[tom2009]

Tom I see you work in retail, that's what I was desperate to get out off, what company you working for ?
I worked as a store manager for Sports Direct, I loved it at first but since the start of this year I was realy pee'd off with what they were expecting from me for no extra money also no company sick pay scheme, unpayed over time

We've got sports direct next to us. Sounds just like our regime. One day off a week if you are lucky, no holidays getting signed off, unpaid overtime, all day shifts ( 9 til general modern day corporate life! I bet you feel good though now! how you getting on with round building and speed of cleans etc

[Jackal]

i got made redundent in april this year and decided to set up my own business selling jacket potatoes in town centre and markets, which im happy that iv at least tried it out but it still doesnt make enough money after 6 months to live off so a month ago iv been trying set a window cleaning round up while still doing the potatoes but im now thinking of phasing it out and going do windows full time, only got a few regulars at the moment and had a couple of fasia/gutter cleans that helped pay the bills for now,actually like doing that as works out to be good money,  just brought 5000 leaflets to send out try generate more work,would hate to think id have to go and get a job now

[Murdie window cleaning]

Tom I see you work in retail, that's what I was desperate to get out off, what company you working for ?
I worked as a store manager for Sports Direct, I loved it at first but since the start of this year I was realy pee'd off with what they were expecting from me for no extra money also no company sick pay scheme, unpayed over time

We've got sports direct next to us. Sounds just like our regime. One day off a week if you are lucky, no holidays getting signed off, unpaid overtime, all day shifts ( 9 til general modern day corporate life! I bet you feel good though now! how you getting on with round building and speed of cleans etc

My speeds getting better and roundbuilding is coming on 48 customers and growing mostly from door knockin, out cleaning in the morning and canvassing later on in the day

[Jackal]

'murdie window' have you tried posting leaflets or just canversing im just leaflets at the moment,if so you had much work off the leaflets i dont feel like knocking on doors really but would if the odds are a lot better than leaflets

[cozy]

I did it too....

No work, turned down for a interview at maccys and owing my mother in law £1000 tried for a month to get a job but couldnt get anything

Im just going into my 9th month with 280 regular customers and i get plenty of one off jobs. I work a 4 day week, earn more than any other job i have done, pick my days off, take my kids to school every day.

It can be done, i covered the bills money from day one, though it was tight in the begining

Knock, knock, leaflet, leaflet, knock, knock - keep at it and do a good job

Tom, do yourself a favour and watch what Window Wipers posts about getting custies, also, there are a few new guys on here like yourself, sort of in the same boat. Chopsie, Murdie and JRDesayreach for example, have had to bite the bullet and sort of go for broke. Just because someone has a few hundred posts or more, doesn't mean they have been in the same situation.

Stay on here when you have time, and read what works and what doesn't.

Another good point to help you as you go on is a website made by a window cleaner that has put a decent round together. If you have questions, just open a new topic and ask. Here's a site for you to look at, hope you stick with it mate, good luck.

http://www.windowcleaningcoach.com/KeepingtrackofRound.html

[tom2009]

jackal - I've knocked doors in a close over the way from me and got a large house clean which will become a 4 week job and also a lady who wanted her house done 4 weekly she also said could I price for her restaurant in the village. all in a close where someone said "there are already 2 window cleaners round here"

[tom2009]

thanks cozy  

[krave]

I did it too....

No work, turned down for a interview at maccys and owing my mother in law £1000 tried for a month to get a job but couldnt get anything

Im just going into my 9th month with 280 regular customers and i get plenty of one off jobs. I work a 4 day week, earn more than any other job i have done, pick my days off, take my kids to school every day.

It can be done, i covered the bills money from day one, though it was tight in the begining

Knock, knock, leaflet, leaflet, knock, knock - keep at it and do a good job

Have seen you mention this before!
280 customers is achievable in that time as you have proved. But having the motivation and drive to keep at it to get there is pretty amazing.

Fair play to ya mate!

[Blue Frog Systems]

Cozy, my head is swelling now !!

Tom, email me (its in my profile) and ill knock together as much info as I can remember to help you get a good start on your new venture.

Krave, that doesn't include the ones I've dumped or lost due to been made redundant. I reckon there would be another 30 - 40 ontop of that figure

[Murdie window cleaning]

'murdie window' have you tried posting leaflets or just canversing im just leaflets at the moment,if so you had much work off the leaflets i dont feel like knocking on doors really but would if the odds are a lot better than leaflets

I've had little success with leaflets on there own, when I'm out door knocking I always have a bundle to put through the doors of the not at homes and any one who I think may use it at a later date or pass it on. It's all about getting your name out there.

I'll 2nd what Cozy said about the windowcleaningcoach.com, I used that site and this for almost all my information, I search back posts on here to find out things as well. Also if there are any local cleaners you can talk to(if there friendly)

[Jackal]

well i sent out 1000 leaflets and got 4 customers with them got few other jobs like gutters and facias but thought that was really low number especially when i noticed  houses i posted looked like there windows needed a good clean i would of been happy with 10 customers out of a 1000 leaflets aswell,do you think its a bad time post leaflets with xmas that close,people got more important things on there mind

[Blue Frog Systems]

Jackal.... just because you dont get responces straight away isnt a bad thing. People mean to get round, but it can take a while. I had someone ring me 6 months after posting a leaflet through there door.

Try working on a saturday when more people are home to see you. I nearly ran a woman over today because she came running from round the corner cos she had seen me out of her bedroom window. Turns out shes one of the women who has just joined my wifes networking group and we were only talking about her the other day (my wife asked if she was a customer of mine as i clean in her street)

[dazmond]

what window wipers didnt tell ya is that his wife did most of his canvassing for him!!

[chopsie]

leaflet drops seem to be pants to me,I have had nothing back off any i dropped,maybe get odd ones in the future,but door knocking and dropping leaflets off when people are not in has a much greater impact  from what i have found,although I have only just started out,probably been going a month now,I am up to 33 customers so far,am aiming for 50 by end of week!!!

[Blue Frog Systems]

Dazmond, yes I did tell him - it was in the email I sent. Was in a rush when I did my first post so just did the basics

I'm sure tom will verify this

[dazmond]

im just joking with ya window wipers!!

[Blue Frog Systems]

Everyone jealous of WW wife

[Londoner]

First of all, I still get phone calls from leaflets I delivered years ago, The thing with leaflets is you just keep delivering and you can't fail. People have been on here and said they delivered a few hundred and gave up. You have to deliver squillions. And three months later deliver again to the same roads.

Most leaflets delivered now won't result in a phone call till the weather picks up but people do keep them. 

[chopsie]

you have to deliver squillions and keep doing same areas to get the odd phone call months later!!! what a complete waste of time,effort and money 

[Murdie window cleaning]

you have to deliver squillions and keep doing same areas to get the odd phone call months later!!! what a complete waste of time,effort and money 

Chopsie I would totaly disagree about it being a waste of time. I know as new guys we want customers to come flooding in from the second that flyer hits there mat, but it's about getting our names out there to the areas we want to work in and by going round areas every few months just strengthens your business name.

I've got a number of cleaners in my area, all well established and 3 of them have guys working with them, so I've got to put in the leg work to get custies for now, but also get my name known so in the future people will be aware I'm actualy working in there area.