Professional enterprise or lone ranger?

[MrBump]

I have gone for the professional company image, but recently I am questioning it due to lack of enquiries, not sure whether it is my advertising choices or whether I should be going for the more local, one man bad type image? Maybe a local one man band gives off the impression of being cheaper and thats more desirable than a professional windie I don't know.

What do you think is the best path, professional company or one man band?

 

[Jake]

For me, going 'pro' bought in lots of work, and defo made the public more trusting round here,

I think the issue is getting your website top of Google bump, once that's been achieved the enquiries will fly in,

Also depends on competion in the area, you may have a lot more competition than some other people on here...?

 

[adamangler]

Just going by my area, i think a lone ranger who doesnt necassarily portray a professional images, signed van, uniform etc seems to be quite well respected.

I think theres an element of loyalty around here, most custies know there windy by name and hes been doing them years, they also tend to be known in the area.

It may be different in more affluent modern city type area who are more used to the professional approach, round here people ten to know each other a lot more and every man and his dog know geoff the 60year old windy who charges a fiver.

Commercial is a different ball game, me i prefer the pro approach tbh.

Another thing i have noticed is on facebook i tend to get more enquiries with a simple ad than when i put images/web link/we are insured, uniformed etc. I think the simple ad gives the impression you are cheaper and people do like cheap.

Ive been seriously considering lowering my prices just to get my round built and the work in lately just to compete with these guys round here, i seem to be struggling with the professional and more expensive approach,

Its a difficult decision to make really, do you price higher and get less work or price lower and get plenty, its the same with carpet cleaning ive had plenty of enquires when pricing lower and fewer when pricing higher (obviously) but its hard to be bothe the guy who would appeal to mrs jones with a persian rug and mrs scutterbag at number 11 hellhole with a rotten old carpet covered in dog poo.

I think ultimately it depend how you see your self, my stereotypical view of loneranger is a trad guy with low overheads, collect cash in the evening,usually in a car charging a fiver who is well known and rushed off his feet with loads of job. A steroetypical view of mr pro is a wfp guy with a brand new sign written van, all the gear, online payments only, unifomred, insured and not as friendly in his approach a bit more clinical an business like, turns up cleans and moves on, no cups of tea or chatting.

Maybe somewhere between the two is a compromise?

why do i always type so much..

@Jake who did you use for your website? i always see you raving about yours.

 

[Dave B]

I don't have a website as my boy needs to pull his finger out making it but i haven't needed one

I am whatever the customer needs me to be

Leafletting roads and talking to customers i am the local friendly guy (not cheap though)

Commercial work i am very professional cleaning company albeit without a van at the mo but i park where the car can't be seen and quote

Then it doesn’t make a difference until i get my van

Been looking this week and should have one in the next few weeks

 

[Jake]

My work just exploded when the website was done, and the van etc, so naturally I'll now swear by them as two very important marketing tools,

I was a bloke with a car and rags for 8 years, and to be honest got fed up of it, when I changed my image, work just went mad, adding simple things like a uniform, a sign written van and good quality flyers/business cards really helped me get out of the rut I was in, people round here always choose the pro look, so I had to go down that route, otherwise I was actually thinking of jacking in the window cleaning...

Perhaps that's because of my area, I don't know, but I do know the 4 most used and popular window cleaning companies in Colchester all have the professional look, so it just works round here...

And on the whole, most of the successful businesses in this world are the professional well branded ones, which is why companies pay out 100's of thousands on marketing and Branding, it is pretty essential for rapid growth,

That's not to say you can't be a successful window cleaner without it, because many are, but you won't grow as fast as the people who have the pro approach... That's just how it is...

@adamangler i used a local web design company mate

All us window cleaners are equal in my book, it's just a case of marketing and that's how you get more work, it doesn't make you better than a car and rags type windy (I was one for ages) it just makes you visible to your local town/cit...

No ones better than anyone else, it's just a fact of business, marketing is essential...

The biggest company in my area is the company that heavily markets - no suprise... They now employ 15 people, and have ventured into all sorts of cleaning, all down to the marketing, they were the first to do it on my area, it won them 'small business of the year'

Speaks for itself...

 

[TolishAPurd]

I am whatever the customer needs me

Exactly. Act however you need to act to get the job.

 

[Jake]

We all do that Tolish, but this is really about getting enquiries,

It's getting the work that Mr bump was asking about, and that is best done with marketing...

But we're all everyone's best friend when quoting, always into whatever there into, if they like dogs, you like dogs, if they like cycling, you like cycling, the usual!

But that doesn't help you get the work initially...

