Newbie to the ranks

[ched999uk]

Gardiners don't take phone calls but normally allow you to leave a message and they get back to you. They are running a little different due to Covid.

If I ever email them I normally get a reply either later that day or early next (not on weekend though). They do have very good customer service though. i.e. Alex Gardiner does come on here and answer questions/help with issues from time to time.

 

[Woody86]

Ahh but I bet you were in profit by the end of your first week ?

Yep and you started out the original way too. There's a lot to be said for a man who can build himself up from scratch.

 

[HWCS]

Theres 2 lots of work you need to do before you take the plunge 

Homework and legwork

Both are critical in building a business. Your on 6figures but your workinging 14hr days and im assuming you work weekends too, for them hrs id want 7 figures!

With your current hours id say your p1ss1ng against the wind trying to set up at weekends and evenings, no point giving yourself a heart attack!

Imho speak to your bosses, cut your hrs and enjoy your salary.

I personally think your one of the few people ive seen wanting to start up that would need to quit your job to get going if you dont wanna kill yourself.

Sorry if that soumds like a real downers reply.

Good luck in whatever you choose to do

 

[AW Services]

Yep and you started out the original way too. There's a lot to be said for a man who can build himself up from scratch.

I've always thought that starting out learning the traditional method gives you a greater insight and ability in the trade and aids an understanding of windows and cleaning

Now days I just waggle a long stick and squirt water over glass in no time at all 

 

[Attila]

I personally think your one of the few people ive seen wanting to start up that would need to quit your job to get going if you dont wanna kill yourself.

I think Arnold Schwarzenegger said that there is no plan B. There is only plan A.

Normally, in business, they would always advise of a fall back plan, in fact, business plans should always have this otherwise you'll get a straight reject - in case of a loan request from a bank etc. Of which sounds good, but if you think it further having such a plan means two things: you are either have no courage and confidence in what you're about to do (= you should stay where you are) and/or you are not willing to work bloody hard to make it work (=you should stay where you are).

Not having a backup plan forces you to turn survival mode on, ignite all the rockets when it comes to creativity and "legwork".

The window cleaning for us is the last resort to make it through this and next month, I put everything on it. But I only did this because I know ourselves and what we have done and achieved in the past few months to survive. If it wasn't window cleaning, it would be something else, trust me. Now we have a 5-star cleaning business because our work ethic is sick (we often work 12 hours without eating or drinking) and we started up one month before they locked down the whole country. However, we are still a start-up and very vulnerable to economic changes and cash-flow. This month is rubbish for us and I saw it coming at the end of last month so I had to find something to make extra money fast to maintain our cash-flow (at least keeping it above minus). That's why I'm here.

Even today my wife has asked me what we're gonna do. She has a tendency of wanting to go back to work as obviously it's safe (well, if we could find a decent job these days...). I always keep reminding her that only way is forward, not backward.

I mean I just simply could never go back again so I have this urge to make it through no matter what.

So my point is that if someone isn't forced to survive, to make it work, it will never work really.

 

[Woody86]

I've now got the weekends free but it would be foolish not to have a plan B and throw yourself into it.

Luckily I can keep a good income and then apply myself at the weekends to learn the practical side and then start leaflet dropping when I feel comfortable. There is a great guy on YouTube who started in a similar way, working weekends to the point where he had to quit his 50k job. He has then further built on top of that so it's great to see the success.

I think it's common to know how much effort a start-up requires. If you don't apply yourself then what's the point. I'm hungry to disrupt the market in my local area and make a success as soon as possible but I need to walk before I run.

Big shout out to Chris for pinging over a wealth of information over message on pricing and how he applies himself and the rest of you. Certainly taking all points onboard. 

 

[Chris34]

Yep and you started out the original way too. There's a lot to be said for a man who can build himself up from scratch.

Just to clarify, I didn't start out traditional.  I have spent all my life doing contract office cleaning / school caretaking / cleaning working for other employers, think at one point I had 4 employers at the same time.  I then diversified slightly into domestic house cleaning for a year and it was while doing that that a client told me her window cleaner was charging her £75 to clean her windows, it was a big house but she said he was only there for less than 2 hours, that's when I found out about it.  

I'd never heard of purified water and only seen brushes being used on a handful of occasions but I thought they were cleaning fascias with them.  All my experience with cleaning had taught me that you can't leave glass wet as the drips dry on the glass, so it just never occurred to me they were cleaning windows as well.

