How to start window cleaning business??

jonny87 · #1 (**permalink**) 02-09-2008, 22:51

Hi,

I have started cleaning windows in my area and have discovered that there are a lot of potential customers in my area.

How could I set up a company so I could employ people to clean windows for me so that I don't have to?

Register the Company? Employee Liability? Insurance? etc.

I really don't know wnything about this knid of thing so could someone please explain all that I would need to do?

Say I get 200 customers in my area and know when and for how much they want there windoes cleaned. Whats to stop my employees from just stealing those customers from me and start there own business?

Thanks
Jonny

the buzz · #2 (**permalink**) 03-09-2008, 00:11

how much con average do you charge each of your customers? £5.00?

I( dont think your idea will work mate to be honest,the same idea works for cleaning companies mainly because a contract exists between the cleaning company and their customer, I can't see how you could reach a similar type of agreement with individual homeowners.

however that is just my opinion and i may be wrong.

Beneddie1112 · #3 (**permalink**) 03-09-2008, 00:22

Our window cleaner charges a tenner and is hear about 20 minutes, so if you can do 200 sets through the course of a week, which would involve working 8-6 , 5 days a week, you can make some very good money

.

the buzz · #4 (**permalink**) 03-09-2008, 00:25

what he said^^^^^ you can as an individual make a good living from it:-) but to employ others to do it for you , well i'm not so sure.

the buzz · #5 (**permalink**) 03-09-2008, 00:27

I guess you could target commercial premises, maybe that will work:-)

DavidT · #6 (**permalink**) 03-09-2008, 04:26

I suppose it depends on the premises, and location but in the past I recall most accounts showing around £20 for a window cleaning visit... though those would have included 1st floor windows.

I didn't think Jonny had said he was targeting Domestic customers either. Did I miss something?

To get going, certainly register as a business with HMRC - some more info here - http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/selfemployed/...employed.shtml

Register as an employer for PAYE etc if you need to - info here - http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/paye/intro-register.htm

Certainly get public liability insurance, and whatever you require to protect yourself and your team.

As for protecting your business from former employees poaching your clients... draft an employment contract that includes a non-competition clause that they either can't provide services for a period of say 12 months to any of the clients you have had during their employment with you, or if you can get away with including it - include being unable to provide any window cleaning services in the local area for a period of say 6-12 months since leaving your employment.

Someone here, or from doing a web search might be able to help you with that... otherwise a solicitor might be able to sort it for you without any difficulty.

Best of luck!

the buzz · #7 (**permalink**) 03-09-2008, 07:26

Quote:

As for protecting your business from former employees poaching your clients... draft an employment contract that includes a non-competition clause that they either can't provide services for a period of say 12 months to any of the clients you have had during their employment with you, or if you can get away with including it - include being unable to provide any window cleaning services in the local area for a period of say 6-12 months since leaving your employment.

what would prevent his former employee from asking one of his Friends to start his own window cleaning service and then work for his friend and then poaching his customers???

DavidT · #8 (**permalink**) 03-09-2008, 08:07

Buzz - put simply, the contract. The clause would cover working directly or indirectly for existing clients... something I have seen in the past.

As for losing clients - in addition, just have to really focus on giving them a good service and value for money... don't give them a reason to go elsewhere.

the buzz · #9 (**permalink**) 03-09-2008, 08:15

Quote:

The clause would cover working directly or indirectly for existing clients

that i understand , but lets say for arguments sake that a friend of mine did poach his customers, would those same clients now become my friends clients and not Jonnys clients ??and if that is the case would It not be restraint of trade if I were unable to service those clients?

I think also what you have to ask yourself is if a person had all the tools of the trade and the skill to clean windows , would he not just start his own cleaning round as opposed to working for someone else?

DavidT · #10 (**permalink**) 03-09-2008, 08:30

And the same would go for almost any business. So if that is such a large concern that people will always run into, and a solicitor can not help to protect against - I suppose most of us are destined to owner-operator businesses?

As for restraint of trade... not something I am too familiar with (please feel free to provide further info) but it is purely the individual that is bound by the contract, not the other business.

And with starting a new business... of course, but same reason others remain employed - job security, less paperwork, lower risk, do the 1 job not become sales person/admin/bookkeeper etc etc. Again... if those aren't factors people consider when becoming employees why isn't nearly everyone self-employed?