[Tom White]

I think it would be helpful if we defined what a 'successful type' actually is.

For me, someone whose successful enjoys what he does for a living, has a good family life, has an outside interest in something that's neither work nor family related; is financially secure (which does not mean having too much money); and has a happy attitude towards life.

[Gav Camm lammy 283]

As much as possible ofcourse.

Its all trial and error.

Nothing ventured nothing gained

Do you not keep track of your business income & expenditure?

he probably does but why would he post that on here? whats your profit?

Why would he post a turnover of 100k ?

maybe because thats what it is, so whats YOUR profit and turnover then?

I'm not offering either, nor am I asking you!

the fact that dean is heading towards a turnover ov 100k
is not reverlant at all he as 3 full time window cleaners as well as
himself, i know for a fact that dean is heading towards his goal
and i'm helping him to achieve this in my own little way
he helps other leading players in the world of window cleaning
by subbying their hard to cover work loads and making it pay
so to all you who mock n disbelive i say "lets see where you are
in say 5 years " cuz i know where dean an his company
will be , FACT !!!!!!!

[bobby p]

Maybe not in control of my life but in control of my finances. Ever since man began we have all competed for the biggest cave, it's in our blood.

quite a few caves in cornwall, none round here though !  (suffolk coast )

[Sunshine/Cleaning]

It really depends what you class as successful. Material things or a fulfilling life.

Here is a little story I like:

A little story about a Mexican fisherman illustrates success in a simple life well lived.


The businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The businessman complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied only a little while.

The businessman then asked why he didn't stay out longer and catch more fish? The Mexican said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs. The businessman then asked, but what do you do with the rest of your time? The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos; I have a full and busy life, señor."


The businessman scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and I could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats; eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman, you would sell directly to the processor and eventually open your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually New York City where you would run your expanding enterprise."


The Mexican fisherman asked, "But señor, how long will this all take?" To which the businessman replied, "15-20 years." "But what then, señor?" The businessman laughed and said, "That's the best part! When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions." "Millions, señor? Then what?" The businessman said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."

The fisherman, still smiling, looked up and said, "Isn't that what I'm doing right now?"

-Author Unknown

[gewindows]

Maybe not in control of my life but in control of my finances. Ever since man began we have all competed for the biggest cave, it's in our blood.

Some might deduce from that then Dave that money IS your life 

You wouldn't be the first.

[Tom White]

And a Christian (which I'm not) may say we've a 'God sized hole in our soul' and we can try to fill that with drugs, alcohol, sex, fast cars, big houses, and yes, money; but the hole will still be there.

As I say, I'm no Christian, but there's some wisdom in there.

I'm trying to fill my own personal 'hole' (fnarr fnarr)! 

[Ola Normann]

Define your success - In my point of view, that is to do some good in your life to other people - and also perhaps not strive to more cash all the time.

If you hire people, the first ones are really important to get right!
That has everything to do with if a small company is going to have a success.

Do you want a balanced life? Working 12 hours a day - 5 days a week is NOT balanced in any way in my opinion.
You want to have a life - with family, friends and hobbies.

I started running a company as 18 years old guy withing AV/IT, we were 8 guys then - but after some years I had it!
To have my whole life as work is not any good, and I almost had a "breakdown" because my life was so really unbalanced. A hard party life, and much work does not fur fill your life.

But it is all a learning game, but now as I´m 25, and have been running a window cleaning business for 2 years. I still have problems with turning my head of with ideas and whats needed to be done - and this is a part of the job that I really DON`T like. You feel like you are on the job all the time. To change this I have done some, and going to do some more changes to live a more simple life.

From September this year I´m only working 3 days a week, 8-9 hours a day. The other two I am going to do something that I really enjoy.
I have got one man to do a 50% position, and now I´m trying out a nice girl that are going to do everything that has to do with salary, invoicing, contracts, paying bills, budget and so on. I will even try her out in sales to corporate.

But my main thing is to try to have other people to do a lot of the work, and do less my self. I do not want the job to take in charge of my life, as it has for some years now. Have one person that could take a large part of the administration.

I will try to live a simple life, and try to have a nice buffer in case something is going to happen

Some have a goal to have 25 guys working for them, make some good money and then die at a age of 50 with heart attack, and divorced two times.

I want to have a balanced life, with a family and good friends. And to have the possibility to live ok, have some vacations and so on.

