[Jack Wallace]

jack i have to laugh at the last line of your post!I WOULD RECOMMEND THE BENEFITS OF NOT COLLECTING!!

eh....?? ???and what benefits are that then?BEING OWED 3 AND HALF GRAND??

ill stick to collecting!!!


regards

dazmond

I can see your point Daz but I think it all depends how you view your business.

The way I see it (and I have said on here before) window cleaners fall into 2 categories.
1. Jobbers, The ones who earn a wage, and see their customers as their employers, (so therefore want/need their wage packet every Friday night)
2. Businessmen, The ones who run a business and see debt as part of the process just like any other business.

Please don’t think I am knocking the “jobbers” I was one once and have full respect for them, Its where nearly all start out.
However, if your business is running correctly you should have enough turnover to cover your wages from what comes in without having to go cap in hand asking for cash.

I can’t think of any other business/supplier that goes knocking for his money. It was common practice in "the good old days" of the flat cap but times have a changed. Back then people never had cheques, internet, BACS, PayPal and so on so we were left with no choice.

Obviously there will always be the odd customer who does not play by the rules but they are easily taken care of, and if that requires posting an invoice and a reminder letter I can live with that.

Sure I have 3.5k outstanding but I am not worried, I started this thread mealy as an observation that the holiday season is on us and it does make an impact.

I want my business to continue growing; no way could I do that if I had to collect every penny outstanding by Friday night in order to survive.  
Take a chance and try it mate, you will thank me eventually  

[Jack Wallace]

3,5 k outstanding for a domestic window cleaner  sounds a bit tooooooooo much you tink £15 a customer  it is well over 200 hundred customers i have been cleaning windows for over 15 years and  can easly notice someting goig on here dream world

You  are the perfect competition. I truly hope you are based near me 

[davids3511]

jack i have to laugh at the last line of your post!I WOULD RECOMMEND THE BENEFITS OF NOT COLLECTING!!

eh....?? ???and what benefits are that then?BEING OWED 3 AND HALF GRAND??

ill stick to collecting!!!


regards

dazmond

But you are s sole trader Daz. That othe guy has two staff. If you were in his posiion would you still be able to collect? Would you not be better off spending those hours, and they would be hours with 3 guys work to collect, working on getting work for a 4th guy or just wtching the telly with your kids.

[bobby p]

that 3-5 grand could be very handy, really could treat yerself/your family  to something NICE  with that. you seem resigned to leaving it where it is  . 

[Central Window Cleaners]

Jack, I like your elf always have between 2.5 - 3.5k outstanding this can double if a couple of my commercial jobs take the full 30 days to pay. I like yourself see this as part of the business we are in.

[Ian101]

The thing that makes most companies successful is not so much the product but the work behind it.

Dave.

Couldnt agree more except to add work AND the person behind it.
 
and I was worried about the £30 ive got outstanding 

[LSB]

i am always owed at least that amount .
regular cheques everyday , but agree , summer and xmas there is always a slow down !
although my sae ( no s ) request payment within 14 days , some pay on the 2nd or 3rd clean.
couldnt possibly run my round without being owed.
everybody pays , inc commercial who always insist on taking their time regardless of the amount !

[Jack Wallace]

that 3-5 grand could be very handy, really could treat yerself/your family  to something NICE  with that. you seem resigned to leaving it where it is  . 

Of course I am resigned to leave it where it is, as long as it stays steady in relation to the work we turn over why would I worry?

Some folk will just never get it  :

[Richard Neal]

bigger your business the more you will be owed, its all relative , i used to repair caravans and campers and at one time was owed 18k mostly from insurance companies the most im owed now is a few hundred that helps me sleep a wee bit better

[darren clarke]

it all depends on weatehr the debt is commercial or domestic, if it is all commercial then that is fine,  but if it is all domestic then u have problems

[Richard Neal]

still got to watch the commercial ive been burnt a few times had to take one to court

[dazmond]

i was only having a laugh guys!!

im always owed money but its nowhere near 3 and half grand!each to their own!


im sticking with collecting one evening a week and SAE for now.

i do think collecting puts a FACE to my business and i can keep good custy relations,extra work and iron out any problems.

a lot of my round very compact and no plans to employ so collecting is usually no more than an hour and half once a week.


regards

dazmond

[Paul Coleman]

that 3-5 grand could be very handy, really could treat yerself/your family  to something NICE  with that. you seem resigned to leaving it where it is  . 

Of course I am resigned to leave it where it is, as long as it stays steady in relation to the work we turn over why would I worry?

Some folk will just never get it  :

I had to accept itr as part of business some time ago Jack.  It was about 10+ years ago that I made the decision to stop going out collecting.  I expected an increase in money owed - and I got it  .  With the advent of WFP, the amounts owed have increased - mainly because it has enabled me to take on commercial work.  I still do mostly domestic though.
It's rare that the amount owing drops below £1k.  Even in the freeze up that didn't happen (quite).  Mind you, even if people were posting cheques, the postman would have struggled to deliver them.  Normally it's around £1.3k - £1.7k owing.  Occasionally it goes over £2k.  Looks like I might need to get the credit card out for part of the holiday though.

[windowcleaninginessex.co.uk]

Jack, I like your elf always have between 2.5 - 3.5k outstanding this can double if a couple of my commercial jobs take the full 30 days to pay. I like yourself see this as part of the business we are in.

30 days , you are lucky, one of mine can take up to 2 months to pay

Darren

[ronnie paton]

i wish i could get mine to 2-3k its lowist is usually 12k highist 20k the thing is has long has your 'cashflow in the bank is strong' that is the most importsnt thing

[richard jagger]

 In such tough economics one would thing a little bit of slack payments would be in order. Not True Its time to keep on top of outstanding cash. A good principal of business is 30 days  Not bad dept yet but needs to reeled in.
60 You need to sit on them and get a bit demanding  90 and more you can kiss it good bye as people think it have melted into thin air.
 The best way to reel it in is to apply a cost to the dept. We are not banks and if we were we would charge a overdraft fee. So why not charge a  pound in ten it your customer are using you as a bank. Money must work for one and make money. True professionals have business policys and apply the without flexibility
You know what customer are like. Don’t pay the windy he never moans.

[Window Washers]

i wish i could get mine to 2-3k its lowist is usually 12k highist 20k the thing is has long has your 'cashflow in the bank is strong' that is the most importsnt thing

you been on the beer Ronnie  cashflow is the life blood of any business (unless you dont care about money and are a billionaire and are having fun)

Ian
p.s any billionaires reading this please feel free to call me anytime, you can have fun with my business for the right price 

[ronnie paton]

read what i said, i always keep a good cash flow, i try to keep 3 months running costs live.

debt is life of running a business

[Window Washers]

read what i said, i always keep a good cash flow, i try to keep 3 months running costs live.

debt is life of running a business

I mean you text you put m8, doesnt matter. I agree with you anyway, debt can be a good thing