[Ortsa]

Hi everyone,

Looking for some advice on how to actually get off the glass

I've got 2 vans with 2 guys who are filled with work and have nice rounds.

I've just bought and kitted out a 3rd van and looking to get more work for this van, but it looks like I will have to clean all this new work myself and be out there until there is enough work for a full time job for someone.

How has anyone else managed to get off the glass? Do you offer a part time job until the work is there? Do I have to be on the glass until I have 5+ vans and the existing guys can absorb the first clean workload.

Any advice welcomed. Thanks

[Ascjim]

Get off the glass now if you really want to, what's stopping you?

[Mike Burd]

What does each guy turnover a day? How much do you pay them? How much do you need to earn yourself? Those are the key bits of information.

[Stoots]

I would say yes you do have to unless you are prepared to take a short term hit it income loss whilst you get to the goal.

I would bet if you came off the glass now and concentrated in marketing you would get to 5 vans in no time vs trying build and entire round and clean yourself.

[Matt.]

Problem is he has to find a decent window cleaner …… it’s catch 22, with the right staff u can move forward into management but try finding them. 
I have job adverts out ready for a new guy to go into work but what applications we are getting just sent good enough to do the work.

I would be a happy man if I could get another decent lad on board

[Richard iSparkle]

What does each guy turnover a day? How much do you pay them? How much do you need to earn yourself? Those are the key bits of information.

Exactly this. You need to be turning enough profit off the vans to be able to afford to get off the glass

You can have 2 vans but if they’re only bringing in £50 true profit a day each you’ve not got a lot to play with

If they’re bringing in over £100 a day each and every day … and you can live off £500 a week you’ve got something

The goal is to get your vans bringing  in decent amounts for you after wages and all expenses

[Smudger]

You can get off the glass at any point you wish - the answer is can you or do you want to afford coming off the glass - in any expansion/change there will be a fall off of YOUR income in the short term before it rolls forward again
( on here there are plenty who poo poo having staff - in the main they cant handle the fact that there are people who are happy to just take a wage and not have the "hassle" of running their own biz - there are others that want staff but don't want to pay them either a decent rate of on the books ) - if you harbour these thoughts - give up NOW!

To me your still a little skinny on work - I would get the 3rd van - work it myself part time and build up new customers - at the same time get a new member of staff - do training while your not overly pressured with work - then get them out with your current staff over 4 to 6 weeks learning the rounds etc... by then you should have enough in for them to go solo @ 30 hrs a week

I think then you cn leave the glass (except for the odd holiday cover/sick) and keep bashing out leaflets/canvass for work as you fill up then take on the next one - this will not really impact you at all then

Darran

[Ortsa]

What does each guy turnover a day? How much do you pay them? How much do you need to earn yourself? Those are the key bits of information.

Exactly this. You need to be turning enough profit off the vans to be able to afford to get off the glass

You can have 2 vans but if they’re only bringing in £50 true profit a day each you’ve not got a lot to play with

If they’re bringing in over £100 a day each and every day … and you can live off £500 a week you’ve got something

The goal is to get your vans bringing  in decent amounts for you after wages and all expenses

Profitability and income levels isn't an issue luckily as each van brings in very good money, its more about understanding the transition

[Ortsa]

You can get off the glass at any point you wish - the answer is can you or do you want to afford coming off the glass - in any expansion/change there will be a fall off of YOUR income in the short term before it rolls forward again
( on here there are plenty who poo poo having staff - in the main they cant handle the fact that there are people who are happy to just take a wage and not have the "hassle" of running their own biz - there are others that want staff but don't want to pay them either a decent rate of on the books ) - if you harbour these thoughts - give up NOW!

To me your still a little skinny on work - I would get the 3rd van - work it myself part time and build up new customers - at the same time get a new member of staff - do training while your not overly pressured with work - then get them out with your current staff over 4 to 6 weeks learning the rounds etc... by then you should have enough in for them to go solo @ 30 hrs a week

I think then you cn leave the glass (except for the odd holiday cover/sick) and keep bashing out leaflets/canvass for work as you fill up then take on the next one - this will not really impact you at all then

Darran

Very helpful response and just what I was looking for, thank you, not time to put the pole down just yet it seems (maybe I'll miss it!)

[NWH]

What does each guy turnover a day? How much do you pay them? How much do you need to earn yourself? Those are the key bits of information.

Exactly this. You need to be turning enough profit off the vans to be able to afford to get off the glass

You can have 2 vans but if they’re only bringing in £50 true profit a day each you’ve not got a lot to play with

If they’re bringing in over £100 a day each and every day … and you can live off £500 a week you’ve got something

The goal is to get your vans bringing  in decent amounts for you after wages and all expenses

You can’t run a business on those figures with you getting 500 a week to live on and keep the vans on the road,no where’s near it.
You need cash behind you and enough to cover costs if things go wrong along the way as well as covering you’re bills etc,what happens if you are about to go to 3 vans and one of the other people Jack it in then you need to find 2 reliable people not just one for the new round.
You can never base 3 vans on what you would do as 1 when on you’re own profit wise,you need at least half what they take per day for you to be able to cover expenses and profit for yourself or it’s not worth considering if you had 3 vans imo you’d want 1800 a week for not cleaning a window.

