[Clive McDonald]

I was very surprised that forum members didn't already know or agree with this. Almost any aspect of your business will be improved by investment. In fact unless you invest you will be left behind.

No matter how many examples you can think of failed investment, if you have a sound basic business, run sensibly, with appropriate and relevant investments, these investments will succeed.

[d s windowcleaning]

how very true (mr sol ) you only invest to make things better and as you state not to be left behind .

[Nathanael Jones]

I disagree.

Have you never heard of a "bad investment"??

Wise investment can pay big dividends,... but who among us makes the wise decision every single time?

[Clive McDonald]

How many people have you heard say investing in wfp was a bad decision Nathaneal?

[Nathanael Jones]

Very few.

But your statement was "Investment always pays",..  Not "Investment in wfp always pays"!!!

Also,.. as mentioned on another thread, you can invest £15k on an Ionics setup, or £1K on a DIY setup,... and the potential earnings would be in many cases very similar.

"Wise Investment in WFP (Nearly) always pays", is a statement I'd settle for,...

 

[AJ]

The right investment will always pay.

Or you could have...........

A well considered investment will always pay.

Or you could have...........

[Clive McDonald]

It's unfair to name names Nathaneal but a very good friend of yours posted soon after switching that he's had his best day ever on about day nine (i can remember the figure), and he had been window cleaning for nine years trad before that.

When contrasts are as stark as that it should be pretty obvious which is the way forward in a business sense. I -more or less- started in WFP and have played what Graham Taylor used to call route one football ever since, I bought a van when I had a customer base of only thirty. My wife told me how stupid this was at the time.However I believe that now I am on par with any single operator on here and have leap frogged many.

As Ewan says there are many forms of investment including time and study. There have been several threads on here about employment and expansion. Many have employed and retreated saying it is a nightmare, it has worked for a few, but there is a period of expansion where you are worse off than if you had remained a single operator.Ian Ferguson came up with a brilliant and elegant solution to this in the form of franchising.

However, if you want to remain a single operator, but earn the maximum amount of money (as a business) then your only real option is investment. This need not always mean money, I note your excellent hot system and accompianing logo so that you have packaged yourself pretty well, but you are one in a hundred Nathaneal, and on the ninety ninth percentile it's a wonder you can breath up there.

For the majority, they can either learn from the forum, or they can spend, or they can be something in between.

I've got a hot system, i've got an electric reel, but I still think an expensive Ionics system is a very good investment.

[groundhog]

Very few.

But your statement was "Investment always pays",..  Not "Investment in wfp always pays"!!!

Also,.. as mentioned on another thread, you can invest £15k on an Ionics setup, or £1K on a DIY setup,... and the potential earnings would be in many cases very similar.

"Wise Investment in WFP (Nearly) always pays", is a statement I'd settle for,...

 

Eactly right Nathaneal!! Investment in wfp is a very good investment, but spending silly money on a system is foolish when a cheap diy system does exactly the same job!!!!! 

[steve m]

I only invest when needed. If I need a longer pole I buy one. If I need another van, again, I go and buy one- simple

[L.J.Thorpe]

discount
sol
clive
ever heard of logic?
the statement "investment always pays" is a fallacy
it only takes one example of investment not paying to disprove it
several other people have pointed this out but you choose to ignore it
there is no point to this post as your argument is flawed

[Nathanael Jones]

I note your excellent hot system and accompianing logo so that you have packaged yourself pretty well, but you are one in a hundred Nathaneal, and on the ninety ninth percentile it's a wonder you can breath up there.

For the majority, they can either learn from the forum, or they can spend, or they can be something in between.

I believe you are underestimating your fellow cleaners Clive! There are plenty of ppl on here that have the will, and the skill to do exactly what we have done,.. get an exceptional setup on a tiny budget.
 What I've done is easily achievable, and I reckon soon many ppl will be doing the same.

I just want to share my experiences and help ppl do this easier, cheaper and quicker, without repeating my mistakes.

The logo btw I made myself, and I'm happy to make it available to anyone who wants to use it. It's too big to post here,.. but if you want it just send me an e-mail and I'll send the file to you.

[Ian Rochester]

A fool and his money are easily parted!

Yes the right investment can reap benefits, but the wrong investment can sit in the back of the garage for evermore and be a constant reminder of not thinking before buying!

WFP does not always pay for everyone, there are a lot of people who have been there and gone back to ladders as it suited their business better

[Jimmy1]

This is an interesting post. I invested in an Ionic system + new van etc as I just simply would not have had the know how or the inclination to set up my own. Ive every admiration for those that have a DIY system. But for me, Ionics was the way to go, I have neve done trad and I think it makes it easier for someone like me as all I know is WFP and Ionics and Ive nothing to compare it to.

