April… One in North Hampshire and the other in Oxfordshire – They will be finding their own customers from day one – with our full support.

I’ll keep the forum updated on how we get on – if anyone is interested? 

With regards to trying to avoid VAT through franchising… We are already VAT registered as we run 3 vans within my local area.

Andy ?

It's good that you popped back to clarify and reply to members

But this reply to me clarifies exactly why it was viewed as advertising/touting in part your dealing with people who are running businesses with multi million pound turnovers ?

 

 

[scottish cleaning service]

It's good that you popped back to clarify and reply to members

But this reply to me clarifies exactly why it was viewed as advertising/touting in part your dealing with people who are running businesses with multi million pound turnovers ?

 

I know how they feel! ?

 

[Damo]

There’s lots of reasons why someone would be a franchisee instead of going it alone. The guys I’ve got are not interested in trying to make their own businesses.  
 

I have one guy who covers a radius of 2 miles from his house and turns over nearly 80k

My third guy is going to ONE village every day 5 days a week. 

The others are doing fantastic and my newest Guy who is not even a year in will do 55k in his first year  

My first franchisee is probably going to have to take off a month a year because of the VAT limit. His franchise is just over 4 years old. I don’t know many one man bands doing that well. He’s going to be VAT registered before me!!!

My company has a spare van which can be used by my franchisees, again I don’t know of many one band companies with a spare van just sitting there.

A forum of window cleaners will never understand why someone would buy a franchise. Thing is there are people who do it and enjoy it. 

 

[harunh]

I will be going VAT registered so I personally won’t be avoiding it. 

No i mean its easier to be above the VAT threshold aa a LTD company than it is when u are a franchise

 

[harunh]

There’s lots of reasons why someone would be a franchisee instead of going it alone. The guys I’ve got are not interested in trying to make their own businesses.  
 

I have one guy who covers a radius of 2 miles from his house and turns over nearly 80k

My third guy is going to ONE village every day 5 days a week. 

The others are doing fantastic and my newest Guy who is not even a year in will do 55k in his first year  

My first franchisee is probably going to have to take off a month a year because of the VAT limit. His franchise is just over 4 years old. I don’t know many one man bands doing that well. He’s going to be VAT registered before me!!!

My company has a spare van which can be used by my franchisees, again I don’t know of many one band companies with a spare van just sitting there.

A forum of window cleaners will never understand why someone would buy a franchise. Thing is there are people who do it and enjoy it. 

U got a good setup mate , but its tough getting a franchisee on board without then earning from day 1

If i paid 15k id expect some work there from day 1 so i could put bread on my table

 

[Iron Giant]

There’s lots of reasons why someone would be a franchisee instead of going it alone. The guys I’ve got are not interested in trying to make their own businesses.  
 

I have one guy who covers a radius of 2 miles from his house and turns over nearly 80k

My third guy is going to ONE village every day 5 days a week. 

The others are doing fantastic and my newest Guy who is not even a year in will do 55k in his first year  

My first franchisee is probably going to have to take off a month a year because of the VAT limit. His franchise is just over 4 years old. I don’t know many one man bands doing that well. He’s going to be VAT registered before me!!!

My company has a spare van which can be used by my franchisees, again I don’t know of many one band companies with a spare van just sitting there.

A forum of window cleaners will never understand why someone would buy a franchise. Thing is there are people who do it and enjoy it. 

Your model is what I would go for if I was down your way and was a previous paye who was looking to make a leap into my own business as it's a instant give for someone who has a family to provide for , more so in these times with people losing there paye jobs. 

 

[Iron Giant]

My company has a spare van which can be used by my franchisees, again I don’t know of many one band companies with a spare van just sitting there.

I don't anyone with as many Xtreme's either, has your dad retired yet??

 

[harunh]

Your model is what I would go for if I was down your way and was a previous paye who was looking to make a leap into my own business as it's a instant give for someone who has a family to provide for , more so in these times with people losing there paye jobs. 

I agree , u earn money from day 1 with his model , same with @Green Pro Clean Ltd

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I agree , u earn money from day 1 with his model , same with @Green Pro Clean Ltd

Where has Green Pro gone? ?

 

[harunh]

Where has Green Pro gone? ?

Says last visited in September , he probs still on Holiday in a yatch somewhere getting massaged by 4 different women at once , hes got that type of money to do that ??

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Says last visited in September , he probs still on Holiday in a yatch somewhere getting massaged by 4 different women at once , hes got that type of money to do that ??

Need to look into this Franchise game, money for old rope.

 

[ched999uk]

Where has Green Pro gone? ?

Last YouTube vids: He's 'stuck' in far east, cant remember which island but not allowed to leave due to Covid!

 

[Damo]

I don't anyone with as many Xtreme's either, has your dad retired yet??

Should be his last year on the windows. 
 

Fingers crossed I will be taking in a new chap in about a weeks time who would be his replacement. 

 

[Pjj]

Where has Green Pro gone? ?

Think he’s in the Philippines 

 

[Dt 20]

Where has Green Pro gone? ?

He is in the Philippines with his wife and her family 

I was speaking to him on the phone a few weeks ago 

 

[scottish cleaning service]

He is in the Philippines with his wife and her family 

I was speaking to him on the phone a few weeks ago 

A long way to go to set up a franchise? 

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

Says last visited in September , he probs still on Holiday in a yatch somewhere getting massaged by 4 different women at once , hes got that type of money to do that ??

Don't be daft, I get seasick! 

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

For my 2 cents:   

I don't think much of this 'offer' at all. 

If I were in the right areas and looking to buy a franchise I would personally be talking to @Damoor Chris at Swash in Essex, not sure if he's on the forum. 

As for me I am still stuck in the Philippines and until this Covid situation resolves itself I am not expanding the franchise operation.