Upto 50 customers

[ks789]

Personally don't really think "from" 10 pound for a semi is too bad. If fairly compact, that's 30 an hour and within 2 years could be 35-40 an hour - if not more when you can start to do them in 10/15 mins. That would be traditional too so that's good money if you ask me.

There's loads of cleaners near me that do semis for 6 pound. I price at 10-14 for a standard 2 bed/3 bed semi and find myself making good money.

Some people here are pretty much saying they wouldn't work for 35-40 an hour which I don't get because self employed or not, that's a good wage.

spot on. My landlord had a mechanic come to his to do some work, was there from 10 to about 2 and only charged £75.Admittedly he dont have to pay for water, and isnt really affected by weather, but even so, made me think.

 

[HWCS]

------------------------UPDATE-----------------

Just done my accounts for March, April, May, June, July.

March & April were run at a loss, no suprise due to set up costs including car insurance, public liability insurance.

May was a break even give or take, but i was only doing windows 2days a week and i had to buy a few bits n pieces that i realised i needed.

June was a decent month making nearly £600 working just 2days on windows a week, but being inundated with doing quotes.

July, turned over £1800 with £1500 of that being profit (before tax & NI) 

Dont seem alot to many im guessing but working on windows about 30hrs a week and earning similar to what i was earning as a baker doing 45/50hrs a week.

 

[HWCS]

 Another month another update

Currently sitting at 203 regular customers and 6 twice a year jobs.

Offering extra services now which i hadnt before, gutter clearing, gutter and fascia cleaning, conny roofs and whites.

Invested over £800 in the business this week for the equipment to do the extras, after binking 1st place in a poker tourey last week for just over a grand.

The Kudos customer from earlier in the thread that binned 2 windys after 1 clean has had her clean by me, it to me and a young lad 2.1/2hrs and shes booked me for October and December already.

The customer complaint i got has been discussed, ive cleaned for her again and she was happy.

Works still coming in think and fast, my rounds really taking shaping, bunching people close together nicely for minimal travel per day, my pricings now alot better.

And ive even been comfy enough to drop a customer for being rude and degrading because i refused to clean his solar panels (he was a total maggott)

Lets see what winter brings.

 

[HWCS]

So 8months to the day where am i?

Well ive gone

from Trad to WFP backpack

From £50 worth of homebase equipment to over £3000 worth of brand new top notch equipment

50 upto 170/80 customers (down 20/25 due to wasters and cancelations for winter)

From my car to a van

from 1x 25lt of water to a 250lt tank & 12x25lt of water

From tap water to pure water through a 450gpd RO & DI set up

From windows only to windows, gutter vacuuming, GFS, barge board cleaning, conservatory and solar panel cleaning.

From evenings & weekends while working 45hrs in bakery on minimum wage TO fully self employed on substantially more money for 2/3s of the hours.

And currently in the process of fitting delivery system in my van, just waiting on hose and battery (both here by 17/12/19)

Today i fitted my brand new 450gpd ro set up at home with 1000lt IBC and am feeling pretty smug, as shes kicking out 000tds

I think my journey has been made alot simpler and quicker by being a member of this forum, but must give a huge thanks to a few people, @Pjj @Part Timer @Alex Gardiner lee wright from blade wright  you guys input and advice has been invaluable. @Green Pro Clean Ltd your videos on youtube have taught me tremendous lessons and your my goto guru as have Tradman's.

Goals for 2020

300 customers by 2021

Newer & bigger van

Goals for 2021

500 customers by 2022

 

[Pjj]

So 8months to the day where am i?

Well ive gone

from Trad to WFP backpack

From £50 worth of homebase equipment to over £3000 worth of brand new top notch equipment

50 upto 170/80 customers

From my car to a van

from 1x 25lt of water to a 250lt tank & 12x25lt of water

From tap water to pure water through a 450gpd RO & DI set up

From windows only to windows, gutter vacuuming, GFS, barge board cleaning, conservatory and solar panel cleaning.

From evenings & weekends while working 45hrs in bakery on minimum wage TO fully self employed on substantially more money for 2/3s of the hours.

And currently in the process of fitting delivery system in my van, just waiting on hose and battery (both here by 17/12/19)

Today i fitted my brand new 450gpd ro set up at home with 1000lt IBC and am feeling pretty smug, as shes kicking out 000tds

I think my journey has been made alot simpler and quicker by being a member of this forum, but must give a huge thanks to a few people, @Pjj @Part Timer @Alex Gardiner lee wright from blade wright  you guys input and advice has been invaluable. @Green Pro Clean Ltd your videos on youtube have taught me tremendous lessons and your my goto guru as have Tradman's.

