[Spursboy1972]

I think thats a good point Vince. There is a person new to Window cleaning in my area and he has bought a franchise off of Stayclean. If you look at their site it does give the figures. I think its 15k to start and then there are obviously the ongoing costs.

Also my personal opinion but Staclean suggests that the windows Stayclean? So people may assume a lesser frequency?

[Davew]

Does the vehicle come with Stayclean? looks unlikely. I think the earnings forecasts are very misleading too.

[Spursboy1972]

I dont know. I think it does but on what kind of deal I dont know. It is something I would not even entertain.

[russ_clark]

The only way a business like ours works is based on having a customer database.
Forget the flashy vans/systems they will not make the business work from day 1 you have to have customers.
That is why when I eventually go down the franchise route (and I will )
I will be providing the customers from day 1.
That is an instant business /franchise.
All this stuff on vans/systems is just a lead into the market.
A good used van and good DIY system is not going to cost ££££'s
like some are quoting.
I intend to agree a reasonable royalty fee from the work done by my franchisees
and almost retire gracefully 
Russ

 

[Londoner]

So what are your franchisees actually going to get for their money? Assuming they will be paying a percentage of their takings to you for the rest of their life it would have to be something pretty good.

Nice work if you can get it, don't get me wrong I am not knocking the idea. I just think you will only attract plonkers.

[windowwashers]

IMO it can work, the foundations have to be right, people saying that a nice van ect would not work must be mad, if you franchise you want them to follow ytour business plan, and a old beaten up van and a cheap diy system is not going to give the right image, this is IMO you also have to have a brandable name. 
I would never say never to doing this myself.
And people that are seriously thinking of doing this would not write anything about it on here as that would be a very unwise thing to do.

[russ_clark]

Think about it
An instant profitable business.
There is obviously a fee to buy the franchise
but very affordable.
If I had a 'plonker' as you put it come along
I would not sell it to him.
Its a two way thing I have to be happy and so does he/she.
It is still my business /name/reputation so why would I take a plonker onboard.
I would not employ a 'plonker' (well knowingly anyway)
so why sell a franchise to one.
I am only putting my views across and accept some would differ.
But like I said our business is customer based and that is what I have. 
This is part of my long term business plan and will not happen tomorrow though
Russ

[russ_clark]

mr ww
why would it be unwise then 
All info.is readily available on the www.
We are not talking companies financial info. here
just discussing the concept of franchising a business
and who thinks it could work and who thinks not.
Russ

[Moderator David@stives]

Are Concept2o affiliated to the BFA ( British Franchise Association)?

No

[windowwashers]

mr ww
why would it be unwise then 
All info.is readily available on the www.
We are not talking companies financial info. here
just discussing the concept of franchising a business
and who thinks it could work and who thinks not.
Russ

Unwise if a compnay was doing this, and  placing it on here telling everyone what they were doing. thats what I mean when I say unwise.

Discussing concept, and if it would work or not is great.

I was just giving my opinion on my thoughts to this matter 

[bluez]

Any business can be franchised. A franchise is just a business in a box and will never appeal to people who are allready involved in the type of business that is being franchised. Ask a landscaper why his business can't be franchised and he will give you a list of reasons, but there are many worldwide examples of successful landscape gardening franchises.

The big difference imo is in the people who start their own business's like everyone on here, they are not the type who need the services of a franchisor as they allready have the balls and neck required to go it alone. People who buy franchises generally want a business that can quickly replace the income they have had in their previous jobs. The statistics are supposed to show that most franchisees come from being employed.

[Londoner]

Over the years I have helped several people start up in window cleaning. How many stuck at it? None.
The drop out rate for window cleaners is phenominal. I am not sure if we are the clever ones who made a sucess of it or the stupid ones who never had the sense to take a hike.

However, anyone who feels they need to lean on someone else to get started is not likely to make a go of it in my opinion. Its a sort of natural selection.

[windowwashers]

Any business can be franchised. A franchise is just a business in a box and will never appeal to people who are allready involved in the type of business that is being franchised. Ask a landscaper why his business can't be franchised and he will give you a list of reasons, but there are many worldwide examples of successful landscape gardening franchises.

The big difference imo is in the people who start their own business's like everyone on here, they are not the type who need the services of a franchisor as they allready have the balls and neck required to go it alone. People who buy franchises generally want a business that can quickly replace the income they have had in their previous jobs. The statistics are supposed to show that most franchisees come from being employed.

That is a very good post 

[Ian W]

I would be wary of buying a franchise in any business if the name was not well known to the public. I don't think a franchise can really offer much except that. I can't think of any window cleaning franchises that are household names.

With window cleaning a new van, top of the range wfp system, etc could all be bought much cheaper than the cost of the franchise. The difference in cost would probably then allow you to build a round up that suited you far better than something organised by the franchisor.

I just don't see any advantage.

[Ian Lancaster]

You summed it all up pretty well there. What experienced window cleaner is going to take out a franchise?

One of my blokes is just that.   Two years experience as an employee with another window cleaning firm - liked the work, not the firm but didn't have the confidence to try to build up his own business from scratch.  Now he has his own business turning over about £900/week. and he's been with us just over 6 months.

That answer any questions?

[russ_clark]

 
Nice and to the point as always Ian.

[bluez]

I would be wary of buying a franchise in any business if the name was not well known to the public. I don't think a franchise can really offer much except that. I can't think of any window cleaning franchises that are household names.

With window cleaning a new van, top of the range wfp system, etc could all be bought much cheaper than the cost of the franchise. The difference in cost would probably then allow you to build a round up that suited you far better than something organised by the franchisor.

I just don't see any advantage.

No franchise starts as a well known brand name but that does not mean that people wont buy them.

The advantage imo is in national coverage. If I set up a wc franchise I would be targeting all of the national brands and all of the gov contracts. That would give me credibility with my potential franchisees and with the market place. I would be building my marketing on the same price nationwide the same quality service weather the customer was in bradford or cornwall, uniformed, trained, police checked and local operatives specialist H& S inspections etc, can you imagine the volume of work a two week TV add campaign along these lines would generate. That to me would be a hugh commercial advantage.

I know that there would be many difficulties but someone will do it and we will be competing with them sooner or later because that is the way of the global world. IMO

[Ian W]

It sounds like a 'chicken and egg' situation.

To be a national concern enough franchises have to be sold to make it such. Before enough franchises are sold, it isn't national coverage, so what distinguishes you from an equally professional local window cleaner?

There seems to be a north / south price divide judging by previous threads, that makes me think pricing the same in different areas of the country could be a recipe for disaster.

I am sure that national contracts are hotly contested, therefore possibly not the most profitable anyway.

I'm not convinced.

[L.J.Thorpe]

bluez if you can think of a way to devise a pricing formula that works on a national level you should get a scholarship at oxbridge mate absolutely unworkable

[bluez]

I am not in the U.K. so there maybe some complexities that I miss about your market but I am sure there are complexities in the U.S. market as well and window cleaning franchises are growing rapidily there.

Pricing structure:

€2.00 to €2.50 per window

Scotland - 22%
London + 15%
Cornwall -12%
etc


When someone does it they will not be too bothered if they get no customers in the arse end of newcastle because they cant get the price. Dominoes Pizza operate different price structures in Scotland and Ireland from The U.K. but that doesnt stop them being a well known brand. Some regions are really good for them and some are crap and the result is that re sale of stores in the bad areas sell cheaply etc.

The other way of doing it is that you pick a price say €15 per three bed semi but then locally you flood the market with discounts that bring the price down nearer to local levels.

Did someone mention a scolorship........