[Mikey Warner]

Hello "nice" people (hint hint). I am a new member and 90% decided to give up my (£20,000) factory job i've had for 13 years to start window cleaning and would like to hear any encouragement from people in the know.

i'm married, two young children, mortgage and all the bits that go with it. I work in a factory 12hr continental shifts which include 20 weekends a year and most bank holidays. A friend of the family asked if i would help him out window cleaning one day as he had got behind. I agreed and from the moment i got the hang of it i loved it!! and thought what the hell am i working crappy hours for when i could be doing this (as there is not many cleaners in our area). My friend has offered me a list of 50 addresses he can't keep to regulary as he has just took to much on, and told me of areas where he knows households require a cleaner (which is very kind of him).

Now,.... i have my inlaws, parents all on my back running on to me about my pension, holiday pay, sick pay, i won't earn as much, my kids, etc, the list goes on!! Ultimatley i know the decision is my own, but i would be very gratefull of any positive or negative responses from people in the know, and that is you.

Many thanks for any replies.  

[wazzastud]

Hi there

This is the first day of the rest of your life, you have just entered a trade that is well what i think has got to be one of the most cash rich, enjoyable businesses i can think of, i gave up a 30K sales job to do this and i love it, o and i am now on track to earn £72K* this year with just me working, but i guess you get out what you are willing to put in, some window cleaners are happy with 60 quid a day, but the more ambitious amongst us are eager to earn lots more than that,and the very good news for you my friend is that it is plentiful, more work out there than anyone can handle but i have a plan for that up my sleeve   i mean at the end of the day why earn a living when you can earn a fortune?....some people fail to realise that if you keep on doing what youve always done then you will always get what youve always got.......anyway feller, all i can say is well bloody done for breaking away from that J.O.B or what some of us ambitious types call a Just Over Broke
Welcome to the land of the free..........

* Comment added by Forum Admin Jan 10 2004:
Although we appreciate contributions from everyone it should be noted that a great number of other members have questioned the figures quoted by Warren Shenton. Please make sure you read the entire thread to get a balanced view!

[sham33]

I would say be carefull with the commitments u have. Maybe canvass an area to test the water, its not always easy to pick up new customers and takes time.

When i started 10 years ago i was lucky, i was single with no kids and was on the dole at the time with nothing to lose. I managed to find a good area with no other window cleaners and picked up 150+ customers in the first year.

Also maybe claims of 70k a year that u might have read on this forum have got u excited but i would take these claims with a pinch of salt. If u earned £100 a day u would be doing very well, but u would need a lot of customers to earn that everyday.

[Mikey Warner]

Hi, thanks for the input so far! As sham said about seeing posts of 72k on this forum, i have seen it, but it's of no intrest to me as all i want to earn is approximatley the same as i am on now (£20,000) or maybe slightly less!! I don't lead a high life style, all i need is to keep my family and keep them happy!!. My friend who i go and help as i mentioned in my first post is so eager for me to start on myself he is willing to give up his own time and go canvassing for me as he knows all the areas where people need a cleaner. And it is this what is pushing me, another cleaner is willing to give me time from his family life and own cleaning business to help me start and hopefully succeed.
Sham, you also mention trying out some canvassing,... I have already decided (with the help of my friend) to go door knocking and canvass 6 areas locally. We are going to do this next week when i have printed myself some flyers out.

Thanks for the input so far, please keep posting your thoughts, i am eager to hear what you "PRO'S" have to say, Many Thanks!

[STEVE71163]

I think you should be able to match what you are doing at the moment after a short time but i would still perhaps start part time for a while and see what you earn.

Good Luck  

Steve Lowe

[wazzastud]

Hi again
its actualy between £32 - £48 an hour working 6 hours a day.....5 days a week.......50 weeks a year...that will produce earnings of 48K - 72K a year is that so far fetched?...thats only 4-6 houses an hour..the key for me is being able to get enough work and i guess that is why i am doing so well because i am bloody good at door canvessing I am generating between £50 and £75 an hour in new bussiness ....let me just set the record strait here, I have a direct sales and marketing background (Kirby Vacuum Cleaners.......Done it for 8 years, This involved canvessing for appointments door to door every single day, so I guess i am speaking with some authority on the matter when it comes to door canvessing.......I am right now 15 Sept 03 doing what i am preaching, i mean i can see it from your point of view, it must be hard to believe that someone can achive this when all you want is to earn 20K a year We in sales call that a comfort zone, it suits some but not the ambitious amongst us....alass very few and far between....a few years ago they where saying the 4 minuite mile was an impossible task but it took one to take the lead and show that it could be done, now nearly enybody can do it, or is that an exageration too?
My mate is a window cleaner also, drives an old reck of a moter and dresses like compo from last of the summer wine, he couldnt believ my canvessing success till he come with me and saw with his own eyes.......then i listened 2 him canvessing, no wonder you are all sceptical if thats what you are doing on the door........i guess its the norm to be rejected and be under the illusion that there isnt enough work out there for you to make propper money.......you can earn 20K a year working for Mccdonalds......Would you like fries with that sir?

