[֍Winp®oClean֍]

One of my team sets up against me, I follow him taking a note of every customer address, then on the same day they all get a letter offering them 12 months free window cleaning. Game over. His round is gone overnight.

I'm surprised you'd feel so threatened given the level of success you've achieved. I worked for someone years ago before setting up on my own. I was never out to set up against them or build an empire, just be my own boss with  hours to suit me, ultimately being in control of my own future. Out of interest what's the age range of the guys you have working for you ? do they have jobs for as long as they want them or only as long as they keep the pace and reach their targets ? Its inevitable they will gradually slow as they age, we all do. And what then ? when they wish to go solo  with their own small round because they're tiring of the long hours and pressure to keep the pace - you'd prevent them from doing so even though they had worked so hard for you helping you make your business the success it is . Think on that.

All Southern window cleaners beware....Lee "KRAY" Pryor is in town! He's gonna hunt you down and destroy you overnight!!
What a walloper!! 

[Lee Pryor]

I dont feel threatened at all I was just giving an example of what could happen should someone working for me set up in competition. Its never happened and im not worried about it.

Haha as for people thinking Im big headed ect...... Yes I am. You have to be in order to push on to this level and beyond. You need a certain mindset to cope with the stress. I think you need to be a little mad and very confident. Its not easy.

Lee Kray Pryor.... now thats funny. 

[Martin Lane]

Lee
What makes you think you are the biggest in the south?
By turnover?
By vans on the road?
Or by profit

[Slacky]

Is that set up in competition or set up in competition by trying to get your customers to jump ship. There’s a big a difference and you havent stipulated.

One is defending your business the other might be construed as something a little more serious.

[Lee Pryor]

Lee
What makes you think you are the biggest in the south?
By turnover?
By vans on the road?
Or by profit

A fair question.

I know of no other company in any area we cover that generates as much business as we do. I am happy to stand corrected if thats wrong. To be clear by what I mean by that I am refering to  residential non franchised businesses.

Anyone that wants to challange my statement is welcome to contact me directly at our office.

[Johnny B]

I don't see other local window cleaners as competition, even if they think I am to them.

There is enough work to go around for anyone who looks for it, and from my viewpoint, as I don't want anything other than to make a reasonable living, I see no reason to be greedy.

John

[NWH]

I don’t think you realise the amount of work someone like Lee would have to have to keep 8-10 cleaners going,any competition especially someone who’s worked for him would or could damage his business.
A lot of companies have the same approach to new competition they either buy them out or offer the same deal as he is where’s they offer say a years free cleans to stay with him,different league but Sky use or would use the same approach.

[NWH]

3 of his workers leave him and within a matter of weeks he could have 15-20k knocked off of his turnover a month.

[Status Check]

3 of his workers leave him and within a matter of weeks he could have 15-20k knocked off of his turnover a month.

Yes but Lee pays them well. I think they are on a percentage of the days takings, 30% or something like that. They are not going to leave if they are earning over £30k and have family commitments etc.

[tlwcs]

Surly there would be something in their contract of employment to stop them starting on their own.
What happens if one wants to leave and work for someone else? They would still know the round and prices? they worked for Lee and could flyer it or the new employer could.
Maybe Lee has it right, fair pay with lots of opportunities to earn more
Competition is a fact of business we can’t own a patch
Tony

[NWH]

Yeah if  I was earning 600 quid a week and I all of a sudden realised I could be earning over and above 1200 odd instead I’d be thinking about Lee too lol,especially if they know between them where all the work is.
Window cleaners being window cleaners wouldn’t care about a piece of paper saying they couldn’t go after the work either,by the time you’d caught up with them and taken them to court you’d be exhausted having to go round every customer and making a list.
The thing with this job if you steal a customer and that customer won’t say they were stolen you don’t have a leg to stand in it’s there choice,you trey and get a customer to sign a contract saying they can only let you clean there windows forever lol,good luck with that one.

[Lee Pryor]

As mentioned above I do have things like this in the contract.

Also as I have said before its not as if month 1 they would be earning anything like that. In fact if you really break it down they wouldnt earn much more on their own but would have all the stress and hasle and expenses they dont have right now.

As for leaving to work for another comapny that just wont happen. None of them pay anything close to what I do, dont provide new vans or top equipment pole ect. One of mine joined us in Nov from another local company. He couldnt believe the difference in pay and kit I was offering.

