[jo5hm4n]

Considering going full time with Window Cleaning, as finding running 2 part time businesses is becoming more difficult, just interested to know out of you guys on here running a one man band operation what are your approx business outgoings each month/yearly to run your window cleaning business.  I've just worked out a rough estimate and including upgrading for a newer van and system plus all other standard outgoings it will set me back around £600 per month.  So this is £600 per month i wont see on whatever my business is turning over and this is all before tax.

Does this sound about average, how much are you guys paying to keep your business running?

[matthewprice]

First couple of years or so about that .but once you have paid off all new equipment. Now about half that

[chris turner]

My monthly outgoings have evened out to around £400.
That's for fuel, water costs, insurance, cleaner planner, tools etc.
After a few years you get to a point where you have decent equipment and don't need to fork out to often. New brush here and there, filters, resin etc
 I bought a 13 plate dispatch last year which il keep for 5 years, using that time to save for another van.
Don't want finance, I want to own the van straight away.

[Smurf]

How about mind your own business 

[SeanK]

Your confusing start up costs with yearly running costs, example lets say you pay £10K for your van and plan to keep
it for 5 years then say after 5 years its still worth £4k, your van will have cost you £1200 per year to buy or £100 a month
now considering this will be your biggest outlay by far do you now think its going to cost you another £500 a month for everything else ?

[Walter Mitty]

Considering going full time with Window Cleaning, as finding running 2 part time businesses is becoming more difficult, just interested to know out of you guys on here running a one man band operation what are your approx business outgoings each month/yearly to run your window cleaning business.  I've just worked out a rough estimate and including upgrading for a newer van and system plus all other standard outgoings it will set me back around £600 per month.  So this is £600 per month i wont see on whatever my business is turning over and this is all before tax.

Does this sound about average, how much are you guys paying to keep your business running?

Depends how you work really.  My main outgoings (vehicle/system loan, small unit rental (a room with tank and some storage room), and water bill) currently work out at around £520 a month.  To that add diesel (variable - but average maybe £130 a month), vehicle maintenance (very low as it's new), filter changes/resin, metered water, van and public liability insurances, phone, accountancy fee, occasional tool replacement, I'm probably looking at £800+ a month on average.  That is skewed though by recently taking out a van loan and needing to rent somewhere cheapish for filtering water (I live in a flat).  It's easy to forget about some of those annual bills like accountant and other misc stuff, and even easier to overlook those things that last a few years like membranes - but they also must be divided by 12 and factored in to the monthly costs.  Vehicle depreciation is another issue too.  If I take EVERYTHING into account, I could be looking at a bit more than £10k a year.

[dazmond]

5k-6k a year for all expenses.

[SeanK]

Considering going full time with Window Cleaning, as finding running 2 part time businesses is becoming more difficult, just interested to know out of you guys on here running a one man band operation what are your approx business outgoings each month/yearly to run your window cleaning business.  I've just worked out a rough estimate and including upgrading for a newer van and system plus all other standard outgoings it will set me back around £600 per month.  So this is £600 per month i wont see on whatever my business is turning over and this is all before tax.

Does this sound about average, how much are you guys paying to keep your business running?

Depends how you work really.  My main outgoings (vehicle/system loan, small unit rental (a room with tank and some storage room), and water bill) currently work out at around £520 a month.  To that add diesel (variable - but average maybe £130 a month), vehicle maintenance (very low as it's new), filter changes/resin, metered water, van and public liability insurances, phone, accountancy fee, occasional tool replacement, I'm probably looking at £800+ a month on average.  That is skewed though by recently taking out a van loan and needing to rent somewhere cheapish for filtering water (I live in a flat).  It's easy to forget about some of those annual bills like accountant and other misc stuff, and even easier to overlook those things that last a few years like membranes - but they also must be divided by 12 and factored in to the monthly costs.  Vehicle depreciation is another issue too.  If I take EVERYTHING into account, I could be looking at a bit more than £10k a year.

That's definitely a Walter Mitty story if ever I heard one that or you need to sack your accountant.

[SeanK]

Yearly expenses will vary according to your circumstances if your young and have high insurance premiums then
you could be talking between £2 and £3k a year for that alone, if your commercial and do high mileage then that will also have an effect on your outgoings, even things like higher work will effect your outgoings as that will mean very expensive poles are a
must have compared to an slx for two story domestic.
But if your what I would call in the lucky bracket expenses wise, low insurance cheap water and a compact round close to home then you would be doing well to spend £3k a year even with a fairly good van.

