[northstar161]

NEW START UP: SIX WEEKS IN
Just completed my first repeat clean yesterday.

It's been  a good six weeks with over 30 new customers (hopefully all repeat). Have had loads of good feedback from my custies and some referrals.

CHALLENGES
The first cleans are brutal. I clean the sills and the frames and it takes ages
Learning how to use ladders safely
Pricing jobs. I'm still miles off the 50p per minute target. Averaging about 30p per minute so far.
Getting up to speed on trad

For the next two months I intend to:

a) Get more customers. Over 100 by the end of Sep.
b) Continue to be safe at work and put standards / safety over speed
c) Pace myself and have at least one quality day of rest per week.

OBVIOUS BEGINNER ERRORS – MAYBE THIS WILL HELP SOMEONE OUTs

1. Getting leaflets printed too thin. At 80g they get crumpled when I put them thru the door.
2. Getting too many leaflets printed. I printed 15k and have used about 2000 so far. Ooops.
3. Pricing errors. Probably inevitable for any newbie but I'm learning all the time.

Thanks to everyone at CIU for their inspiring and informative posts.

[DG Cleaning]

Hi, I haven't been at it long either but 50p a min seems like rather a lot for trad, what's your average price?

[GB Window Cleaning]

@ northstar161

who did your website mate? i like it simple but still looks good!

thanks and good luck but you sound like you dont need it 

GB

[Skyewindowcleaning]

Hey Northstar, Im in almost exactly the same position as you! Im 4 weeks in and despite reading loads of advice on here have made mistakes with pricing. First cleans for me have been brutal. Also struggling with flyers but think ive got that sorted now.

Anyway good luck mate, Your not alone!

Steve

[Scoop]

OBVIOUS BEGINNER ERRORS – MAYBE THIS WILL HELP SOMEONE OUTs

1. Getting leaflets printed too thin. At 80g they get crumpled when I put them thru the door.

Hi Northstar. Well done for your startup - sounds like it's going well.

Re the point I've highlighted, it is tricky to leaflet even with a heavier weight paper. Posties use a technique which is to jam the wedge of post into the letterbox and then push it through. Of course you can't do this with a leaflet.

The best way I've found is if you're right handed, lift the flap and then push your left hand all the way through so it lifts the other flap on the inside (hope this isn't sounding like anything it shouldn't so far  ) Then with your right hand push your leaflet which is bent in half (not folded) through the gap. Even the lightest weight paper will go through like this without getting crumpled.

BUT beware. I have had my left hand bitten by a dog three times now. It's a risk I'm prepared to take but you may not be. If you hear a dog then just jam the leaflet in the letterbox 

[GB Window Cleaning]

i recon a stick or something similar would be a good tool for opening letter boxes when posting things through

[Helen]

NEW START UP: SIX WEEKS IN
Just completed my first repeat clean yesterday.

Well done!

It's been  a good six weeks with over 30 new customers (hopefully all repeat).

Why do you say hopefully? Are you not advertising and confirming the fact that you are a "regular service"? If not specified to the custie then start now

Have had loads of good feedback from my custies and some referrals.
That's the way to go forward

CHALLENGES
The first cleans are brutal. I clean the sills and the frames and it takes ages
Add a bit more to the price for first cleans, so when you quote "£15 for for first clean and £12 (examples) thereafter"

Learning how to use ladders safely
Most important thing of all. look at the wahr on the internet and follow that

Pricing jobs. I'm still miles off the 50p per minute target. Averaging about 30p per minute so far.
Getting up to speed on trad
You'll get there, dont substitute sped for quality though

For the next two months I intend to:

a) Get more customers. Over 100 by the end of Sep.
Why not have a min target and max target....100 min and 200 max you may surprise yourself

b) Continue to be safe at work and put standards / safety over speed
Yip

c) Pace myself and have at least one quality day of rest per week.
Ok good plan, but while you are starting out use all available "downtime" to market and get the "behind the scenes" tasks up and running....when you are working flat out you don't suddenly want to think I have no idea on my takings/outgoings for the last 2 months

OBVIOUS BEGINNER ERRORS – MAYBE THIS WILL HELP SOMEONE OUTs

1. Getting leaflets printed too thin. At 80g they get crumpled when I put them thru the door.
Used to use 80g, never had a problem, try folding them in half and half again, this should work, also makes people "open" it up to see what it is.

