[Dave M H]

Hi,
I currently work shifts and am looking for a career change with more flexible hours. Im fit, healthy and a grafter so thought of window cleaning.
I was thinking of starting out using traditional cleaning methods and if I can make it pay investing further to reach and wash system.
There is a new housing estate near my house being built.
1/ can I just go on and canvass or is this stepping on people's toes?
2/ the windows are all small leaded panels - is it best avoiding.
2/ would I be better buying a small round and building upon that or just building from scratch on my days off?

Advice would be much appreciated

[Shrek]

Hi Dave , what area are you in?

[Marc Stock]

Hi,
I currently work shifts and am looking for a career change with more flexible hours. Im fit, healthy and a grafter so thought of window cleaning.
I was thinking of starting out using traditional cleaning methods and if I can make it pay investing further to reach and wash system.
There is a new housing estate near my house being built.
1/ can I just go on and canvass or is this stepping on people's toes?
2/ the windows are all small leaded panels - is it best avoiding.
2/ would I be better buying a small round and building upon that or just building from scratch on my days off?

Advice would be much appreciated

1) Yes go out and canvass. No one owns the rights to anyones custom. That's part of competition it's a free country.

Here are some dos and donts....

Dont....
Try to undercut. You might get loads of work but you will quickly end up running ragged for nothing. Also remember the 3rd rule...at any one time expect to only get a 3rd of the payments in immediately on the same day of cleaning. The other two 3rds will come in over a number of weeks/months for the rest of that days work.. So prepare to be able to run your business on just a 3rd of the money for fuel and time and bills etc.

Don't....

Offer extended credit. It will ruin you. My motto is no doshy? no washy! If you are cleaning windows for someone who hasn't paid you yet for the last clean...your a mug..and they are laughing at you. I Never let my customers owe more than 1 clean, If they are outstanding still they don't get cleaned..

Expect to be poor for a while

To start with, you will get the dregs of the public. On your canvassing the ones you will pick up will predominantly be ones who have had window cleaner before but for whatever reason 'They stopped coming' trust me there is usually a reason for it. Or they won't want them done today...drop them drop them drop them

I'd say if in your 1st year trading on your own your turnover hits £14k you'd be doing very well..expect at least a 3rd of those new canvassed customers to drop off in 2 years so you must keep canvassing.

It will take approx 4-5 years to generate a decent income from it. But your rounds will still be unstable.

Add another 7 years of growth and refinement and your rounds will be pretty much stable and you'd be making a decent living..by which case 15 years are one the horizon and you'l be sick to death of the job...and be on medication for depression..

 

Only joking


Good luck

[Dave M H]

Hi, thanks for the reply Marc.
Shrek - I'm in Chorley, Lancs

[dave the rave]

Hi Dave ,what shift work do you do now? I would say try and buy a round near to where you intend to door knock. Also don't under price to get work .

[britishwill]

Good luck first of all.
Never undercut, value yourself highly and always do your best.
I would maybe look at getting a back pack if you cannot afford to get a WF set up. It is safer for you and you can work faster.
Why not try and see if you can go out with a windy so see how they do it?
Whatever you do, be the best you can be!

[Smudger]

don't give up the pay job just yet - when not working go and canvass - see what response you get from knocking and the real test is CAN YOU knock - its not hard but for many of us it does not come naturally and for me personally i used to get terrible cramps thinking about it BUT i did do it, day in day out

trad will be fine while putting your toe in the water but WFP is the way to go in the end
best adice i got - NEVER quote cheap! once cheap always cheap

set yourself an hourly rate £25 minimum  practice on your own house ( flat whatever ) see how long it takes you then you should get a idea of how long it takes and how many per hour you can do

Darran

[Crystal-clear]

Marc stocks reply is epic ! so pretty much like that

what id ask you to determine perhaps that no ones asked yet is do you have some money kicking about? maybe you have some savings.
the reason why im asking is if you have maybe £3k? you could get a cheap van buy a years insurance leaflets etc etc tools and wfp system then you'll literally fly (if the jobs for you it isn't for everyone) you should consider doing a days work for free with someone and see if you like it first so make sure its for you before you do it this way

The only reason why id be against trad (if you like the job) no point to trad unless you really really have too ie money is an issue
when i started 10 years ago or so i learnt all this the hard way wasn't quite on forum back then so i thought people dont like wet windows i need to trad
i have no regrets but i did have the dosh kicking about to get a wfp system and i didn't for a good 3 years only because i wasn't sure of it my only regret is i should have done it straight away! i only did in the end as i had a little slip on the ladders and decided wfp or bust and it all worked out just fine !
so if you can mate go for it!

