[TomCrowther]

Hi Guys
I am a one man band/sole trader. Been going for 2 and a half years and am almost maxed out. Have 250 domestic customers and a few offices plus seven large blocks of flats done every 2 or three months All wfp of course. I have a decent pressure washing set up, good gutter vac and gennie. Turnover is @ £3.5 a month.
I want to expand, have ambition but am worried about employing.
I still have a few messers, very late payers who are going to be dropped
If you were in my situation and had £10k to invest in the business, what would you do? {I know I need to redo the website as I did it myself in a day when I started up. so that will get done anyway}
There are a few guys on here who I admire and would really appreciate your input. I am in a rut and need to change. Cheers, Tom.

[Lee13]

I'll be interested to see the responses as I am in a very simular situation.

Personally, I'm looking to buy a larger van, new system and take on a member of staff. I would then train that member of staff to be as good as I am. This should free you up to take on more work and more importantly, give you time to work ON your business as opposed IN your business.

Good luck

[George Gardner]

Take a member of staff on to help you, double you work load and pay him a good rate and make say 2k off him for yourself pm?!

[TomCrowther]

Yes, thats the idea Lee. Employing someone is the thing I have to get over. Holiday pay, pension payments?, trying to turn it from a felf employed job into a business.

[Lee13]

I completely agree Tom...

Questions in my head at the moment revolve around...

Buy brand new van? Lease or not? Become VAT registered? Become LTD?

One decision leads to another and if you take someone on, you will come across other costs such as your public liability will increase, new equipment, extra time to train.

I think it would be best to speak to your accountant about payroll and holiday etc.. and maybe speak to an HR firm.

It sounds like your doing good at the moment though, so it will be an exciting time!

[TomCrowther]

I think I will change the accountant too. Need one that is a bit more proactive re advice.
I think that i am borderline re turnover if it is better to be Ltd. I have the Ltd company name reserved in case I need to go that route.
I have a 650 litre 2 man system but I managed to use a full tank on my own on Monday. Worked 08:00 through to almost 18:00, completely knackered tho.

[Blue Frog Systems]

Tom, sounds like your doing really well and being two and a half years in is fantastic !

Having a 650 tank im guessing you have a large enough van for a 2man system.

If i was in your position and wanted to expand i would look at upgrading the system to a two man set up first. Then use the rest of the money in gaining new customers. Various ways to do this but maybe a newspaper advert / leaflets / canvasser. Also some kind of offer to your current customers along the recomend a friend and get X. You will take an initial hit money wise while you train the new person up, but this wont put you behind while you train them up.

By the time your new customers come in, the guy will know what he is doing.

[Small but perfectley formed]

spend 1.5k on ians franchise system then get your first franchisee get out canvassing and repeat.

[Total shine cleaning services]

I would start somebody part time at first say 2 days a week and then you would have a better idea of how it's going and where to take it, I have this arrangement and bought the pure freedom trolley to turn into a 2 man operation, I drop him at a customers house and I would say be 3 or 4 doors up doing another, with the figures you are achieving now you will be pushing towards vat with a full timer but I think if u decide to go there then it will possibly push you to put on a 2nd and even possibly a 3rd van, anyone else done it like this?

Graham

[Ian101]

Hi Guys
I am a one man band/sole trader. Been going for 2 and a half years and am almost maxed out. Have 250 domestic customers and a few offices plus seven large blocks of flats done every 2 or three months All wfp of course. I have a decent pressure washing set up, good gutter vac and gennie. Turnover is @ £3.5 a month.
I want to expand, have ambition but am worried about employing.
I still have a few messers, very late payers who are going to be dropped
If you were in my situation and had £10k to invest in the business, what would you do? {I know I need to redo the website as I did it myself in a day when I started up. so that will get done anyway}
There are a few guys on here who I admire and would really appreciate your input. I am in a rut and need to change. Cheers, Tom.

Im also at this stage ... could have typed your posting almost word for word except I dont do pressure washing as prefer to concentrate on just the windows.

