[dazmond]

something doesnt add up.....how come john mart can easily find good staff and get them to turnover 90k a year?while the rest of us fail...miserably.....

[John Mart]

something doesnt add up.....how come john mart can easily find good staff and get them to turnover 90k a year?while the rest of us fail...miserably.....

Pay decent wages on full time contracts.

[paul alan]

I've just had shoulder surgery and can't work for 9 months. First baby due in 10 weeks as well.

I wish I had looked into insurance and sorted something out because I knew I had an issue with my shoulder which would probably require more surgery, alas it did.

I'm fortunate that my wife works for a company with very good maternity benefits.
Also I have a very good full time worker and now someone else starting August who will be doing 3 days a week. We have quite a few big extra jobs through the year, this also helps.

I'm trying to use this time to manage the business so it's not reliant on me working, so I look at it that way rather than forced off the tools as I chose to have the operation and prepared for it. At the moment it's a bit frustrating because I can't drive for another 7 weeks.

I agree with Dazmond that having a good fund behind you helps a lot. But also so does cheap rent and a millionaire brother hey Daz?! 

Highly unlikely that an insurance policy would pay out for a pre-existing condition becoming aggravated.

to be honest, the first lad i has was great, turned up everyday and did a good job... that great though that after 3 months he decided he wanted to start his own business after id trained him up lol  fair play to him...

BUT how do you find good staff that want to stick around thats the problem, anyone can be great for a few months but i want someone for years not months.

I suppose its not easy when you are only offering part time, that only suits a certain number and type of people. I think i would do better if looking for a full timer.

I cam to the same conclusion, if you offer full time you have a better chance of finding someone with commitments like kids and a mortgage which will tie them to the job. A part timer couldn't afford those commitments.

How much were you paying Adam? I'm thinking at least £10 ph made up from minimum basic salary with performance based pay. Make them work for a good wage, no sick days, no complaints, all work completed on time then bonus.

[paul alan]

something doesnt add up.....how come john mart can easily find good staff and get them to turnover 90k a year?while the rest of us fail...miserably.....

Pay decent wages on full time contracts.

Whats decent wages to you?

[dazmond]

who could stomach 8 hours a day window cleaning though 5 or 6 days a week?i couldnt!(not anymore)

i just about managed 930am-3pm today in this heat(30 mins for lunch) so 5 hours actually window cleaning.....

[Shrek]

who could stomach 8 hours a day window cleaning though 5 or 6 days a week?i couldnt!(not anymore)

i just about managed 930am-3pm today in this heat(30 mins for lunch) so 5 hours actually window cleaning.....

Totally agree , I couldn’t do 8hrs window cleaning + I would run out of water way before that too!

[paul alan]

Thats because you guys have a choice!

[Stoots]

Yeh sod paying a full timer, too much down time.

would prefer part timers with flexible hours.

[dazmond]

Thats because you guys have a choice!

maybe but i probably wouldnt clean any more work than i did today if i worked for someone else.id stretch it out over 8 hours instead!

[Bernie Green]

something doesnt add up.....how come john mart can easily find good staff and get them to turnover 90k a year?while the rest of us fail...miserably.....

Employ Hungarians through one of the Hungarians in Britain websites. Used to be Polish but they have got too big for their boots these days

[John Mart]

Yeh sod paying a full timer, too much down time.

would prefer part timers with flexible hours.

That's why you can't get decent staff.

[windowswashed]

I had a mortgage payment protection plan which covered sickness and injury, managed to claim a lot back through PPI claim. Read the small print, I only done it at the time because of my mortgage on my own. I wouldn't do it again, no need to now but I would advise paying in a regular amount somewhere where you won't touch and not touch it unless needed. Handy to have a financial cushion when health or work prevents you earning unless bank of mum and dad can help you out if you're parents are still around or the wife/girlfriend can support you.

[Stoots]

Yeh sod paying a full timer, too much down time.

would prefer part timers with flexible hours.

That's why you can't get decent staff.

Yep i know and i agree with you.

However, i cant turnover 90k per man, half that at a push...