2. Getting too many leaflets printed. I printed 15k and have used about 2000 so far. Ooops.
Don't worry you will use them and this is one cost you dopn't have to think about for  a while
3. Pricing errors. Probably inevitable for any newbie but I'm learning all the time.
If you think it is cheap....it probably is.....if you think it's expensive...... it probably is. It's all in the mind of the custie
Thanks to everyone at CIU for their inspiring and informative posts.

[richard jagger]

Get yourself a piece of plastic a size a5 will be good and 1.5 the length of a a5 so you can fold your leaflets over the  slip this plastic into the letter box leaving your hands outside,while the leaflet goes through.I to had a few narrow escapes. If the dog did bite you and there is no warning on the door the house owner would be liable for the damages. I received compensation as an estate agent year back.

[bobby p]

the early days ,the first cleans, the real divvies you meet etc ,  are part of  the Apprenticeship of this trade.

glad its going well for you there

[Craig 72]

Yeah the frustating thing for the first year or so is that you tend to pick up customers that other wcers have cast off.Alarm bells should ring when a custie says,"I had a window cleaner but he just stopped coming round".A wcer would never just drop a good customer so there is invariably a reason for it.Unfortunately you have to grin and bear it for a while (all good experience) until you have built up enough of a round to start dropping the crap yourself.Sounds like you have the right attitude for the job,good luck!

[Scoop]

Get yourself a piece of plastic a size a5 will be good and 1.5 the length of a a5 so you can fold your leaflets over the  slip this plastic into the letter box leaving your hands outside,while the leaflet goes through.I to had a few narrow escapes. If the dog did bite you and there is no warning on the door the house owner would be liable for the damages. I received compensation as an estate agent year back.

This is a great idea!

[bobplum]

NEW START UP: SIX WEEKS IN
Just completed my first repeat clean yesterday.

It's been  a good six weeks with over 30 new customers (hopefully all repeat). Have had loads of good feedback from my custies and some referrals.

CHALLENGES
The first cleans are brutal. I clean the sills and the frames and it takes ages
Learning how to use ladders safely
Pricing jobs. I'm still miles off the 50p per minute target. Averaging about 30p per minute so far.
Getting up to speed on trad

For the next two months I intend to:

a) Get more customers. Over 100 by the end of Sep.
b) Continue to be safe at work and put standards / safety over speed
c) Pace myself and have at least one quality day of rest per week.

OBVIOUS BEGINNER ERRORS – MAYBE THIS WILL HELP SOMEONE OUTs

1. Getting leaflets printed too thin. At 80g they get crumpled when I put them thru the door.
2. Getting too many leaflets printed. I printed 15k and have used about 2000 so far. Ooops.
3. Pricing errors. Probably inevitable for any newbie but I'm learning all the time.

Thanks to everyone at CIU for their inspiring and informative posts.

just to inspire you that you will come good and you can make a decent living just seen a vacancy for a plumber based in ellesmere port",must have considerable experience on plumbing and heating systems"................£6.50 per hour

[northstar161]

Thanks for the helpfull comments - some really useful tips here.

My prices usually start at £8/9 for the front of a small 2 bed terraced house with one bay window and £15 for a 3 bed semi.

[DG Cleaning]

Within a few cleans you'll soon be doing 50p a minute at those prices. I've been at it since April and I can do around 3, 3 bed semi's an hour trad fairly easy I did spend a couple of hours with my local windy though who taught me the correct technique and saved me loads of time.

[ronnie paton]

Thanks for the helpfull comments - some really useful tips here.

My prices usually start at £8/9 for the front of a small 2 bed terraced house with one bay window and £15 for a 3 bed semi.

£8/£9 for a front of a two bed terrace? how big are these terraces?

[Ian101]

So Bob when do u start the new job then or still waiting to hear back ??

[Carl67]

 We 20,000 leaflets printed when we started nearly 2 years ago and found the best way to post them is folded round a ruler, it's quick and saves your fingers. First cleans are a pain but we still do it for every new customer whos gone regular (the scrub up) but gained lots of customers through it. Give it a few more months and the pounds will be rolling - good hunting!