Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Scott92 on January 14, 2014, 06:02:57 pm
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Hi guys,
I'm new to all this as you are probably aware. I'm set up with trad and wfp gear but have only picked up about £320 of work so far in a couple of months.
Am I better off trying to buy a round or carry on canvassing?
Just feel like I'm wasting my time each day for little in return when I could be earning.
Do you guys feel work is still out there to be found?
All help and advice would be appreciated.
Thanks,
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In the long term your probably better canvassing.
But if you have money to buy and can get a decent round then buying will get you the income you need
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how many hrs/days per week in the past 2 mths have you been out canvassing?
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Mostly 2-5 hours but during the day.
Haven't tried nights yet
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Get knocking in the evenings mate, most people are back from work!!
When i first started went knocking at around half 1 noted down all the houses and crossed off the ones id spoken too. Break at around half 4 for an hour then back round the houses where no one answered....
Clean the next day, have an hour/hour and half after you'd finished and then out canvassing again.
Be worth the effort mate
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Get knocking in the evenings mate, most people are back from work!!
When i first started went knocking at around half 1 noted down all the houses and crossed off the ones id spoken too. Break at around half 4 for an hour then back round the houses where no one answered....
Clean the next day, have an hour/hour and half after you'd finished and then out canvassing again.
Be worth the effort mate
Good advice. another thing to use as a tool is a leaflet drop explaing you're "expanding to the area" not "starting up" in the area. They don't know you're new to the game. The leaflet should include landline number and name. It should also tell them youll be calling in the next few days to see if they are interested. Works fantasic for me for the last 20 plus years. As I said, just another tool. The guys who knock doors and drop leaflets when everyone else is sitting infront of their TV's, tend to be the movers and shakers in this game.
HTH
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Just target sold houses, takes a lot longer to get going but after 3-6 months it will be like a sprinkle effect of decent work chosen by you.
Simply the best way to gain decent work.
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Hi guys,
I'm new to all this as you are probably aware. I'm set up with trad and wfp gear but have only picked up about £320 of work so far in a couple of months.
Am I better off trying to buy a round or carry on canvassing?
Just feel like I'm wasting my time each day for little in return when I could be earning.
Do you guys feel work is still out there to be found?
All help and advice would be appreciated.
Thanks,
What you haven't included in your equation is the cost of the round. If you paid 5 times its monthly turnover, this means that you are working for 5 months for free.
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Hi guys,
I'm new to all this as you are probably aware. I'm set up with trad and wfp gear but have only picked up about £320 of work so far in a couple of months.
Am I better off trying to buy a round or carry on canvassing?
Just feel like I'm wasting my time each day for little in return when I could be earning.
Do you guys feel work is still out there to be found?
All help and advice would be appreciated.
Thanks,
What you haven't included in your equation is the cost of the round. If you paid 5 times its monthly turnover, this means that you are working for 5 months for free.
Yea also running costs that's worth at least a clean as well if not more
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Thanks for all your replies.
I'm just going to give it my best shot and see what happens.
Haven't got enough to buy a good size round anyway so going to try put all this into action :)
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Canvass,canvass,canvass,if you have one head two eyes and a mouth and can talk to people you will deff get work.
You will also be able to target the work you want,and also quote the price you want.
If you buy work you will get some good jobs and some bad,the worst feeling is turning up at a job that you know is under priced,if you make that mistake when you have quoted the price you have to live with it,if you bought the job and it's under priced it's tastes worse.
When you are up and running,you will be in a better position to look at work for sale.
If you are able to get a canvasser that understands window cleaning and knows the type of work and price you want your on a winner.
In the mean tine bang them doors, ask mick kent if he agrees
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Thanks for all your replies.
I'm just going to give it my best shot and see what happens.
Haven't got enough to buy a good size round anyway so going to try put all this into action :)
Just keep putting the time in mate...
Although i'd knock days and evenings not just days.
Might be a ball ache at first, but most things that are worth it usually are...
You've only got to pick up 2 a day at an average of £10 a job and you've put £400 on your round in 4 weeks and if you're knocking eves you should pi55 that!
The prior leaflet idea is a good idea aswell
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Canvass on the weekends mate, I picked up £100 of work on Saturday in 2 hours.
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Big help! Thanks guys
Will give this my best shot including weekends.
