DI resin vessel or buy pure water

[Pjj]

That's good to know. Obviously I've got to get a customer base first off, so my initial thoughts were to start with a back pack, and when the round becomes bigger/more productive and a constant customer base then move up to a van mount. I didn't want to spent to much initially not knowing that the work isn't there. I am a hard worker, I have run my own profitable business for several years . Just taking a new direction, a change of trade. Don't mind spending a grand or so snd see how things go. Thank you very muchfor all the advise.

What part of the country are you in ? Do you have much competition?

 

[TonySmith365]

At the end of the day, it's always going to be more cost-effective to filter your own water. After all, Spotless are buying water, disposing of waste water, maintaining their water points and making a profit.

The cost of resin has jumped up in the past few years by around 50%. So it's no longer the 'easy option' in most cases.

The first purchase must always be a quality TDS meter, purchased for a genuine WFP supplier such as Daqua.co.uk. Its only then that you can make an informed decision on which way to go regarding processing your own water; di or r/o.
Of course, when you are starting off, it could be more convenient purchasing water for a local Spotless water station, but as your business grows, you may be best to look at other options. Our local station is 10 miles away, a round trip of 20 miles, so this would be a backup for us rather than the go-to option.

There are other factors that must be considered. Are you on a water meter? Have you got storage facilities in a garage or shed? Where do you expect your business to be in 5 years time? Etc.

Hi, I've. Just ordered a TDS meter from Daqua. I know that my area has soft water, but don't know the PPM yet. My nearest Spotless water station is about 10 or 12 miles from me. I'm not on a water meter, I have got a garage and shed. I would like the round to be established within 3 years.

 

[spruce]

What part of the country are you in ? Do you have much competition?

This is all part of a 'due diligence' study every new starter needs to do. If you went to your bank manager, where ever they are now, and ask for a loan to start a business, these will be the type of questions, and others, he will ask.

 

[TonySmith365]

What part of the country are you in ? Do you have much competition?

I'm in south Wales, between chepstow and newport. There do seem to be a few window cleaners about. But I've got Bristol just over the bridge and Cardiff down the road, so quite a big populated area to pick from. But I'm worried about stepping on people's toes! But reading through the forum and watching guys on YouTube, you all seem to target all sorts of areas wether the area is already being covered by some one else with out working about it.

 

[TonySmith365]

I'm in south Wales, between chepstow and newport. There do seem to be a few window cleaners about. But I've got Bristol just over the bridge and Cardiff down the road, so quite a big populated area to pick from. But I'm worried about stepping on people's toes! But reading through the forum and watching guys on YouTube, you all seem to target all sorts of areas wether the area is already being covered by some one else with out working about it.

.....with out worring about it! Typo!

 

[spruce]

Hi, I've. Just ordered a TDS meter from Daqua. I know that my area has soft water, but don't know the PPM yet. My nearest Spotless water station is about 10 or 12 miles from me. I'm not on a water meter, I have got a garage and shed. I would like the round to be established within 3 years.

That is totally doable. But you have to eat, drink and sleep, window cleaning. But after 3 years, you will still need to keep refining your round. In the early days, we knocked doors in quiet periods, we knocked neighbours next to a house we cleaned, and we asked customers for referrals. Referrals for us was the best way of getting loyal customers. A customer recommending us has more impact than us telling them how good we are.

We worked Saturdays and found that we got a few enquiries by neighbours who were out at work during the week and never saw us.

We always chat to neighbours, even if they don't use our services. One used to clean his own windows until he had a heart attack. Next time we were cleaning next door, he asked us to clean his. That took 10 years in the making.

We did try a mailing shot, but that was a waste of time. Others also had similar results with mailers/pamphlet drops in our area.
I once stopped the van when a saw a man cleaning his own windows. Got that business for many years before he sold up and moved away. I did it again when I saw a woman cleaning her windows; she told me that she enjoys doing her own.

 

[TonySmith365]

That is totally doable. But you have to eat, drink and sleep, window cleaning. But after 3 years, you will still need to keep refining your round. In the early days, we knocked doors in quiet periods, we knocked neighbours next to a house we cleaned, and we asked customers for referrals. Referrals for us was the best way of getting loyal customers. A customer recommending us has more impact than us telling them how good we are.

