[A A R O N]

As I've said in my previous post I'm just looking at starting up. Until I am in a position to actually start I'm in limbo as to how much work there will be. ie I can't look for work until I have the equipment to get going.

I've asked about 30 people at work about their window cleaner. And got some funny looks and questions about why I'm asking. Of those 30 about 7 didn't have a window cleaner that actually wanted one. And until I can ask them if they want me to clean for them I won't know how many  of those 7 when it comes down to it actually want to use me.

A good point it the prices people who do have a window cleaner are paying are around the amounts I was expecting. £9 - £12 for a semi. One guy got a shock when he said he didn't have anyone but he'd like one and expect to pay £4 for his semi. I said good luck, the average was £10. Face was a picture 

So when you started up did you just buy everything you needed and then hope for enough work or did you do some sort of research first.

[Walter Mitty]

You're in the north-west so prices will likely be lower than where I live (south-east).  A reasonable guide around my way would be between £1 and £1.50 per window (not pane) with a minimum charge (anything between £10 and £15). Theseare only ballpark figures and will vary. People who work wealthier areas will say more.
As you're just starting, you can't be too picky, but avoiding work with poor access is a good idea.
Some people buy their work to start. This does give a base from which to improve, but remember that no-one sells their best work unless they are packing in.  Whenever I've bought work, I have usually dropped a substantial chunk before a year is out - or the customer has dropped me. Some window cleaners spoil their customers and this makes it harder for whoever takes over the work.
To start, I canvassed everything and took all kinds of garbage from people. By the time my round was full (about 18 months later), I had a lengthy list of "to be dropped when no longer needed".  In truth, I hung on to the dross work too long.
Best of luck.

[A A R O N]

You're in the north-west so prices will likely be lower than where I live (south-east).  A reasonable guide around my way would be between £1 and £1.50 per window (not pane) with a minimum charge (anything between £10 and £15). Theseare only ballpark figures and will vary. People who work wealthier areas will say more.
As you're just starting, you can't be too picky, but avoiding work with poor access is a good idea.
Some people buy their work to start. This does give a base from which to improve, but remember that no-one sells their best work unless they are packing in.  Whenever I've bought work, I have usually dropped a substantial chunk before a year is out - or the customer has dropped me. Some window cleaners spoil their customers and this makes it harder for whoever takes over the work.
To start, I canvassed everything and took all kinds of garbage from people. By the time my round was full (about 18 months later), I had a lengthy list of "to be dropped when no longer needed".  In truth, I hung on to the dross work too long.
Best of luck.

Thanks very much for the advice. Did you have a job in addition to you window cleaning when you started out? I'm planning on building up a round slowly whilst in my job and then make the leap full time. I've obviously read a lot about how you can make such a good living from window cleaning. Knowing what is actually realistic is the unknown for me. Until I get out there I'm just not going to know am I. Thanks again great info.

[Stoots]

I'm north/east ish

When I started typical prices in my city were about 5-8 quid a semi.

I started by accident kind of, I had worked employed in minimum wage jobs  since leaving school. I started car valeting on a Saturday  as sideline nothing serious, not long after I Split with my ex , lost house, dignity, was skint and wanted to die. Anyway lol on a brighter note being in a state of depression i decided to quit my job  and valet cars find time. Not very bright didn't think it thru..panicked and got a part time job at halfords! Few month later came across the window cleaning idea, did that alongside part time job for over a year. Put off going full time as was scared, eventually just went for it and two years later here I am in a position i never believed  i could be in..full with work and looking for first employee.

Point being we've all been where you are, from me it was far from easy and plenty of times wanted to quit etc.

Just go for it, you can't look back, take a leap of faith and get stuck in.

[The Jester of Wibbly]

Unfortunately that's one of risks of running own business.  It's never as safe as being employed.

No one to motivate or give you direction. There is a element of risk in everything you do when self employed. Many ups and downs.  You need to be resilient and don't give up at the first hurdle.

Good luck

[Cookie]

As I've said in my previous post I'm just looking at starting up. Until I am in a position to actually start I'm in limbo as to how much work there will be. ie I can't look for work until I have the equipment to get going.

I've asked about 30 people at work about their window cleaner. And got some funny looks and questions about why I'm asking. Of those 30 about 7 didn't have a window cleaner that actually wanted one. And until I can ask them if they want me to clean for them I won't know how many  of those 7 when it comes down to it actually want to use me.

A good point it the prices people who do have a window cleaner are paying are around the amounts I was expecting. £9 - £12 for a semi. One guy got a shock when he said he didn't have anyone but he'd like one and expect to pay £4 for his semi. I said good luck, the average was £10. Face was a picture 

So when you started up did you just buy everything you needed and then hope for enough work or did you do some sort of research first.

