Took my toy out for a little drive

[Cleanco]

Here’s my weekend toy. Shame it’s not moved much recently?

 

[Damo]

Very nice!!!!

 

[Pjj]

I used to have an rs4 (v8 N/A saloon version)and having owned both id have to go with the ford. Yes......  the ford. The Audi was a really good car but the ford is more fun.  I’ll get a few pics upped after. 

Really !!!! The build quality is atrocious bits falling off , very cheap finish and it has stop me written all over it , the Audi’s are far more subtle and dont draw attention, each to there own ,but it’s not for me .

 

[Part Timer]

Really !!!! The build quality is atrocious bits falling off , very cheap finish and it has stop me written all over it , the Audi’s are far more subtle and dont draw attention, each to there own ,but it’s not for me .

Probably an age thing ?

 

[Cleanco]

Really !!!! The build quality is atrocious bits falling off , very cheap finish and it has stop me written all over it , the Audi’s are far more subtle and dont draw attention, each to there own ,but it’s not for me .

Don’t get me wrong the Audi’s are far superior in build quality and in an everyday driving experience and also very fast especially now with the new boxes as all’s you have to do is activate launch control and put your foot down. The Focus RS is more of a drivers car especially once mountune had fettled with it. It’s now an M400X with a countless list of hardware to go with it.  I’ve always been a fast ford head. I owned a 4x4 saff cosworth around 15 years ago, absolutely love em and although the build quality of Ford ain’t that  good your buying the RS badge not the ford one. That is my weekend toy and not the family car that I need to use on a daily basis.  I’m really tempted to get the sequential box for it but at over £6000 fitted it can wait. I think a Nissan GTR is next on the list anyway. 

 

[Pjj]

Don’t get me wrong the Audi’s are far superior in build quality and in an everyday driving experience and also very fast especially now with the new boxes as all’s you have to do is activate launch control and put your foot down. The Focus RS is more of a drivers car especially once mountune had fettled with it. It’s now an M400X with a countless list of hardware to go with it.  I’ve always been a fast ford head. I owned a 4x4 saff cosworth around 15 years ago, absolutely love em and although the build quality of Ford ain’t that  good your buying the RS badge not the ford one. That is my weekend toy and not the family car that I need to use on a daily basis.  I’m really tempted to get the sequential box for it but at over £6000 fitted it can wait. I think a Nissan GTR is next on the list anyway. 

My first car was a mk2 cortina 1600e all done up balanced engine and twin carbs , I worked in a garage at the time , I have had loads of fords over the years RS Mexico’s mk1 and mk2 , escort RS 1800 , BDA,RS2000 mk1 and 2 , to be honest back then I think they were very good cars but feel now that they are very cheap and nasty especially inside , before I bought my SQ5 I was looking at a BMW X3 and x5 the x3 was absolute junk inside the stitching on the seats no two stitches were the same size , and very uncomfortable seats evan with the options, extra comfort seats as a £1500 option , I was very dissapointed with the quality I had had loads of BMW , M3,m5 m6 etc again this put me off the BMW and that’s why I bought the Audi , build quality is superb it’s also very quick I have had it chipped and re mapped ,never been a lover  of Audi but have to say it is very nice but hard ride and bit noisy but it puts a smile on your face every time I get in it . ??

 

[Cleanco]

My first car was a mk2 cortina 1600e all done up balanced engine and twin carbs , I worked in a garage at the time , I have had loads of fords over the years RS Mexico’s mk1 and mk2 , escort RS 1800 , BDA,RS2000 mk1 and 2 , to be honest back then I think they were very good cars but feel now that they are very cheap and nasty especially inside , before I bought my SQ5 I was looking at a BMW X3 and x5 the x3 was absolute junk inside the stitching on the seats no two stitches were the same size , and very uncomfortable seats evan with the options, extra comfort seats as a £1500 option , I was very dissapointed with the quality I had had loads of BMW , M3,m5 m6 etc again this put me off the BMW and that’s why I bought the Audi , build quality is superb it’s also very quick I have had it chipped and re mapped ,never been a lover  of Audi but have to say it is very nice but hard ride and bit noisy but it puts a smile on your face every time I get in it . ??