:)
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Buy - gives you work straight away , be careful why are they selling , if retiring or new job then it's ok
Buy , and then canvass the surrounding area .
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Canvass looks to win over buying ;D
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Canvas! But then I'm biased.
If you haven't tried canvassing evenings then give it a go, you can triple your results than during the day by putting the same amount of time in. Sundays are always good for canvassing too.
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I agree with Colin Birds comments.
To start with you need to eat, sleep, talk window cleaning.
I think it is more difficult to start a business in this economic climate no matter where you are.
But with hard work there shouldn't be any reason why you can't make it. It's been said many times on here before - put in a good days graft canvassing, clean as you go and when finished, go canvass some more. Be prepared to canvass and clean on a Saturday to start with, working people are more likely to be home and see you working.
To the world you are just a window cleaner. But to you, you aren’t just a window cleaner, you are also a salesman (selling yourself and your services,) a business proprietor, an accounts controller and a telephone receptionist. You are also a maintenance engineer and business planner – one person with lots of hats.
Make each door knock count. Work areas systematically. You are expanding your business. Keep a record of each house in the area you are working in a try to build up a little profile. Each household will go into one of three categories - not home, already have a window cleaner or do their own/don't bother.
Be courteous, polite and get as much info as possible, even from those who have a window cleaner. You aren't there to steal another cleaner's business, but as you appear to leave, just ask what their window cleaner's name is. Some won't know, some will lie, but some will say his name is John for example. When you get outside then write that down with the street name, house number and window cleaner's name. One day in the future you may hear that John has stopped window cleaning - now you have a whole list of houses to canvass.
If they do their own, that's fine as they are still potential customers and the ones not home can be knocked later and when found moved into one of the other remaining groups.
Obviously, if you are canvassing an area and get no response, move to another, but always make it your goal to get back one day. To start off it may be slow going, so try a few areas. Hopefully it won't be too long before you hit the magic jackpot - a whole area needing a window cleaner. Don't be afraid to speak to other window cleaners you see and introduce yourself. Once they see you aren't a threat to their business, they may even point you in the right direction.
Set yourself achievable goals, ie. How many new customers you need by a certain time. You need to know how many doors you knocked that day and how many new customers you gained. This is important sales info. In time you will find that your average works out at say 25 door knocks to one customer for example. This helps you in tougher days as you will look forward to the no's and unanswered doors as you will shortly get a yes - a new customer. If you achieve more don't take your proverbial foot off the gas. Fear of rejection is major reason why many give up canvassing. Learn to love rejection as it brings to closer to that magic ‘YES’.
When you get a new customer, make it you goal to knock a few doors each side and over the road. Tell them that you have started to clean for the Gibsons at number 10 and ask them, maybe again, if you can clean their windows for them.
If you see someone cleaning their own windows, stop and canvass them. If you see an older one up the steps cleaning her windows, I mention that it is a dangerous thing to be doing as we get older. Ask your new customers for referrals who live close by. Don't make small talk about the weather etc, talk window cleaning and nothing else. If you are cleaning a house and have already canvassed the neighbours and you see one of them in the garden - greet them, comment about the weather etc. If they get to know you, they may contact you, sometimes after many years. And don’t forget to occasionally ask them for their business.
It also never ceases to amase me how often friends discuss their window cleaners - do a bad job, and everyone knows, do a good job, be polite etc and everyone will also know that as well. You will also be surprised who your customers know, so try not to fall out with anybody, even if they turn out to be messers.
It is too easy to get swept along by chatty homeowners who have nothing else to do, but they will waste hours of your valuable time if you let them. Limit that time and turn the conversation into asking for a referral.
Some new cleaners canvassed homes on the back-roads just out of town and did quite well with the response. The problem was the houses weren't close together, but they commanded a higher price to compensate.
Remember the add-ons. Why not offer conservatory roof cleaning, gutter cleaning etc even although they have an existing window cleaner. We do several customers conservatories as their own window cleaner won't do them. Promote indoor window cleaning as well. Most windies, including myself will only do inside windows under duress. But if you are still growing your round, every little helps.
Being new to window cleaning then you will be more prone to pick up other cleaners rejects. As very few messers change, they will tend to become your rejects as well.
In the early days you have to proactively build your business, which means collecting the debts as well. In time you will get to know your genuine customers and the time wasters. Although we now have a two clean rule, this doesn't extend to new customers. They also have to build their credibility with us. Someone on here started the 3 c's - canvass, clean, cull. You will have to decide how much nonsense you will take from new customers whilst you are building your business.
