Hello from a newbie! Essex!

[LeeLPC]

how you doing guys and girls.

My names Lee. I've started lee's property care a month or so ago doing garden maintenance.

I've been a member for a month or so getting advice and tips on starting a window cleaning business. I prefer the cleaning side of work,I'm a tad ocd!

I come from garden maintenance background and wanted to add/switch to external cleaning.

I do get asked to clear gutters,pressure wash and clean windows a lot so thought about starting an external cleaning company.

I dont have a load of window cleaning experience but have trad gear and have cleaned a fair few houses and all have been happy ?.

So far been following aw services trolley build and built that exact one,have a load of barrels,home made pole with gardiner brushes for Windows and sills and spotless account sorted.

Just waiting for flyers to arrive and some microbore hose and I'm off! (Hopefully).

Oh and I already have a berlingo van that I use currently for work.

Just thought I'd introduce myself ??

 

[Iron Giant]

Welcome on board @Den is like the Don Corleone of Essex window cleaners 

 

[Part Timer]

Welcome, just a bit of advice if that is the name you trade under I'd be changing it as any comments you make on here might flash up if someone googles you.

 

[Deleted member 7446]

how you doing guys and girls.

My names Lee. I've started lee's property care a month or so ago doing garden maintenance.

I've been a member for a month or so getting advice and tips on starting a window cleaning business. I prefer the cleaning side of work,I'm a tad ocd!

I come from garden maintenance background and wanted to add/switch to external cleaning.

I do get asked to clear gutters,pressure wash and clean windows a lot so thought about starting an external cleaning company.

I dont have a load of window cleaning experience but have trad gear and have cleaned a fair few houses and all have been happy ?.

So far been following aw services trolley build and built that exact one,have a load of barrels,home made pole with gardiner brushes for Windows and sills and spotless account sorted.

Just waiting for flyers to arrive and some microbore hose and I'm off! (Hopefully).

Oh and I already have a berlingo van that I use currently for work.

Just thought I'd introduce myself ??

Aways here to help Lee. I'd personally master one skillset at a time. Otherwise your outgoings will be in the high thousands

Have a good weekend 

All the best 

Austin @aw_servicesuk ?

Welcome, just a bit of advice if that is the name you trade under I'd be changing it as any comments you make on here might flash up if someone googles you.

very valid point ? 

 

[LeeLPC]

Welcome on board @Den is like the Don Corleone of Essex window cleaners 

Thanks, hope he dont send out the boys to whack a new essex window cleaner Lol

Welcome, just a bit of advice if that is the name you trade under I'd be changing it as any comments you make on here might flash up if someone googles you.

didn't think of that! Great tip there,will change it up now!

 

[Deleted member 5762]

how you doing guys and girls.

My names Lee. I've started lee's property care a month or so ago doing garden maintenance.

I've been a member for a month or so getting advice and tips on starting a window cleaning business. I prefer the cleaning side of work,I'm a tad ocd!

I come from garden maintenance background and wanted to add/switch to external cleaning.

I do get asked to clear gutters,pressure wash and clean windows a lot so thought about starting an external cleaning company.

I dont have a load of window cleaning experience but have trad gear and have cleaned a fair few houses and all have been happy ?.

So far been following aw services trolley build and built that exact one,have a load of barrels,home made pole with gardiner brushes for Windows and sills and spotless account sorted.

Just waiting for flyers to arrive and some microbore hose and I'm off! (Hopefully).

Oh and I already have a berlingo van that I use currently for work.

Just thought I'd introduce myself ??

@Leespropertycare good luck with your new venture mate. I think you could do very well with the external cleaning. Very popular at the moment for gutter, fascias, driveways etc ?

 

[LeeLPC]

Aways here to help Lee. I'd personally master one skillset at a time. Otherwise your outgoings will be in the high thousands

Have a good weekend 

All the best 

Austin @aw_servicesuk ?

very valid point ? 

Thanks austin,appreciate that,love your trolley build,lovely bit of kit!

