How to become a window cleaner

[Chris34]

I think a lot of people want to get into window cleaning due to the constant bragging on forums and from window cleaners in general.

The idea every ones on £350 -£400 a day out the house at 8.30 and the day is done by 1pm I can see the appeal.

The reality is very different.


There was a window cleaner on the other forum who sold his business to JV Price and the went to work for them.

If it wasn't for the so called 'bragging' then I wouldn't have set up a window cleaning business, so I'm thankful for all those who were willing to discuss figures and how much they make in a day etc. If nothing else, it opens your eyes to the possibilities.

Honestly I really don't see the problem in discussing figures, for me if someone says they've made say £500 in a day my initial instinct is to ask myself how they've managed it, followed by 'can I learn / copy it'. I think some just are jealous of it and I really don't see why, I admire anyone who is successful and willing to talk about it.

When I was thinking about starting up I told friends and family and many of them said there was no way you could charge more than £10 for a house. How wrong they were

 

[Crystalalan]

well its the best job I`ve ever had.

 

[ashley1337]

If it wasn't for the so called 'bragging' then I wouldn't have set up a window cleaning business, so I'm thankful for all those who were willing to discuss figures and how much they make in a day etc. If nothing else, it opens your eyes to the possibilities.

Honestly I really don't see the problem in discussing figures, for me if someone says they've made say £500 in a day my initial instinct is to ask myself how they've managed it, followed by 'can I learn / copy it'. I think some just are jealous of it and I really don't see why, I admire anyone who is successful and willing to talk about it.

When I was thinking about starting up I told friends and family and many of them said there was no way you could charge more than £10 for a house. How wrong they were

How long have you been at it now Chris?

 

[Chris34]

How long have you been at it now Chris?

4 years just gone. Came from minimum wage job working for 3 different employers doing office cleaning, school cleaning, house cleaning and had to do around 60 to 70 hours per week to cover the bills. This might not sound like that many hours but when you factor in that it's not like you start at 8 and finish at 20:00 and that's 12 hours, because you don't get paid travel time. So it was more like start at 10:00 and if I worked smart I'd be home by 00:00.

I now earn more in 5 to 6 hours than I did in 3 long days. So massive change.

It was whilst I was cleaning a big house that the owner was going on about her window cleaner increasing his price, I wasn't really listening but as you do it just sort of rolled off my tongue and I said 'why how much is he charging' she said 'he was charging £75 and he's put it up...' that's what got my attention and then looked into it.

I wasn't going to do it though as I thought you needed a ladder to do them but later that day I was telling the caretaker about it at the school I cleaned at and the caretaker said 'why don't you do it?' to which I said 'I'm not going up a ladder, not for me' he then said well they don't use ladders anymore they use like an extended brush with water coming out the head' I said 'well how do they dry it off? You can't just leave it wet as it will dry with all drips all over the glass?' he said 'well I don't know but if they're doing it and getting money then there must be something their doing right...' It was later that day that I started looking into it and within I think about 4 months I was up and running with it.

 

[Chris34]

Lol, just searched, think this was my first post about it

https://windowcleaningforums.co.uk/threads/consistent-pricing.27318/

 

[Yogi1872]

Go on You Tube and search for - green pro clean

Watch that channel starting with the oldest videos and you will get a good idea of what is involved..

Although what he says isn't really implemented by most window cleaners, it's hard to argue with alot of what he says.

 

[Iron Giant]

I’ve seen this a few times on the tools, they get their first couple of kills and eat well but just can’t survive in the wild & go back to being employed where the money is regular and there’s no overhead stress to worry about ??

It's the business side of things that people don't realise is tougher generating enough income and being smart about it, the reality also hits when they ain't getting 4 weeks' paid holiday

 

[spruce]

Lol, just searched, think this was my first post about it

https://windowcleaningforums.co.uk/threads/consistent-pricing.27318/

What I liked about your first post is that you thanked everyone who replied. I remembered that.?
I wonder how many who replied are still cleaning windows.

 

[RickyG]

It's the business side of things that people don't realise is tougher generating enough income and being smart about it, the reality also hits when they ain't getting 4 weeks' paid holiday

Exactly it’s one thing to tell ya mates you’ve just landed a £60k job, but another to bankroll it through stage payments/headaches/delays etc then look at what a £60k job is in your pocket at the end ?

 

[Iron Giant]

Exactly it’s one thing to tell ya mates you’ve just landed a £60k job, but another to bankroll it through stage payments/headaches/delays etc then look at what a £60k job is in your pocket at the end ?

