[SJB Services]

so its both a system you can buy and/or a franchise

how much is the franchise? just curious

Alex, you can buy a system only for 10k-heated or the franchise is 20k which includes full support on starting up the business which is what im looking at, at the moment. Im keen, but means remortgaging for around 35k if i include vat and a few months cover for wages and veicle rent etc.

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

so its both a system you can buy and/or a franchise

how much is the franchise? just curious

Alex, you can buy a system only for 10k-heated or the franchise is 20k which includes full support on starting up the business which is what im looking at, at the moment. Im keen, but means remortgaging for around 35k if i include vat and a few months cover for wages and veicle rent etc.

BIG commitment for something you could get at a fraction of the price. You have all the support you require here for free!!!!

[Scrimble]

i cant believe there are people who would buy into a window cleaning franchise!!

35k?!!?!?

you can start up wfp with a couple of grand,

[SJB Services]

so its both a system you can buy and/or a franchise

how much is the franchise? just curious

Alex, you can buy a system only for 10k-heated or the franchise is 20k which includes full support on starting up the business which is what im looking at, at the moment. Im keen, but means remortgaging for around 35k if i include vat and a few months cover for wages and veicle rent etc.

BIG commitment for something you could get at a fraction of the price. You have all the support you require here for free!!!!

Thanks mate-few questions then:

1/ Payment-how do you collect-do you have all paypal/bank transfers or collect from custys?
2/ Van lease/rent or buy? Samll van to start or large van to grow in to???
3/ Best time to canvass-evenings or anytime???

Ta

[Paul Coleman]

so its both a system you can buy and/or a franchise

how much is the franchise? just curious

Alex, you can buy a system only for 10k-heated or the franchise is 20k which includes full support on starting up the business which is what im looking at, at the moment. Im keen, but means remortgaging for around 35k if i include vat and a few months cover for wages and veicle rent etc.

BIG commitment for something you could get at a fraction of the price. You have all the support you require here for free!!!!

Thanks mate-few questions then:

1/ Payment-how do you collect-do you have all paypal/bank transfers or collect from custys?
2/ Van lease/rent or buy? Samll van to start or large van to grow in to???
3/ Best time to canvass-evenings or anytime???

Ta

Can only speak from my own experience.  Some would not agree with my answers.

1/   I receive cheques in the post and bank transfers.  Sometimes it's cash or cheque at the time of the clean.  Some on here use Paypal.  I prefer to have ways of receiving money that are free though.

2/  Personally I have always bought my vans.  No particular reason for that though.  I understand leasing is OK but there is a better advantage to this if you are VAT registered.  Probably better to buy a larger van really as a smaller one can be quickly outgrown.  My own preference is to have at least 1.2 tonne payload (usually means at least 2.9 tonne gross weight).  You can get away with less but you may find it a bit restrictive as you grow.

3/  3.30/4.00 onwards as the mums get their kids home from school.  Probably better to have a cut off point of 8 PM.  Possibly better to finish much earlier on darker evenings as some people concerned about talking on doorstep with strangers.

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

so its both a system you can buy and/or a franchise

how much is the franchise? just curious

Alex, you can buy a system only for 10k-heated or the franchise is 20k which includes full support on starting up the business which is what im looking at, at the moment. Im keen, but means remortgaging for around 35k if i include vat and a few months cover for wages and veicle rent etc.

BIG commitment for something you could get at a fraction of the price. You have all the support you require here for free!!!!

Thanks mate-few questions then:

1/ Payment-how do you collect-do you have all paypal/bank transfers or collect from custys?
2/ Van lease/rent or buy? Samll van to start or large van to grow in to???
3/ Best time to canvass-evenings or anytime???

Ta

1. bacs, collect (only if convenient to me) but my main method is SAE.
2. Depends, on a few factors, do you have any cash? or will it all be financed?
3. I'm not your best man to ask, I've never knocked doors, I used leaflets at the beginning.


You could get set up with a cold wfp & descent van for 5k easy. add hot for between £250 - £3500.

[Nathanael Jones]

so its both a system you can buy and/or a franchise

how much is the franchise? just curious

Alex, you can buy a system only for 10k-heated or the franchise is 20k which includes full support on starting up the business which is what im looking at, at the moment. Im keen, but means remortgaging for around 35k if i include vat and a few months cover for wages and veicle rent etc.

Don't try to run before you're walking,..

Buy a 2nd hand cheap van,.. payload is important so go scudo size at least,.. ducato if you are comfortable driving it.
Get a cheap wfp system,.. if you're not a diy fan, pure freedom will get you kitted up for £2k
Leaflet like crazy,.. www.printmarketuk.com are very cheap. Remember leaflets do not work well first time,.. hit the same areas every 2 or 3 weeks and keep on going till you have a round.
Door knocking brings in work fastest,.. knock for 4pm till dark for best results. Knock in areas that got leaflets a couple of days before so your service is fresh in their minds.
Get a website
Get your van signwritten
Don't live to regret your pricing structure. Remember that the tax man & general business expenses will rob you of up to 50% of what you get from your custies.

Don't spend big until you have customers,.. only when the money is streaming in would you even consider a new van or expensive gear.