[Walter Mitty]

Yearly expenses will vary according to your circumstances if your young and have high insurance premiums then
you could be talking between £2 and £3k a year for that alone, if your commercial and do high mileage then that will also have an effect on your outgoings, even things like higher work will effect your outgoings as that will mean very expensive poles are a
must have compared to an slx for two story domestic.
But if your what I would call in the lucky bracket expenses wise, low insurance cheap water and a compact round close to home then you would be doing well to spend £3k a year even with a fairly good van.

Indeed, without vehice loan and if I could filter water at home, and if my work was all more local, I might be able to squeeze it down to £3k-£4k now that I have no very high work.

[Walter Mitty]

Considering going full time with Window Cleaning, as finding running 2 part time businesses is becoming more difficult, just interested to know out of you guys on here running a one man band operation what are your approx business outgoings each month/yearly to run your window cleaning business.  I've just worked out a rough estimate and including upgrading for a newer van and system plus all other standard outgoings it will set me back around £600 per month.  So this is £600 per month i wont see on whatever my business is turning over and this is all before tax.

Does this sound about average, how much are you guys paying to keep your business running?

Depends how you work really.  My main outgoings (vehicle/system loan, small unit rental (a room with tank and some storage room), and water bill) currently work out at around £520 a month.  To that add diesel (variable - but average maybe £130 a month), vehicle maintenance (very low as it's new), filter changes/resin, metered water, van and public liability insurances, phone, accountancy fee, occasional tool replacement, I'm probably looking at £800+ a month on average.  That is skewed though by recently taking out a van loan and needing to rent somewhere cheapish for filtering water (I live in a flat).  It's easy to forget about some of those annual bills like accountant and other misc stuff, and even easier to overlook those things that last a few years like membranes - but they also must be divided by 12 and factored in to the monthly costs.  Vehicle depreciation is another issue too.  If I take EVERYTHING into account, I could be looking at a bit more than £10k a year.

That's definitely a Walter Mitty story if ever I heard one that or you need to sack your accountant.

And that's only part-time when I'm taking a break from my main job as a brain surgeon

[SeanK]

Yearly expenses will vary according to your circumstances if your young and have high insurance premiums then
you could be talking between £2 and £3k a year for that alone, if your commercial and do high mileage then that will also have an effect on your outgoings, even things like higher work will effect your outgoings as that will mean very expensive poles are a
must have compared to an slx for two story domestic.
But if your what I would call in the lucky bracket expenses wise, low insurance cheap water and a compact round close to home then you would be doing well to spend £3k a year even with a fairly good van.

Indeed, without vehice loan and if I could filter water at home, and if my work was all more local, I might be able to squeeze it down to £3k-£4k now that I have no very high work.

Your making the mistake that many do and are not deducting capital gain from your expenses, even if your vehicle cost
£20k new including loan if you sell it in 5 years it will have a value that you need to deduct from your yearly expenses
that's why all big companies work out their expenses on a minimum of 5 years.
A new vehicle even bought on a loan shouldn't cost more than £1500 a year providing you have got a decent interest rate
and don't ruin the vehicle in that time frame.

[andyM]

Yearly expenses will vary according to your circumstances if your young and have high insurance premiums then
you could be talking between £2 and £3k a year for that alone, if your commercial and do high mileage then that will also have an effect on your outgoings, even things like higher work will effect your outgoings as that will mean very expensive poles are a
must have compared to an slx for two story domestic.
But if your what I would call in the lucky bracket expenses wise, low insurance cheap water and a compact round close to home then you would be doing well to spend £3k a year even with a fairly good van.

Indeed, without vehice loan and if I could filter water at home, and if my work was all more local, I might be able to squeeze it down to £3k-£4k now that I have no very high work.

Your making the mistake that many do and are not deducting capital gain from your expenses, even if your vehicle cost
£20k new including loan if you sell it in 5 years it will have a value that you need to deduct from your yearly expenses
that's why all big companies work out their expenses on a minimum of 5 years.
A new vehicle even bought on a loan shouldn't cost more than £1500 a year providing you have got a decent interest rate
and don't ruin the vehicle in that time frame.

Eh? 