Just get out there and knock on a few doors. With it getting dark early I would suggest Saturday is your best bet. Explain that you are in the process of setting up a window cleaning business and ask if they would be interested in your services. You should be able to gauge what work is out there.

You might get a few people just wanting a one-off clean for Christmas, but that's OK if you're just staring out....

[Og]

Everyone is a potential customer.
Get cracking!

[A A R O N]

I'm north/east ish

When I started typical prices in my city were about 5-8 quid a semi.

I started by accident kind of, I had worked employed in minimum wage jobs  since leaving school. I started car valeting on a Saturday  as sideline nothing serious, not long after I Split with my ex , lost house, dignity, was skint and wanted to die. Anyway lol on a brighter note being in a state of depression i decided to quit my job  and valet cars find time. Not very bright didn't think it thru..panicked and got a part time job at halfords! Few month later came across the window cleaning idea, did that alongside part time job for over a year. Put off going full time as was scared, eventually just went for it and two years later here I am in a position i never believed  i could be in..full with work and looking for first employee.

Point being we've all been where you are, from me it was far from easy and plenty of times wanted to quit etc.

Just go for it, you can't look back, take a leap of faith and get stuck in.

Thanks mate. I guess it is the risk of leaving a 'safe' job (all be it a safe job that now pays a pittance and is no where near as enjoyable at it was 6 months ago) that is a worry, mortgage, wife and kids to think about. But since the job has changed for the worse I have started to think life is to short.

It is great to hear how you have come through everything you have and are succeeding. Cheers for the words of encouragement.

[A A R O N]

Unfortunately that's one of risks of running own business.  It's never as safe as being employed.

No one to motivate or give you direction. There is a element of risk in everything you do when self employed. Many ups and downs.  You need to be resilient and don't give up at the first hurdle.

Good luck

Thanks mate. Its something I've always wanted to be my own boss. 15 years with the same company has probably made me to content.

[Don Kee]

I'm north/east ish

When I started typical prices in my city were about 5-8 quid a semi.

I started by accident kind of, I had worked employed in minimum wage jobs  since leaving school. I started car valeting on a Saturday  as sideline nothing serious, not long after I Split with my ex , lost house, dignity, was skint and wanted to die. Anyway lol on a brighter note being in a state of depression i decided to quit my job  and valet cars find time. Not very bright didn't think it thru..panicked and got a part time job at halfords! Few month later came across the window cleaning idea, did that alongside part time job for over a year. Put off going full time as was scared, eventually just went for it and two years later here I am in a position i never believed  i could be in..full with work and looking for first employee.

Point being we've all been where you are, from me it was far from easy and plenty of times wanted to quit etc.

Just go for it, you can't look back, take a leap of faith and get stuck in.

Thanks mate. I guess it is the risk of leaving a 'safe' job (all be it a safe job that now pays a pittance and is no where near as enjoyable at it was 6 months ago) that is a worry, mortgage, wife and kids to think about. But since the job has changed for the worse I have started to think life is to short.

It is great to hear how you have come through everything you have and are succeeding. Cheers for the words of encouragement.

Also the things that will push you on in day days you can’t be bothered (and they’ll be a few)

[A A R O N]

I'm north/east ish

When I started typical prices in my city were about 5-8 quid a semi.

I started by accident kind of, I had worked employed in minimum wage jobs  since leaving school. I started car valeting on a Saturday  as sideline nothing serious, not long after I Split with my ex , lost house, dignity, was skint and wanted to die. Anyway lol on a brighter note being in a state of depression i decided to quit my job  and valet cars find time. Not very bright didn't think it thru..panicked and got a part time job at halfords! Few month later came across the window cleaning idea, did that alongside part time job for over a year. Put off going full time as was scared, eventually just went for it and two years later here I am in a position i never believed  i could be in..full with work and looking for first employee.

Point being we've all been where you are, from me it was far from easy and plenty of times wanted to quit etc.

Just go for it, you can't look back, take a leap of faith and get stuck in.

Thanks mate. I guess it is the risk of leaving a 'safe' job (all be it a safe job that now pays a pittance and is no where near as enjoyable at it was 6 months ago) that is a worry, mortgage, wife and kids to think about. But since the job has changed for the worse I have started to think life is to short.

It is great to hear how you have come through everything you have and are succeeding. Cheers for the words of encouragement.

Also the things that will push you on in day days you can’t be bothered (and they’ll be a few)

Yes. That is very true. Positive mental attitude! 