So i think we are fishing in a different pond.   Would love to be able to pay a guy 25-30k or more full time and have them turnover 90k, however the reality of my area is that margins are lower, therefore wages have to be lower and downtime etc has to be considered.

In fact if i could get one man to turnover 85k id pay him 30k and retire tomorrow 

I think its easy to look at the recent weather with rose tinted glasses on, but i know full well the harsh winter we have just had and the amount of days ive had to have off work. I dont think i could handle the stress of having to pay a full timers wages through last winter.

[John Mart]

Yeh sod paying a full timer, too much down time.

would prefer part timers with flexible hours.

That's why you can't get decent staff.

Yep i know and i agree with you.

However, i cant turnover 90k per man, half that at a push...

So i think we are fishing in a different pond.   Would love to be able to pay a guy 25-30k or more full time and have them turnover 90k, however the reality of my area is that margins are lower, therefore wages have to be lower and downtime etc has to be considered.

In fact if i could get one man to turnover 85k id pay him 30k and retire tomorrow 

I think its easy to look at the recent weather with rose tinted glasses on, but i know full well the harsh winter we have just had and the amount of days ive had to have off work. I dont think i could handle the stress of having to pay a full timers wages through last winter.

I think much of it is mindset and attitude. In 8 years I doubt we have lost more than 5 days because of the weather. We just plough on regardless.

Re prices. Again, attitude. In general people have more disposable cash in the north. If you can’ average £15 a job and do 20 jobs a day you can pay £26k.  If it’s £12 then a bit less.

[Stoots]

bit less than £12 actually     i think my average job price is £11

Yup 20 a day would be £1100 a week, that is of course if hes not on holiday, off sick, rained off and none of the customers try and skip a clean. I just think the reality is much different from what can be done on paper, at least thats my experience with my work. I know you could just plow on but then comes the risk of upsetting customers working in heavy rain and risking doing a poor job in bad winds for example.

I applaud anyone who has domestic window cleaning mastered on a large scale, so far i find it totally frustrating.

[alank]

At times in the winter you can't just plough on regardless when you live and work in the north.

[Stoots]

At times in the winter you can't just plough on regardless when you live and work in the north.

Quite true

I just think some of us live in two different worlds on here and its easy to forget that.
Just because one person has no problem sticking out a few thousand leaflets and raking in £20 15 min jobs doesnt mean someone somewhere else in the country isnt doing exactly the same thing with much poorer results. Sometimes its not lack of mentality, attitude or application its simply we have totally different markets.

You cant compare working in the leafy suburbs of surrey to the ex mining towns of the north, its the same country but worlds apart.

[alank]

Totally agree with you there.

[dazmond]

At times in the winter you can't just plough on regardless when you live and work in the north.

Quite true

I just think some of us live in two different worlds on here and its easy to forget that.
Just because one person has no problem sticking out a few thousand leaflets and raking in £20 15 min jobs doesnt mean someone somewhere else in the country isnt doing exactly the same thing with much poorer results. Sometimes its not lack of mentality, attitude or application its simply we have totally different markets.

You cant compare working in the leafy suburbs of surrey to the ex mining towns of the north, its the same country but worlds apart.

i agree as well adam......i still cant bring myself to believe that someone can turnover 90k a year cleaning windows on their own......do you know anyone?.....no neither do i! ......in fact most window cleaners i know are just about scratching a living together......

[cgh window cleaning]

I Belive the vat is included in that 90k which if on your own (sole trader)under vat limit would be like you doing 72k chuck in some good commercial and 8 hour days and there is no reason why it isn't achievable.

It also goes back to property  1 bed flats in the south are starting at 200k a bog standard house £300-£350k.
 You only work 5 hours a day because it suits your lifestyle and needs and there is nothing wrong with that if you had a big mortgage or family to support your need to earn more would be different. And your turn over would have to increase.
I'm not knocking you at all peoples lifestyles,outgoings and needs to earn will vary.
To put it in to perspective I would hazard a guess my daughters nursery fees are double your rent up north (they are around 1k a month )add in a large mortgage and people need to charge more and earn more down south.

Still 90k even with the vat in one van is still pretty impressive .