Goals for 2020

300 customers by 2021

Newer & bigger van

Goals for 2021

500 customers by 2022

Well done you have come a long long way in a short time , I learned the hard way by making mistakes wasting money on rubbish kit and didn’t know about the forums , don’t even know if they existed 20 + years ago ?.. I think this forum is very useful for learning things and sharing information, Ime still learning now and pick up some useful things on hear we are never to old or experienced to learn new things . Ime sure you will continue to learn and grow your buisness well done and keep up the good work ? 

 

[HWCS]

Well done you have come a long long way in a short time , I learned the hard way by making mistakes wasting money on rubbish kit and didn’t know about the forums , don’t even know if they existed 20 + years ago ?.. I think this forum is very useful for learning things and sharing information, Ime still learning now and pick up some useful things on hear we are never to old or experienced to learn new things . Ime sure you will continue to learn and grow your buisness well done and keep up the good work ? 

Ive deffo learned a few lessons.

#1 £70 RO systems for fish tanks dont cut the mustard

#2 if ypuve underpriced people will moan like **** when you put their prices up

#3 WFP is easier in rain than wind

#4 dont be scared to walk away from what looks like a good job

#5 make frienxs with a local windy or 2 as at somepoint you/they or both will need a favour

#6 DO NOT EVER tell the wags what we earn ?????

 

[Pjj]

Ive deffo learned a few lessons.

#1 £70 RO systems for fish tanks dont cut the mustard

#2 if ypuve underpriced people will moan like **** when you put their prices up

#3 WFP is easier in rain than wind

#4 dont be scared to walk away from what looks like a good job

#5 make frienxs with a local windy or 2 as at somepoint you/they or both will need a favour

#6 DO NOT EVER tell the wags what we earn ?????

Lol that’s just the start ????

 

[Part Timer]

Can I just say that my input is minimal compared to your hard work. No matter what we say without your hard work you wouldn't have got anywhere near as far as you have done, so don't down play your work. I would also tag @spruce because without his very laborious and far to technical advice, ? us lesser mortals would struggle. Well done for getting out of your dead end job but please remember where you were so when you need to employ you dont treat them the way you were by your former employer. I'm in Norwich in March so any financial gifts for all my sterling advice will be gratefully appreciated ?

 

[spruce]

I find this type of post by @HWCS very motivational as I'm sure many others do as well. It just shows what can be done with a little drive and determination. Some like me find a real life experience easier to relate to - "if he can do it, then I can do it. What's my excuse?"

We all go through motivational slumps from time to time for a variety of reasons, but reading the success stories of someone working hard to build a business is very encouraging for me.

We  have seen many new start ups in our area over the years who just seem to disappear. I often wonder why. Did they just expect everything to fall into their laps? Are they still around and I haven't seen them? Why would I often see the ones who have been cleaning windows for years then?

I know of one who gave up because he couldn't make it pay. He leafleted the houses in an area we cover. We charge £15 and he was advertising at £8 including garage door. He was also employing a helper.

As either @Iron Giant or @Part Timer says, the first year is a learning curve. Once you have a round that you can earn a living from then you can afford to start quoting higher. If you are getting every clean you quote, you are charging too little. The advice I got was to try for between 40 and 60% of the quotes you give.

Charging higher prices could well mean a higher customer turn over rate as some will always go with the a cleaner quoting a lower price. But so be it. Eventually you will have a round of loyal well priced customers. Do regular price increases but don't take the Mick.

Yes, neighbours talk. Why are you quoting me X when you are cleaning my friends house for Y? "Thanks for reminding me" I usually reply, "I need to increase their price." That generally shuts them up as they realise the implications of what they have done.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Can anyone imagine trying to build a round from scratch while working full-time and maybe having a family? I think it would be very hard going and can understand why folk throw in the towel. It must be a lot easier if you know someone and they take you under their wing. I started from scratch but at least I had a pension, van and ladders to begin with. I have noticed that after two years the see-saw has balanced and begins to head in your direction then quoting high prices becomes the norm.

