[julianbiggs]

Ive been working today on my round with another wc helping out ( thanks Andy) and we started talking about how to really make my business take off. Where i live in North East Notts has got some very afluant areas and loads of villages with huge houses....At the minute i'm a one man band with help from another wc for 3 - 4 days a month. But as we talked today we started thinking about the earning potential from really expanding the business.

Before anyone says it's a lot of hassle and hard work. I don't mind that,  and before I became a wc I  was a retail manager responsible for 20 staff, £2 million of stock and a turnover of £ 2.5 million a year...so i know what I'm talking about. Just hated working for someone else.

Ive been wcing for 18 months. I have a full 4 weeks of work a month and ive canned about 60 customers since i started. ( Late payers/underquoted/usual stuff ) .  I have a reallly good average price per house ( over £15 ) based on time. I'm traditional and always do the doors, sills and frames which I believe has set me apart from other window cleaners.  Now the weather is getting better I have got 10 new customers in the last week!! ALl from recommendations so I know there is scope to expand.

Has anyone got any success stories which they can tell me to give me some indication of what I'm potentially thinking of doing.

Is it worth it or not ??

[DaveWilkinson]

There are a couple of similar posts on the forum about this which are good reading. I carnt speak on behalf of wc but the principles are the same for most businesses.

If your work load is increasing thats one battle over, but finding reliable staff is another, increase in insurance, set up costs for more kit etc.

http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=31843.0

Dave

[Ian Rochester]

Julian,

We have been going for just over 4 years, I started off by myself when I was made redundant, I now have 6 lads working full time, 3 vans and a fourth on the way. 

If you want to have something to retire on and if you are building up a good reputation and struggling to keep up with demand, then employing staff is the ONLY way to go.

There are always going to be extra costs and more hassle, but you need to look at your long term plan, where do you want to be in 5 - 10 years.

Drop me a line if you want to have a chat.

[Grafters Cleaning Services]

hi there, i was in the same boat as you and have now exbanded, for obvious reasons i am not going to broadcast what i now earn or how i have achieved this on a forum however you are more than welcome to give me a call on 07840 183969 and we could chat.
jay

[LSB]

i was also in the same situation as you a few years ago , and i chose to expand my business ! if you are confident that you really can get extra work in the areas that you want , at the prices you want , then i definately reccomend you give it a go ! please contact me direct on 0775 478 0539 if i can be of any further help to you !  good luck .

[rhys11]

hi there, i was in the same boat as you and have now exbanded, for obvious reasons i am not going to broadcast what i now earn or how i have achieved this on a forum however you are more than welcome to give me a call on 07840 183969 and we could chat.
jay

hi jay

IS there any chance i could give you a call jay and get some advice from you please??

many thanks

rhys

[s.hughes]

Hi Julian
Did you use to manage the Stapletons in Stevenage? I think it was you I saw cleaning the windows on a really wet day some months back. Dont know if you remember.

Steve

[D woods]

Hi Guys
I know a chap who runs a large and profitable window cleaning company
in London . He recently said to me that he might start offering some sort
of consultancy ( how to start and run a large window cleaning company)

I told him that I didn't think window cleaners would want to pay the money
he would want to provide this information.

Out of interest would anyone pay and if so how much?

[julianbiggs]

Thanks guys for that information. Im sure i will call a couple of you for some advice. Yes it was me that you saw on that wet dreary day in Stevenage!!! how's it going ??

[RO-Sheen]

Hi Guys
I know a chap who runs a large and profitable window cleaning company
in London . He recently said to me that he might start offering some sort
of consultancy ( how to start and run a large window cleaning company)

I told him that I didn't think window cleaners would want to pay the money
he would want to provide this information.

Out of interest would anyone pay and if so how much?

No i wouldnt pay, I started window cleaning last year, went striaight into wfp without any experience window cleaning or running my own business but everything I learnt is down to the Guys on this site. I learnt so much reading this site and asking questions here and some of the guys have taken me out for the day to give me some experience with trad and wfp.
So why pay someone for advise when I can get genuine advise and support for free (or have a massive bill coming my way soon that you guys never mentioned???)

[s.hughes]

Hi Julian
I am doing well and it seems that I'm not the only one!!

Steve

[julianbiggs]

Yeah it's going well.....but as most guys on here say,  If you're hard working, honest, turn up, do a good job and charge a fair price you'll never struggle for work. Fact.

[Moderator David@stives]

Dave

Are you talking about Steve Pavis , I think he charges £900 a day for consultancy.

Personally i think why not if you think it would help you, I would only pay if my business was stagnating and the consultant had a proven 100% track record in improving "others" business, and just not relying on showing how they built there own business

Dave

[D woods]

Hi Dave
Who's Steve Pavis?  The guy I know runs a very successful business
that makes big profits.

He has no experience as a consultant, and he wants to charge a lot more than £900.

[Moderator David@stives]

David

Sent you a email

[D woods]

Wont be able to read it until Monday when I am in the office.

[Moderator David@stives]

have you got another address

[D woods]

NO I don't have an email address on my home computer.

[poleman]

Dave@st-ives just sent you a e-mail 

Andy

[eddie d]

dave i dont think most wc would want to pay more than 900 quid for advise .
i would pay for guidence but at + that money it would have to be some sort of blueprint .but how could the advise warrent the charge .