[NWH]

I can’t see anyone learning a route of work in 6-8 weeks that last not acceptable imo,it would take ages to learn certain routes if work especially rural work in areas where Satnav wouldn’t have much of a clue.
6-8 weeks what’s that 1-2 cleans nowhere near enough time to learn a round of shops spread over 2-3 towns let alone Rural jobs in the middle of nowhere.

[Richard iSparkle]

What does each guy turnover a day? How much do you pay them? How much do you need to earn yourself? Those are the key bits of information.

Exactly this. You need to be turning enough profit off the vans to be able to afford to get off the glass

You can have 2 vans but if they’re only bringing in £50 true profit a day each you’ve not got a lot to play with

If they’re bringing in over £100 a day each and every day … and you can live off £500 a week you’ve got something

The goal is to get your vans bringing  in decent amounts for you after wages and all expenses

You can’t run a business on those figures with you getting 500 a week to live on and keep the vans on the road,no where’s near it.
You need cash behind you and enough to cover costs if things go wrong along the way as well as covering you’re bills etc,what happens if you are about to go to 3 vans and one of the other people Jack it in then you need to find 2 reliable people not just one for the new round.
You can never base 3 vans on what you would do as 1 when on you’re own profit wise,you need at least half what they take per day for you to be able to cover expenses and profit for yourself or it’s not worth considering if you had 3 vans imo you’d want 1800 a week for not cleaning a window.

i dont think you understand what profit means in a business

expenses should cover you annual  running costs, wages, tax, insurance, repairs, rents etc etc

what is left is profit

in fairness i made an error in that post. in my business my own wages come under expenses so I get £133 profit off each van every day after those expenses

and then i use that profit to pay towards marketing, my own drawings etc

[Ortsa]

I can’t see anyone learning a route of work in 6-8 weeks that last not acceptable imo,it would take ages to learn certain routes if work especially rural work in areas where Satnav wouldn’t have much of a clue.
6-8 weeks what’s that 1-2 cleans nowhere near enough time to learn a round of shops spread over 2-3 towns let alone Rural jobs in the middle of nowhere.

We have the exact co-ordinates of each job programmed into the app, I also have a system in which each job is fully documented, what to do and not to do, and how to do it. I recently sent my 2nd guy out on a group of 450 houses that he has never seen before and he hasn't called me once. To be honest it sounds like you don't know what you're talking about.

[Smudger]

I can’t see anyone learning a route of work in 6-8 weeks that last not acceptable imo,it would take ages to learn certain routes if work especially rural work in areas where Satnav wouldn’t have much of a clue.
6-8 weeks what’s that 1-2 cleans nowhere near enough time to learn a round of shops spread over 2-3 towns let alone Rural jobs in the middle of nowhere.

hahahahahahah.....    you've got the measure of Nigel already!

using CP or equivalent its pretty basic to find your way around a route 95% of the time

Darran
We have the exact co-ordinates of each job programmed into the app, I also have a system in which each job is fully documented, what to do and not to do, and how to do it. I recently sent my 2nd guy out on a group of 450 houses that he has never seen before and he hasn't called me once. To be honest it sounds like you don't know what you're talking about.

[Smudger]

let me see....

number 3 the street next job number 8 the street - oooo errr thats a tough one to find 

Darran

[Richard iSparkle]

I can’t see anyone learning a route of work in 6-8 weeks that last not acceptable imo,it would take ages to learn certain routes if work especially rural work in areas where Satnav wouldn’t have much of a clue.
6-8 weeks what’s that 1-2 cleans nowhere near enough time to learn a round of shops spread over 2-3 towns let alone Rural jobs in the middle of nowhere.

We have the exact co-ordinates of each job programmed into the app, I also have a system in which each job is fully documented, what to do and not to do, and how to do it. I recently sent my 2nd guy out on a group of 450 houses that he has never seen before and he hasn't called me once. To be honest it sounds like you don't know what you're talking about.

He doesn’t

[NWH]

130 odd quid from each van doesn’t get me excited I’m afraid about getting involved in anything
Like that,get decent work earn more on you’re own in 1 van than you’ll get from 3 and work when you like or get 1 person helping you half the graft and still earn more after you’ve paid him,just sayin. 

[james peters]

130 odd quid from each van doesn’t get me excited I’m afraid about getting involved in anything
Like that,get decent work earn more on you’re own in 1 van than you’ll get from 3 and work when you like or get 1 person helping you half the graft and still earn more after you’ve paid him,just sayin.

so , you are vat registered as a sole trader?

[CleanClear]

130 odd quid from each van doesn’t get me excited I’m afraid about getting involved in anything
Like that,get decent work earn more on you’re own in 1 van than you’ll get from 3 and work when you like or get 1 person helping you half the graft and still earn more after you’ve paid him,just sayin.

Jesus Christ !!! 

[NWH]

Do you know how much hassle is involved in sticking 3 vans out on the road paying wages etc lol,yeah Jesus.