I'm stepping away from the garden maintenance, only keeping a regular twice a week four hour job going as its a lovely place to look after!

Van is dedicated to cleaning now.

Will get some pics of my trolley build up,finished my DIY harris pole with gardiner brushes today aswell.

Can already tell I'm gonna get the ump with loading/unloading barrels of pure all the time,gonna keep an eye out for a baffled tank for the van!

 

[LeeLPC]

@Leespropertycare good luck with your new venture mate. I think you could do very well with the external cleaning. Very popular at the moment for gutter, fascias, driveways etc ?

@wgwindows thanks mate appreciate the encouragement.

Used to working for myself,always have done,but this is a completely new industry to me so taking things slowly.

 

[Den]

Welcome to a great forum, hope you enjoy it?

 

[Deleted member 5762]

@wgwindows thanks mate appreciate the encouragement.

Used to working for myself,always have done,but this is a completely new industry to me so taking things slowly.

You’ll be fine @Leespropertycare. I’m going to get a cheaper backpack and another pole to do some gutter cleans from the autumn I hope. I got asked a bit last year and did the odd one but would like to be able to offer it a bit more. I also do the barrels and backpack routine which gets frustrating but I work out of my car so don’t have a choice (long story but don’t have the money for a van). I have just bought a submersible pump and will get a small 100 litre tank possibly so that saves heaving the barrels in and out all the time. You can actually get 10 litre barrels that are much easier on your back and surprisingly don’t take up that much more room overall than the 25 litre ones. If you’ve already a van though you’ll be fine.

 

[LeeLPC]

You’ll be fine @Leespropertycare. I’m going to get a cheaper backpack and another pole to do some gutter cleans from the autumn I hope. I got asked a bit last year and did the odd one but would like to be able to offer it a bit more. I also do the barrels and backpack routine which gets frustrating but I work out of my car so don’t have a choice (long story but don’t have the money for a van). I have just bought a submersible pump and will get a small 100 litre tank possibly so that saves heaving the barrels in and out all the time. You can actually get 10 litre barrels that are much easier on your back and surprisingly don’t take up that much more room overall than the 25 litre ones. If you’ve already a van though you’ll be fine.

I can already see the barrels being a pain in the a**e but you have to make do with what you have and adjust your setup as and when you can afford to.

I didn't wanna spend loads straight away but will put a bit aside now and then for a tank for the near future.

Just waiting on the flyers then I will be out canvassing for customers.

 

[Coop]

Hi mate, I am in the same boat as you, I'm essex based and I'm just starting out. Have plenty of trad experience as was a rope access window cleaner but the wfp system is new to me, just deciding what system to get in my peughot partner. what areas you trying to cover? Good luck with it all.

 

[LeeLPC]

Hi mate, I am in the same boat as you, I'm essex based and I'm just starting out. Have plenty of trad experience as was a rope access window cleaner but the wfp system is new to me, just deciding what system to get in my peughot partner. what areas you trying to cover? Good luck with it all.

hi!

I'm based in sheering,little village near harlow.

Tbh im gonna try and cover as much as I can within a 45min drive from my house.

Willing to travel thurber if it means I have a few jobs in that area.

How about you,where you based and what areas you gonna try cover?

I've got the trolley system which works really well,but I do wanna build an in van system in the near future for easier setup time, keep the trolley in van for harder to access rears.

That's the plan anyways!

 

[Coop]

hi!

I'm based in sheering,little village near harlow.

Tbh im gonna try and cover as much as I can within a 45min drive from my house.

Willing to travel thurber if it means I have a few jobs in that area.

How about you,where you based and what areas you gonna try cover?

I've got the trolley system which works really well,but I do wanna build an in van system in the near future for easier setup time, keep the trolley in van for harder to access rears.

That's the plan anyways!

Im right near chelmsford, so I'm gonna try and keep to there and surrounding villages. Should be ok its a big enough area. Im trying to get everything set up first, Facebook, website and branding don't know if that the right way to start but wanna try and give a good impression from the off.