We worked Saturdays and found that we got a few enquiries by neighbours who were out at work during the week and never saw us.

We always chat to neighbours, even if they don't use our services. One used to clean his own windows until he had a heart attack. Next time we were cleaning next door, he asked us to clean his. That took 10 years in the making.

We did try a mailing shot, but that was a waste of time. Others also had similar results with mailers/pamphlet drops in our area.
I once stopped the van when a saw a man cleaning his own windows. Got that business for many years before he sold up and moved away. I did it again when I saw a woman cleaning her windows; she told me that she enjoys doing her own.

 

[TonySmith365]

Yep referrals is one of the best way to get good business, I agree. And constantly looking for opportunities, like you said.

 

[Scrubsy]

The irony to these replies is beyond funny. Both of you guys, well meaning I'm sure, are criticising a very regular poster, that offers regular advice, without advising the OP.
Shouldn't you be advising them and then criticising @Pjj

I'm not criticising anyone. Certainly no offence intended to anyone regardless of how long they had been contributing to the forum. I'd offered advice in a previous reply and I don't recall seeing a comment from the OP that he couldn't be bothered to look up the answers. Nothing wrong with searching for answers but the search bar isn't always great. When I first started I was a bit shy/embarrassed to ask much so just ended up going on YouTube and the Facebook forums for most research. Some was good and some was not. Joining this forum was much better than both, so I'm pleased @TonySmith365 is on here with genuine people. On some FB groups I have also seen people giving incorrect advice deliberately thinking it's funny.

 

[TonySmith365]

I'm not criticising anyone. Certainly no offence intended to anyone regardless of how long they had been contributing to the forum. I'd offered advice in a previous reply and I don't recall seeing a comment from the OP that he couldn't be bothered to look up the answers. Nothing wrong with searching for answers but the search bar isn't always great. When I first started I was a bit shy/embarrassed to ask much so just ended up going on YouTube and the Facebook forums for most research. Some was good and some was not. Joining this forum was much better than both, so I'm pleased @TonySmith365 is on here with genuine people. On some FB groups I have also seen people giving incorrect advice deliberately thinking it's funny.

I like genuine forums where the people are a community and willing to help each other. My trade is tiling. We do high end bathrooms and wet rooms complete rip out, remodel and fit the new room out. Hard graft! But getting back to the point, I have berm on several Facebook tilers forums and most people on there take the pi** and give stupid answers to genuine questions. It's annoying. So really glad to be on a forum with good people. I'm learing a lot already. Thanks.

 

[Scrubsy]

I live down matchams lane just outside hurn

@Crystalalan I used to live in Christchurch. Where you are is absolutely lovely. We loved it but we were renting and it just became too expensive. I've gone "over the boarder" into Hampshire lol, as we were able to buy our own place. We don't like it anywhere near as much as we did Christchurch to be honest, but at least we are paying our own mortgage now rather than someone else's .

 

[chad]

Becoming a window cleaner using wfp these days requires a large financial investment. It also requires a lot of dedication, time and hard work building a customer base.

I know I've been in the game 26 years! I was merely giving the fella a bit of advice,I thought may have been helpful to him But if you think getting himself, heavily into debt the first year ,and it goes tits up,be my guest

 

[Scrubsy]

I like genuine forums where the people are a community and willing to help each other. My trade is tiling. We do high end bathrooms and wet rooms complete rip out, remodel and fit the new room out. Hard graft! But getting back to the point, I have berm on several Facebook tilers forums and most people on there take the pi** and give stupid answers to genuine questions. It's annoying. So really glad to be on a forum with good people. I'm learing a lot already. Thanks.

Glad to hear that mate @TonySmith365 . Window cleaning is alot different to tiling, but you'll be very good with speaking to customers etc which is one of the most nervous things at the beginning, so you'll have a good head start there.

 

[Crystalalan]

@Crystalalan I used to live in Christchurch. Where you are is absolutely lovely. We loved it but we were renting and it just became too expensive. I've gone "over the boarder" into Hampshire lol, as we were able to buy our own place. We don't like it anywhere near as much as we did Christchurch to be honest, but at least we are paying our own mortgage now rather than someone else's .

You are on the property ladder now so fair play to you. Yes christchurch is ridiculously expensive. Strangely enough new Milton right next door to christchurch is a lot cheaper but still a very nice place.

