Water fed pole commercial vs residential

[Part Timer]

Brilliant thank you for your help! Does this forum cover being vat registered and card payment....plus any advice on being self employed or is it a case of finding out off the gov website?

Why are you talking about VAT registration? Unless you live in an area that needs window cleaners, getting to the VAT threshold within 2 years is rapid growth. 

I'd advise any newbie to speak to the Government helpline, they are very helpful and will point you in the right direction regarding what you legally have to do.

 

[horatiocarter]

Why are you talking about VAT registration? Unless you live in an area that needs window cleaners, getting to the VAT threshold within 2 years is rapid growth. 

I'd advise any newbie to speak to the Government helpline, they are very helpful and will point you in the right direction regarding what you legally have to do.

I may not even need to deal with it...but I am a little anxious about getting everything in so I will have a look for the government helpline.

 

[Part Timer]

I may not even need to deal with it...but I am a little anxious about getting everything in so I will have a look for the government helpline.

Your first target is getting good customers, start worrying and planning about what you need to do next once you're working 80 hours a month on the glass.

 

[ched999uk]

I may not even need to deal with it...but I am a little anxious about getting everything in so I will have a look for the government helpline.

The UK vat threshold is £85,000 turnover! One thing that is worth thinking about is that IF you go vat registered your prices may have to be 20% higher than people not up to vat threshold - while that's not a problem for most commercial jobs as they claim vat back for domestic customers 20% is quite a bit!

As for self employed look it up on gov web site but I think you need to register within 6 months and then submit a tax return every year. Depending on how much profit you make you may have to pay your tax bill 6 months in advance once you get going!!!! 

You might be better off talking to an accountant as they can advise you on all sorts including van purchase vs lease vs hp going limited etc....

A good accountant will save you more than their costs and enable you to stay on right side of HMRC. 

 

[horatiocarter]

Your first target is getting good customers, start worrying and planning about what you need to do next once you're working 80 hours a month on the glass.

Thanks will do

 

[spruce]

Your first target is getting good customers, start worrying and planning about what you need to do next once you're working 80 hours a month on the glass.

Thanks will do

This is a business that grows over time @horatiocarter. Most start off as one man businesses that develop. There is nothing wrong with thinking big but we all have to start small. We also mustn't spend too much time thinking big as we will never get the business going. To start with you might get 3 customer's and have to bin 2 as they are messers. Customers don't come begging you to clean their windows. There will be times when you wonder if you are doing the right thing.

We have a lot more competition from new cleaners, many you see once and then never see again. It's seen by many as an easy job and a big money earner. You are, in all respect, one of those future new starters.

You aren't going to start off as an employer. While it's good to set and aim for a goal, you need to look at the smaller steps needed to achieve that goal. You have to start building a business from the foundation. Its far too early to be thinking about the colour of the roof tiles. Your asking questions about being VAT registered already tells most of us you are focusing your sights too high.

In our area we have a well established window cleaning business. They have a rather poor name for customer service, but they target high reach commercial customers and charge high prices. They also have high reach equipment that costs a fortune to invest in to do the job. They retain their commercial customer base because no one else can do them. There is no way the majority of us will invest £3000 into a pole to target this type of business. So they have virtually no competition.

This company were also agents for Brodex in the early years and opened up a shop selling equipment. We purchased our first set of Unger tradition cleaning tools from them. That failed. Big plans sometimes don't work out for many reasons. They have also become a smaller business and reduced some staff.

If I tried to target the type of work they do I will fail as I don't have the experience or expertise to quote the job let alone to do it. I wouldn't even attempt some of the jobs @Pjjor @Part Timerdo and I've been window cleaning 17 years.

 

[harunh]

This is a business that grows over time @horatiocarter. Most start off as one man businesses that develop. There is nothing wrong with thinking big but we all have to start small. We also mustn't spend too much time thinking big as we will never get the business going. To start with you might get 3 customer's and have to bin 2 as they are messers. Customers don't come flocking begging you to clean their windows. There will be times when you wonder if you are doing the right thing.

We have a lot more competition from new cleaners, many you see once and then never see again. It's seen by many as an easy job and a big money earner.

You aren't going to start off as an employer. While it's good to set and aim for a goal, you need to look at the smaller steps needed to achieve that goal. You have to start building a business from the foundation. Its far too early to be thinking about the colour of the roof tiles. Your asking questions about being VAT registered already tells most of us you are focusing your sights too high.

