WFP startup - Organization and payment suggestions please

[Robt100]

Hi All,

Due to being made redundant at the end of this month, I shall be going into WFP window cleaning as my main source of income.
My wife has been running the business on a very small scale for her own income (we're talking maybe £300-400 a month max), but I'm looking to expand it to probably £2-3k a month.

So far I have a rough idea of the areas I want to cover, using the A11 as a corridor to work along, until I bump into @Part Timer at the other end. But my main issue I'm struggling with at the moment is the direction to go in with payments and organizing the customers on the round. Having spent my whole life as an employee I'm very much used to having a set amount come in on one set date of the month, and I really don't enjoy the unknown income factor of waiting for payments. So I'm thinking GoCardless might be the answer here, but not sure how much it might affect how many people would sign up as new customers (bearing in mind I need to get income pretty quickly). Is there other options that might 'guarantee' reliable, on-time payments?

To make things worse, I'm terrible with touchscreens, so anything that mainly needs tablets/phones would drive me insane! So I'm trying to work out what is best to use to organize the business. I have seen there are a few programs that can link with the GoCardless system, but is there anything that can go cross-platform, as unlike me, my wife is pretty much tablet/phone only. She has been through a few programs and not liked any of them much, so I think it is going to be mainly what works for me over what works for her. But my main priority will be keeping track of payments as cashflow is sadly not a luxury I have. But I'm hoping those with a bit more experience may be able to give me some pro's and con's of the various things out there.

Uniform, signwriting and business cards etc are already sorted, and I shall be contacting GreenProClean for some lead gen soon too. If there is anything obvious I've missed then please let me know.
On another side-note that may throw a spanner in the works, a friend has suggested moving near him where he has some work, though he currently only does trad rather than WFP, but it would mean starting almost from scratch, but I wonder if I may be better off selling what the wife has (currently underpriced IMO) and just starting new. It does mean a 100 mile move north though, where prices may not be as strong.....

As Always, help is always appreciated.
Thanks
Rob

 

[Part Timer]

I'm in Newmarket next week, Monday till Friday, then having a beer or 10 with @Den on Friday night down his neck of the woods ? Personally I wouldn't overcomplicate things, pen and paper is easily manageable to start off with, tick off those that have paid.  When you get to 100 customers then look at CP or Squeegee. Your first and main priority is getting the customers to pay your bills, once you've done that then worry about managing your business.

 

[laddergarder]

Don't move first of all. I would forget greePro lead gen if it was me, sorry greenPro. But my opinion is if your starting small, keep the expenses low to until the customers come. 

For customer data, I use cleaner planner. 

As for managing your finances when self employed. My best advice is biuld up some cash in the bank. That will get you though any ups and downs. Its not just customers not paying, or paying late. Vans break, you get sick, you get bad weather, I lost two weeks two years ago to snow. If I have less than 5k in the bank its panick stations.

I am curently promoting go cardless to my customers. I love the idea of it. Normally I have around 600 - 1k outstanding at any given time(running ballance). I generally get in each week, what I do in work, its just by the time you get paid from previous outstanding (by cheques, paypal, direct debit) more owe you.

Are you and your wife going to be working at it fully time together?

 

[harunh]

Get the idea of lead generation out of your head and target residential houses first and then look at lead genration once you are a bit more established, thats what i think would be best for you, u need a customer base before u start doing lead generation thats my opinion anyway mate

I dont do gocardless and i deal with over 2,000 customers, they all pay via BACS transfer and direct debit, very simple to be honest.

And i suggest you start using cleanerplanner from day 1 as its £25.00 per month ( he cost of a gym membership) it will keep you right and will also enable you to grow your business.

Good luck

 

[Iron Giant]

I would take the advice already given and get out knocking doors as off today, this will get the ball rolling and hopefully generate you a decent amount of clients by the end of the month, this will be the fastest way to get you jobs and give you a gauge of what your local area is like for needing a window cleaner

As for round tracking software I prefer Cleaner Planner, I prefer to use a windows os Laptop  to do most things but I do manage a lot of running my business on my phone, CP has an app which you download a worksheet onto for your days work or you can print off a worksheet, if funds allow get it up and running asap that way you can get as many details added as you gain new custom not just name and address but emails and phone numbers.

You could opt to get a sum up card reader which I known some lads on here have, but it's not something I have ever used but it may help with payments

If you don't already have an Fb page, then I would set one up to start giving you an online presence and build up your reputation overtime

 

[Robt100]

Thanks for all the info so far guys, definitely a lot to have a think about and act on!