My 5 years goal is to have between 2-3 fulltime workers, and stay there. Not more! I have seen the different stories with people running small and large companies. And I have to say, the people that had small companies had a MUCH better life, their families also!

[D woods]

MY idea of success is a great big house, a couple of expensive cars and more money than you can spend.

You are never going to get to that stage working only 40 hours a week. (not in cleaning anyway)

And once you get to that stage you can have as much time of as you like.

[gewindows]

Im a success, I have surpassed what I first hoped to achieve in this game; by definition I am therefore a success.

[Tom White]

MY idea of success is a great big house, a couple of expensive cars and more money than you can spend.

Have you ever gotten what you wanted; a beautiful woman who you've had to do some chasing to get maybe; and somehow over time the novelty of her just wears off and you need something different or something more?  Or a brand new car?  I used to buy one every year when I lived in Germany; some really nice top spec models.  They bored me after a few months.

Human nature dictates that no matter how much we have, we always want more; or maybe it's just me and I'm a greedy bustard!?   We're never fully satisfied, and that's where the suffering lies; however it's not an easy process to 'not want to want'.   And maybe we're confusing pleasure with happiness?

But money doesn't do it for me.

[bluez]

Great topic, it could have been informative and enlightening but instead its developed into a why be focused on your work, lifes more important debate.

My thoughts on the topic,

Start up phase: time rich & turnover poor. Not enough customers, lots of downtime for canvessing etc.

Developed Sole trader: Turnover vrs time investment is in balance. The owner has enough income to meet his lifestyle needs while working on the tools and allowing time for the admin, collection and sales sides of his business.

Small business Expansion phase: Turnover rich & profit poor with an abscence of proper systems causing a running to stand still feeling. Investment is required in admin/ proceedures either by Owner working around the clock to catch up or by financial investment in non cleaning staff. The toughest stage in my opinion.

Developed Small business: At this stage the business has a consistant level of monthly turnover, regular reliable employees, an admin set up that works efficiently and an owner that while still on the tools from time to time has the space to oversee the operation of his business.

Small to Medium Business: This cant happen without the previous step, the time created by the previous stage for the owner to oversee includes business plans, budgeting, longterm strategies etc which are now the most important part as getting the funding / investment from your bank / backers will take a lot of time.

This stage will involve pitching to larger commercials or the purchasing of smaller businesses in order to meet with the turnover needs of the business. This is the point where the owner probably has to start wearing a suit .

I am at the Small business expansion stage, in my opinion.

Interested in other thoughts not about quality of life. I love my business and what I do, I dont see any hour spent working on it as a chore I see it as an adventure, one I cant wait to get back to each morning.

[Tom White]

I cant wait to get back to each morning.

If you're posting on here at 1.30 pm, how motivated are you?

[gary999]

I think it would be helpful if we defined what a 'successful type' actually is.

For me, someone whose successful enjoys what he does for a living, has a good family life, has an outside interest in something that's neither work nor family related; is financially secure (which does not mean having too much money); and has a happy attitude towards life.

ahhh talking about me again tosh, i love you too

[bluez]

I cant wait to get back to each morning.

If you're posting on here at 1.30 pm, how motivated are you?

What has that got to do with anything? Are you such a complete numpty that you think that because I am not out cleaning windows then I must not be motivated?  I work from an office Tosh, it even has a computer

[Clive McDonald]

Great topic, it could have been informative and enlightening but instead its developed into a why be focused on your work, lifes more important debate.

My thoughts on the topic,

Start up phase: time rich & turnover poor. Not enough customers, lots of downtime for canvessing etc.

Developed Sole trader: Turnover vrs time investment is in balance. The owner has enough income to meet his lifestyle needs while working on the tools and allowing time for the admin, collection and sales sides of his business.

Small business Expansion phase: Turnover rich & profit poor with an abscence of proper systems causing a running to stand still feeling. Investment is required in admin/ proceedures either by Owner working around the clock to catch up or by financial investment in non cleaning staff. The toughest stage in my opinion.

Developed Small business: At this stage the business has a consistant level of monthly turnover, regular reliable employees, an admin set up that works efficiently and an owner that while still on the tools from time to time has the space to oversee the operation of his business.

Small to Medium Business: This cant happen without the previous step, the time created by the previous stage for the owner to oversee includes business plans, budgeting, longterm strategies etc which are now the most important part as getting the funding / investment from your bank / backers will take a lot of time.