In our area we have a well established window cleaning business. They have a rather poor name for customer service, but they target high reach commercial customers and charge high prices. They also have high reach equipment that costs a fortune to invest in to do the job. They retain their commercial customer base because no one else can do them. There is no way the majority of us will invest £3000 into a pole to target this type of business. So they have virtually no competition.

This company were also agents for Brodex in the early years and opened up a shop selling equipment. We purchased our first set of Unger tradition cleaning tools from them. That failed. Big plans sometimes don't work out for many reasons. They have also become a smaller business and reduced some staff.

If I tried to target the type of work they do I will fail as I don't have the experience or expertise to quote the job let alone to do it. I wouldn't even attempt some of the jobs @Pjjor @Part Timerdo and I've been window cleaning 17 years.

I agree with the above , the guy is a window cleaning guru so take his advice ?? 

Them big ideas u have keep then in your head and put them into practise when the right time comes ,  but building a window cleaning business is built over time , its not an overnight thing.

good luck

 

[horatiocarter]

This is a business that grows over time @horatiocarter. Most start off as one man businesses that develop. There is nothing wrong with thinking big but we all have to start small. We also mustn't spend too much time thinking big as we will never get the business going. To start with you might get 3 customer's and have to bin 2 as they are messers. Customers don't come flocking begging you to clean their windows. There will be times when you wonder if you are doing the right thing.

We have a lot more competition from new cleaners, many you see once and then never see again. It's seen by many as an easy job and a big money earner.

You aren't going to start off as an employer. While it's good to set and aim for a goal, you need to look at the smaller steps needed to achieve that goal. You have to start building a business from the foundation. Its far too early to be thinking about the colour of the roof tiles. Your asking questions about being VAT registered already tells most of us you are focusing your sights too high.

In our area we have a well established window cleaning business. They have a rather poor name for customer service, but they target high reach commercial customers and charge high prices. They also have high reach equipment that costs a fortune to invest in to do the job. They retain their commercial customer base because no one else can do them. There is no way the majority of us will invest £3000 into a pole to target this type of business. So they have virtually no competition.

This company were also agents for Brodex in the early years and opened up a shop selling equipment. We purchased our first set of Unger tradition cleaning tools from them. That failed. Big plans sometimes don't work out for many reasons. They have also become a smaller business and reduced some staff.

If I tried to target the type of work they do I will fail as I don't have the experience or expertise to quote the job let alone to do it. I wouldn't even attempt some of the jobs @Pjjor @Part Timerdo and I've been window cleaning 17 years.

Thanks I appreciate your honesty. 

 

[Iron Giant]

In our area we have a well established window cleaning business. They have a rather poor name for customer service, but they target high reach commercial customers and charge high prices. They also have high reach equipment that costs a fortune to invest in to do the job. They retain their commercial customer base because no one else can do them. There is no way the majority of us will invest £3000 into a pole to target this type of business. So they have virtually no competition.

This company were also agents for Brodex in the early years and opened up a shop selling equipment. We purchased our first set of Unger tradition cleaning tools from them. That failed. Big plans sometimes don't work out for many reasons. They have also become a smaller business and reduced some staff.

That wasn't the people who had a shop in Middlesbrough was it, I remember going there over 20 years ago I can't remember exactly where it was though just a little shop

 

[Part Timer]

If I tried to target the type of work they do I will fail as I don't have the experience or expertise to quote the job let alone to do it. I wouldn't even attempt some of the jobs @Pjjor @Part Timerdo and I've been window cleaning 17 years.

A lot of the work we do can appear to be daunting. Some of the big high jobs are physically demanding and do require an element of physical strength. However cleaning windows at 60' today with a modular pole is a lot easier then 40' with a fibreglass pole.

 

[harunh]

@spruce who had a window cleaning shop in Teesside? 
 

Im guessing this is when i was in my nappies? 

 

[spruce]

That wasn't the people who had a shop in Middlesbrough was it, I remember going there over 20 years ago I can't remember exactly where it was though just a little shop

No. It wasn't in Middlesbrough.

In the early days there was also a shop and window cleaning business in Ferryhill. The shop side of the business didn't last long. I can't remember where that was either. I just remember driving through one day for an urgent part and got told the shop was no longer trading although the window cleaning side was.

Amazing how some of us not computer literate quickly got to learn how and where to order online. ?

