[Biscute]

For the last month or so i have been working with a friend on his round wich he bought off another friend, i enjoy the work and would like to start up my own round but he makes out that it is a big no no if you start were some1 eles is cleaning windows, is this true? i am willing to knock doors but dont want to stand on other peoples feet who work in the area. If i buy a round wich i cant realy afford to do should i also be this way if i see any1 cleaning in the area that i am working in???

[Londoner]

Round here there is always someone else already working the area.
Just make a start and be polite. If they say they already have a cleaner just smile and say sorry to have troubled you.
Chances are they existing guy won't be too happy but if he sees you are not threatening his customers he should be OK.

[windolene]

Hi,

Knock on doors where you want to work. take no notice of window cleaners who say  "this is my area". There are window cleaners in every area & allways have been. I go door knocking where I want & you do the same.

Don't say to a potential customer "tell me how much your window cleaner charges & I will do it cheaper", that's below the belt, get want you want for cleaning window.





there was a very good posting on this subject recently on this site or the other one, perhaps one of the members will remember it & give you the link.

Kevin.

[Biscute]

Thanx, also if some one could help me out and email me a leaflet i could get ideas from it would be a great help 

[windolene]

Hi Again,


Vince says   If they say they already have a cleaner just smile and say sorry to have troubled you.

I say " heres my card please use it for future reference.

Kevin.

[Biscute]

Thanx kevin

al try to make sure not to undercut

[Chris Cottrell]

Hi Biscute
Welcome to the site

try looking in the new document area for leaflets should be more than a few to statr you off
also there's no such thing as "my area" just be polite , charge enough for what you need to live on , you wont go far wrong

good luck

[Biscute]

Thanx chris, thats a great help

[Ian_Giles]

A further word of caution!!

Whatever you do, don't underprice!

Don't price cheap just to get the round up and running, if you do so, getting those prices up to a reasonable level once you start to get busy is a major headache!

If you think you would be happy with an income of say...£350 per week, then the hourly rate you will need to work off will need to be up around £16 per hour rather than £8.75 per hour.

For £500 a week you'll need to be up around £25 per hour.

I don't know how quick you are at the moment, but once you are experienced enough, you should be able to clean a standard 3 bed semi in under 20 minutes, to clean 3 an hour in a reasonable close knit bunch of accounts should be more than possible.
So that is roughly 12 windows, standard windows, UPVC.

In a 5 day week you will work nothing like 40 hours, you'll much closer to 30 or less.
Once you take into account all the non procuctive hours (Tea Breaks, chatting to customers, bad weather, travelling between accounts, late starts, early finishes, sickness and so on)
Well, you will be shocked at just how few hours you actually spend CLEANING windows.

And as the others have replied, all areas have window cleaners, usually several of them, but not ALL houses have them

Knock on doors, deliver leaflets, may the force be with you


Regards,


Ian

[Biscute]

Thanx again Ian that helps me out a lot 

[Malcal]

Hi All
You do not really want to work in an area with other WC'ers as your potential hourly rate will suffer. I have been told of many areas where there is not a window cleaner and have canvessed them only to find that nearly everone who wants a WC has got one. Twice it has turned out to be true and I have built decent rounds. So keep knocking and dont promise to clean the windows till youve got enough to make it worthwhile.
Regrds Mal

[gsw]

I started knocking in august, I now have 2 1/2 weeks repeat work every 4 weeks so about half way there!! follow the advice given on here it all becomes apparent when you start, right down to "dog earing!", I use gg4 and would have binned it if it wasn't for threads on here about adding water softner to my bucket.

NOT Under pricing is the best advice you will get, my mother in law was paying £4.50 for seven years, the guy packed up her new wc charges £10 he started 2 years ago. 4 bed detached, I told her I would price her at £16.00 (if she wasn't family!!) she couldn't believe that people would pay that, but they do!

you are selling yourself, so in my humble opinion, dress smart be polite and do a good job when you say you are going to do it and people are prepared to pay more for the better service, from what little i have seen.

good luck......its the best move I have ever made.

[Biscute]

thanx again its been raining today so no work think am going to go canvassing al let you know how its gose

[Trevor Knight]

Work where you want and don't listen to any "this is my area" nonsense. I have been cleaning windows for 14 years and have canvassed areas I knew had window cleaners and have had areas I work in canvassed by others. Its an accepted practice so long as you don't deliberately undercut someone. It also highlights how good a job you are doing when your customer tells you someone knocked on their door asking if they wanted a window cleaner and they told them they have one already!! Keep you work to a high standard and you will find after a while you will get recommendations from your existing customers. GOOD LUCK!!!!