Just started out - need advice

[Duncs]

20 years old i was in the army and still finding time to clean windows whenever i got chance to go home(Luckily i was on a reme barracks about 4 miles from my house)

Left at 21 and joined the reserves and built up my own business window cleaning by nothing more than walking to houses and knocking doors whenever i had time to

Didn't take long to have a ton of shops on the Edgware road and a good bit of residential work

yeh davey 20 year old was working 12 hour days ,sundays and still training

 

[Paul Gard]

Just had some guy saying your posting your leaflets in my patch, don't do it mate it's not worth the Agro, thought to myself I don't really want your customers if their dealing with a thug like you.

Move on, loads of nice folks out there.

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[Clisty1989]

Just had some guy saying your posting your leaflets in my patch, don't do it mate it's not worth the Agro, thought to myself I don't really want your customers if their dealing with a thug like you.Move on, loads of nice folks out there.

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I'm the other way, I'd canvas the hell out of his area, if he does that he feels threatened, and I'm not gonna give in and show weakness otherwise he'll get worse. Had one like this a while back, all mouth and couldn't clean to save his life. Took at least 7 off him at double the price! See him now and he doesn't say a word, just Hurry's past all sheepish

 

[crystal vision]

Knock door stop with the excuses knock knock knock 6-8pm prime time and weekends it can knock the sole out of you but for every ño your closer to a yes

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[adamangler]

Just had some guy saying your posting your leaflets in my patch, don't do it mate it's not worth the Agro, thought to myself I don't really want your customers if their dealing with a thug like you.Move on, loads of nice folks out there.

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Nah. I once leafletter an area picked up a customer and started working. Next doors windy turned up so I just said hello. He grunted at me and said, just had a load of leaflets through my customers doors. I said oh yeh that will have been me I leaflet a lot round here, you must be doing a good job though mate as I only picked up 1. He just grunted and ignored me.

But really what are they gonna do? Shout at you and call you names? Who cares just ignore them and carry on if it gets physical and you have to defend yourself so be it and just call the police.

 

[No Mess With Jess]

Hi. I'm fairly new to the business too! I started with no customers. I bought a sign off vista print to put on my fence, 5000 leaflets for £50 and I have a Facebook page too. I have been running it for 3 1/2 months and have over 100 customers. Not sure if that is good or not! But I'm very happy with the results. Leaflet dropping is a hard slog! But it's working for me! I haven't tried knocking on doors yet, but that's my next job next month! Good luck with it. Get out there and get you're name known. [emoji3]

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[Chris33]

@No Mess With Jess the sign idea is something I don't think I've heard before on here. How is that working for ya?

 

[No Mess With Jess]

@No Mess With Jess the sign idea is something I don't think I've heard before on here. How is that working for ya?

It's ok- I think it has paid for itself. I think I have had about 10 jobs from it so far. But it's just getting my logo and name out there. It's on a main road in my town, so a lot of people should see it. I think I only paid £15 on vista print.

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[PJ Bullard]

@No Mess With Jess awesome to see a female windy - I've never seen one before. 100 custys in 3 months is brilliant, and just goes to show whathaving the right attitude can achieve.

@Jake144 there is plenty of work out there for everyone, thats what I think. If your good there is always a market for you. Get rid of any limiting beliefs becasue they hold you back. I've been through the benefits sytems and signing on in the past and those places are full of people without ideas. Well now its your chance to shine and earn as much as you want from this game. Devour this forum because it is a gold mine of information that will help you. I've learnt so much from it, and still am. @Adams0211 is right about Facebook - its a great place to pick up work. Get posting on the groups and put a price list up - thats all they want to know. Then watch the business start flowing in. Good luck pal

 

[crystal vision]

Knock the doors Jess women have a better success rate trust me my old girl has been canvassing for years she only goes out 3-9 hours a week and always bags 15-50 customers a week 1 area every 3 months tighten s up u work

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[crystal vision]

My Mrs use to do it untill one winter come .Then spent ever minute crying with chill Blane's in her hands

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["H"]

I'm at that funny ageToo young for the first party in the gulf

Too old for the second and Afghanistan so missed all the fun

You do N.I? That was an assault on the senses. Running around with a gat in hand on the same type of streets and fields as of home.

 

[peter rogers]

So I've been unemployed for a while so I've decided to give window cleaning a go at starting my own, need some advice though.
I've borrowed money to buy my own small round (£120 a week worth) been doing it 3 weeks now and all is well.

I don't have enough money to buy anymore work and won't for a while, I work roughly 12-16 hours a week.

