[Biscute]

This was brought up in a diffrent issue but does any1 actually know if you are entitled to sighn on for the weeks were it is raining or if you dont have a round wich is a full month long?

[ok cleaning]

  of course not man you have got an income full month or not 

[mark6765]

You should be able to estimate your profit for the year if your a new startup or circumstances change. and claim tax credit if you are on low income.
I did for the first year.

[Biscute]

Thanx i was just woundering because i was readng about it on the post (7 day forcast).

[AdamSouth]

or get a part time job. thats what i'm thinking of doing because although i've been a w/c for nearly 2years it was for someone else and setting up my own round is taking longer than i though . need to pay bills, delievering pizzas at night is the answer

[windows_chepstow]

You should be able to estimate your profit for the year if your a new startup or circumstances change. and claim tax credit if you are on low income.
I did for the first year.

Biscute,

I think you should give your local citizen's advice bureau a visit to see what you're entitled to claim.

There maybe other things you can get.  I remember someone here was paid some sort of allowance when he first started up a business.

Also, if you haven't got a full round and money is tight; why not work part time?  I did a security job, working nights over a Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  

They paid extremely little, about £6.00 an hour, but it was not physically demanding and I often slept (remember; if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys; and I was definately one of them; 'specially when I used to take a sleeping bag into work!)

Also, if it's hammering down with rain, use that time to be productive in other ways.  Get your books up-to-date.  Down-load Sarah's 'getting commercial work' letter and tinker with it.

Create a data-base of potential commercial customers and mail-shot them.

I know you won't be able to claim anything for not working while it's raining, because you can if you want to.  There's no law against cleaning windows in the rain.

No-doubt I sound mega efficient; I promise you I'm not.  I'm working tomorrow to catch up on work I've missed this week.

Also, getting three-days solid rain - during working hours - in one week is an extremely rare occurance.  I think this is the worst it's been since I've started window cleaning; only three-years-ago mind.

Stick at it mate.

If it was easy, the successful guys wouldn't be receiving the income they do.

The potential for high-earnings in a short time is there.

It just takes a bit of nouse, hard-work and determination.

I'm not sure if I'm giving you a pep-talk, or giving one to myself!

[Sir Squeaky]

Also, getting three-days solid rain - during working hours - in one week is an extremely rare occurance.  I think this is the worst it's been since I've started window cleaning; only three-years-ago mind.

To be honest Tosh, I can't remember a much worse week than this in over 8 years.
Still, it's been so good until now that a 2 and a half day week doesn't matter.

I'm still living off money from weeks ago...nice position to be in.
I'm in a better financial position than most summers!

Have a weekend off mate!
Rog.

[windows_chepstow]

Have a weekend off mate!
Rog.

I can't.

I've quite a few customers who pay me by monthly standing order.

They pay me on (or around the first of the month) and I clean their house during that month.

If I don't stay on top of my round I'd be ripping them off.

It's a good motivator also.

[Sarah Sarill]

Good advice so far  Biscuite and plenty to think about.

We promote our add-on services all year and tell customers that these jobs will be done on a rainy day.  Gutter cleaning, Upvc, patio blasts etc can be the difference between surviving or sinking (financially) when we have periods of rain like we have had recently.

On gutter cleaning alone you could easily do 4 at £50 per house per day.

Start putting leaflets through when your w/c  - you have nothing to loose.

http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=17756.

I have posted a few examples for you to look at.   The good thing is,you are on their doorstep anyway so you have not used up any of your work time.

Stick at it - its been abnormally wet recently.

Sarah

[Andrew McCann]

I have to agree with Sarah again....  seems I always do 


We save up the "add on" work for this type of weather. People dont usually mind when it's done (within reason) We use it as insurance against what would otherwise be non earning time.

Its really quite amazing how quickly you can get a nice amount of fallback work like this. In fact some of our best earning days are this type. We even phone the customer if he/she isnt in and we notice that the
cons roof/gutters/soffits/fascias etc are in a bit of a state and offer to do the job for them. In most cases we get a yes please.

Andrew

[DASERVICES]

Biscute,

Don't know if you are doing this yet but are you claiming Working Tax credit,
it is based on your Net Profit not Gross Porfit. This I find covers me on them
rainy days.

Doug

[MNWC]

good advise

i cleaned one of my customers fascias and gutters @£35 on tuesday (persisting down here) the lady over the road wanted hers doing, i said as your not one of my customers ill have to charge you £40...she agreed and now wants me to clean her windows !!!! every ones a winner 

[dave0123]

I have work in a gym that i would do if it was raining its monthly account commercial cleaning the mirrors gr8 work for like this week were you stay totaly dry n warm wish i had more work like this! i mite try and get some more

Maybe try and get work like this but when you think about it if mostly your work is montly then it still has to be done ok you lose out that week on income but the work has to be done thats how i see it.

Dave

[pjulk]

I remember someone here was paid some sort of allowance when he first started up a business.

That was me i had an accident at work and had to have an operation on my back.
Was not allowed to work for 3 years as they would not operate for 2 years.

Anyway i wanted to get back into window cleaning as i have done that on and off most of my life.
They said if i can start up a viable business that i would be entitled to a grant.
So they let me build my business up over 26 weeks and i had to tell them exactly what i earnt. Anything over £50 was deducted from my benefits.
After the 26 weeks i had to produce 3 business plans and had to go to two interviews with business advisors.
Anyway what i was doing seemed to make them happy so they paid me full money for 13 weeks which had to be put into the business.

Im not sure everyone can get this grant off of them.
I was on long term incapacity benefit because i was not allowed to work but got it because i wanted to go back to work and met there criterea.

Im not even sure if they still do it as when i did it i had to see a business advisor each week and they said it may be getting stopped.

There is one condition of the grant.
If i end up back on benefits for whatever reason within 3 years i would have to pay back the money they gave me.

Paul

[mark dew]

I remember someone here was paid some sort of allowance when he first started up a business.

So they let me build my business up over 26 weeks and i had to tell them exactly what i earnt.

I started W/C on something similar called partners for business.  I was paid benefit + an extra tenner each week for a maximum of 26 weeks. Whatever i earnt (minus expenses) as i was building up my work, had to go into a bank account under their control.
When i came off the scheme i was given whatever money i had banked and if business was viable, sign off.
I got £44 a week tax credits last year after i signed off. Based on net profit.
Hope this helps.

[Biscute]

Thanks alot for all the input its been alot of help, with some good idears, keep up the good work peeps 

[pjulk]

had to go into a bank account under their control

Yes i had exactly the same into bank account until i had finished.
I can't remember what mine was called though i know it was not partners for business like yours.
they did it through a company called enham.
I expect it was more or less the same though.

Paul

[mark dew]

had to go into a bank account under their control

Yes i had exactly the same into bank account until i had finished.
I can't remember what mine was called though i know it was not partners for business like yours.
they did it through a company called enham.
I expect it was more or less the same though.

Paul

oh i forgot to mention that i couldn't get on this scheme until i'd been signing on for 3 months

[chris@c.m.s]

I'm on a scheme now called new deal for self employed which would be the same as the ones above, I'm not sure how long you need to be on benefits before you start but the scheme does allow you to buy any equiptment you need like wfp ect  I also take out all other expences petrol, squeeges, scrims before I bank, then print out a 2 weekly finance report from George for the progress meetings. when you have been excepted onto the scheme you will need proof that you have liability insurence.