Looking to start a window cleaning business

[scottish cleaning service]

Agree, same with speeding up with experience. You do not try to rush around faster....you just find you do jobs quicker and more efficiently as time goes by thus increasing your hourly rate without expending any more energy.

More haste less speed. There is an optimum speed i work at and no one can rush me, there's always tomorrow.

 

[Dave B]

@Chris33knocked his pipe out getting work and it shows it can be done.

I sold up when I moved out of london and subbed off a local firm for 8 years working every day then went back to working for myself.

It's took me a few years to build up to over 1k a week but my mortgage is nearly paid and only 200 odd quid a month due to inheriting my dad's house when he died 20 years ago so no need to worry as was comfortable. 

The only reason I'm starting down the employment route is the fact I've never had a pension and want to retire in 11 years when I'm 55.

@chris33 wanted it all straight away and shown that it is easy to do.

If I spent all my time 6 years ago doing what he did I would have been employing within 6 months.

Hard work WILL pay off.

maybe your an exception but i think his post is more realistic for the average sole trader starting out from scratch....for it to be a STABLE income month in/month out.........

 

[Chris33]

@Chris33knocked his pipe out getting work and it shows it can be done.

I sold up when I moved out of london and subbed off a local firm for 8 years working every day then went back to working for myself.

It's took me a few years to build up to over 1k a week but my mortgage is nearly paid and only 200 odd quid a month due to inheriting my dad's house when he died 20 years ago so no need to worry as was comfortable. 

The only reason I'm starting down the employment route is the fact I've never had a pension and want to retire in 11 years when I'm 55.

@chris33 wanted it all straight away and shown that it is easy to do.

If I spent all my time 6 years ago doing what he did I would have been employing within 6 months.

Hard work WILL pay off.

Plenty up by way making much bigger moves then me mate but I hear u and thanks. I have a quality run yeah I took a step back to get that price wise lately and now I defo need more help 

Your a lucky man Dave I'll know who to come to for a loan £££

 

[Iron Giant]

Na mate. Currently at 1 window van 1 add on one but need staff for add on one again ? cos we are packed on the window one. 

Pleased to hear, my memory isn't failing me ? , new year soon mate, new beginnings no doubt all will turn out good

 

[Chris33]

maybe your an exception but i think his post is more realistic for the average sole trader starting out from scratch....for it to be a STABLE income month in/month out.........

Here what your saying, based on effort alone though anyone surely even going at it at 80% of their capability would smash that? Like it's a matter of how much you want it I believe 100% 

 

[scottish cleaning service]

In the end it all comes down to money. I work 7 days a week and invest all my money back into equipment. Might be looking at a new 5 ton van next year so I can have everything in the one van or I could pay off my mortgage. I only have 6 yrs to go and every 2yrs the building society gives me £600 to change to another fix price mortgage. Got another slabing job yesterday on a front path if I want it. Its hard to get trustworthy builders up here so they always ask me first.

 

[dazmond]

In the end it all comes down to money. I work 7 days a week and invest all my money back into equipment. Might be looking at a new 5 ton van next year so I can have everything in the one van or I could pay off my mortgage. I only have 6 yrs to go and every 2yrs the building society gives me £600 to change to another fix price mortgage. Got another slabing job yesterday on a front path if I want it. Its hard to get trustworthy builders up here so they always ask me first.

each to their own but sod working 7 days a week...been there done that........it doesnt do you any good in the long run mate.......

 

[scottish cleaning service]

each to their own but sod working 7 days a week...been there done that........it doesnt do you any good in the long run mate.......

Absolutely, I can now wind down as I have all the equipment now. I will raise my price now and try and get my fivers up to £8 in the fullness of time.

 

[harunh]

theres a guy i went to school with who is a franchisee.....he seems to be doing quite well but works at lot more hours than me.......im happy  working 30 hours a week or less(including admin,purifying water,etc).......im not bothered about employing again.......the simpler i keep my life the happier i am....?..i like being on the tools.....

Theres 2 franchises based near me, they seem to be doing well but there is a tonnes of work out there to be picked up! 

Sometimes i wish i had the joy of having no staff and just 1 van , life would be so simple compared to the complexion of things now lol but hopefully when im 35 years old i can let the company run and start another new business venture of a few ideas i have in mind ?

 

[harunh]

Agree...lots of Newbies think it is all a bed of roses...they forget about the physical graft,working in poor weather,time lost going from one job to another,poor payers,poor earning weeks,no work no pay.

They think if they set up, customers will come running to them, they can do a couple hours a week and live like kings !!!.

That is so true , i seen plenty window cleaners start up and pack up within a few months. They think customers will come to them but they do not realize u got to put your business out there to gain customers otherwise it will be an uphill struggle.

Ive seen it all with my own eyes a window cleaner buys a van with a system for 8k, hes now got his own business ! he has this cool pure water advanced system to clean windows with and it does all your frames,sills and doors ! the first week is all fun and games... he tells all his friends and family etc, but once its time to get customers he comes to realisation that every other tom **** and harry is at this window washing game lol, weeks go by and months go by..... he has about 60-80 customers and its pretty hard to get customers unless your prepared to knock on doors in the dark nights and get used to people saying no no no no no no no no no no , he is owed 3x from one customer and also owed 2x from a hanful of customers, he is now realizing how tough this game is, he is having trouble with getting money in with 80 customers how hard will it be with 300/400 ? it certainly is not easy, there goes the van for sale on Ebay and thats the end of a window licking era for the newbie. A week later he is back in his office job ?