 

[Pickingpaul]

Never had a website, i dont know if i could handle a huge increase of work, but if i had a van and someone working for me then i could take more on

 

[Jake]

I can't take more on, but I just drop the cheap ones now..

 

[MrBump]

All great info here, very much appreciated, will read through again properly later.

Tolish, you can't change your image to suit unless you run two businesses. I mean should you be called 'joe blogss window cleaning' or 'the window cleaning company ltd', should you wear some jeans, have a car and use a bucket and ladder or should you have a new signwrittenvan with uniform. Should your flyers be handwritten or professionally made. Should you make yourself sound small and say 'I' or big and say 'we'. And so on..

 

[boarcity]

set your stall out and Stick With It. if you want the high end work you gotta look the part - uniformed , flash van, black shoes,Clipboard the whole 9 yards

if you want the lower end resi work you also gotta look the part, mismatched trackies, baggy pullover , trainers , jotterbook, low key van . looking it is the key-you can get very good prices whatever your market IF YOU LOOK THE PART

this low end resi is my market- and i love it !

 

[Jake]

All great info here, very much appreciated, will read through again properly later.
Tolish, you can't change your image to suit unless you run two businesses. I mean should you be called 'joe blogss window cleaning' or 'the window cleaning company ltd', should you wear some jeans, have a car and use a bucket and ladder or should you have a new signwrittenvan with uniform. Should your flyers be handwritten or professionally made. Should you make yourself sound small and say 'I' or big and say 'we'. And so on..

Yep, your right bump, you've got to choose a route and stick at it, Identity is important

 

[SkulBlaker]

I wanted to look professional as I could be for traditional so got tshirts printed along with business cards (although didn't have the cards the first time i knocked doors, which was stupid) I use a clipboard and write the name of the street and numbers then tick for yes x for no and ? If undecided, so I know who to knock on the following month to ask again. My tshirt was fairly simple, went for black t with orange writing

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[TolishAPurd]

We all do that Tolish, but this is really about getting enquiries,
It's getting the work that Mr bump was asking about, and that is best done with marketing...

But we're all everyone's best friend when quoting, always into whatever there into, if they like dogs, you like dogs, if they like cycling, you like cycling, the usual!

But that doesn't help you get the work initially...

All great info here, very much appreciated, will read through again properly later.
Tolish, you can't change your image to suit unless you run two businesses. I mean should you be called 'joe blogss window cleaning' or 'the window cleaning company ltd', should you wear some jeans, have a car and use a bucket and ladder or should you have a new signwrittenvan with uniform. Should your flyers be handwritten or professionally made. Should you make yourself sound small and say 'I' or big and say 'we'. And so on..

Of course you can. You don't even need two businesses to do it. Anyone can have two websites, two types of literature (shiney business cards and home printed leaflets) etc. With an unmarked van whether its new or old, you can cater to everyone. A clean van shows you mean business to anyone. You can even wear two types of uniform- Boar style for the estates, and smart logos for the commercial work.

All the image in the world won't get you the work you want. Most of the time customers are not as discerning as we think they are. IMO they are usually just happy they have found someone that cleans windows- and so long as the price is about right- they're happy. But more then anything, you need to be able to take a 'hello', and turn it into a job.

Most work can be achieved by networking (the old...'not what you know, but who you know').

In short, getting work has less to do with your physical image, you can buy that, and act that, ...its has more to do with how you are as a businessman.

All my humble opinions.

 

[Jake]

Yeah I agree with what your saying tolish, but in order to actually get the customers, you need to do marketing well...

When it comes to commercial, you need to look professional or they'll just pass you by in most instances,

So you can't pretend to be pro, then turn up to a nice commercial building in your Vauxhall corsa with a few scrims hanging out the window...

 

[adamangler]

T shirt looks good skul, i wear polo top and combat style trousers/shorts, smart ish but workman like you dont want to be suited and booted being a windy also you dont want to be walking round in trackies and a vest, unless youre after low end resi work as boar puts it.

Like i said above if youre going for that lower end market, then trackies would be an endearing quality for like minded (cheap) people, if youre knocking and trying to charge a bit more then being smart helps.

If two windys knocked on my door one in trackies with ladders on his car and one with a sign written van and looking smart i would more than likely go with the smart guy and pay a bit extra (within reason). whereas some people would go with the cheapest regardless and may even prefer tracky guy as hes a tracky guy himself. People tend to gravitate towards people who they deem to be on a similar level or similar mindset to themselves, thats why mr pro cleans up on new build estates and mr tracky nails the council areas.