[Clive McDonald]

I've made a few bad buys and business mistakes Lionheart so I suppose i do fit into the fool and his money catergory, but I always make loads too.

I had a trailer and tried to get a system into it. It was horrible impossible to park and 450kg for me to lift on and off the towbar everytime I was in a cul  Sde sac.So I bought a van 7k plus the vat just to make my life serviciing thirty customers easier.My whole ethos is about making my life easier. I am fifty two years old and I find the job very hard, and if i'm honest when I started knocking those first few doors and asking can I clean your windows a little humilating.

I had a split relay pro installed and the van sign written. One day a friendly competitor showed me his thermopure, the feel of the hot water on my hand was enough to convince me that I needed one. I hadn't actually got the cash spare so after posting on here i chanced £300 on building my own. I figured if it didn't work it wasn't the end of the world. It did work, it was and is brilliant and by far the best thing i've ever done.

My speed and my earnings leapt, but big money or no I was still sh@@ged after a shift. I reasoned that if I could take out rewinding the reel then this would help,as the only thing that really puts a ceiling on me is my physical ability. That's what made me push for the electric reel, I wasn't happy that the ones available would do what I wanted so I designed my own. Yes- with an electric drill- but things have moved on a lot since then and this is the second best thing i've ever done.

So I am human, i do make mistakes . I have three varistreams,two reels, three batteries,and some poles I shouldn't have bought- but i also have some succeses, and in the electric reel a showstopper.

All businesses need investment and ours is no different, invest and the rewards will come.Jimmy1 believe me you have saved yourself a year of life and you have done exactly what the text books say you should, well done.

[Jimmy1]

Cheers discount, I think so and it seems to be paying off.

[Nathanael Jones]

I've been thinking about your electric reel Clive,.... it's not an electric  window winder motor you're using is it?

I like the idea,... want to give it a try myself soon.

[paulscotney]

I invest what I think is necessary

[groundhog]

This is an interesting post. I invested in an Ionic system + new van etc as I just simply would not have had the know how or the inclination to set up my own. Ive every admiration for those that have a DIY system. But for me, Ionics was the way to go, I have neve done trad and I think it makes it easier for someone like me as all I know is WFP and Ionics and Ive nothing to compare it to.

Tank, pump, hose, pole, oh and a ro in the shed, it's not rocket science you know!!! and would have saved you thousands, and would have done exactly the same job!!!! 

[Jimmy1]

The point is I couldn't be bothered, I would rather pay and have everything done for me. I'm happy with what I paid and don't care that i could have saved money. It was worth it to me to save me the hassle. The point is each to there own as long as you are happy with what youve got ther is no right or wrong way.

[twt]

I've made a few bad buys and business mistakes Lionheart so I suppose i do fit into the fool and his money catergory, but I always make loads too.

I had a trailer and tried to get a system into it. It was horrible impossible to park and 450kg for me to lift on and off the towbar everytime I was in a cul  Sde sac.So I bought a van 7k plus the vat just to make my life serviciing thirty customers easier.My whole ethos is about making my life easier. I am fifty two years old and I find the job very hard, and if i'm honest when I started knocking those first few doors and asking can I clean your windows a little humilating.

I had a split relay pro installed and the van sign written. One day a friendly competitor showed me his thermopure, the feel of the hot water on my hand was enough to convince me that I needed one. I hadn't actually got the cash spare so after posting on here i chanced £300 on building my own. I figured if it didn't work it wasn't the end of the world. It did work, it was and is brilliant and by far the best thing i've ever done.

My speed and my earnings leapt, but big money or no I was still sh@@ged after a shift. I reasoned that if I could take out rewinding the reel then this would help,as the only thing that really puts a ceiling on me is my physical ability. That's what made me push for the electric reel, I wasn't happy that the ones available would do what I wanted so I designed my own. Yes- with an electric drill- but things have moved on a lot since then and this is the second best thing i've ever done.

So I am human, i do make mistakes . I have three varistreams,two reels, three batteries,and some poles I shouldn't have bought- but i also have some succeses, and in the electric reel a showstopper.

All businesses need investment and ours is no different, invest and the rewards will come.Jimmy1 believe me you have saved yourself a year of life and you have done exactly what the text books say you should, well done.

Ive got to say this is your best post by far, you've given insight into the reasons why you have choosen to do the things you've done and no one is going to slate that.
Welcome back