Going full time

[Craig smith]

Hi, I am about to start window cleaning in my spare time, ie weekends, I’m just wondering the best way to transition to doing it full time when you only have weekends spare as I work full time, how many regular customers before you make the jump? Thanks

 

[Bell Pallisey]

Set up a sales funnel. This needs to be simple to operate so you can milk it easily to get a steady regular flow of new enquiries /fresh work coming thru. I like posting regular FridayAd /Locanto ads but a sales funnel can be as simple as just putting out flyers /or door knocking regularly. Whats important is keeping the funnel going - regularly putting out 50 flyers week on week as you go about your day is a whole lot better than putting out 1000 and then doing nothing rest of year.

 

[Chris34]

Hi, I am about to start window cleaning in my spare time, ie weekends, I’m just wondering the best way to transition to doing it full time when you only have weekends spare as I work full time, how many regular customers before you make the jump? Thanks

Personally, I think unless you're fully committed then you're going to struggle. Weekends only and working full time you're going to be knackered before you've got going.

It's your call but I cut back my hours as the business grew but at some point you have to bite the bullet and take risks. For me I just did a bit of evening part time work because it didn't interfere with the business but gave a little bit of guarantee for income going into the winter and shortly after all the covid lock down stuff.

I know other people who have either tried and failed or are trying but not quite making the jump from employment to working for yourself like you are doing. In my opinion there isn't a better motivation than having the pressure on your back to get money in to pay your bills. When you're working full time, it's too easy to sack off the effort of doing extra work for yourself because you know you've got money coming in from your job.

Half hearted effort will produce half hearted results. Just my opinion but I've seen it happen time and time again.

 

[Crystalalan]

I started doing Saturdays, the occasional Sunday and sometimes after work in the spring and summer months.
It wasn't to bad for me I had no wife and kids to support. It got to the stage where I thought I'm just going to go full time. I had a substantial amount saved so was on a safe position.
I had an hgv license so did some temping to bolster my income where I could. I also signed up with checkatrade. This really helped pick up alot of work. I also did some subcontracting for another window cleaner. It was no way near as stressful as I thought it would be.

 

[Pjj]

I just went for it when I had cleaned all the jobs that were due for that week I went canvassing or doing other jobs until I had enough to keep me going

 

[DansClearView]

When I first started, I was working shift work 40 hours a week. So had the mornings/afternoons to book a few jobs in. As things started building up my plan was to reduce my shift work gradually. Unfortunately other people left so my hours started going up, not down.
In the end I had to make a choice and hand my notice in. As I couldn't maintain the bills on the customers I had I ended up cleaning in Wetherspoons 5-8 in the mornings to keep some regular income. With the onset of spring I went for it, 6 months fully self-employed.
My point is, you'll know when the time is right.

 

[WindyinNorfolk]

I'm the same as @Pjj - you really need to go for it pretty quickly - otherwise your just dabble - then hate it.

I personally had no choice - made redundant - less than 1k in the bank - wife + 2 kids - hit the door knockers cleaned everything I picked up and knocked again - by the end of month 3 I was earning more than full time employment
but it was hard - long hours - and you need to be determined

 

[spruce]

Personally, I think unless you're fully committed then you're going to struggle. Weekends only and working full time you're going to be knackered before you've got going.

It's your call but I cut back my hours as the business grew but at some point you have to bite the bullet and take risks. For me I just did a bit of evening part time work because it didn't interfere with the business but gave a little bit of guarantee for income going into the winter and shortly after all the covid lock down stuff.

I know other people who have either tried and failed or are trying but not quite making the jump from employment to working for yourself like you are doing. In my opinion there isn't a better motivation than having the pressure on your back to get money in to pay your bills. When you're working full time, it's too easy to sack off the effort of doing extra work for yourself because you know you've got money coming in from your job.

Half hearted effort will produce half hearted results. Just my opinion but I've seen it happen time and time again.

I agree with this. My lad got given a small round of 3 days a month to work on weekends for extra money as he also had a full time job. He never did work it enthusiastically as there was always something else to do on a Saturday.

4 years after I started, he came on board. I had too much work for me but not enough work for the 2 of us. 2 months in and the credit crunch hit. Nothing inspired me more to canvass for more work because I feared we would could lose a good portion of what we already had.

