[WGB]

Was speaking with another solicitor today and there is 2 different ways you can do it legally, first is a franchise agreement which has rules of operating  which starts at £3500, which has a lot of finer details in it. Then the other is you can have someone trading under your license which is alot more basic but legal fees are only £500-£800. Not sure if anyone on here has went licensee way, but definitely a lot easier on the pocket

[NWH]

Hi Wayne we no longer require you service we are going with another window cleaner from now on,how do you deal with that.

[WGB]

My answer is based on the window cleaning model of course franchising works and it’s profitable for the franchisee depending on what business it is,the majority of businesses that do this have already a well known brand in some cases a world wide brand.
They supply the food-vehicle-clothing everything single thing you’ll need to promote their brand,take Costcutter for example I know someone that has 1 the till is linked to head office every time an item is sold it comes off that particular shops stock list and is automatically delivered as and when it gets so low that it won’t be on the shelf,it runs like a well oiled machine it’s tried tested. 
The businesses sales can be tracked down to the last £,if there’s no cash involved in the window cleaning business with all payments being made online or any other method this still doesn’t mean you’ll continue to keep the work if the wrong person is servicing it.
I wouldn’t say a window cleaning franchise was comparable to most of the others you see operating,I would compare it to renting out work for a monthly fee nothing like a smoothly run franchise, legal paperwork saying you can’t steal my work or not I wouldn’t want to be starting legal proceedings against a franchisee in this job lol what a nightmare.

NWH can imagine it would be a nightmare if that did happen, but the way i look at it is if a franchisee is willing to make an investment of a few k at the start then i think this alone will attract a more decent  sort of a person thats not going to try and pull a fast one at the first chance he gets, not like some of the nightmares ive had employing

[NWH]

If they give you a few grand and they have to supply van system etc I’m sure to start off with it’ll be all plain sailing,the thing is with franchising you still have to have some sort of control over it these other businesses do.
You ain’t gonna be getting supplied with KFC products if you decide to setup a shop down your local high steeet unless it’s through them are you,it works because they’ve got all the alternatives boxed off the same cannot be said for window cleaning,it’s impossible to say to any customer you can’t use him to clean your windows he might not be able to take them on directly in his name but it can be done,how many franchises do you see in window cleaning hardly any because not many people are stupid enough to buy into it and if they do they soon think sod this I’ll go it alone,the same can be said for employees if they’ve half a brain they’ll go it alone unless you are lucky enough to have people that aren’t to ambitious but they are few and far between if they are any good.
Get the right employee-employees  you’ll earn more out of them than  you would out of franchising anyway,you’d also have more control.

[Stoots]

Was speaking with another solicitor today and there is 2 different ways you can do it legally, first is a franchise agreement which has rules of operating  which starts at £3500, which has a lot of finer details in it. Then the other is you can have someone trading under your license which is alot more basic but legal fees are only £500-£800. Not sure if anyone on here has went licensee way, but definitely a lot easier on the pocket

You want a franchise agreement to do it properly.

Like i said they are not cheap 

[NWH]

Just looked at a company offering a franchise opportunity £15,500 for equipment and  van deposit etc,assuring you that you’ll be earning over 60k after 2 years 🤣🤣🤣 well your honour I rest my case,case dismissed lol.
That is with no experience required I might add and you’ll have the opportunity to employ after that time,blimey they must be getting these people from the farm of funny.

[Mike Burd]

Was speaking with another solicitor today and there is 2 different ways you can do it legally, first is a franchise agreement which has rules of operating  which starts at £3500, which has a lot of finer details in it. Then the other is you can have someone trading under your license which is alot more basic but legal fees are only £500-£800. Not sure if anyone on here has went licensee way, but definitely a lot easier on the pocket

You want a franchise agreement to do it properly.

Like i said they are not cheap 

There’s the Ian Lancaster model ofcourse. I think that’s what Perfect Windows uses.

[WGB]

Was speaking with another solicitor today and there is 2 different ways you can do it legally, first is a franchise agreement which has rules of operating  which starts at £3500, which has a lot of finer details in it. Then the other is you can have someone trading under your license which is alot more basic but legal fees are only £500-£800. Not sure if anyone on here has went licensee way, but definitely a lot easier on the pocket

You want a franchise agreement to do it properly.

Like i said they are not cheap 

There’s the Ian Lancaster model ofcourse. I think that’s what Perfect Windows uses.

was thinking of using his model, but a few have said its a bit dated and needs updating

[Mike Burd]

Was speaking with another solicitor today and there is 2 different ways you can do it legally, first is a franchise agreement which has rules of operating  which starts at £3500, which has a lot of finer details in it. Then the other is you can have someone trading under your license which is alot more basic but legal fees are only £500-£800. Not sure if anyone on here has went licensee way, but definitely a lot easier on the pocket

You want a franchise agreement to do it properly.

Like i said they are not cheap 

There’s the Ian Lancaster model ofcourse. I think that’s what Perfect Windows uses.

was thinking of using his model, but a few have said its a bit dated and needs updating

There’s a new one I’ve seen where you have to find your own customers as a franchisee. In that case I can’t see why you'd buy a franchise.

