Setting up in a new area (an hour away)

What would be everyones thoughts on trying to setup a round about an hour away from where you live?

Having flogged my area to death Im considering the possibility of starting a round a good distance away (exact area to be determined) i could build the area up with an investment in marketting or maybe buying a round.

Moving would be ideal, but its not really an option as i have too many family commitments round here (i am in the process of moving house actually but only local)

Think it could be worth it? obviously im looking for better prices, setting them up on go cardless would be a must

The way i would do it would be to get someone working my round up here then myself doing the travel

Does anyone do anything like this? thoughts?

Did I not advise you an age back to move? 

Nothing wrong with the idea but for what you're seeking you need to find an area that will sustain the higher prices you seek and also seems to lack window cleaners. 

Be sure to check the commute. An hour each way in gridlock is about my worst nightmare.  

Yes you did.

Unfortunately moving is not really an option. Got too many ties round here.

That leaves me with a few options.

1.Stay as a sole trader and keep prices as high as poss.

2.Employ, lower prices slightly to increase workload and accept lower profit margins.

3. start in a new area with less competition/better prices

4. Stick to my prices, slug away in my area for a few more years, build up to vat threshold with a couple of employees then free some time up for myself to go do something completely different.

Just mulling over the options at the moment.

It’s do-able, I know a few chaps who’ve moved and kept work or setup rounds to move to. Biggest headache can be quoting and the early stages when you don’t have full days and you end up driving more than you are working.

2 hour trip is between £40-£80 you'd potentially lose. I say instead of pushing yourself so far out id start taking on add ons and perhaps get a helper to help you with all the work. 

You'd lose 10 hours per week driving to your new round. 

Or

Find someone in this new area to do the work for you. It would take time to build up but eventually you could make a deal with him to leave him in control but you take a cut. I'd get this all in writing though. 

I'v not done any of this so I don't know how effective this would/could be.

I bought a round about 45mins-1 hour a way from me its good money and very compact so i make sure we slug out 1-2 days a week over there but no knocking off early and we smash it once we are there most are moving over to go cardless and if not they transfer and we dont have to book any jobs in so we just turn up and clean an endless amount really as were always a little behind but nothing so major so the people notice. 

Its a pain and does feel like a much harder day travelling to and back but if you want to expand you have to travel a bit its not the end of the world. 

If you get a few employess under your belt then you get them to do the hard parts and give them a fair slice of the cake for their troubles.

ill take anything within a certain distance which is worth the money.