[Mike George]

Hello everybody.

I'm just starting as a window cleaner - doing it the 'traditional' way. I've been a courier for the past two and a half years but I wanted something where I would have more control over my working days and hours.

I worked as a BT engineer for 15 years so I'm comfortable up a ladder and the safety aspects are second nature.

I started on Monday and I've got 10 customers so far. I think I need about 200 domestic customers to make the business viable. From what I've read on this forum I seem to be charging about the right prices, I just need to work about 3 times quicker.

I've still got a lot of reading to do, but I expect I'll be back with a few questions!

[Andrew McCann]

Hello Mike and welcome

Don't worry about the speed thing. I remember taking 40 mins plus for a small 3 bed semi   With advice from the bunch here and practice you will speed up no end.

However trivial you may think the "pros" might think a question is dont worry. They have all been there and are happy to help a genuine guy.

Note I said  "they" there are guys around here who have forgotten more about trad window cleaning than I know 

Cheers

Andrew

[Sarah Sarill]

Hello Mike and welcome on board.

Please feel free to post any questions you have.  They guys and girls on this forum have a gr8t wealth of information on most aspects of w/c including best products, help with kit and most aspects of developing and growing your business.

Good luck with your new venture.

Sarah

Oh and I forgot to say that you would be most welcome to post in the CHAT section too.  Gr8t when you need a laugh after a hard days graft. 

[Mike George]

Thanks for the welcome.

I will no doubt have some simple questions, but every time I think of one I find the answer is already here. I've run a courier forum for two years where the members have a similar helpful attitude, and I know how annoying it is when somebody asks a question without bothering to read what's already there!

You probably won't see much of me in the chat room - I live on a boat and my only internet connection is a mobile data card which usually runs at very slow speeds.

[Trevor Knight]

Hi Mike,

Welcome to the wonderful window cleaning industry. Good luck in your venture. My advice is only to make sure you are reliable firstly, you turn up when you say you will and your customers will stay with you forever.. The speed will come in time, don't rush things, if you miss corners or even a window and its a new customer they will always be doubtful of your work and more likely to try someone else.

GOOD LUCK !!!!!!!

[Sarah Sarill]

You probably won't see much of me in the chat room - I live on a boat and my only internet connection is a mobile data card which usually runs at very slow speeds.

Hi Mike,

Just wanted to clarify that its not a traditional chat room - its a chat section exactly like this one where people post threads on non-cleaning related topics. We have threads on film and books reviews, jokes, photos and the odd non-cleaning debates too.

You dont need a fast internet connection to view it like a chat room.

Pop in for a look - its a friendly section where you would be most welcome to post or just simply view and laugh at the goings-on.  ts the last heading on the home page for anyone else who is interested.

Sarah

[windows_chepstow]

Thanks for the welcome.

...I know how annoying it is when somebody asks a question without bothering to read what's already there!

Mike,

Welcome to the forum.

Don't worry too much about re-posting a previously asked question.

We always have new members joining all the time and sometimes you'll get different or better 'answers' to any problem. 

We're also a bit thin on the ground with regards to trad questions, as sometimes there can be a 'them and us' attitude between ladder users and WFP users; although I'm sure the vast majority of WFP users still use a ladder when it suits them.

Also good luck on your new business venture!

PS.

What type of boat do you live on?  Sounds great!  Do you pay council tax? 

[Mike George]

Hi Mike,

Just wanted to clarify that its not a traditional chat room - its a chat section exactly like this one where people post threads on non-cleaning related topics. We have threads on film and books reviews, jokes, photos and the odd non-cleaning debates too.

You dont need a fast internet connection to view it like a chat room.

Sorry, I thought you meant the chat room on the button at the top. I haven't really looked in the chat section yet but will no doubt appear there soon!

[Mike George]

What type of boat do you live on?  Sounds great!  Do you pay council tax? 

It's a 45-foot steel 'trad' style narrowboat and we've lived on it for just over a year. We had a 67-foot boat for a couple of years, then lived in a house for a year before deciding to get back on the water.

We don't pay council tax because we don't have a permanent residential mooring.

Maybe I should continue this topic in the chat section...

[Jeff Brimble]

Mike, technically how does your pc get from a narrowboat to here.

[sunshine windows]

Welcome aboard shipmate! 

Just started out recently too. Don't regret it for a minute. Stick with it and good luck.

Like the others have said. All questions are perfectly acceptable no matter how trivial you might think they are.

How are you trying to pick up new customers at the moment. I've done lots of leafletting but the trouble with this is you get a scattered round. If you've got what it takes to go door knocking then i'd suggest trying this method. Lots of the others swear by it.

Good luck again

Sunshine

[Mike George]

Mike, technically how does your pc get from a narrowboat to here.

I use a Vodafone Connect card plugged in the side of my laptop, so Vodafone is my ISP. It's a combined GPRS/3G card and in towns I get a 3G connection usually at 100 or so Kbps. Most of the time on the boat we're in low-lying rural areas and I get a GPRS connection at anything from 0 to 30 Kbps. It costs £45 a month +VAT for up to 1 GB of data transfer, and I generally use 300-400 MB.

I had an Orange card for a year but it was less reliable and a bit slower.

[Mike George]

How are you trying to pick up new customers at the moment. I've done lots of leafletting but the trouble with this is you get a scattered round. If you've got what it takes to go door knocking then i'd suggest trying this method. Lots of the others swear by it.

I didn't have much luck door knocking during the day but I haven't tried it in the evenings yet. I found most people were out, and the ones who were in had a window cleaner already.

Using my mini-flyers (see the 'leaflet help' topic) I can cover 5 houses in the time it takes to wait for somebody to answer the door to tell me no, and I give everybody a written quote whether they want one or not!

My son started up a couple of weeks before me in Oxford (he's not on the internet) and he does well from door knocking but he's probably a better salesman than me.