[Stoots]

A round can be build up in a few months with hard graft and a good area. A lack of graft and a poor area could see it taking a few years. So how much and how fast is entirely up to you.

As for the rest of it just get stuck in and figure it out as you go

Oh and don't bother with trad. It's slower, less safe and as for cost as long as you can spare a few hundred quid that's not an issue either.

[dave f]

I m o if you have your heart is set on window cleaning start of  in winter then see if its the job for you it is a baptism of fire if you like, soon sorts men from the boys .dark damp cold mornings .you will get the picture. ive come close a few times of packing it in the  time flies by before you know its summer. do your home work read a lot of posts on here  it helped me good luck.

[slap bash]

Find out the going rate in your area. THis you do while canvassing the area you want to work in. By asking the ones that already have a window cleaner. Tell them you are new and if they don`t mind telling you what they pay. Don`t then be tempted to say you can do it for less. As this will only discredit you with in front of this customer and make you a target for other windies. Remember you will be part of this industry so don`t disrespect us all and yourself.

[W.booler]

Hi, thanks for the reply Marc.
Shrek - I'm in Chorley, Lancs

If you put up an email or contact number up, then I'll be in touch and have a chat..

[Marc Stock]

I m o if you have your heart is set on window cleaning start of  in winter then see if its the job for you it is a baptism of fire if you like, soon sorts men from the boys .dark damp cold mornings .you will get the picture. ive come close a few times of packing it in the  time flies by before you know its summer. do your home work read a lot of posts on here  it helped me good luck.

 

I think every winter when it's dark wet and nasty I come home and say to debs.."that's it I've had it with this job"

Lol yet here I am still at it.

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

start as you mean to go forget the trad route as once you give up your job and then change to pole you could lose a good bit of work  then your skint with no way of paying your bills having to go back to work and sell your round ive seen this alot 

while your at work change your car for a van , ok its not i deal but you can run the van for very little extra cost plus the sign writing on it is work 24-7 again you will pick up work buy doing nothing

 if your wife or family dont understand this then you need to second think about starting at all ! as you all as a family unit will have to stick together to make it work

you can set up a diy wfp set up very cheap ! again working some over time at work could pay for this and then you still are not touching the bill money ,  two days over time could buy you a set up with out the hurt of saving for it ,

[AuRavelling79]

Deano says it right about family backing you. Half the battle that is.

[Dave M H]

Some very informative replies. Thank you. I was set on feeling my way in by canvassing on new estates using trad style on my days off. Most of the responses state to invest in WFP system. Do customers really understand the difference(I have a trad window cleaner and never really have it a second thought)?
I know it's  safer and quicker.
I could potentially invest from the start but I'm not sure sure what response I will get from the canvassing and trad style is less of a gamble?
Dilemma??

[paul alan]

I m o if you have your heart is set on window cleaning start of  in winter then see if its the job for you it is a baptism of fire if you like, soon sorts men from the boys .dark damp cold mornings .you will get the picture. ive come close a few times of packing it in the  time flies by before you know its summer. do your home work read a lot of posts on here  it helped me good luck.

 
your dead right there mate, it puts more hairs on your chest than a straight bottle of rum!
I think every winter when it's dark wet and nasty I come home and say to debs.."that's it I've had it with this job"

Lol yet here I am still at it.

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

Some very informative replies. Thank you. I was set on feeling my way in by canvassing on new estates using trad style on my days off. Most of the responses state to invest in WFP system. Do customers really understand the difference(I have a trad window cleaner and never really have it a second thought)?
I know it's  safer and quicker.
I could potentially invest from the start but I'm not sure sure what response I will get from the canvassing and trad style is less of a gamble?
Dilemma??

   you haven't got one custmer yet and your already pooing your pants about what there going to say !  best just pack it in now and save  your money and your time , when you set up for yourself its for yourself not to be told what to do like a dog , of you will end up with a round of crap jobs that everybody else as dumped

[colin bird]

Some very informative replies. Thank you. I was set on feeling my way in by canvassing on new estates using trad style on my days off. Most of the responses state to invest in WFP system. Do customers really understand the difference(I have a trad window cleaner and never really have it a second thought)?
I know it's  safer and quicker.
I could potentially invest from the start but I'm not sure sure what response I will get from the canvassing and trad style is less of a gamble?
Dilemma?

I agree with the others go wfd from day one.
If you really want to run your own business and you are happy to canvass,and you  are determined ,you won't fail
Think of a company name,get your van sign written,get proper workwear.
If you look professional and project the correct image,people will look at you as being professional,and not someone doing it to earn a bit of extra cash.
Canvass,canvass and canvass,when your fed up and dejected,,and want to go home,keep canvassing
There is no easy way to build a good round
Good luck