[WGB]

8 weekly can't see that method being attractive to a potential franchisee though

[NWH]

Most of them are like that they are paying you for the whole package training leaflets website vehicle in a lot of cases some are 1000s to pay into,that’s why you aren’t offering them a franchise you are offering them the opportunity to rent work from you.
You want the legal side of a franchise agreement without giving them a franchise package lol,if someone came along with no experience to me and I kept chucking work at them they’d be losing it quicker than I could give it,if you are not offering the help you should be as a franchise they might not be happy with you and want their money back “legally” so your paperwork might come in handy for them too.

[Clever Forum Name]

I franchised my business in 2016 and used the Ian Lancaster system and agreement. I had the agreement updated and cost around £1000 from memory. The old agreement has been tested in court and lets just say the agreement will stand up in court  

I don't want the hassle of employing or having a unit etc etc. There's me and 5 guys and its a nice little setup. I don't earn the same as employing but it enabled me to buy my first house and two guys who work under my brand their first house.

Money wasn't the bee all and end all for me, I had new work coming in daily and didn't know what to do with it.

I also saw it as a personal challenge, I wanted to prove to myself that i'm capable of taking someone and training them up to my sort of standard.  The next process for me is to increase their earnings. I'm hoping for my first franchisee to hover around 75k turnover a year and then slowly work on everyone. He's not going to have to work harder for it which is the ONLY and main goal. 

Personally i would say its harder than employing, I dabbled with it and messed up badly twice. However I have the greatest respect for any window cleaning firm that is A Vat registered and B employing. My next big hurdle is going Vat registered but have a really good plan in place for that. Also the likes of Lee Pryor massively helped me in the beginning and for people who say anyone could do what Lee has done, well, no comment

FYI - Because I purchased the package I got unlimited support from the franchise members of the Ian Lancaster system. Some of the information I've got from there is worth the £1500 i paid. ONE piece of advice from Vin will literally save me thousands upon thousands of pounds! 

Once we're back to sort form of normality I will be visiting Vin and Ian and thanking them personally.

[NWH]

It all works with the right staff involved in the business the key to all of it is about the people you can have the best plan in the world that would or could have worked but without those 2 things it’s destined to fail,having enough work financially and putting another van out has got to be the better option imo providing you can find the right person it would be more straight forward.

[Don Kee]

It all works with the right staff involved in the business the key to all of it is about the people you can have the best plan in the world that would or could have worked but without those 2 things it’s destined to fail,having enough work financially and putting another van out has got to be the better option imo providing you can find the right person it would be more straight forward.

Mate, you’re replying to a guy that has 5 franchises, who has been helped by a guy that has around 12 vans out, bought a franchise agreement from a multi, multi franchise owner and has had help from another that has multiple franchises (and some of his franchises have also franchised I believe) in the Hampshire area...

I mean, do you genuinely believe you know how to run a multi van operation better than these chaps? Like really?

Because if I needed help or an opinion, I can promise you I’d be asking them over you...

[NWH]

Does that mean it’s all running smoothly then “m8” I thought Debenhams was doing ok this time last year.

[dd]

It all works with the right staff involved in the business the key to all of it is about the people you can have the best plan in the world that would or could have worked but without those 2 things it’s destined to fail,having enough work financially and putting another van out has got to be the better option imo providing you can find the right person it would be more straight forward.

Mate, you’re replying to a guy that has 5 franchises, who has been helped by a guy that has around 12 vans out, bought a franchise agreement from a multi, multi franchise owner and has had help from another that has multiple franchises (and some of his franchises have also franchised I believe) in the Hampshire area...

I mean, do you genuinely believe you know how to run a multi van operation better than these chaps? Like really?

Because if I needed help or an opinion, I can promise you I’d be asking them over you...

Wrong........Nigel has a Transporter and Webasto with a plug in van port, this automatically make his opinions superior.

[NWH]

So if these companies aren’t actually making a lot of money maybe x2 what they’d do on their own but they get to sit on their arse and not clean a window,probably have more hassle though.

[NWH]

Everyone with good credit can accumulate massive debts it’s a juggling act if you are in that situation months might go by and you ain’t making diddly but turnover keeps the banks away because you are paying off the loans,if you have everything tied up in the business which a lot of people do you get nothing back until you sell up and even then almost always not as much as you’ve put in and that doesn’t include you’re time and stress.

[NWH]

The tortoise always catches up with the Hare eventually. 👌

[NWH]

It all works with the right staff involved in the business the key to all of it is about the people you can have the best plan in the world that would or could have worked but without those 2 things it’s destined to fail,having enough work financially and putting another van out has got to be the better option imo providing you can find the right person it would be more straight forward.

Mate, you’re replying to a guy that has 5 franchises, who has been helped by a guy that has around 12 vans out, bought a franchise agreement from a multi, multi franchise owner and has had help from another that has multiple franchises (and some of his franchises have also franchised I believe) in the Hampshire area...

I mean, do you genuinely believe you know how to run a multi van operation better than these chaps? Like really?

Because if I needed help or an opinion, I can promise you I’d be asking them over you...

He might have 5 franchisees out working and be making 10k a year from each of em,if he’s out earning 80-90k a year on his own what’s he ending up with at the end of the day then after Vat and 40% tax 2 grand a week ?? Tell me I don’t know.