During my time cleaning I have tried other things, I took a course on carpet and upholstery cleaning at the cost of about £500 I think it was, bought all the kit with a £5k loan / savings and did a couple of jobs then sold it all and set up an ebay business, great fun lot's of effort but very little profit to show for it, when I say lot's of effort I mean I invested 7 years of my life into making it work, that's 7 years of not going out, wearing old clothes, scrimping by all for the dream of making it big.  Setting up a window cleaning business, in business terms it's an absolute doddle by comparison.  If I put in the effort that my younger self had back then then I'd probably already be at £50k now and pushing for more.  Just haven't got the desire to put that much effort in now though, you learn as you get older that there is more to life than working 16 hour days.

 

[Woody86]

Just to clarify, I didn't start out traditional.  I have spent all my life doing contract office cleaning / school caretaking / cleaning working for other employers, think at one point I had 4 employers at the same time.  I then diversified slightly into domestic house cleaning for a year and it was while doing that that a client told me her window cleaner was charging her £75 to clean her windows, it was a big house but she said he was only there for less than 2 hours, that's when I found out about it.  

I'd never heard of purified water and only seen brushes being used on a handful of occasions but I thought they were cleaning fascias with them.  All my experience with cleaning had taught me that you can't leave glass wet as the drips dry on the glass, so it just never occurred to me they were cleaning windows as well.

During my time cleaning I have tried other things, I took a course on carpet and upholstery cleaning at the cost of about £500 I think it was, bought all the kit with a £5k loan / savings and did a couple of jobs then sold it all and set up an ebay business, great fun lot's of effort but very little profit to show for it, when I say lot's of effort I mean I invested 7 years of my life into making it work, that's 7 years of not going out, wearing old clothes, scrimping by all for the dream of making it big.  Setting up a window cleaning business, in business terms it's an absolute doddle by comparison.  If I put in the effort that my younger self had back then then I'd probably already be at £50k now and pushing for more.  Just haven't got the desire to put that much effort in now though, you learn as you get older that there is more to life than working 16 hour days.

Sorry Chris, I meant to quote the other chappy who mentioned that he wish he had that sort of money when starting.

What got me thinking was a guy that came to clean my house. His approach and customer approach was great in comparison to some others who came to quote and it got me thinking. I shown a bit of interest and he mentioned that he was made redundant, blindly entered into window cleaning 5 years ago and is now window cleaning 15 clients a day. I thought that was some going but not sure how truthful that statement was, if it was true then that's bloody impressive.

If this isn't a success then I'll just have a setup to clean my own windows and conservatory ? I'll need to do it for 2.5 years before I break even though haha.

 

[AW Services]

I've now got the weekends free but it would be foolish not to have a plan B and throw yourself into it.

Luckily I can keep a good income and then apply myself at the weekends to learn the practical side and then start leaflet dropping when I feel comfortable. There is a great guy on YouTube who started in a similar way, working weekends to the point where he had to quit his 50k job. He has then further built on top of that so it's great to see the success.

I think it's common to know how much effort a start-up requires. If you don't apply yourself then what's the point. I'm hungry to disrupt the market in my local area and make a success as soon as possible but I need to walk before I run.

Big shout out to Chris for pinging over a wealth of information over message on pricing and how he applies himself and the rest of you. Certainly taking all points onboard. 

Get exercising those wrists forearms shoulders back and waist muscles this job is a free workout 

 

[ched999uk]

5 years ago and is now window cleaning 15 clients a day. I thought that was some going but not sure how truthful that statement was, if it was true that's some going!

The number of properties you can do is mainly based on how compact your round is. i.e. you don't earn driving between jobs, so the less driving you do the better. 

The first time you clean a property it will probably take you twice the time to clean. Plus when you start you will be slow as you need to be very thorough to ensure you do a good job. Don't try and go too fast at the beginning, speed will come.

As you said it may have taken your cleaner 5 years to be able to do 15 customers a day!!

 

[Part Timer]

Sorry Chris, I meant to quote the other chappy who mentioned that he wish he had that sort of money when starting.

What got me thinking was a guy that came to clean my house. His approach and customer approach was great in comparison to some others who came to quote and it got me thinking. I shown a bit of interest and he mentioned that he was made redundant, blindly entered into window cleaning 5 years ago and is now window cleaning 15 clients a day. I thought that was some going but not sure how truthful that statement was, if it was true then that's bloody impressive.