This stage will involve pitching to larger commercials or the purchasing of smaller businesses in order to meet with the turnover needs of the business. This is the point where the owner probably has to start wearing a suit .

I am at the Small business expansion stage, in my opinion.

Interested in other thoughts not about quality of life. I love my business and what I do, I dont see any hour spent working on it as a chore I see it as an adventure, one I cant wait to get back to each morning.

Outstanding summary bluez, you put into words what i'm grappling with.I can't understand why so many people need to justify themselves.

[Clive McDonald]

I'm probably in your small expanding phase, but i disagree when you say it's the hardest.The hardest bit is always wherever you are at that moment.I had zero customers, and thought, this is going to be hard.

I think the biggest mental hurdle is VAT. As soon as you hit it you hand over tenpercent gross, so it's more profitable to stay under it.Turnover of 60k is probably no different to 80k in terms of net profit, it's just that you've done 20k more work, so this is demotivating.To get to the next level 100k you need two staff, and that's another brake on profitability.150k and you need two staff at least, and another van.


Escape velocity must come at about 200k.Here you probably earn enough and don't work like a donkey.

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

As much as possible ofcourse.

Its all trial and error.

Nothing ventured nothing gained

Do you not keep track of your business income & expenditure?

he probably does but why would he post that on here? whats your profit?

Why would he post a turnover of 100k ?

maybe because thats what it is, so whats YOUR profit and turnover then?

I'm not offering either, nor am I asking you!

the fact that dean is heading towards a turnover ov 100k
is not reverlant at all he as 3 full time window cleaners as well as
himself, i know for a fact that dean is heading towards his goal
and i'm helping him to achieve this in my own little way
he helps other leading players in the world of window cleaning
by subbying their hard to cover work loads and making it pay
so to all you who mock n disbelive i say "lets see where you are
in say 5 years " cuz i know where dean an his company
will be , FACT !!!!!!!

Please enlighten where any mocking or disbelief of turnover occurs anywhere? Or, can't you read properly? :

[Gav Camm lammy 283]

As much as possible ofcourse.

Its all trial and error.

Nothing ventured nothing gained

Do you not keep track of your business income & expenditure?

he probably does but why would he post that on here? whats your profit?

Why would he post a turnover of 100k ?

maybe because thats what it is, so whats YOUR profit and turnover then?

I'm not offering either, nor am I asking you!

the fact that dean is heading towards a turnover ov 100k
is not reverlant at all he as 3 full time window cleaners as well as
himself, i know for a fact that dean is heading towards his goal
and i'm helping him to achieve this in my own little way
he helps other leading players in the world of window cleaning
by subbying their hard to cover work loads and making it pay
so to all you who mock n disbelive i say "lets see where you are
in say 5 years " cuz i know where dean an his company
will be , FACT !!!!!!!

Please enlighten where any mocking or disbelief of turnover occurs anywhere? Or, can't you read properly? :

oh i can read perfect , as i read it it came across
to me as people werent beliveing deans comments n imho
id class dean and his business as quite successfull FACT , END OF
 

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

As much as possible ofcourse.

Its all trial and error.

Nothing ventured nothing gained

Do you not keep track of your business income & expenditure?

he probably does but why would he post that on here? whats your profit?

Why would he post a turnover of 100k ?

maybe because thats what it is, so whats YOUR profit and turnover then?

I'm not offering either, nor am I asking you!

the fact that dean is heading towards a turnover ov 100k
is not reverlant at all he as 3 full time window cleaners as well as
himself, i know for a fact that dean is heading towards his goal
and i'm helping him to achieve this in my own little way
he helps other leading players in the world of window cleaning
by subbying their hard to cover work loads and making it pay
so to all you who mock n disbelive i say "lets see where you are
in say 5 years " cuz i know where dean an his company
will be , FACT !!!!!!!

Please enlighten where any mocking or disbelief of turnover occurs anywhere? Or, can't you read properly? :

oh i can read perfect , as i read it it came across
to me as people werent beliveing deans comments n imho
id class dean and his business as quite successfull FACT , END OF
 

People? not me though. The questions were for a purpose & were leading to some advice but we'll leave it eh. That's the trouble when numpties jump in and "assume"

[Gav Camm lammy 283]

r u for real lad numpty  wake up