They’ve always been cheap mate, think it’s more a nostalgia thing. I agree about the beemer seats, all very uncomfortable apart from the alpina’s. 

 

[Dave B]

My best car was a s2 escort rst running around 260 bhp.

Standard cossie was 237.

Was gutted when it finally died but still sold it for more in parts than it was worth.

I remember being towed by brother in law with his 375bhp sapphire cossie and getting pulled for racing ?

 

[Davy G]

Hi all,
Interesting discussion regarding Franchises and employing.

@Damo nice ride by the way. Looks like great fun.

@Pjj and @Davy G; We have a Joint Venture and employ as well so thought I would share some insight that may be helpful.
It is my personal experience so take into account it's not right or wrong but just experience.

I have found that in any event, employing or setting up a franchise or joint venture is a serious task with both great risks and rewards. I don't think any is harder than the other but just different balances of risk, management, reward and freedom.

For example; I am 30 now. I had been managing within optical retail since 19. It took me 3 hires before I got a window cleaner I was happy with and even this month I am seeing mistakes I have made and correcting myself, adjusting procedures and learning still.

I also have a JV partner. It runs like a franchise. Main difference is my principle company owns half the Joint Venture company. Shareholder setup in respect to dividends is different but owning half allows for control and responsibility where required from a legal point of view.

I considered a franchise setup where partner would be sole trader or their own limited company.
In any instance whether you employ directly, franchise or JV; you are ultimately trusting brand representation to someone else.

My view is that as you decrease responsibility and workload the risk increases. For example.
An employee. If they start going rogue in the sense that there is mass complaints, poor attitude and such. You can fire them almost immediately providing you can demonstrate it's gross misconduct and that you've set the standards of what is acceptable. More responsibility but less risk.

A franchisee. If they start doing cash work on the side and perhaps appear as though they are no longer respecting the system; it may very well be harder for you to withdraw a license or otherwise depending on the individual setup and agreement of the franchise. There is no fixed way to do it. Even if you end any agreement, it may be the case that you have conflict in the sense that clients may still associate this person with your brand. Much will depend on the agreement/contract setup I guess. Lesser responsibility but increased risk.

Joint Venture. I have a JV via an agreement and if it was to turn bad I would have to exercise legal proceedings to end persons role and buy back their shares. This seems more lengthy but because I am half owner of the JV company we technically own all items legally. There is a clause to move in and control of equipment such a vans whenever we can demonstrate it is necessary which acts as an immediate fail safe.

What I realised in any scenario is that you must select the right person based on:
1) what input you want to have in the operations of business and how independent you want the employee, JV or franchisee to be
2) your management and personal style. Someone may be the perfect employee for you but terrible for me based on our standards and attitudes.
3) I also found that through the 10 or so years of employing and managing people that there is no perfect employee for a position or company. There is only a perfect employee for a company and position at a current time or period. As things move on and develop what you need changes.

A vital consideration I had was this. I did not want to have any JV, Franchise or otherwise where the work the person could do would be as much as they want. It was vital for me that the agreement means that the partner (in whatever capacity) has an obligation to grow the business as much as is required to meet the demand for the geographical catchment area.
Why? I want to do what is ultimately best for the market and I saw that a huge downfall in trades industries was good tradesmen reach capacity and in many cases don't employ. This capped capacity typically leads to cherry picking of work. This makes is difficult for many to use the services of window cleaners, plumbers and otherwise.
I do not fault them personally. If I found employing to be a hassle and I only had a limit of 40 hrs I was willing to work in a week I would cherry pick and constantly replace inferior work with the best and easiest. I think it's only natural. Why would you work 40 hrs for x amount when you can x +20% ad it's more enjoyable. It's not what everyone does granted but it is common activity within trades and customers do comment on how hard it is to find x, y z trade to do something at their home.

As a result I decided and set that responsibility would be divided by area and there is no cherry picking. As long a client fits with how we do business (online payments and access available for example), we will serve them and grow as big as necessary to service that demand.

Some things that helped me.

So, I am relatively new to window cleaning. Less than 5 years.
For anyone looking to execute a franchise model or in general to employing, I found one book in particular to be a breakthrough to my knowledge and application of the way I ran businesses.
The E Myth by Michael Gerber. Can't recommend it enough.