 

[HWCS]

Can anyone imagine trying to build a round from scratch while working full-time and maybe having a family? I think it would be very hard going and can understand why folk throw in the towel. It must be a lot easier if you know someone and they take you under their wing. I started from scratch but at least I had a pension, van and ladders to begin with. I have noticed that after two years the see-saw has balanced and begins to head in your direction then quoting high prices becomes the norm.

This is exactly my story mate, working 45-50hrs a week on minimum wage plus 5p, 4 kids, 1 at a specialist school for kids with special needs, zero equipment and just an idea after listening to a cpl of mums nattering in the school playground about not having a local window cleaner.

Must say the biggest help ive had is from my wife who because of our boy cant work full time as he needs care until his taxi picks him up and drops him off, she tirelessly spent weeks and weeks footing it round local villages and towns handing out leaflets through every letterbox she could find.

Its workes out well because now she works a cpl hours on a thursday and friday cleaning for a cpl of my older clients.

I still do the odd day here n there at the bakery if they are in a muddle as they were always good to me, no point burning my bridges, and theyve turned into a £30 monthly clean, the boss hates the fact he has to pay me £30 for 20mins wotk now when 6months ago 20min of my time cost him under £3 ???????

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I still do the odd day here n there at the bakery if they are in a muddle as they were always good to me, no point burning my bridges, and theyve turned into a £30 monthly clean, the boss hates the fact he has to pay me £30 for 20mins wotk now when 6months ago 20min of my time cost him under £3

He hates the fact that you are making more dough than he is. ?

 

[AJ Fry]

well done pal, great post and so motivational. Being in my first year of business too i can totally relate to just how hard and the effort required mentally and physically it is to get the business off the ground. Well done mate

 

[harunh]

Well done u seem very hungry, passionate and  determined which is the key to growing a window cleaning business.

It can take people years and years  to build a window cleaning round with 200+ customers and u have done that in just over half a year!! Keep at it ?

 

[HWCS]

Just picked up my first 'contract' job

Old folks home, 40 residences, each residence has one large window, 1 small window and a 1/2 glass door.

Ive only got the contract to do inside, but i beat the company that does outside, gutters, faacias etc etc.

Once a month at a price im very happy with. I dont have to wait for invoices to be paid as each resident will pay when i clean.

Should take me about 3hrs so a nice 1/2 day on last friday of each month.

The company also has 3 other homes locally happy to have my foot in the door for when the outsides come up for tender in a cpl of months.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

The company also has 3 other homes locally happy to have my foot in the door for when the outsides come up for tender in a cpl of months

I do one like that and charge a fiver for cleaning 5 windows on each flat. I always have a bleather with every resident and buy a few rolls in their canteen. It should take 2hrs but sometimes it takes 4hrs if I have nothing else on. Good easy money and you get to know them the more you do it.

 

[mike007]

The highs and lows continue after 19 years, I did a new job early last Friday morning then Sunday after 6pm they message me saying they want to cancel,  I had to ask twice exactly what the issue was and apparently the back windows were still dirty and there were water marks left on nearly all of the windows were they hadn't been dried properly and her dad is going to clean them from now on.

Or they only wanted a one off clean??

 

[mike007]

He hates the fact that you are making more dough than he is. ?

He found there is more bread in window cleaning!!

 

[Iron Giant]

Or they only wanted a one off clean??

Hard to say to be honest, the windows weren't that dirty as they had only been in the house a few weeks as it was a new build, it was and still is an ongoing building site, anything could have happened in the time it took the windows to dry, like the road sweepers they send around that kick up more dust than they seem to ever sweep up. 

 

[HWCS]

I have been really quiet on the forum recently, but ive been keeping very busy.

As some of you may remember i bought a little Vauxhall Combo if Nov and wrecked it in January, so gave me the push i needed to get my bigger van that i wanted this year, and i plumped for a Vauxhall Vivaro, well ive just had it all sign written and ive even gone all flash Harry and got me a personal plate ??

My initials are JSS and my business is Holt Window Cleaning Services, so when i saw J55 HWC for £300 all in i couldnt resist.

And today i had to sub out part of a job to another local windy that was to big for me alone in a day, and this guy was good enough to sell me pure before i had my set up, and hes giving me 1/2 of a huge job he has next week that he cant do alone.

Not bad for a lad that this time last year just had an idea and was slogging my guts out 50hrs a week for minimum wage 

 

[Part Timer]

Very well done, these types of posts should inspire other newbies to get on and work hard. I'm actually cleaning Dukes Court in Norwich on Monday afternoon