 

[spruce]

@spruce who had a window cleaning shop in Teesside? 
 

Im guessing this is when i was in my nappies? 

I didn't know of a shop in Middlesbrough tbh.

 

[Iron Giant]

No. It wasn't in Middlesbrough.

In the early days there was also a shop and window cleaning business in Ferryhill. The shop side of the business didn't last long. I can't remember where that was either. I just remember driving through one day for an urgent part and got told the shop was no longer trading although the window cleaning side was.

Amazing how some of us not computer literate quickly got to learn how and where to order online. ?

That would have possibly been in Fishburn not too far from me but I used to go there. 

 

[spruce]

That would have possibly been in Fishburn not too far from me but I used to go there. 

Could have been. I have no recollection of the company's name. It was in that area.

 

[Iron Giant]

Could have been. I have no recollection of the company's name. It was in that area.

Might have been Stream Window Cleaning Supplies it was on a little trading estate, 

 I remember in the early days of wfp they had a pole made of alloy it was just bare metal and the clamps didn't look great at all pretty sure there was discussions about it on the Peter Fogwill forum maybe not too long after that they decided it was a no goer but the internet was really starting to take off back then, 

Making myself sound old now ?

 

[spruce]

Might have been Stream Window Cleaning Supplies it was on a little trading estate, 

 I remember in the early days of wfp they had a pole made of alloy it was just bare metal and the clamps didn't look great at all pretty sure there was discussions about it on the Peter Fogwill forum maybe not too long after that they decided it was a no goer but the internet was really starting to take off back then, 

Making myself sound old now ?

Who was the supplier/manufacturer who advertised aircraft grade ali telescopic poles using jubilee clamps with wingnuts to lock each pole in position?

It could have been Stream. I just can't remember the name but they were on a small industrial estate.

 

[horatiocarter]

Thanks Iron. I have a Pure2O system. They are a sister company to Ionics. I was in no position to buy the most expensive but I wanted/needed a crash tested system, as I feel everyone should have. Pure2O use the same frames, tanks, parts etc to Ionics but they will price match any other quote, even a non crash tested system. So get the cheapest quote you can (I had one from the Window Cleaning Wearhouse) and then contact them with it, saying you were interested in their price match (I'll link below, but if the link doesn't work just google them and its featured on the website).

I jumped on the train on the day it was getting installed and headed to Bath. Very pretty indeed! 

https://www.pure2o.co.uk/price-promise/

On this, the Pure2O stuff is actually more standard parts. So I've refilled my DI vessel with Tulsion resin and the sediment and carbon filters are ones I can buy from Daqua. Not sure if there RO systems are but they look fairly standard to my eyes (I have DI only).

The system comes with a years warranty but the frame is a ten year warranty. 

Whatever you decided to do, @horatiocarter, get yourself a crash tested system. Its not worth the gamble in my opinion. Grippa, Pure2O, Ionics, PureFreedom, all do crash tested systems and are all highly rated. And with Pure2O's price promise, you don't even need to pay the premium for one!

What’s a di system or just ro system. I just bought the machine that tells me the water level it’s 165pm

 

[Part Timer]

What’s a di system or just ro system. I just bought the machine that tells me the water level it’s 165pm

You need an R/O and a DI, to take your tap TDS from 165 to zero just using a DI will cost you an ongoing fortune. Have a good search on here and when you have an idea of what you need message @doug atkinson who will talk you through everything.

 

[Pjj]

Who was the supplier/manufacturer who advertised aircraft grade ali telescopic poles using jubilee clamps with wingnuts to lock each pole in position?

It could have been Stream. I just can't remember the name but they were on a small industrial estate.

That was  omnipole years ago I still have a set of there alloy poles in the garage 

 

[Iron Giant]

Who was the supplier/manufacturer who advertised aircraft grade ali telescopic poles using jubilee clamps with wingnuts to lock each pole in position?

It could have been Stream. I just can't remember the name but they were on a small industrial estate.

That would have been them on the little estate, if you came through Stockton then got to Sedgefield you would have drove past Hardwick Hall entrance then about a mile down the road took a left at the crossroads then another mile or so another left onto the small trading estate

That was  omnipole years ago I still have a set of there alloy poles in the garage 

Stream could have been selling the omnipole ones as they had jubilee clips or wingnuts as I have a vauge memory of them looking online all those years ago, wfp really took off about then and things moved fast in new poles coming to the market and Gardiners over time dominated the market