Each time a customer messes around it costs you money - cancelled cleans, locked rear gates when they promised to leave them open, dogs muck, delayed payment, repeated collection calls - so don't hold onto them. They will take up time that would be better used finding new customers.
Your customer base will always be 'fluid' - rental customer’s move, customers die, sell etc. most that you have little control of.
Go Well!
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Spruce - Fantastic info there. Much appreciated!
Daz - do you just write down the sold properties then go back and canvass them or canvass them when there's a sold sign outside?
Cheers!
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You've got £320 worth of work in a few months so just keep on doing what your doing.
You cant expect to be flat out overnight if it were that easy everybody would be doing it.
I actually enjoyed building my round you cant beat the buzz you get when canvassing and
getting a new customer.
Be patient you will get there.
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Spruce - Fantastic info there. Much appreciated!
Daz - do you just write down the sold properties then go back and canvass them or canvass them when there's a sold sign outside?
Cheers!
Mate its simple.
Cover a 10 mile radious from your chosen area, go out with the mrs or your kid or even a mate as it saves a lot of time than doing it yourself, simply note down all the houses with sold board signs up on houses that you would like as customers. After going out 5/6 times you would have built up a list of around 100 decent houses with sold board signs on which when the new home owners move in they will 9 times out of 10 bite your arm off to be there window cleaner as no one spends 250k plus on a house and not have clean windows when they want to show all there mates and there family there new home.
A simple pitch to use is "hi i notice you have nust moved in, im a local window cleaner and do many around here and im guessing you would like me to put you on the books aswell" that is all that needs to be said as it puts the words yes go on then in there mouths.
After gaining the list of 100 plus sold boards you will need to drive round them every 2 weeks waiting for the sold board to come down when it does pounce at the house and say your stuff and gain another customer. Within a year of doing this you would have built up such a cream round with decent houses and decent prices that life will be easy. Dont take my word for it just go and do it! Dont waste time canvassing every single road and house think out of the box and target your new work another way( the sold board way).
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Don't lose sight of this little sum.
There are 13 4 weeks periods in a year.
320/4 weeks x13 = 4160
Each £10 customer you find is another £130 a year in turnover.
You only need 7.7 new £10 customers to make another Grand in turnover..
or another way to look at it is 77 customers is a potential 10k in turnover..
Don't focus on the small number that you see staring at you.. Look at what its worth over the year and chuckle as each new customer gives you a pay rise which in percentage terms is waaaay more than the average person receives in these troubled times..
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I agree with Colin Birds comments.
To start with you need to eat, sleep, talk window cleaning.
I think it is more difficult to start a business in this economic climate no matter where you are.
But with hard work there shouldn't be any reason why you can't make it. It's been said many times on here before - put in a good days graft canvassing, clean as you go and when finished, go canvass some more. Be prepared to canvass and clean on a Saturday to start with, working people are more likely to be home and see you working.
To the world you are just a window cleaner. But to you, you aren’t just a window cleaner, you are also a salesman (selling yourself and your services,) a business proprietor, an accounts controller and a telephone receptionist. You are also a maintenance engineer and business planner – one person with lots of hats.
Make each door knock count. Work areas systematically. You are expanding your business. Keep a record of each house in the area you are working in a try to build up a little profile. Each household will go into one of three categories - not home, already have a window cleaner or do their own/don't bother.
Be courteous, polite and get as much info as possible, even from those who have a window cleaner. You aren't there to steal another cleaner's business, but as you appear to leave, just ask what their window cleaner's name is. Some won't know, some will lie, but some will say his name is John for example. When you get outside then write that down with the street name, house number and window cleaner's name. One day in the future you may hear that John has stopped window cleaning - now you have a whole list of houses to canvass.
If they do their own, that's fine as they are still potential customers and the ones not home can be knocked later and when found moved into one of the other remaining groups.
Obviously, if you are canvassing an area and get no response, move to another, but always make it your goal to get back one day. To start off it may be slow going, so try a few areas. Hopefully it won't be too long before you hit the magic jackpot - a whole area needing a window cleaner. Don't be afraid to speak to other window cleaners you see and introduce yourself. Once they see you aren't a threat to their business, they may even point you in the right direction.