As window cleaners we take a lot of sh*t we allow people to owe us money but some people do not like the idea of always being owed money and can not stand not being paid straight away for there work, all year round window cleaning is hard work but someone has to do it ? lol


 

 

[mike007]

In the end it all comes down to money. I work 7 days a week and invest all my money back into equipment. Might be looking at a new 5 ton van next year so I can have everything in the one van or I could pay off my mortgage. I only have 6 yrs to go and every 2yrs the building society gives me £600 to change to another fix price mortgage. Got another slabing job yesterday on a front path if I want it. Its hard to get trustworthy builders up here so they always ask me first.

I would go for paying of the mortgage....priorities...you will then be more cash rich and have more peace of mind.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I would go for paying of the mortgage....priorities...you will then be more cash rich and have more peace of mind.

I'll probably continue on the same track as before because I like spending money. Mortgage has only 6yrs to go and pension takes care of that. One can't do anything in this game without equipment and I had 8 days without my van. That week I realised that without our van its over. PT has a good plan, he was saying he will keep his old van as a spare and now I know why. If I bought a new van then I would keep the old one and take on an apprentice or just park it up somewhere. Oliver from Grippatank was here looking at my RO System, I felt a fool when he swapped the inlet hoses over to fix it. I had plugged them in the wrong way round but I have colour coded them now so I can't make the mistake again. He said they do a 1,000 litre tank which I would need with the 5 ton van. One feels great when everything starts to come together and I will probably service my van myself from now on. I have been getting let down by folk and now realise I would be better paying myself to complete tasks on my van rather than a mechanic. fwiw

 

[harunh]

In the end it all comes down to money. I work 7 days a week and invest all my money back into equipment. Might be looking at a new 5 ton van next year so I can have everything in the one van or I could pay off my mortgage. I only have 6 yrs to go and every 2yrs the building society gives me £600 to change to another fix price mortgage. Got another slabing job yesterday on a front path if I want it. Its hard to get trustworthy builders up here so they always ask me first.

You work 7 days a week ? so you never have a day off ? If you work 7 days per week u want to expand and earn money whilst in retirement ?

 

[mike007]

I'll probably continue on the same track as before because I like spending money. Mortgage has only 6yrs to go and pension takes care of that. One can't do anything in this game without equipment and I had 8 days without my van. That week I realised that without our van its over. PT has a good plan, he was saying he will keep his old van as a spare and now I know why. If I bought a new van then I would keep the old one and take on an apprentice or just park it up somewhere. Oliver from Grippatank was here looking at my RO System, I felt a fool when he swapped the inlet hoses over to fix it. I had plugged them in the wrong way round but I have colour coded them now so I can't make the mistake again. He said they do a 1,000 litre tank which I would need with the 5 ton van. One feels great when everything starts to come together and I will probably service my van myself from now on. I have been getting let down by folk and now realise I would be better paying myself to complete tasks on my van rather than a mechanic. fwiw

Have you a class 2 licence?, think can only drive up to 3.5tonne on normal licence.

 

[spruce]

Have you a class 2 licence?, think can only drive up to 3.5tonne on normal licence.

Its to do with age. Drivers who passed their category B (car) driving test before 1997 have grandfather rights and are able to drive a 7.5-tonne truck without taking another test. They will have the C1 entitlement on their licence, which covers vehicles from 3.5- 7.5-tonnes GVW.

 

[mike007]

Its to do with age. Drivers who passed their category B (car) driving test before 1997 have grandfather rights and are able to drive a 7.5-tonne truck without taking another test. They will have the C1 entitlement on their licence, which covers vehicles from 3.5- 7.5-tonnes GVW.

Interesting, will have to find my licence (still the pink one) and check my old licence book.

 

[Tango]

My grandfather never even took a driving test!

He was a lad in the war and was driving tractors around farms and on the public highway. Due to this he (and thousands of others) consequently became exempted from the test and were given a licence automatically.

I worry for the future of each generation, the government seems hell bent (which ever party runs it) on making life harder and harder for the young. 

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I was driving 7.5 ton truck before so I should be okay because I passed in 83 I think. All I remember was trying to look over the steering wheel because I didn't seem to grow till I was 18 and I grew 6" in a few months. Catching up with some windows today then I had a 14 foot Trampoline to build for a customer. If you ever build one make sure there is someone to help you, it can be a bit of a nightmare. ?

 

[spruce]

If you have a standard drivers license to drive a car then you can drive up to 7.5t vehicle if it was issued before 1997 @mike007.

I got my driver's licence in 1968 in Africa but needed to reset my driver's licence in 1978 to drive on British roads. That licence was taken in a 1964 Morris Oxford and was suitable for driving a 7.5t Bedford truck which I did working for York Truck in Darlington. My lad took his British licence in 1994 and he drove a 7.5t Mercedes Benz van on that licence for the company he used to work for.

 

[Dave B]

I was driving 7.5 ton truck before so I should be okay because I passed in 83 I think. All I remember was trying to look over the steering wheel because I didn't seem to grow till I was 18 and I grew 6" in a few months. Catching up with some windows today then I had a 14 foot Trampoline to build for a customer. If you ever build one make sure there is someone to help you, it can be a bit of a nightmare. ?

If you are driving over 3.5t for commercial gain you also need to do your cpc modules and get a digi tacho.

I have a class 2 licence from the army when I was young but can't even drive a 7.5t nowadays without doing my cpc.

 

[mike007]

I was driving 7.5 ton truck before so I should be okay because I passed in 83 I think. All I remember was trying to look over the steering wheel because I didn't seem to grow till I was 18 and I grew 6" in a few months. Catching up with some windows today then I had a 14 foot Trampoline to build for a customer. If you ever build one make sure there is someone to help you, it can be a bit of a nightmare. ?

You will get ups and downs building a trampoline!!, but you will soon bounce back.