[Joey Eastwood]

Yearly expenses will vary according to your circumstances if your young and have high insurance premiums then
you could be talking between £2 and £3k a year for that alone, if your commercial and do high mileage then that will also have an effect on your outgoings, even things like higher work will effect your outgoings as that will mean very expensive poles are a
must have compared to an slx for two story domestic.
But if your what I would call in the lucky bracket expenses wise, low insurance cheap water and a compact round close to home then you would be doing well to spend £3k a year even with a fairly good van.

Indeed, without vehice loan and if I could filter water at home, and if my work was all more local, I might be able to squeeze it down to £3k-£4k now that I have no very high work.

Your making the mistake that many do and are not deducting capital gain from your expenses, even if your vehicle cost
£20k new including loan if you sell it in 5 years it will have a value that you need to deduct from your yearly expenses
that's why all big companies work out their expenses on a minimum of 5 years.
A new vehicle even bought on a loan shouldn't cost more than £1500 a year providing you have got a decent interest rate
and don't ruin the vehicle in that time frame.

Eh? 

Cost of the van over 5 years, devide the van cost by 5 for a yearly cost, then take off the re sale value  after 5years of having it... 10grand van is 2k a year,  sell it for 2.5k after 5 years = 1500 a year van cost.. I'm guessing this is an example of what he means

[steve rix]

Taking staff wages and tax out of the equation our costs are roughly £18,000 pa

[SeanK]

Yearly expenses will vary according to your circumstances if your young and have high insurance premiums then
you could be talking between £2 and £3k a year for that alone, if your commercial and do high mileage then that will also have an effect on your outgoings, even things like higher work will effect your outgoings as that will mean very expensive poles are a
must have compared to an slx for two story domestic.
But if your what I would call in the lucky bracket expenses wise, low insurance cheap water and a compact round close to home then you would be doing well to spend £3k a year even with a fairly good van.

Indeed, without vehice loan and if I could filter water at home, and if my work was all more local, I might be able to squeeze it down to £3k-£4k now that I have no very high work.

Your making the mistake that many do and are not deducting capital gain from your expenses, even if your vehicle cost
£20k new including loan if you sell it in 5 years it will have a value that you need to deduct from your yearly expenses
that's why all big companies work out their expenses on a minimum of 5 years.
A new vehicle even bought on a loan shouldn't cost more than £1500 a year providing you have got a decent interest rate
and don't ruin the vehicle in that time frame.

Eh? 

Cost of the van over 5 years, devide the van cost by 5 for a yearly cost, then take off the re sale value  after 5years of having it... 10grand van is 2k a year,  sell it for 2.5k after 5 years = 1500 a year van cost.. I'm guessing this is an example of what he means

Exactly Joey,  a van only costs what it depreciates if that's the right way to say it, I'm not saying that you could buy a new
van for £1500 a year as you will also be paying for that remaining value in advance.

[NWH]

I would always keep my outgoings highish if your earning you'll only pay it in tax as I have found to my fault this year,if your earning well and don't have any big purchases you'll pay it in tax. If you've had a business you should know this but after you've bought equipment you'll struggle to offset things,I would keep re newing stuff to keep the tax down that would be my advise to anyone who is starting off,I think you get 18 months grace before they hit you with about 2 years worth of tax as a new business.

[NWH]

When it comes to vans I would by something that's costing you 300 odd a month again it keeps the tax down as its all written off against turnover as long as you have another vehicle otherwise they'll hit you again with knocking another 25-50% tax

[SeanK]

I would always keep my outgoings highish if your earning you'll only pay it in tax as I have found to my fault this year,if your earning well and don't have any big purchases you'll pay it in tax. If you've had a business you should know this but after you've bought equipment you'll struggle to offset things,I would keep re newing stuff to keep the tax down that would be my advise to anyone who is starting off,I think you get 18 months grace before they hit you with about 2 years worth of tax as a new business.

So you would spend a pound for no other reason than to save twenty pence ?

[SeanK]

When it comes to vans I would by something that's costing you 300 odd a month again it keeps the tax down as its all written off against turnover as long as you have another vehicle otherwise they'll hit you again with knocking another 25-50% tax

Again totally wrong if you want to save the most on tax then don't buy a van instead rent it or lease it, that said it still wouldn't mean its the best the best way to end up with the most money in your pocket after tax which is what all self employed/ business
persons should be aiming for.