If this isn't a success then I'll just have a setup to clean my own windows and conservatory ? I'll need to do it for 2.5 years before I break even though haha.

Even with travelling you should be able to do 15 houses a day, compact work at least 24. It's then filling tanks, paperwork, payments etc that will be tiring.

 

[Iron Giant]

What got me thinking was a guy that came to clean my house. His approach and customer approach was great in comparison to some others who came to quote and it got me thinking. I shown a bit of interest and he mentioned that he was made redundant, blindly entered into window cleaning 5 years ago and is now window cleaning 15 clients a day. I thought that was some going but not sure how truthful that statement was, if it was true then that's bloody impressive.

15 jobs a day it depends on how big those jobs are 15 3 bed semis is nothing and very easy to do were as 15 large 5 bed houses with big conservatories is quite a lot more work, 

Not everyone is honest and some like to stretch the true just a bit, I was talking to a lad the other week who told me had two lads working for him in other areas between them they clean 6,000 jobs, he said can you imagine managing 6,000 jobs a month, in my head I really couldn't see it at all that's them cleaning 100 houses a day 5 days a week  I couldn't stop laughing all day and I am still laughing now weeks later ?

 

[Part Timer]

15 jobs a day it depends on how big those jobs are 15 3 bed semis is nothing and very easy to do were as 15 large 5 bed houses with big conservatories is quite a lot more work, 

Not everyone is honest and some like to stretch the true just a bit, I was talking to a lad the other week who told me had two lads working for him in other areas between them they clean 6,000 jobs, he said can you imagine managing 6,000 jobs a month, in my head I really couldn't see it at all that's them cleaning 100 houses a day 5 days a week  I couldn't stop laughing all day and I am still laughing now weeks later ?

He probably got his turnover mixed up with his number of clients.

 

[AW Services]

15 jobs a day it depends on how big those jobs are 15 3 bed semis is nothing and very easy to do were as 15 large 5 bed houses with big conservatories is quite a lot more work, 

Not everyone is honest and some like to stretch the true just a bit, I was talking to a lad the other week who told me had two lads working for him in other areas between them they clean 6,000 jobs, he said can you imagine managing 6,000 jobs a month, in my head I really couldn't see it at all that's them cleaning 100 houses a day 5 days a week  I couldn't stop laughing all day and I am still laughing now weeks later ?

Sounds like a dragons den pitch gone wrong 

 

[harunh]

I've now got the weekends free but it would be foolish not to have a plan B and throw yourself into it.

Luckily I can keep a good income and then apply myself at the weekends to learn the practical side and then start leaflet dropping when I feel comfortable. There is a great guy on YouTube who started in a similar way, working weekends to the point where he had to quit his 50k job. He has then further built on top of that so it's great to see the success.

I think it's common to know how much effort a start-up requires. If you don't apply yourself then what's the point. I'm hungry to disrupt the market in my local area and make a success as soon as possible but I need to walk before I run.

Big shout out to Chris for pinging over a wealth of information over message on pricing and how he applies himself and the rest of you. Certainly taking all points onboard. 

I like your hunger, remind me of myself 8 years ago when i started up.. 8 years later we deal with 3,000 customers and van 7  is going on the road next week ? so yes if u want it and are hungry u will get it... no doubt... its all about the leg work and determination.

I like how you put "disrupt the market" haha thats the type of attitude you need to have to succeed in business ?

Good luck

 

[Don Logan]

If I were you I wouldn't, not if your on 100k. On your own you wont get close to that sort of money unless your 100% commercial. You might turn over 75k to make around 55k if you have a good customer base. Two of you will do it but this brings issue's, two vans and running two vans can be expensive if you don't earn. Two lots of wages and with that amount of work your need a person to answer the phone ETC.  On Your Own You will need around 400 domestic customers on a average £25.00 to have a list total of around 10k that's a starting point, Once you have achieved that your have a small amount of money in the business to move forward and then start paying yourself a small wage and move forward again with confidence. I think it very very important to have money in the business first even if its a small amount of around 10k before you pay yourself if you don't, as you earn your be paying out. I know of so many start ups who as they earnt it went straight in their pockets. Then take a hit on the van, say a large garage bill and then cant pay.  If you can buy your van and system and kit out of your own money then good, but don't forget to talk to your accountant how to use your money against tax. Only buy quality kit and stay away from ebay , Ionics systems are very good but poles are not that good. Gardiner poles are very good. Do yourself a favour and go out with someone a few times to get the gist of things. If you do it right you will achieve a very good income out of your hard graft. Remember the grass is not always greener on the other side, no sick pay, no holiday pay, no pension and you will have to put at least £25 per hundred you earn for tax and stamp, £120 per week on a very small pension.   Good luck think very hard before you commit. 