I'm 20 and currently still live with my mum and dad, but I would like to expand my business but don't have money to do so.

Am I entitled to JSA or universal credit or something? I'm only working part time currently and don't want another job I just want to expand.

If love to be u. 20 and only discovered window licking. Get out knock on doors and build an empire my man

 

[peter rogers]

You do N.I? That was an assault on the senses. Running around with a gat in hand on the same type of streets and fields as of home.

Should never of. Happened. But that is in the past and be nice if u didn't talk bout it. As this is one the only. Places that stuff don't get talked of

 

["H"]

I'm at that funny ageToo young for the first party in the gulf

Too old for the second and Afghanistan so missed all the fun

You do N.I? That was an assault on the senses. Running around with a gat in hand on the same type of streets and fields as of home.

So I've been unemployed for a while so I've decided to give window cleaning a go at starting my own, need some advice though.
I've borrowed money to buy my own small round (£120 a week worth) been doing it 3 weeks now and all is well.

I don't have enough money to buy anymore work and won't for a while, I work roughly 12-16 hours a week.

I'm 20 and currently still live with my mum and dad, but I would like to expand my business but don't have money to do so.

Am I entitled to JSA or universal credit or something? I'm only working part time currently and don't want another job I just want to expand.

If you've been signing on then your dole office should help you out with this.

Know of a window cleaner who was in same boat as you and he was entitled to working tax credit or now the Universal Credit.

He had to prove that he was working a minimum of 16 hours a week. They gave him a year to be earning on a weekly basis the same amount as he would be taking on minimum .

Had to register business, as you do, with HMRAC to prove all legit. Took him a bit longer than he expected to get off the system due to ill health wiping him out for a month or 2 but after 6 months he signed off from the Government and now has a pretty nice round and standing alone.

Have a chat with your local Citizens Advice. They'll point you in the right direction. Nothing wrong with getting a small leg up where you can.

Some people have the chance to use the lump some of redundancy payouts,pensions, some get bank loans.

A hell of a lot start from nothing, like me, and just rely on hard graft getting a business built.

If there's help out there, don't be too proud not to take it. Life's hard enough at times. Even if it gets you enough money to get another 1000 flyers made up. It all adds if you follow up with the graft everyone is rightly telling you to get on with.

You'll get there.

Go knocking on Saturday mornings too. From experience after 10am. No-one wants a knock on the door when they are having a lie in /emoticons/smile.png

 

[peter rogers]

Jake you need to be out cavassing every spare minute you get as you won't grow your business any other way, there will always be people who think that this is my patch just ignore them and carry on they will get bored after a while I had the same thing the only reason they are like this is the fact of loosing work because their standards are not heigh enough to keep the customers
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Lol I haven ran into another cleaner in Antrim town. Yet.

 

[Dave B]

You do N.I? That was an assault on the senses. Running around with a gat in hand on the same type of streets and fields as of home.

Unfortunately no i didn't

Reme for 3 years and wasn't needed

Never managed to see any action

Being reserves then wasn't like now where they will send them same as regulars it seems nowadays

 

["H"]

Should never of. Happened. But that is in the past and be nice if u didn't talk bout it. As this is one the only. Places that stuff don't get talked of

Not doing politics. Was just asking.

 

[Dave B]

Should never of. Happened. But that is in the past and be nice if u didn't talk bout it. As this is one the only. Places that stuff don't get talked of

It's a sensitive subject for sure mate

I never talk about the politics of that sort of stuff as everyone has their own opinions

 

["H"]

In the area I live you can't just go round knocking on doors every area is someone's patch and as I've just started out I don't want to start making enemies with other cleaners in the area.

Yes you can. Just keeps a heads up for those who will say "My window cleaner Bob does them for x,y and z" and don't undercut them. Say something along the lines "Oh that's a fair price" They might be looking for a reason to leave their window cleaner for a number of reasons, unreliable, not very good.

And if you get the you can work knowing that you have not poached someone.

Often when I am knocking and someone tells me that they have a window cleaner I normally say "Yes! Sorry! I noticed just after I rang your door bell. If you would like to take 1 of my flyers as you might have friends/family who would need my services"

You're complimenting your customer, not seen as pushy and they might call you in the future. /emoticons/smile.png

 

["H"]

[

It's a sensitive subject for sure mateI never talk about the politics of that sort of stuff as everyone has their own opinions

My thoughts. Only asked as good or bad, The Army was there for a long time. Fact.

I don't do politics on a place like here. For me it's a private matter.