 

[Deleted member 5762]

@Coop @Leespropertycarea     Facebook page is good and then ask friends and family to like your page. I also have a polo shirt with my name on. When I’m doing a quote it’s good as I have a lot of oldies in my area - so I say to them “when I arrive you’ll know it’s me as I’m wearing a bright blue polo shirt with my name on it”. Goes down very well with them, plus you’ll get the occasional person that approaches you to ask for window cleaning. If you are handy with a laptop / app and can design your own flyers, or you just want a fairly simple design then use a company called banana print for business cards and flyers. Very good prices and they deliver very quickly.

 

[LeeLPC]

Im right near chelmsford, so I'm gonna try and keep to there and surrounding villages. Should be ok its a big enough area. Im trying to get everything set up first, Facebook, website and branding don't know if that the right way to start but wanna try and give a good impression from the off.

Not to far away from me!

Plenty to go round though mate,hundreds of thousands of properties within a few miles.

That's exactly what I'm currently doing,flyers,social media pages,website etc.

Wanna get it all looking right and performing the way it should.

Got to brand my van aswell! Luckily I do some sign writing in my not so spare time and can do it all myself so will save a few quid there!

@Coop @Leespropertycarea     Facebook page is good and then ask friends and family to like your page. I also have a polo shirt with my name on. When I’m doing a quote it’s good as I have a lot of oldies in my area - so I say to them “when I arrive you’ll know it’s me as I’m wearing a bright blue polo shirt with my name on it”. Goes down very well with them, plus you’ll get the occasional person that approaches you to ask for window cleaning. If you are handy with a laptop / app and can design your own flyers, or you just want a fairly simple design then use a company called banana print for business cards and flyers. Very good prices and they deliver very quickly.

got the Facebook page and Instagram set up now.just working on website which is where I wanna put a big effort to gain customers.

Thanks for the tip on the printing company!Still waiting for my flyers to turn up!

 

[Deleted member 5762]

got the Facebook page and Instagram set up now.just working on website which is where I wanna put a big effort to gain customers.

Thanks for the tip on the printing company!Still waiting for my flyers to turn up

Yes I have found some very good and reliable customers on Facebook, unfortunately aswell some very unreliable ones and time wasters too. With a website it’s people looking for a window cleaner, rather than Facebook which is the other way round and it’s more like you looking for customers, if you see what I mean.

 

[Part Timer]

Yes I have found some very good and reliable customers on Facebook, unfortunately aswell some very unreliable ones and time wasters too. With a website it’s people looking for a window cleaner, rather than Facebook which is the other way round and it’s more like you looking for customers, if you see what I mean.

You'll get wasters from all forms of advertising. My best form of filtering rubbish is a phone number. No number then no window clean

 

[LeeLPC]

Yes I have found some very good and reliable customers on Facebook, unfortunately aswell some very unreliable ones and time wasters too. With a website it’s people looking for a window cleaner, rather than Facebook which is the other way round and it’s more like you looking for customers, if you see what I mean.

Definitely! Gonna be good and bad with every form of advertising as @Part Timer said.

Good point about the phone number @Part Timer.

Been watching @Green Pro Clean Ltdvideo about profiling customers over the phone,some great tips!

 

[Part Timer]

Definitely! Gonna be good and bad with every form of advertising as @Part Timer said.

Good point about the phone number @Part Timer.

Been watching @Green Pro Clean Ltdvideo about profiling customers over the phone,some great tips!

Very easy to profile customers when you're earning a living. In his early days he would've polished their shoes, let alone set boundaries 

 

[Cleanco]

I can already see the barrels being a pain in the a**e but you have to make do with what you have and adjust your setup as and when you can afford to.

I didn't wanna spend loads straight away but will put a bit aside now and then for a tank for the near future.

Just waiting on the flyers then I will be out canvassing for customers.

Use a submersible pump to transfer your water. Just make sure you get one that fits into your barrels.