 

[Minty]

If I were you I wouldn't, not if your on 100k. On your own you wont get close to that sort of money unless your 100% commercial. You might turn over 75k to make around 55k if you have a good customer base. Two of you will do it but this brings issue's, two vans and running two vans can be expensive if you don't earn. Two lots of wages and with that amount of work your need a person to answer the phone ETC.  On Your Own You will need around 400 domestic customers on a average £25.00 to have a list total of around 10k that's a starting point, Once you have achieved that your have a small amount of money in the business to move forward and then start paying yourself a small wage and move forward again with confidence. I think it very very important to have money in the business first even if its a small amount of around 10k before you pay yourself if you don't, as you earn your be paying out. I know of so many start ups who as they earnt it went straight in their pockets. Then take a hit on the van, say a large garage bill and then cant pay.  If you can buy your van and system and kit out of your own money then good, but don't forget to talk to your accountant how to use your money against tax. Only buy quality kit and stay away from ebay , Ionics systems are very good but poles are not that good. Gardiner poles are very good. Do yourself a favour and go out with someone a few times to get the gist of things. If you do it right you will achieve a very good income out of your hard graft. Remember the grass is not always greener on the other side, no sick pay, no holiday pay, no pension and you will have to put at least £25 per hundred you earn for tax and stamp, £120 per week on a very small pension.   Good luck think very hard before you commit. 

I agree totally with this. If you think you have no time now it will seem like you’ve worked part time at the current 3 figured job. You will eat sleep and drink building a business to possibly earn half, in two years. 
If you truly believe you can and want to do something you’ve never done before, see you you can work part time or even get a part time job, while you build. 
every negative you currently experience at work will be exactly the same when the novelty of working for yourself wears off

Genuinely wish you well.

Minty

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I would say it has taken me 3 years to get to where I am right now. I have a pension and no dependents to care for so I can work nearly everyday. Its hard work spending every penny you make on new equipment but in the end it comes back in spades. I do some charity work for my customers like removing a small hedge and then I got told its not my customers hedge so now I have to replace with a small fence. ? Maybe charity begins at home.

 

[Minty]

I would say it has taken me 3 years to get to where I am right now. I have a pension and no dependents to care for so I can work nearly everyday. Its hard work spending every penny you make on new equipment but in the end it comes back in spades. I do some charity work for my customers like removing a small hedge and then I got told its not my customers hedge so now I have to replace with a small fence. ? Maybe charity begins at home.

Lol. You need to learn to park that van better ?

 

[albatross]

If I were you I wouldn't, not if your on 100k. On your own you wont get close to that sort of money unless your 100% commercial. You might turn over 75k to make around 55k if you have a good customer base. Two of you will do it but this brings issue's, two vans and running two vans can be expensive if you don't earn. Two lots of wages and with that amount of work your need a person to answer the phone ETC.  On Your Own You will need around 400 domestic customers on a average £25.00 to have a list total of around 10k that's a starting point, Once you have achieved that your have a small amount of money in the business to move forward and then start paying yourself a small wage and move forward again with confidence. I think it very very important to have money in the business first even if its a small amount of around 10k before you pay yourself if you don't, as you earn your be paying out. I know of so many start ups who as they earnt it went straight in their pockets. Then take a hit on the van, say a large garage bill and then cant pay.  If you can buy your van and system and kit out of your own money then good, but don't forget to talk to your accountant how to use your money against tax. Only buy quality kit and stay away from ebay , Ionics systems are very good but poles are not that good. Gardiner poles are very good. Do yourself a favour and go out with someone a few times to get the gist of things. If you do it right you will achieve a very good income out of your hard graft. Remember the grass is not always greener on the other side, no sick pay, no holiday pay, no pension and you will have to put at least £25 per hundred you earn for tax and stamp, £120 per week on a very small pension.   Good luck think very hard before you commit. 

Hi when you mention the 55k figure you quoted above is that excluding the second van's salary or is it all in your pocket?

 

[johnny bravo]

id be lost without my swivel adapter on my pole, everyday use.    ideal for high   restricted windows.