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!

Protect yourself from potenial fraud

W

willywindows

Hi All,

Came across this topic elsewhere and thought it worth posting here as its got some good info for newbie or wannabe windies looking to purchase a round.I didn't know were to drop this, so if admin could move or link it to apropriate section, cheers.

Tips when buying a window cleaning round.

Prospective buyers should only purchase a business after due diligence, which means basically acquiring and analyzing all the information you need to make a wise decision.

Failing to take the time to find out about all aspects of the business may result in a costly mistake. To buy a window cleaning round could be the best business decision you ever make, on the other hand it could end up being one of the worst. A lot depends on good communication. Window cleaning rounds don’t often come cheap, so before spending a lot of money be sure to do your research. Ask to be given a quick tour of the work to get an overview of how compact the work is and what the prices are like. There has to be an element of trust from both parties for the deal to be successful. Some questions you will need to ask are:

When was the work last done?

How established is the work?

What income does the round generate in an average month?

What kind of methods are the customers used to? Traditional or water fed pole?

Is collection usually by cheque in the post or by collecting in the evening?

What kind of scope is there for enlarging the round if need be?

When were the prices last raised?

How long does it take the current window cleaner to do the round?

Realistically, what is the average hourly rate achievable?

What is the reason for the sale?

If the seller seems ***ue about these details and is more interested in getting a deposit from you without giving you opportunity to at least select a few customers at random to verify, then take that as a warning sign.

Alarm bells should also start ringing if the seller is reluctant to provide you with personal details such as a home address or telephone number.

For a smooth transition the customers should be told what is happening by the original window cleaner. Householders like to know who is coming and who they are paying, so ideally it would be good for you to meet the customers once you are pretty sure that you will buy the work. At this stage ask to choose a random selection of customers from the list and then go to verify that they exist by meeting them. (See below). If you will not be working the round for the first time with the seller, then ask him to give a letter to all the customers to inform them of the change. When you start you may wish to leave your own letter to introduce yourself.

Download example changeover letter.

Tip: Work a section or all the round for one clean with the seller. This will give you opportunity to get to see first hand not only what the round is like, but it will also give you opportunity to have an insight into the seller’s character. Buying and selling goodwill involves trust and if you don’t know the seller then working alongside him for a day or two will help you develop the mutual trust.

Don’t expect to be given the full list of work until you have made at least a deposit. The seller is also taking a risk in giving you the work before he receives the full amount. A fair method for the exchange may be to put half of the amount down as a deposit and pay the other half once you have worked the round once and established that the round is all legitimate, ideally doing this together with the seller and splitting the proceeds.

Before you start the work, agree between yourselves as to what will happen in the case of cancellations. Again this requires trust. Both parties should have a written copy of the agreed terms of sale so that any issues that arise can be settled according to the agreement.

When there are large amounts of money involved it is highly recommended that you involve a solicitor and seek legal advice for the transaction to be documented.

Tips when selling a window cleaning round.

If you want the sale of the round to go smoothly then communication with your customers is vital. Your customers have a right to know who is coming onto their property to clean their windows. Mention to your customers the change and hand them a letter of notification with the new cleaner’s contact details. You can download a sample letter here for free. Having a name, telephone number and address of the new cleaner will make customers more at ease with the change. Download example changeover letter.(There is more to this article, but I've decided to cut it short here).

 
Good stuff that, im possibly going to be buying some work of a complete stranger in the future, nice to refresh the old grey matter with what to look out for/expect. Cheers

 
Back
Top