I rekon you need to drop all messers and late payers this weekend .... if u have George stick em on a seperate round so u can track payments .. visit them in person today / Sunday to get money then never go back.

Now onto spending your £10'000

Do you have a twin man set up ?? you prob need a 650litre.

Set up a IBC static system so u got plenty of water - cant beat getting home, filling up van system in under 10 minutes ready for next day.

I would then spend money on a great web site and leaflets.

None of this should take u anywhere near £10'000 though.


As for employing Ive just took a 25yr old chap on and getting thru work a hell of a lot faster. Initially 2 days a week then as business grows will give him more days until i have enough to put him in a seperate van.

Good Luck

[TomCrowther]

Thanks for the advice so far guys.
I have a 2 man 650 system in the van already. Don't need a static tank as very lucky with local water supply {tds 30} so fill van from tap and twin di on the way out.
I have a mate {wc on here} who has bought Ian's franchise and has his first franchisee up and running, doing well with it too but I am not sure it's for me.

[Lee Pryor]

Do it I say, then do it some more!

I have invested £15k so far this year and plan to add another £10k by the end of the year. We have had over 350 regular customers in in the last 3 months with a further 70-80 one off jobs (gutters, jet washing con roof ect) and increased our anual turnover by 50k We are literaly flying right now and im looking at doubling our covered area and our turnover by the end of next year.

I also love the franchise idea and rate ians business model. I spent most of last year building my own franchise model but the project has had to stay on the shelf as there simply isnt enough of my time to go round and our growth has been rapid.

[Smudger]

hi

we are in a similar position, we do have the second man (relative) and will soon need someone else - Ian your 25 year old do you not have concerns a) that why would a 25 want to work 2 days - will he not drop you as soon as a full time offer comes along? We thought that our next guy would hopefully be fit and not interested in building his own empire so we thought someone older and happy to do part time only whilst we build? Does this make sense, did you have a similar dilema or simply bit the bullet and took a chance?

[TomCrowther]

Hi Lee, are these all from your famous leaflet and "virtual office" phone answering service? How big is your business now in terms of vans/employees and customers?

[Archer]

Tom,

no matter how much work you have, and no matter who you employ, and the amount of work you clean, the best advice i could give to you is get yourself a good accountant.

I had the same accountant for 19 years, and i suppose i didnt like change, until 2 years ago i thought i have had enough !!!!

I changed accountants, and he IS the best thing that could have happened to me.

In the time of the accountant i had for 19 years, i never once sat and had a conversation with him, but my new accountant chats with me all the time, i can go and see him and have a cuppa with him, and he advises me to almost everything, and my business has never been in a better situation.

[TomCrowther]

Thanks Archer, I think your 100% right. I used to earn a lot as an employee and had this accountant to do my tax return.
Went self employed and kept the same guy to do the accounts but I never speak with him from year end to year end. Just laziness has stoped me finding a better, more proactive one.

[dannymack]

Tom pay your worker monthly I find it much better that way !!!

[Archer]

Tom,

not sure where you are based but cany speak highly enough of my accountant, and would pass his details on if you required them.

He is in Bolton, and has been a business manager, financial advisor etc in his past so has some serious knowledge.

Since being with him, i have bought another van, grown my business, even bought static caravan, new car, and will be phoning him in the morning to look at buying some properties.

None of this could EVER have been achieved with the other accountant, has also completely cut down my invoicing time and paperwork which is brilliant.

[Lee Pryor]

Hi Lee, are these all from your famous leaflet and "virtual office" phone answering service? How big is your business now in terms of vans/employees and customers?

Hi Tom.

Yes it is. I would rather not say numbers on the size of my business on here due to amount of morons that jump on board if they dont believe your business is doing well. Its enough to say the plans I kicked off at the start of the year are working very well and I have further plans to turn it up a gear over the next 12 months.

I am happy to talk to people in more detail off the forum.

[TomCrowther]

Cheers Archer/Lee
Archer, I am based in Sale, South Manc's so your man could be very useful and I will give you a buzz if that's ok. And Lee, if it's OK, I would like to speak with you too at some point?