Hiya James!
Ok, I thought that I would make an effort and give you my opinion on what you should do. You say you have £2k in savings, and you dont want to "blow" it all on window cleaning equipment, but you need to change your mindset.
2 Grand is actually a fairly decent budget to get you started. I would use it all if you want to start up in window cleaning properly.
Van £800-£1200, (03 plate connect, combo, etc)
£1200-£800 left for poles, tank and bits and bobs, if you DIY you will be able to do all this.
Now when it comes down to generating the business, prepare to spend at least 5 years growing and honing the work before you have any sort of round that you can rely on for a decent income. If you canvass relentlessly, you might be able to bring in around £18k a year of new business, and you will sit down, do the math and say to yourself well that's £90k in 5 years, jees window cleaners must rake it in!
But bear in mind UPTO 2 thirds of that business over the 5 year period will be: deaths, house moves, dross, messers, and "not today thankyous" I like to call them dead business. So you must account for that when you plan your growth
An EXAMPLE........
New Business Signups
Year 1) New :£18,300
Year 2) New: £14,500 - minus Dead Business YR1 £6,000
Year 3) New £16,600- minus Dead Business YR1 £5,700, YR2 £5,000
Year 4) New £12,300- minus Dead Business YR1 £800, YR2 £700, YR3 £2000
Year 5 New £9,500-minus Dead Business YR1 £300, YR2 £500, YR3 £1200, YR4 ,£4000
5 Year Summary
New signups £71,200
Minus Dead Business £26, 200
Customer list value after 5 years £45,000
So thats sort of how it really goes, and dont forget the ones that are worth keeping you must always bear in mind that at the end of any working day, its likley that you will stacually only get a 3rd or half the payements in for the day with the rest of the payments to follow in 2 or 3 weeks, plus there are taxes to pay and expenses. Again, its best to try to think in terms of thirds.
So if you take your £45,000 and allocate 15k for tax, 30k for yourself and the business.
Its not so easy to make a living from it.. you have to really want it. Many start up in this business becouse it looks like easy money, but more often than not they give up in 3 or 4 years.