Get motivated,.. if you haven't work on a certain day it isn't a day off! Leaflet, knock, write letters to local schools & businesses,...

£7k MAX should get you a half decent van, system, insurance, work gear, signwriting, website & more leaflets than you know what to do with,...

[Count Phil]

That's some top start up advice Nath. If you started with 7k like that and then spent the 28k that you were planning on spending (35k total) paying people to canvass for you as well, you could have a monster round.

[Dave Willis]

has he gone 

[jsm]

so its both a system you can buy and/or a franchise

how much is the franchise? just curious

Alex, you can buy a system only for 10k-heated or the franchise is 20k which includes full support on starting up the business which is what im looking at, at the moment. Im keen, but means remortgaging for around 35k if i include vat and a few months cover for wages and veicle rent etc.

you can buy my work and my nice merc vito LWB for £35 k - thats do me im retired lol

[Clive McDonald]

Yup interesting the options for deletion might be
A if he followed through we would have a go for not following advice
B The thread was expected to throw up more positives and help sell the idea but this boomeranged
C He spoke to Lee and lost the will to live

Anyhow i've looked at a few window cleaning franchises and they do seem pretty well run to me.They do things properly and give you systems such as wcp- which yes you could figure out for yourself- but it takes months of forum reading to come up to speed.Nathaneal's advice was very good.I class the franchises as curent best practice and  pay close attention in case any gap closing is going on.

[Londoner]

My views on franchises are well known and I have upset people in the past by what I have said so I don't want to make that mistake again.

You can start window cleaning for £100 and a few Sundays knocking on doors.The only thing you need to be a window cleaner is a pulse. And the determination to succeed.

And I will leave it at that

[Alex Allen]

so its both a system you can buy and/or a franchise

how much is the franchise? just curious

Alex, you can buy a system only for 10k-heated or the franchise is 20k which includes full support on starting up the business which is what im looking at, at the moment. Im keen, but means remortgaging for around 35k if i include vat and a few months cover for wages and veicle rent etc.

has he gone?

look to spend between 4-7k running cost mate over your 1st year
10k max for set up, thats including your 1st van

[edward1]

hi sjb ,
depending on where you are in essex i may be able to help you .
give me a call.email me and ill send you my number .

i think i saw you a few weeks ago cleaning windows on broomfield rd? im sure it was sjb , i stopped and had a look as i thought it all looked a bit caotic.

[Lee Pryor]

Yup interesting the options for deletion might be
A if he followed through we would have a go for not following advice
B The thread was expected to throw up more positives and help sell the idea but this boomeranged
C He spoke to Lee and lost the will to live

Anyhow i've looked at a few window cleaning franchises and they do seem pretty well run to me.They do things properly and give you systems such as wcp- which yes you could figure out for yourself- but it takes months of forum reading to come up to speed.Nathaneal's advice was very good.I class the franchises as curent best practice and  pay close attention in case any gap closing is going on.

Haha very funny!  in fact he did speak to me making it even more funny! nice guy. I advised him that the amounts he was looking to pay were way to high than he needed. The reason I wanted to speak to him was that I am franchising my business from the new year and am in the process at this time. No i wasnt trying to sell him one of mine as mine will be local to me only to start with. I just wanted to compare for the price what was in the package. I hope he didnt loose the will to live after speaking to me haha

[Clive McDonald]

I apologise for that, and hoped it wouldn't annoy you, but it seemed too good a gag not to slip in.You took it well.

I was one of the people vince once annoyed.He was convinced i was an undercover franchise person because i was in favour.

This thread is a puzzle, to have spoken to you he must be genuine, but in that case why delete?

Good luck with this Lee, if you get good quality people you will both do well. I believe the ian lancaster model where he provides the work is more than fair. I'd sooner earn seven hundred a week working for you than half that fannying about and scratching my head.

[Lee Pryor]

I apologise for that, and hoped it wouldn't annoy you, but it seemed too good gag not to slip in.You took it well.

I was one of the people vince once annoyed.He was convinced i was an undercover franchise person because i was in favour.

This thread is a puzzle, to have spoken to you he must be genuine, but in that case why delete?

Good luck with this Lee, if you get good quality people you will both do well. I believe the ian ferguson model where he provides the work is more than fair. I'd sooner earn seven hundred a week working for you than half that fannying about and scratching my head.

do you mean Ian Lancaster? if so he has been a big help to me along with john willan, both sucesfull franchisors. My franchisees will get a marketing campaign of 120,000 leaflets to get their customers and all the incoming calls from those leaflets handled by a call centre. they will also be expected to door knock themselves 10 per week to full fill my business model. I can also say my franchise fee will be nearly half the price of the concept one which does not include any marketing.

[Clive McDonald]

This sounds a more realisable project than your other one.You need a bit of luck with the first couple of guys you get.

If you need a critical eye, you may have noticed i do like to critisise.So if you want holes picked in your business plan and marketing material, or even need to improve on the business plan you suggest for the franchisee, i'd take a look.

[Lee Pryor]

my other project is still going ahead mate, you might say im a busy man

[Frankybadboy]

my other project is still going ahead mate, you might say im a busy man

your still 3years behind gumpybuster