[geefree]

hi all,
sorry to be a pest again,
just wondered how long it took all you relatively new window cleaners how long it took you to build your round to the point where you are now making a half decent wage,.... ie  canvassing daily to begin with,but that will eventually slow right down as you will have windows to clean as you go along etc.. just a rough idea of your experiences guys please ....should i go this alone? or work with a partner etc.
gary.

[robbie14000]

As quick as you want it to grow.
Door knocking is the best and you can grow very quickly.
Just got to be organised and regular.
Were are you based? as prices do vary from demograhic areas (north/south
You are starting at a good time as they seem to come out of the woodwork in summer.
Been going 2.5 years and already turning work away.
Robbie - Clearshine _ Harrogate

[pylofm]

gazzasp8 that was a question that I have also toyed with asking, I for one would also be grateful to hear about.

Cheers
Dave.

[supernova77]

Hi,

I started canvassing in December, and for the last 3 months have been turning over (not profit) between £2250 - £2500.

I've just agreed to take my brother on for 1 day a week starting in August... I'm hoping to expand and more and be double what I have now by the end of this year with my brother working for me 2 - 3 days per week.

There is loads of work out there... You just have to put a lot of leg work in to start with.

Andy

[geefree]

thanks so much for your help and advice,i really appreciate it , i guess most of you started this way so know where i am coming from... i will take it all on board and follow your advice, ..oh am from wakefield robbie, hope there is no one reading this in my area thinking "bloody hell another one" lol... seriously though i would love to go out one day with someone who is local, i could talk about it all day but there is nothing like hands to gain experience.

[geefree]

thats excellent andy, just shows that you are professional and dedicated, i wont go far wrong with guys like all of you, what a great forum ,...thank you.

oh by the way ..great website too andy

[Customers4u]

When i first started, i took an entire month off to throw myself into Canvassing, as i went round i told everyone that i would get to them, cleaning wise in one month.

In that month, i signed up approx 260 customers, you can generally squeeze in 10-15 first cleans a day on your 1st sweep.

Obviously as i became quicker, i was finding more and more time spare to go out in the evenings, to top up with extra customers.

Paul 

[Mike George]

I started canvassing in March and I'm now up to 120 customers. I need about 200 long term.

I've had about 10 one-offs and I've lost or dropped about 10 more customers in that time.

Of the 120 regular customers I've got:

87 from flyers through letterboxes
13 from people who have collared me while I was working in their street
10 from recommendations by existing customers
5 from my van signwriting
4 from one advert in a local paper
1 from a postcard in a shop window

I tried door knocking at the start but wasn't comfortable with it and didn't have any success, but I am now planning to try it again, concentrating on evening visits to the streets where I already have customers.

When I started I was struggling to fit in 5 first-time cleans a day (trad) because I was unfit and the windows were very dirty. Before this hot weather started I was up to 10 or 15 a day quite comfortably.

[pylofm]

Mike, so going against the grain, you seem to have done very well from leaflets,opposed to door to door canvassing....If you don't mind me asking what would you say your hit rate was with the leaflets?

Cheers
Dave.

ps will be starting at the end of the month.

[holland1945]

You guys put me to shame. I've been going since February and in that time I've brought on 150 customers ... but most of those were canvassed for me by Doorknockers.

Now that I've got enough customers to provide a basic wage, I'll start to canvas more myself and try to get houses in and around the areas I already do.

FAO Mike - You might be able to add another category to your list of customer sources - 'Friendly Window Cleaner down the Road'! I've sent you that guys details

[Customers4u]

Hiya Gazza,

I had always been into sales, setting up 'Doorknockers' happened really by accident, i put an advert on this web site just to see what response i would get.

It was amazing how many replies i received and continue to receive.

Started with 1 sales person i.e. me!

We grew to 2 people within a month, then to a team of 5 within 2 months.

We now have 2 teams that are kept solidly busy and we are looking to expand to 3 teams quite soon.

I have to say, that sites such as cleanitup, and cleaning pros are excellent mediums for attracting work, and i have done very little 'other' advertising.

Anyways Gazza hope you do well for the future, and any other w/c, reading this, thats doing their own development work.

Paul     

[Fast 1 *]

what does your sales technique consist of?

[Mike George]

Mike, so going again the grain, you seem to have done very well from leaflets,opposed to door to door canvassing....If you don't mind me asking what would you say your hit rate was with the leaflets?

For the first couple of months I was getting about 3 per hundred but I think I've worked out the best seams now and it's down to 1 or 2.

I use little flyers (8 per A4 page) and write a price on:

[Mike George]

FAO Mike - You might be able to add another category to your list of customer sources - 'Friendly Window Cleaner down the Road'! I've sent you that guys details

Thanks Rik but I haven't received it - can you try again please?

[pylofm]

Well laid out and very striking....Thanks for taking the time to post it.

Cheers
Dave.

[geefree]

HI
thanks to all of you for your help
you are amazing !

just one thing.. when canvassing do i have to run round and count the customers windows for a quote, just seems a little strange trying to add up in price the small windows and large.. tot it up and tell the customer a price... is that what all you guys do.?

cheers

[geefree]

can anyone spare a day out with this newbie in the west yorkshire area please so i can get a general idea where to begin,what i will need , and of course to learn the technique. thanks lads.

gary.

[geefree]

Hi mike
would you say of your 120 customers that you would average the whole thing out at around £10 per cus. averaging around £300 per week at the mo.

[Mike George]

My average price (for 126 customers now) is £7.57

The average monthly value per customer (taking into account the 6-weekly and 2-monthly ones) is £6.66, so the monthly value of the round is £839 and I need 210 customers to reach my target of £1400. I've only recently started charging extra for non-monthly customers.

My normal prices range from £3 for some one-bed bungalows to £12 or £13 for 3-bed semis. And a few odd bigger places up to £28. I seem to be about 50% to 100% higher than others in this area.

[Trevor Knight]

For the first couple of months I was getting about 3 per hundred but I think I've worked out the best seams now and it's down to 1 or 2.

I use little flyers (8 per A4 page) and write a price on:

I like your leaflet but have to ask how you can possibly write a price on a ticket without having looked around the back of the house first?

Does this mean when canvassing you enter the back if they are out or are you quoting blind? If your quoting blind then your prices could be cheaper than the current window cleaner which to me would be like undercutting him without playing fair?

Just a thought.

Trev