And bear in mind that I had been managing teams of up to 40-50 people with revenues into the low millions before getting into window cleaning. I was not new to business or employing/managing people in any sense but that book is one of the most applicable I have read in relation to employing and the joint venture system. It's a must read for anyone looking to build any business in my opinion. Even if you are top notch, it is likely you will find someway to make some improvements afterwards.

I respect that to some this may seem like I'm teaching you to suck eggs. I just wanted to share my thoughts with the view that it may be helpful as I noticed the topic was raising some questions and I have some experience which I thought may serve as some value sharing.

If anyone ever wants to have a chat or otherwise I'm always happy to.

Wow! Omega. Thanks for taking the time and effort , that's a really in-depth answer. It will take me a while to get my head round all that information. I will also look into the book you recommended. Expanding is  probably not something on the near horizon but as I said I like to do my research well in advance.

Thanks again. Davy. ??

 

[Cleanco]

What happened to talking about cars?‍

 

[Damo]

What happened to talking about cars?‍

Haha ? 

I was looking at Porsche panamera and macan’s on ebay. A lot of car for not a lot of money! 

 

[Pjj]

Haha ? 

I was looking at Porsche panamera and macan’s on ebay. A lot of car for not a lot of money! 

Before I bought my SQ5 I looked at the Porsche mecan , surprisinglyit was cheaper than the Audi . problem is the nearest dealer to me is 110 miles away and the first service just oil change and filter is £600 so decided against it . 

 

[RWCleaning]

Before I bought my SQ5 I looked at the Porsche mecan , surprisinglyit was cheaper than the Audi . problem is the nearest dealer to me is 110 miles away and the first service just oil change and filter is £600 so decided against it . 

They’re the same car practically aren’t they? Them & the Vw Touran? 

 

[Pjj]

They’re the same car practically aren’t they? Them & the Vw Touran? 

Very similar Audi Q5 , vw Touareg, Porsche mecan but all drive totally differently , I tried them all before buying the Audi 

 

[Master Jedi Alejandro]

anyone got the new A-Class? Been eying them up. Would like a A200 but insurance might dictate 180d. Anyone had a go in one? I love them big screens! ?

 

[Cleanco]

anyone got the new A-Class? Been eying them up. Would like a A200 but insurance might dictate 180d. Anyone had a go in one? I love them big screens! ?

Ye my missus had one not so long ago. She had the A200 Amg sport, the one with the blue tech engine. Really good little car bit not big enough for us once we had our third child. £20 year tax, cheap insurance and drank hardly any fuel. 

They’re the same car practically aren’t they? Them & the Vw Touran? 

Aren’t they owed by the same company? I think Lamborghini is in there with them as well. 

 

[Cleanco]

Haha ? 

I was looking at Porsche panamera and macan’s on ebay. A lot of car for not a lot of money! 

Ye that’s coz they end up costing you down the line. 

 

[Cleanco]

My best car was a s2 escort rst running around 260 bhp.

Standard cossie was 237.

Was gutted when it finally died but still sold it for more in parts than it was worth.

I remember being towed by brother in law with his 375bhp sapphire cossie and getting pulled for racing ?

Nice, a mate of mine used have an s1 with a 1.9 block in it running just over 200bhp. It was quick but sh1t handling cos of his choice on wheels and suspension set up. Think he went more for looks. You got any pics?? I’ll have to dig my old cossi some pics out. 

 

[harunh]

anyone got the new A-Class? Been eying them up. Would like a A200 but insurance might dictate 180d. Anyone had a go in one? I love them big screens! ?

A classes are **** , just a vauxhall astra with a Mercedes badge 

The a45 amg is a top motor tho 

 

[Dave B]

A classes are **** , just a vauxhall astra with a Mercedes badge 

The a45 amg is a top motor tho 

I'm currently looking at a mates old renault 5 turbo.

Mint condition.

That's a proper car?.

As long as you don't mind changing head gasget every month lol.

 

[Cleanco]

I'm currently looking at a mates old renault 5 turbo.

Mint condition.

That's a proper car?.

As long as you don't mind changing head gasget every month lol.

?a mate of mine had one of them also. It  overheated pretty much everytime he went out in it. He even used to Sri d round in summer with the heaters on full blast. Don’t know if it helped though.