 

[PC]

Really good advice. Saturdays is always a good day for being out and about.
And never be worried about ‘stepping on somebodies toes’ there’s no such thing anymore as ‘somebodies patch’.
I remember a time many many many years ago when that was definitely the case but not anymore. It’s a totally free market.
If fellow window cleaners are doing all the right things such as doing a good job, being reliable etc etc then they have nothing to worry about.
What vehicle will you be starting out in?

 

[Pjj]

I'm in south Wales, between chepstow and newport. There do seem to be a few window cleaners about. But I've got Bristol just over the bridge and Cardiff down the road, so quite a big populated area to pick from. But I'm worried about stepping on people's toes! But reading through the forum and watching guys on YouTube, you all seem to target all sorts of areas wether the area is already being covered by some one else with out working about it.

Just don’t go round deliberately undercutting others prices it’s a free country and you can canvas ware ever you want to. Most other cleaners should be ok, most of the ones round my way get on well and we warn each other of non payers and other problem customers it works quite well in fact several of us have got together to come up with an agreed minimum price for different types of properties this benefits all of us .

 

[spruce]

I'm not criticising anyone. Certainly no offence intended to anyone regardless of how long they had been contributing to the forum. I'd offered advice in a previous reply and I don't recall seeing a comment from the OP that he couldn't be bothered to look up the answers. Nothing wrong with searching for answers but the search bar isn't always great. When I first started I was a bit shy/embarrassed to ask much so just ended up going on YouTube and the Facebook forums for most research. Some was good and some was not. Joining this forum was much better than both, so I'm pleased @TonySmith365 is on here with genuine people. On some FB groups I have also seen people giving incorrect advice deliberately thinking it's funny.

Unfortunately, there are also windies on these forums who, unintentionally, don't give the best advice either. But some advice is given where the advisor is recommending a purchase based on the cheapest price.

We always recommend Daqua as they deal with product especially for window cleaners.

Someone recently recommended Finest Filters for a new starter to buy his r/o from. The price FF is charging is much cheaper than Daqua, but the reason why they are cheaper is that they are using Chinese manufactured Voltron membranes, which aren't as efficient as USA manufactured ones.
These membranes are totally fine when it comes to r/o's used in the drinks and aquatic industries. But as window cleaners, we don't want extra filters that improve water taste; we want the most efficient working membranes, as that translates into using less resin to polish off the remaining TDS in the pure produced to zero.

 

[Scrubsy]

You are on the property ladder now so fair play to you. Yes christchurch is ridiculously expensive. Strangely enough new Milton right next door to christchurch is a lot cheaper but still a very nice place.

Yes I'm not too far from there. It's fine but not in the same league as Christchurch tbh, but hopefully will be back there one day .

 

[TonySmith365]

@Crystalalan I used to live in Christchurch. Where you are is absolutely lovely. We loved it but we were renting and it just became too expensive. I've gone "over the boarder" into Hampshire lol, as we were able to buy our own place. We don't like it anywhere near as much as we did Christchurch to be honest, but at least we are paying our own mortgage now rather than someone else's .

Christchurch, Newport? With the Greyhound pub? Nice part of Newport that, I like Christchurch, I used to live just down the road from there. Glad you've got your on place now.

 

[TonySmith365]

Just don’t go round deliberately undercutting others prices it’s a free country and you can canvas ware ever you want to. Most other cleaners should be ok, most of the ones round my way get on well and we warn each other of non payers and other problem customers it works quite well in fact several of us have got together to come up with an agreed minimum price for different types of properties this benefits all of us .

That sounds great. I would never under cut. It just cheapens the whole trade. And your only spitting yourself.

 

[spruce]

I know I've been in the game 26 years! I was merely giving the fella a bit of advice,I thought may have been helpful to him But if you think getting himself, heavily into debt the first year ,and it goes tits up,be my guest

I wasn't criticizing you at all. Sorry if I came across as doing that.
Even buying a cheap van is a big investment when compared to how we started 20 years ago. Back then it was a pair of ladders, a bucket, applicator and squeegee. We used the family car with a pair of roof racks. Cost wise, it was about £300 to get started back then.
We also found it must easier to find customers, as trad window cleaning was tough work up and down ladders.

I also agree with you that a backpack is a waste of time for a new starter.