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What was you strike rate when starting out?

Get someone round to price up the front of YOUR property. Gauge it via that. Commercial ? Double it.

Can't be more precise with a price Skul.

The situ. financially in the land of thistle is completely different. I can't comment.
Cheers guys, yeah the average price up here is roughly £1-£2 per meter for domestic, but was unsure of pricing for commercial, I.e. Do I just price the same as domestic, or slightly higher. Think I'll go the same price as a domestic clean, the cash would come in handy to pay off my start up gear.

 
@daveyboy1 16 is amazing in a week, sound like windy heaven in your area.
ive managed 4 hours canvassing and 2 hours leafletting this week, and posted in fb everyday total result thus far 3 custies and 2 cancellations! so 1 extra custie.

@MrBump leaflets are pretty poo really, first time i dished aout about 30 and got 3. think ive done about 1000 now with no calls. canvassing is a better return but round here it seems to be about 1 per hour if that
What was the reason for the cancellations mate?

 
Daveyboy of those 200 custies in the past year, how many of those were directly for door whacking and getting the custy in a head lock and dishing out chinese burns until they signed up? /emoticons/biggrin.png

 
Not that many tbh

I started a facebook page as soon as i started up and posted on every group i could find daily..asked customers who found me there to give me a review if they would

Any time anyone asked for a windy i got loads of people recommending me and then either they contacted me or i pm'd them

Did some knocking..reckon about 25% is from me actively chappin doors

Leaflets work here at the moment

If i get a new job in a road i don't do i usually leaflet as much of it as i can without it impacting my day too much

 
I have found the more you get the more comes to you without trying as you are constantly being seen working

3 new jobs today i got in 1 spot while cleaning a new job i got yesterday

1 woman stopped her car as driving past to her driveway

Gave her a quote and sealed the deal

Then french woman opposite comes out and asks me

Then next door neighbour to the 1 i just quoted in her car shouts over while neighbour is stood there chatting..she had knocked next door to tell her i was there which is why she came out

These are houses i leafletted yesterday in that road though so they knew who i was already

 
Well done for you starting up, from what I have read, I would price houses at £1 per window, or say a house has 8 windows, charge £7, but I wouldnt go below that, us Scottish are tight so and so's, but its a hard job and you will get scunnered if you dont price it right, I had houses at £4.50 and £5 when I first started, they have been that price for years, so prices need to change for the better.

I do this for a living, so dont get holiday/ sick pay and pensions, so this is why I charge the industrys minimum. To make a days wage it takes me around 10-12 hours a day all in, includes travelling, filling barrels with pure water, doing the books and washing of cloths.

I work in Fife and perth areas, both require a window cleaning licence, so very jealous you dont need a license.

All the best.

Buy Razrblade rubber, it's good stuff and to me is easier to squeegee with other than other rubbers. Wagtails are great, dog ear your channels, makes such a difference.

 
"Scunnered"

Not heard that in years

Supergran used to call people a scunner lol

 
I wish i could get hold of the scunner that seems to have barred white pudding in East Lothian. Bloody Mary.

 
the more noise you can make while out working the better-as it draws attention .

as it happens one of my workers is very vocal, altho the swearing can be a bit much this is overridden by the headturning attention it gets from passersby who then go on to enquire about their own window cleaning. clattering ladders is another good idea . if you are working alone you can holler a random shout down the street ,this works suprisingly well too.

if you are feeling a bit down [i know i used to when solo if it was miserable day] shouting "for foooks sake!" at full volume usually made me chuckle if nothing else ,stress relieving

 
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Well done for you starting up, from what I have read, I would price houses at £1 per window, or say a house has 8 windows, charge £7, but I wouldnt go below that, us Scottish are tight so and so's, but its a hard job and you will get scunnered if you dont price it right, I had houses at £4.50 and £5 when I first started, they have been that price for years, so prices need to change for the better.I do this for a living, so dont get holiday/ sick pay and pensions, so this is why I charge the industrys minimum. To make a days wage it takes me around 10-12 hours a day all in, includes travelling, filling barrels with pure water, doing the books and washing of cloths.

I work in Fife and perth areas, both require a window cleaning licence, so very jealous you dont need a license.

All the best.

Buy Razrblade rubber, it's good stuff and to me is easier to squeegee with other than other rubbers. Wagtails are great, dog ear your channels, makes such a difference.
Wow prices are rock bottom on Scotland !

Feel sorry for you if it takes 10-12 hours to get a good earner in? Maybe time to try and get some commercial and bigger properties?

 
I'm wondering what works best, being a professional window cleaning company or being a local one man band?

 
What was the reason for the cancellations mate?
One was a new custie on a new estate, i agreed a price, she set up go cardless i did the clean went to take payment and she has cancelled DD. i emailed her to ask why, she had changed her mind as had been approached by another windy who was cheaper.

Second one was just a simple text, "i dint need my windows cleaning anymore thanks"

neither of them had paid yet either

 
Don't let em take the **** mate

Knock those doors and get your money

Luckily i haven't had that problem in a long time but won't let em get away with it

Pisstakers

 
That's nasty. So they get a clean and all the hard work done and do a runner. Thats my biggest fear. I say on my website I'll go back for double if anyone does that, all the works on the first clean and thats how jobs are priced, pro rata. Hope that they pay up without fuss!

 
There's always the option of walking past at night with a sprayer full of neat virosol

Stains all their upvc yellow if left and will also ruin the glass with marks like hard water stains

 
Don't let em take the **** mateKnock those doors and get your money

Luckily i haven't had that problem in a long time but won't let em get away with it

Pisstakers
I have had only a few occasions where i've made mention that the dirt can always go back on, but i've not had to resort to it. The problem i find ( just me? ) is it always seems to be the young lasses that play you up and stiff you ( in all the wrong places ). It don't bode too well with me, threatening a member of the fairer sex. Generally, if a young woman answers the door while i'm out canvassing, i'm already expecting a loss.

 
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