Have a nice day fellers

[sham33]

Seems u have a 50 customer head start i would probably go for it. Your Defently match your current earnings in the end im sure of that.

Do a good job and your get repeat business every 4 weeks, virtually all my customers windows are cleaned on a once every 4 weeks basis, even in winter time.

I will agree that the fastest and most direct way to get new customers is to go cold calling (I dont look like Compo) Also i find if im working in a small close etc i get a lot of success knocking on doors as im working, have a business card handy.  

[Mikey Warner]

Thanks again people.

Firstly, Wazzastud, I am in no way doubting your success and I have read your posts over the last few days and wish you all the luck (it sounds you don't need it  ), but in reality, why would I myself need to think about earning those figures when there is still so much for me to learn about the trade itself! At present I'm told by someone who does cleaning for a living that I do a good enough job helping him that he thinks i am competent enough to start myself. So,.. maybe in a few years when I feel I know the in's and out's of the trade i'd consider wanting to earn more. At the moment all I want to do is leave my scum of a job and make enough to keep my family in the stlye they are accustomed to at present. I am in no way dissing you and welcome your comments, to be honest, I just nedd to hear from people what the pro's and con's are and if it's worth it.

Secondly, Sham, you say your customers are every 4 weeks even in the winter time. What I would like to know is, what if it's raining or snowing? do you still go cleaning windows?? It's just that the guy i help won't go out in the rain, but he tells me that it is totally up to me if I do. So, when do you call it a day in not cleaning windows? or do you carry on regardless??

I am very thankfull to you all for these replies!!!  

[STEVE71163]

Wazzastud. I think what people are finding hard to believe is not how much work you can get as most of us can get more work than we could possibly do. I personally question the fact that someone can do 4-6 £8.00 houses consistently for six hours a day consistently all week? When was the last time you earned that in a week? Also you may well have a sales background and so have i but thats got nothing to do with doing the work just getting it.

Steve Lowe

[STEVE71163]

Bones. In the winter time and rain etc i tend to carry on in the drizzle but stop if it really rains as most customers dont like it.

Good luck!

Steve Lowe

[sham33]

yeah i work in light drizzle. If its raining hard i dont clean windows its simply a case of catching up. Normally i leave Saturdays spare for catching up with any work.

[STEVE71163]

My Dad who does window cleaning in Manchester says that some of the lads around his way carry on when they are using poles but i dont know how good they come out

Steve Lowe

[Mikey Warner]

Hey guys, I am touched by the replies and how helpful you are being!! Thanks, keep them coming!! I'm 95% certain now! ha ha.

Once again, Thanks  

[gibbouk]

pensions can be done private, holiday pay well we all miss that but still manage to get away once and awhile. sick pay from what i remeber it was not worth the agro for a couple of days of sick. there is a sickness and injury insurance avialable. take it easy learn your trade and as you speed up pick up more customers. dont fall for false claims all the help you will need is here and for free

[shinnyshinner]

Good on you bones good luck give it a go what you got to lose, 2 important things to get is life cover for piece of mind to the family and your Insurances Public liability and accident cover these are so important. I new of a lad years ago, in his twenty’s on high rise and in a chair kicked him self out and fell out of his chair and died poor sod.
Insurances piece of mind more then anything but well worth it.
Good luck too you.  

[Mikey Warner]

Thanks Shinny, in fact thanks to you all!! the more i read the more convinced i am to take the plunge, and it's funny really, i feel more positive and it's give me more confidence for when i go canvassing!! but then, i am an odd sentimental sod  

On a serious note you have all made me feel welcome and I now know that if my mate cannot help me with a problem i know a group of chaps who will!!  

Cheers mates!

[Mikey Warner]

Looking back, maybe i should have called this topic

"I NEED A KICK UP THE ARSE"!
ha ha

[Mikey Warner]

Thanks to all people who have replied to this topic, it generated more replies then i would have thought.

The news is,.... I'm going to go for it!!

Thanks again to all!  

[STEVE71163]

Good Luck!

Steve Lowe

[gibbouk]

good luck mate
remeber all the help you need is here.