Set yourself achievable goals, ie. How many new customers you need by a certain time. You need to know how many doors you knocked that day and how many new customers you gained. This is important sales info. In time you will find that your average works out at say 25 door knocks to one customer for example. This helps you in tougher days as you will look forward to the no's and unanswered doors as you will shortly get a yes - a new customer. If you achieve more don't take your proverbial foot off the gas. Fear of rejection is major reason why many give up canvassing. Learn to love rejection as it brings to closer to that magic ‘YES’.
When you get a new customer, make it you goal to knock a few doors each side and over the road. Tell them that you have started to clean for the Gibsons at number 10 and ask them, maybe again, if you can clean their windows for them.
If you see someone cleaning their own windows, stop and canvass them. If you see an older one up the steps cleaning her windows, I mention that it is a dangerous thing to be doing as we get older. Ask your new customers for referrals who live close by. Don't make small talk about the weather etc, talk window cleaning and nothing else. If you are cleaning a house and have already canvassed the neighbours and you see one of them in the garden - greet them, comment about the weather etc. If they get to know you, they may contact you, sometimes after many years. And don’t forget to occasionally ask them for their business.
It also never ceases to amase me how often friends discuss their window cleaners - do a bad job, and everyone knows, do a good job, be polite etc and everyone will also know that as well. You will also be surprised who your customers know, so try not to fall out with anybody, even if they turn out to be messers.
It is too easy to get swept along by chatty homeowners who have nothing else to do, but they will waste hours of your valuable time if you let them. Limit that time and turn the conversation into asking for a referral.
Some new cleaners canvassed homes on the back-roads just out of town and did quite well with the response. The problem was the houses weren't close together, but they commanded a higher price to compensate.
Remember the add-ons. Why not offer conservatory roof cleaning, gutter cleaning etc even although they have an existing window cleaner. We do several customers conservatories as their own window cleaner won't do them. Promote indoor window cleaning as well. Most windies, including myself will only do inside windows under duress. But if you are still growing your round, every little helps.
Being new to window cleaning then you will be more prone to pick up other cleaners rejects. As very few messers change, they will tend to become your rejects as well.
In the early days you have to proactively build your business, which means collecting the debts as well. In time you will get to know your genuine customers and the time wasters. Although we now have a two clean rule, this doesn't extend to new customers. They also have to build their credibility with us. Someone on here started the 3 c's - canvass, clean, cull. You will have to decide how much nonsense you will take from new customers whilst you are building your business.
Each time a customer messes around it costs you money - cancelled cleans, locked rear gates when they promised to leave them open, dogs muck, delayed payment, repeated collection calls - so don't hold onto them. They will take up time that would be better used finding new customers.
Your customer base will always be 'fluid' - rental customer’s move, customers die, sell etc. most that you have little control of.
Go Well!
PRINT THAT OUT AND STICK IT ON YOUR FRIDGE DOOR.
Fantastic help there.
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I know its a tricky subject for some but canvassing is the only way sustain regular customers and ditch a few. its what I call a recycle 1 in 1 out. 8)
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Don't lose sight of this little sum.
There are 13 4 weeks periods in a year.
320/4 weeks x13 = 4160
Each £10 customer you find is another £130 a year in turnover.
You only need 7.7 new £10 customers to make another Grand in turnover..
or another way to look at it is 77 customers is a potential 10k in turnover..
Don't focus on the small number that you see staring at you.. Look at what its worth over the year and chuckle as each new customer gives you a pay rise which in percentage terms is waaaay more than the average person receives in these troubled times..
Hi Jim,
This is also a little gem. There is a big difference between a monthly clean and a 4 weekly clean.
In the early days of trad, we also pushed for a 2 weekly cleaning cycle. There is a large cleaning company operating in our area with cheap per clean prices but on a 2 weekly basis.
We have found that customer's soon changed to 4 weekly when we introduced wfp.
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Got a good 35 sold signs noted down today and tomorrow will be canvassing.
I'm going to try both sold signs and canvassing see how it goes :)
Thanks for all your replies guys
:)
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Got a good 35 sold signs noted down today and tomorrow will be canvassing.
I'm going to try both sold signs and canvassing see how it goes :)
Thanks for all your replies guys
:)
Good man.
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I've had a fair few from the sold signs over the years.
Can be a waiting game though, sometimes takes many months before the sign goes down.