 

[MrBump]

Yeah but tolish I'm not a salesman so I was hoping image would help sidestep that part

 

[TolishAPurd]

Yeah I agree with what your saying tolish, but in order to actually get the customers, you need to do marketing well...
When it comes to commercial, you need to look professional or they'll just pass you by in most instances,

You have a squeegee, and a bucket / a wfp setup , and you advertise yourself as a 'window cleaner' ....this makes you a pro in just about everyones eyes. Having a clean appearance and a smile will get you work just about anywhere.

So you can't pretend to be pro, then turn up to a nice commercial building in your Vauxhall corsa with a few scrims hanging out the window...

Why not? They need not even see your car, just like dave said above- hide it if needs be. Once you are working you already have the job, so all they want to see is that you are using the right tools, and doing a good job. The image can be interchangable like I said. SO when turning up for that commercial job, you put your logoed shirt on and have a shave etc.

T shirt looks good skul, i wear polo top and combat style trousers/shorts, smart ish but workman like you dont want to be suited and booted being a windy also you dont want to be walking round in trackies and a vest, unless youre after low end resi work as boar puts it.
Like i said above if youre going for that lower end market, then trackies would be an endearing quality for like minded (cheap) people, if youre knocking and trying to charge a bit more then being smart helps.

If two windys knocked on my door one in trackies with ladders on his car and one with a sign written van and looking smart i would more than likely go with the smart guy and pay a bit extra (within reason). whereas some people would go with the cheapest regardless and may even prefer tracky guy as hes a tracky guy himself. People tend to gravitate towards people who they deem to be on a similar level or similar mindset to themselves, thats why mr pro cleans up on new build estates and mr tracky nails the council areas.

A lot of what you have said is about perceptions. As is often the case in life, perceptions can be very wrong. Peoples perceptions of window cleaners is often very low lets be honest. So just turning up in a van is a positive step in the right direction- it'll get you work on estates and commercial- people just associate it with work, and business- and since they are going to be paying you, thats a good thing.

When do two window cleaners ever canvass your door at exactly the same time? No one ever gets that choice- they just pick whoever happens to be there at the time they need a cleaner. \The more pro looking windy can turn up second and get turned away just because he missed the opportunity by 5 minutes.

Yeah but tolish I'm not a salesman so I was hoping image would help sidestep that part

LOL. You don't have to be slick or slimey, you just have to get yourself out there mate. I have lots of work on council estates, I have lots of work on posh streets, and I have only ever chased a few commercial jobs, and got them all. Its you as a person that will get you more work then anything else. Take boarcity, self confessed slum dweller, but would he look out of place in the porsche dealership that jake works at? I don't think so. People expect a window cleaner to look like a window cleaner, you just need to be able to get the work in the first place, which boar hunts relentlessly.

One more point on being 'pro' and trying to appeal to commercial clients. The school I did recently. I networked with the receptionist, we got on very well and although they ad to get three quotes- she said she would put in a good word for me. On the day I quoted for the school the receptionist had me do her gutters at her house. I put in a detailed quote for the school by email including a risk assessment, and included some qualifications I had, and my insurance....

...the other guy quoted by text!

Who do you think got the job? For the record I was twice the price.

*drumroll*

...Me!

How much of that had anything to do with the logo'd polo shirt I was wearing, and the van I drove? (which was parked down the street anyway). Pretty negligible I would say.

An I just added the receptionist to my round today btw as she has had a fallout with her own windy, but thats another story. /emoticons/biggrin.png

 

[Dave B]

I was leafletting in a village earlier and posh old dear who was very well to do snapped me up as her current guy she is not happy with and looking at the frames i can see why

I was wearing plain polo and tracky shorts with dirty trainers

Image isn't everything

It's your attitude, demeanour and professionalism at the door

 

[MrBump]

Tolish are you saying we have to shave regularly to get work? Damn!

 

[Jake]

Ha ha if I turned up in a corsa and had to hide it, I'd soon be dropped from the job, maybe it's just my area, but all the guys that do the best work all have the best vans and uniforms... It's not a coincidence...

Tolish I was like that for years, and since going more 'pro' my round has exploded, so it must work...

I'm not saying you can't be a scruff bag with a banger to get work, heck I canvassed my round in glad rags and it built up very nicely, I even had an old banger full of dog hair from the auctions! BUT, it wasn't untill I branded up and got the van, website that work came flying in without me having to canvas...

That's the point I'm making...

I am only speaking from expierence tolish, having been both a tracksuit scruff bag with an old banger, to a more professional approach. I can confirm without doubt that I get more work from passers by with the sign written van etc, I get asked from the street twice as much as I did. Now that's not because I'm an amzing window cleanser, it's just because people see the branding and see all the gear, and they think 'he looks trustworthy and professional'

Like I said were all professional, but to customers, they like to see the 'professional' look...