I found out the sister inlaws partner got screwed over on two contracts but he had all his eggs in one basket and tried to go too big too fast something he should have learnt from his former employer who he left who went too big too fast,
a mate of mine lost an 85k contract when covid hit, and he was starting to expand on services he had been doing here and there over the years so was able to grow on those and expand and now has a bigger thriving business but his very good long standing reputation helped with this

 

[spruce]

I found out the sister inlaws partner got screwed over on two contracts but he had all his eggs in one basket and tried to go too big too fast something he should have learnt from his former employer who he left who went too big too fast,
a mate of mine lost an 85k contract when covid hit, and he was starting to expand on services he had been doing here and there over the years so was able to grow on those and expand and now has a bigger thriving business but his very good long standing reputation helped with this

This is why I always focus on residential window cleaning.

 

[Part Timer]

I found out the sister inlaws partner got screwed over on two contracts but he had all his eggs in one basket and tried to go too big too fast something he should have learnt from his former employer who he left who went too big too fast,
a mate of mine lost an 85k contract when covid hit, and he was starting to expand on services he had been doing here and there over the years so was able to grow on those and expand and now has a bigger thriving business but his very good long standing reputation helped with this

Losing a very big contract would obviously affect any business but one that is set up correctly should be able to ride it out.
The problems start when they load themselves with debt because they take all the profits out rather than taking a bit and reinvesting the rest.
When you have to rely on other people's money to finance your business you are losing control of it.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

This is why I always focus on residential window cleaning.

Think I will put Domestic window cleaning on my new van, I don't really want commercial bar care homes.

 

[spruce]

Think I will put Domestic window cleaning on my new van, I don't really want commercial bar care homes.

We don't want care homes in our area as they want them done for nothing.

You can never guarantee commercial window cleaning, imho. There was a cleaner on here who sold all his residential work to focus on commercial. It never panned out for him.

 

[Part Timer]

Although what he says isn't really implemented by most window cleaners, it's hard to argue with alot of what he says.

The reason it's not implemented is for the vast majority what he said wouldn't work in their world. If it worked in his he would still be doing it.

 

[Chris34]

What I liked about your first post is that you thanked everyone who replied. I remembered that.?
I wonder how many who replied are still cleaning windows.

Yeah it was very much appreciated and always is. I wouldn't have the business I have without this forum and the advice I've been given by the likes of yourself over the years. It has changed my future as my life wasn't really going anywhere and I couldn't work out what to do for work or business that would give me any certainty over my future.

Now after doing the window cleaning I think I could set up any service based business and I'd know how to price up, how to deal with the customers and how to get the work. So it's not just about the window cleaning, I feel I've learned a hell of a lot from the business side of things that could be applied to most other businesses. Kind of makes me feel less trapped and more free to do anything if needed, unlike before I started. I wouldn't have got this far so fast without this forum though and I'm almost certain it would never have got off the ground.

 

[Yogi1872]

The reason it's not implemented is for the vast majority what he said wouldn't work in their world. If it worked in his he would still be doing it.

I know, I watched some of his videos and although I was thinking absolute no chance that's happening when he was saying stuff, in principle what he said was correct. He'd make a good salesman aslong as he was selling a product to people who knew nothing about it. Talks a good game.

 

[Iron Giant]

Losing a very big contract would obviously affect any business but one that is set up correctly should be able to ride it out.
The problems start when they load themselves with debt because they take all the profits out rather than taking a bit and reinvesting the rest.
When you have to rely on other people's money to finance your business you are losing control of it.

Most likely that's what he did in a way he wasn't long into been self employed so was relying on that income been paid in stages as agreed on paper he had it in place that he wanted paying in stages for the house renovations he was doing,they y then stated there funding had issues so had to hold off paying him,

if he had been smarter he would have been doing residential jobs as well, fitting kitchens etc as he was employing as well at one point, unfortunately he pinned everything thing on those big contracts, he once told me he was expecting to turn over 250k within his first year unfortunately within that first year he went under

 

[spruce]

I know, I watched some of his videos and although I was thinking absolute no chance that's happening when he was saying stuff, in principle what he said was correct. He'd make a good salesman aslong as he was selling a product to people who knew nothing about it. Talks a good game.

It becomes a while different ball game when you start to employ. He had all sorts of ideas about growing his business including franchising.
I don't know what his future plans were back then, but moving to the Philippines was on the cards. He got there but got trapped by COVID. But he also seemed to take his time getting back to the UK to sort his business affairs out when restrictions were lifted. The last YouTube video he did was of him opening a business in the Philippines.

 

[Yogi1872]

What not to do is when you have been going 6 months start acting like richard branson and doing videos about what it takes to run a successful buisness. The people in your life might not laugh at you to your face, but they will be when you leave. Some of then think ellon musk could learn a thing or 2 from them.

 

[THL4KEL]

Dont think he ever came back to the UK, he set up businesses in the Philippines.