[p1w1]

Before you start anything self employed i think you need to be mentally prepared for the risk you're going to take (as it is a risk). I mean  although funds are tight etc you need to be able to be in the position to carry out the work (have the equipment needed) so the preparation is very important.
I think first of all you need to decide how you will start off are you going to try the traditional way first or WFP. You're not really going to know if the customers are out there or not until you knock doors or send out 1000s of leaflets, so pre guessing is all it is, a guess.
Yes you can ask at work like you have but until you start actually trying to get customers you're never going to truly know.
So you can knock doors ask if they want a window cleaner if they say yes then if you dont have the equipment ready then what are you going to tell them, if you do have the equipment then you can say right i'll be back on such a date.

Basically in my opinion you need to decide first are you 110% serious that you want to give it a go if yes then you have to take the risk and buy the equipment. Now if you dont have the money yet then just start saving and when you have go out there and hit it.
Sometimes chucking yourself in the deep end can bring out the best in you.
I'm not saying you have to buy the best stuff out there but you do need the right equipment for the job to start with (whether its a car with some ladders on or a trolley with some barrels or a van with a water tank, doesnt matter as long as you can do the job) .
I would always take the opportunity if i was you to go out with someone for a couple of days window cleaning (work for free) to get an idea if its for you (those couple of days will be so valuable).
And all the best.

[Aqua Power Solutions]

There is always work out there regardless where you are in the country .
Get out there and sell yourself , promote your services and when you get established the work will come to you
You don't need to spend a fortune to set up a business in window cleaning . You don't even need to go down the wfp method

Ed

[robbo333]

Unfortunately, the only person who can answer all your questions is YOU.
We can all guess and make judgements based on our own areas, but we don't really know you, or your specific area. You need to get out there and FEEL IT!
If you are serious about this then get a small setup:
Gardiners backpack
Gardiners CLX pole 22 ft and brush
8 spare water barrels.
Find a local window cleaner who sells water, this will make it easy for you (don't worry about DI yet).
Find a window cleaner (near by) but not too near, who will be willing to take you out for a day and show you the ropes. You'll have to buy him breakfast and a drink after, but the experience will be invaluable.
This will give you enough to go knocking on doors.
Then;
Knock on doors, get some leaflets done, ask friends and family, facebook, google adwords, google business plus....anything.
Ignore promises of people 'wanting' their windows cleaned, until you've given them a price and done a satisfactory job.
Promises are worth nothing!
Get a feel for how much work is out there.
Then you can get an understanding of what's involved and how you need to proceed.
Personally I would try and get as much work as I could before I gave up my day job.
Take a weeks holiday and use it to canvass, leaflet and clean and see how you get on.
If it were me, I would get Christmas out the way and start in February.
Just my opinion.
Good luck.

[Shrek]

All depends which part of the north west your in? Where abouts are you? Or what’s the closest city to you?
If I was to start again , I’d try to be the most expensive. I’d rather do  Less work & earn more money 💰
Don’t be a busy cheap fool as you’ll regret it a couple of years down the line

[nathankaye]

Apologies upfront as ive not read all the previous posts.

I did a couple of yrs window cleaning when in college.  On my own,  building the round from scratch.  Got hold of some  ladders, scrims, squeegee, mop, pouches and a bucket and went door knocking. Cleaned as I went.
After college I went into employment in sales for quite a number of years. But I
Fell out with management etc and left. Had nothing to walk into and signed on whilst I had a very young family (3 kids), so the pressure was on.   I went back out and got the basic equipment and went to build up a window round again.  I had a bit of luck to begin with as a friend needed someone to look after his round and only for a small fee.  But after about 4 months he needed to sell it and so I took out a loan and bought it. 
That was my humble beginings and I set about to expand it by alot of hard work and determination. At that time I didnt drive, it was the wife (x now) so I did alot of walking and carrying, door knocking and starting new rounds in different villages etc etc.
So with determination and drive along with very little start up cost I built up my empire. So it can be done mate, it wont be easy but with grit and listening to advice you can also do it.

My advice depends upon your budget. Wfp (which im now using) is fantastic and can get alot of work as you are not limited as to what you can do. Ie windows above conservatories for instance that other shiners have to leave. Very easy to offer fascia cleaning as add ons as well.
So if you can afford it, its well worth going down this route. Be it a DIY system or a trolley system or even a diy trolley system whilst you build your round up before leaving your current employement.  But make your mind up!! As in, dont quit trying after several months and return to full employment.  Your customers may not forgive you if in a years time you change your mind again, if you know what I mean. Dont mean to be harsh, but you have to keep your goals infront of you to give you the continuous drive.