Heres a perfect example of something recently for us. In Jan one of our vans blew an engine, not even 3 years old and less than 30k on it. Staff member got nearly 2 weeks off on full pay and full end of month bonus, van being new ish all done for free. Now if he were a 1 man band he would have lost weeks of money and lets be honest the van probably wouldnt have been new enough to be covered and the bill would have been £6k.... From my point of view I just gave the others more each day to cover his absense and barely noticed any difference in our figures, in fact Jan was our second best month ever at £69k

I pay my team very very well, even in the office our manager told me her dec payslip was the most she had ever earned in her working life in 1 month and wanted to frame it, I treat them all well and provide the best kit on the market. Why leave and have all the hassle and expense. Nature has already shown us that there is safety in numbers.

I think everyone on here should remember that you are all people who work for yourselves, that is a certain type of person. Not everyone sees things the same way or there would be knowone buying a franchise or getting a job with anyone, but there is and thats because not everyone wants to go out alone nor does everyone have it in them to do that or take a chance.

[Lee Pryor]

I don’t think you realise the amount of work someone like Lee would have to have to keep 8-10 cleaners going,any competition especially someone who’s worked for him would or could damage his business.
A lot of companies have the same approach to new competition they either buy them out or offer the same deal as he is where’s they offer say a years free cleans to stay with him,different league but Sky use or would use the same approach.

its 10 cleaners going and the amount is 5400 customers.

2 more vans currently on order and 1.25 million leaflets going out this year from April-Aug

If thiings pan out that will take us to a £million a year turnover., ready to order 3 more in 2020.

[KS Cleaning]

As mentioned above I do have things like this in the contract.

Also as I have said before its not as if month 1 they would be earning anything like that. In fact if you really break it down they wouldnt earn much more on their own but would have all the stress and hasle and expenses they dont have right now.

As for leaving to work for another comapny that just wont happen. None of them pay anything close to what I do, dont provide new vans or top equipment pole ect. One of mine joined us in Nov from another local company. He couldnt believe the difference in pay and kit I was offering.

Heres a perfect example of something recently for us. In Jan one of our vans blew an engine, not even 3 years old and less than 30k on it. Staff member got nearly 2 weeks off on full pay and full end of month bonus, van being new ish all done for free. Now if he were a 1 man band he would have lost weeks of money and lets be honest the van probably wouldnt have been new enough to be covered and the bill would have been £6k.... From my point of view I just gave the others more each day to cover his absense and barely noticed any difference in our figures, in fact Jan was our second best month ever at £69k

I pay my team very very well, even in the office our manager told me her dec payslip was the most she had ever earned in her working life in 1 month and wanted to frame it, I treat them all well and provide the best kit on the market. Why leave and have all the hassle and expense. Nature has already shown us that there is safety in numbers.

I think everyone on here should remember that you are all people who work for yourselves, that is a certain type of person. Not everyone sees things the same way or there would be knowone buying a franchise or getting a job with anyone, but there is and thats because not everyone wants to go out alone nor does everyone have it in them to do that or take a chance.

Why didn’t you just put the guy in another van as a second man?

[Lee Pryor]

Because of the way we pay wages as well as other reasons.

[Dry Clean]

Lee
What makes you think you are the biggest in the south?
By turnover?
By vans on the road?
Or by profit

Because nobody else would be foolish enough to try and build a large window cleaning business in the south, Lee's guys average £70k a year, he pays them £30k plus costs holiday pay and so on, lets say £40k, that leaves  him around £300k for 2 office staff an office manager, 10 vans and all the other equipment, premises and marketing the list goes on, theres a reason why theres no Amazon or Virgin window cleaning.
Believe me if there was real money in this he wouldnt be broadcasting it to all on here.

[John Mart]

Lee
What makes you think you are the biggest in the south?
By turnover?
By vans on the road?
Or by profit

Because nobody else would be foolish enough to try and build a large window cleaning business in the south, Lee's guys average £70k a year, he pays them £30k plus costs holiday pay and so on, lets say £40k, that leaves  him around £300k for 2 office staff an office manager, 10 vans and all the other equipment, premises and marketing the list goes on, theres a reason why theres no Amazon or Virgin window cleaning.
Believe me if there was real money in this he wouldnt be broadcasting it to all on here.

That's a good point actually. The average figure is a bit on the low side I think. Obviously I'm only 1/3 of the scale, but van by van my average is quite a bit higher. I can immediately see why Lee's might be lower mind you - because of the travelling. But mine start at 9 and are usually finished by 3.30 so dunno.