It takes investment to build a business which usually means dipping into your savings or getting a bank loan @Craig smith You also need to invest time and effort into starting any business, which also includes window cleaning. Many think it's easy with a continual 'flood' of new cleaners starting, but most soon give up.

It's going to be more difficult starting now as we head into winter with bad weather and shorter daylight hours.

Whilst I wish you the best, it's not going to be a walk in the proverbial park. Sorry to be cautious.

 

[Iron Giant]

I agree with this. My lad got given a small round of 3 days a month to work on weekends for extra money as he also had a full time job. He never did work it enthusiastically as there was always something else to do on a Saturday.

4 years after I started, he came on board. I had too much work for me but not enough work for the 2 of us. 2 months in and the credit crunch hit. Nothing inspired me more to canvass for more work because I feared we would could lose a good portion of what we already had.

It takes investment to build a business which usually means dipping into your savings or getting a bank loan @Craig smith You also need to invest time and effort into starting any business, which also includes window cleaning. Many think it's easy with a continual 'flood' of new cleaners starting, but most soon give up.

It's going to be more difficult starting now as we head into winter with bad weather and shorter daylight hours.

Whilst I wish you the best, it's not going to be a walk in the proverbial park. Sorry to be cautious.

Too many people think window cleaning is an easy business to walk into because it looks so easy to clean windows, lad walked past me last week and said to his girlfriend look how easy it is,

Of course what he was totally unaware off is 99 other things I have to do before putting a brush on the glass and the £1,000's of investment it now takes just to make some reasonable first steps into our industry.

 

[Bell Pallisey]

When you come across Anybody negative [especially family] listen to them and say thanks for the advice-then go do exact opposite. Remember when i first started off a relly kept saying to anyone nearby earshot"he will fail, his missus will be in debt too/bring bankruptcy shame on us all in local paper " well i was determined more than ever for him to regret saying it . Years later he retired to Denmark and iv been hoping ever since he calls me up in real bother just so i can say "aed lort Trevor ,,,aed lort [eat shiiit ]

 

[Chris34]

When you come across Anybody negative [especially family] listen to them and say thanks for the advice-then go do exact opposite. Remember when i first started off a relly kept saying to anyone nearby earshot"he will fail, his missus will be in debt too/bring bankruptcy shame on us all in local paper " well i was determined more than ever for him to regret saying it . Years later he retired to Denmark and iv been hoping ever since he calls me up in real bother just so i can say "aed lort Trevor ,,,aed lort [eat shiiit ]

I was told by friends and colleagues 'you need to charge £5 per house, people won't pay anymore' they laughed when I said that I was looking for around £20. I just cracked on with it though, bold as brass and charged what I was advised on here.

I even remember going to the pub with a couple of friends, I wasn't even interested in talking about the business but they were probing me about it and trying to pick holes in my answers, you know trying to act as if they knew best when really they'd not ran a business themselves... anyway they wanted me to do a commercial job for £100 just to 'get my name out there'... I said it's not worth it and I'd want at least £400, you should have seen the anger, they were getting so annoyed at me not agreeing to work for less, they were seething. I just said something along the lines of 'well I don't need it and I'd only be interested in it if it was at least £400, but I'm not arguing about it, I've come out for a pint and a laugh not a lecture on how to run my business', honestly they were fuming, they couldn't say anything and then tried to make out they were trying to help.

Sometimes I just wish I could go back in time with what I have now and say 'told you so'... some of the **** people give you when trying to start out, don't get me wrong I didn't listen to any of it, but having to bite your tongue and just take it...

It's the same with all businesses, friends and extended family are the worst ones, it's jealousy, they don't want to see you doing better than them and showing what's possible with effort.

 

[Jpb]

Man, it’s depressing to hear of people where relatives are the unenthusiastic tools that put you off. Glad I’ve never experienced it, they’re meant to be the supportive ones. Sounds like those of you it has happened to made the best of it though.

 

[WindyinNorfolk]

unfortunately - a lot of people think that window cleaning is a dead end - skivers job - I think Stan Ogden showed the nation then followed by Sinbad on Brookside that no self respecting person would do windows for a living.

I've had staff leave due to family pressure about "dead beat job" and get them something on the seafront like flipping burgers.

but ignore all that and its a great job - and good money