[SB Cleaning]

Its getting ridiculous

I work in Worcester and i have counted 15 different companys driving about this week, it must be hard for new start ups!! im glad im in my 3rd year and have built up a nearly full round of decent customers...

Worcester just aint big enough for all the cleaners!!  how are you guys finding it in your areas?

were they all professional.. I.E.  sign written van or escort estate with ladder....I am only 7 miles from yourself and there is a mixed bag here.
Darren

Hi Darren

All sign written smart looking vans mate , when I started up there was no where near as many about.

[CleanClear]

Anyone who undercutts an undercutter is really nieve.

Although it seems to be working well for the retail grocery business.

[Halfadaylee]

Anyone who undercutts an undercutter is really nieve.

Although it seems to be working well for the retail grocery business.

On certain lines yes, but then you pay more on others.
Art

[AuRavelling79]

I have posted before - in one row of 40 houses I clean 16 regularly.

Another windy does 4; another 3. One of them charges 50% more than me the other charges a bit less. So where I charge 13/15, one charges 20 and the other charges 10/12.

There are probably 10 that don't clean and I guess the rest clean for themselves or get one-offs (not from me they don't tho')

There may be other windies but I don't see them.

Why don't the two dearer ones swap to me, why don't all mine go to the cheaper windy? Think about it.

[C o z y]

Good post. Just concentrate on your work and stop looking over your shoulder. Do your best, set a good / fair price and just get on with it. It's always easier to find custies than it is to find window cleaners.

[CleanClear]

I think offering cost effective solutions to customers might make you stick out above the rest.

[landy2]

when i started up we worked out our car like many did years ago , but now new cleaners are driving new merc vans with brand new systems in them  , how do they do it i still dont have brand new van and been at it years .

[CLEANCARE WC]

when i started up we worked out our car like many did years ago , but now new cleaners are driving new merc vans with brand new systems in them  , how do they do it i still dont have brand new van and been at it years .

same here.

[dave the rave]

If there is too many window cleaners ,how come we can all make a living?
On undercutting never done it only ever price a job on the number of windows doors etc ,that way if i get a job i am happy with the price .

[Fakenham Tony]

when i started up we worked out our car like many did years ago , but now new cleaners are driving new merc vans with brand new systems in them  , how do they do it i still dont have brand new van and been at it years .

I started 14 months ago and it has been hard financially as I have tried to grow the businesses from nothing in an area I had moved to in Norfolk from South London.
I didn't expect it to be any different though, I have only lost less than a handful of customers in that time and I am hitting all my new growth targets.
I have tried to keep costs as low as possible while improving my kit and processes and round all the time.
I have made mistakes but have made sure I learn from them. I did a first clean last week the custie paid me and I managed to lose the cash in half an hour somehow
When I went on a WFP course run by a well known supplier I was amazed by the number of new windies  who had spent a fortune on a new van and expensive system before they even had a single customer and the suppliers were only to keen to promote the most expensive hot wash systems to the ones with a redundancy payment due or if you didn't an h.p. deal was available.
Hopefully I will be able to afford a new  Merc van in the future but I am not going to risk it yet