[Lee Pryor]

Lee
What makes you think you are the biggest in the south?
By turnover?
By vans on the road?
Or by profit

Because nobody else would be foolish enough to try and build a large window cleaning business in the south, Lee's guys average £70k a year, he pays them £30k plus costs holiday pay and so on, lets say £40k, that leaves  him around £300k for 2 office staff an office manager, 10 vans and all the other equipment, premises and marketing the list goes on, theres a reason why theres no Amazon or Virgin window cleaning.
Believe me if there was real money in this he wouldnt be broadcasting it to all on here.

Oh this is just pure gold! Actually made my day.

How on earth do you get to 40k per staff member? haha. One of the 2 girls is the manager so not 2 plus manager. I own 4 of our 10 vans outright and the list of where your wrong goes on and on.

So in your last sentence your saying there is no money in window cleaning. Jesus we all better find another job then!

Your totally right theres no money left for me, im skint ha!! My mrs and I will be poolside in dubai (again) in 3 weeks(4k for the week). While im there with a g&t in my hand at the swim up bar, still being paid and everything running fine without me, I will try to work out where it all went wrong. Dont worry I will let you know when the answer comes to me. In the mean time ive decided to not work today, (just because I can) instead I will jump in my brand new 75k m4 cabrio and drive into town where I will drop off my 7k breitling navitimer to get serviced before we go away. Then im off to purchase a new video camera which I plan to use for our new youtube chanel starting next month (watch this space) Oh and as theres no money in window cleaning I better swing by the job centre to sign on while im out! On my way home I might pop into the office just to see if the £4k on the worksheets for today got done and click the button to start all of it being collected by direct debit.

Yep, theres no money in window cleaning past being a 1 man band. I better cancel the 2 brand new vans on order. Thank god you were here to save me from myself before I made a huge mistake. 

Growing your business to achieve financial freedom and freedom of personal time = ...........brilliant

1 man band online haters slating a person whos business is fast approaching a million a year=.......... priceless!

[Tom-01]

Any chance of you staying in Dubai?

[David Kent @ KentKleen]

Lee has taken alot of risks, suffered lots of stress and has obviously put the hours in to build up his business. I would imagine he can put his feet up if he desires and reap the rewards (A lovely position to be in) or re-invest and build it  even bigger (Still a lovely situation to be in).
Lee has made alot of valid points regarding  the people who use this forum.
IMO nearly all on here will run there own business, its there little baby, they have spent time building it up and refining it, never in million years will they go back to being employed by someone, BUT, outside of this very small collection of self employed business owners is a massive world, full of people not wanting to take risks, people who are and do, quite happily work all there lives for someone else, making that employer or company a fortune over the years. Its they way the world works. Im sure if Lee has half of his lads leave tomorrow his business wont collapse and within a month it would be buisness as usual.
Why am I blowing smoke up Lee's bottom?
Years ago on this forum I suffered from similar 'always negative' comments. I decided too not really contribute on here anymore, instead just watch from the side lines and concentrate on proving people wrong.
What I have noticed is only a small amout of people seem to ask Lee the right sorts of questions or for advise. (Im sure some may contact him privately, good on them, tap into his knowledge on growing a big successful domestic window cleaning business) Most people are trying to drill down into all the negative aspects of running a larger business, maybe trying to justify in there own minds as to why they havn't or wont grow bigger.
I would imagine one of Lee's goals is not to have to work at all, yet still get well (very well) paid for all the work and stress he has/is going through now, getting paid continually in the future for very little or no input. I believe window cleaning residential properties is the almost 'perfect' business to achieve this in (I have started and been involved in many). Never continually having to replace or look for work, a domestic window cleaning business however big or small will look after itself (unless you are having to do the cleaning bit yourself ) if you have the right training and staff/operators in place.

My business is 99% residential, based up in the North East. I could if I wished retire today, close my office and unit down, stop growing  and collect each week a hansome retirement wage, but aged 45, my plan is to continue building/re investing in the business till I am 50, then retire and actually enjoy the rewards, rather than living very simply as we do at the moment due to re-investing. (Remember this is MY plan, Im happy with the way we live at the moment because I can clearly see the end result and know what Im suffering for.)
It will have taken 14 years for me to get the business to this point. 

So why this post?
Simple.
Everyone can learn something new every day IF you open your mind to new ideas. Your way of doing things may be just perfect for you, thats great, BUT when others share there idea's, dont shoot them down just because YOU personally dont think they will work.
Hope you all, whatever journey your on, have a good day and a prosperous 2019.
Keep shining.
Kind regards
Dave.