Before you leap learn to walk first. When you decide upon your equipment, practice, practice and when you think youve cracked it practice some more. Dont charge your new clients high prices so you can practice on their property.

You will be slow to begin with and its a new learning curve so price according to your ability.  You can increase your prices as your experience grows in pricing. But saying that, dont be tempted to go for low prices just to get jobs, you will regret it. However Ive gave purposely low prices before just to get my foot in the door so to speak.   Sometimes all you need is one good customer who gets more work for you based on word of mouth

[Missing Link]

Unfortunately that's one of risks of running own business.  It's never as safe as being employed.

I don't know about that because from my position, no-one can make me redundant.

[Stoots]

I'm north/east ish

When I started typical prices in my city were about 5-8 quid a semi.

I started by accident kind of, I had worked employed in minimum wage jobs  since leaving school. I started car valeting on a Saturday  as sideline nothing serious, not long after I Split with my ex , lost house, dignity, was skint and wanted to die. Anyway lol on a brighter note being in a state of depression i decided to quit my job  and valet cars find time. Not very bright didn't think it thru..panicked and got a part time job at halfords! Few month later came across the window cleaning idea, did that alongside part time job for over a year. Put off going full time as was scared, eventually just went for it and two years later here I am in a position i never believed  i could be in..full with work and looking for first employee.

Point being we've all been where you are, from me it was far from easy and plenty of times wanted to quit etc.

Just go for it, you can't look back, take a leap of faith and get stuck in.

Thanks mate. I guess it is the risk of leaving a 'safe' job (all be it a safe job that now pays a pittance and is no where near as enjoyable at it was 6 months ago) that is a worry, mortgage, wife and kids to think about. But since the job has changed for the worse I have started to think life is to short.

It is great to hear how you have come through everything you have and are succeeding. Cheers for the words of encouragement.

It's good that you are worried. It's only natural. I had the same fears, we all do mate.

I think for me being on minimum wage for so long you don't think you can or deserve better in life. I had low self esteem and did not believe in myself, I thought success was something other people had, that I wasn't worthy.

I can tell you for sure that all the sleepless nights and the worrys you will go through, the doubts, the fear and anxiety will be worth it in the end. When you finally reach your goals and succeed in something you set out to do it literally makes you feel like you can do anything you set your mind to...and you can by the way.

It's all about baby steps, if you look at the big picture it's too daunting and you won't do it. Just take each small goal at a time, first you want 10 custys then 50 then 100 etc.

Where there's a will there's a way mate, no matter your current situation if you want it you will get it no doubt. Soon as you set your mind to it it's as good as done.

Go get them custys ! and in no time you'll be eating carvery s and scratching glass with the best of us. 

[Walter Mitty]

You're in the north-west so prices will likely be lower than where I live (south-east).  A reasonable guide around my way would be between £1 and £1.50 per window (not pane) with a minimum charge (anything between £10 and £15). Theseare only ballpark figures and will vary. People who work wealthier areas will say more.
As you're just starting, you can't be too picky, but avoiding work with poor access is a good idea.
Some people buy their work to start. This does give a base from which to improve, but remember that no-one sells their best work unless they are packing in.  Whenever I've bought work, I have usually dropped a substantial chunk before a year is out - or the customer has dropped me. Some window cleaners spoil their customers and this makes it harder for whoever takes over the work.
To start, I canvassed everything and took all kinds of garbage from people. By the time my round was full (about 18 months later), I had a lengthy list of "to be dropped when no longer needed".  In truth, I hung on to the dross work too long.
Best of luck.

Thanks very much for the advice. Did you have a job in addition to you window cleaning when you started out? I'm planning on building up a round slowly whilst in my job and then make the leap full time. I've obviously read a lot about how you can make such a good living from window cleaning. Knowing what is actually realistic is the unknown for me. Until I get out there I'm just not going to know am I. Thanks again great info.

I didn't have a job as such because it was the heavy recession of the early 90s that started me window cleaning. I was made redundant three times in two years and my applications for jobs weren't even getting replies, never mind interviews.

I did get lucky though.

At that time, I had tiny outgoings so that helped - a lot.  Also, I bumped into an old friend and he told me that he had a driving job where he went away every week (it was driving one of those advertising wagons). He wanted someone to fill in for a week each month, and it paid fairly well.  Technically it wasn't as an employee because it was on a self-employed basis.  In addition, I was doing the odd few days work for agencies. The agency work was for lousy pay but it paid the bills while I built up my round.

After about six months I was offered a full-time job somewhere. I turned it down. I had done just enough window cleaning to realise that working for someone else was no longer right for me.

[Pete Thompson]

The best advice I can give is this:

Expect the unexpected.

Also, don’t go into debt.