How to start a window cleaning business.

[Duncs]

i know its late but where is my messages above

honest had no beer

 

[peter rogers]

u have to click to expand it duncs

 

[cheapncheerful]

hi duncs if you dont want to do that you can just drop down a few lines and it doesnt get dragged into that expand bit..../emoticons/biggrin.png

no beers you ill duncs

i only had a few myself as I had a huge tea which killed it...

 

[peter rogers]

haven had a drink in aggggesss

savung myself for paddys day /emoticons/smile.png out and get a beer or 10 or morelol

 

[rshandyman]

I do other things,painting gutters, fascias but the most I spent on van and I have not bought much for future wfp switch.

 

[rshandyman]

It will be an upgrade not really a switch as I want to be able to do all windows with no limits.

 

[luc]

Green how do you go about pricing conservatory's? Do you use the same 20p per panel and do you have a min charge for one?

 

[peter rogers]

its alll bout access and how bad the dirt is

 

[pateman]

Starting a window cleaning businessAs with setting up any business it can be a mixture of excitement and utter stress. The key is proper planning and realistic expectations.

Starting a window cleaning business is certainly a great choice as a business model and one that allows a fair amount of freedom. Still you will only get out what you put in! So lets talk a little about why you want to be a window cleaner, what the best methods are and everything in between.

If you decide after reading this and any other info you find that you want to start, you will need to register yourself as self-employed this is the UK form you need

https://www.gov.uk/browse/business/setting-up

I am not sure about other countries.

Cost of starting

For a very small out lay of a couple of hundred quid you can enter the world of window cleaning

If you’re going down the Traditional route you will need:

• Ladder (3.5m)
  
• Bucket from B&Q or similar
  
• Applicator and squeegee (10 inch is good)
  
• Scrim or microfiber clothes
  
• Bottle of fairy
  
• Pouch to put your cloths and other bits in to keep your hands free
  
• Bucket belt is really handy
  

Lastly just add water and customers.

I wouldn't recommend the use of ladders as there are other safer ways of cleaning windows but for starting out on a tight budget it may be the only option for you.

Benefits of starting

Starting your own business is exiting and frees you from the constraints of your normal job and nagging boss. You’re the boss now!

You can start and finish work when you want, work as much or as little as you want and you are in control of how much you earn. You can earn a healthy living with a window cleaning business. At times it is hard work but can keep you healthy for years, all that fresh air and physical exercise.

Once you have built up a decent sized round you are pretty much guaranteed a stable and reliable income, yes you will no doubt loose a few customer here and there but you will also gain new ones.

Disadvantages of starting

Although this is a great business to run and own there are things you will find hard.

Freezing winters! The weather is a big factor in this business especially in winter. At times you will find your equipment frozen if wfp or water freezing on glass. Working with water in such cold conditions can be hard and at times frustrating.

Annoying customers are another problem you might face; we have all had them at one time or another. Most are fine and pay on time but you will face some that are slow to pay, wont, pay or conveniently are not in all the time. You will have to learn how to deal with these customers but luckily they are few and far between.

Getting customers is another hard and frustrating thing to do when first starting out. It can take some time and can feel like you are getting nowhere but keep at it with flyers, canvasing etc. Once you have a decent amount you will find word of mouth will also kick in and when you are out more cleaning more people will see you.

Equipment needed

Depending on which route you choose to go you will need different equipment.

If you are going down the traditional route (Cheapest) then this is what you will need

Discuss your traditional cleaning questions here.

• Ladder (3.5m)
  
• Bucket from B&Q or similar
  
• Applicator and squeegee (10 inch is good)
  
• Scrim or microfiber clothes
  
• Bottle of fairy
  
• Pouch to put your cloths and other bits in to keep your hands free
  
• Bucket belt is really handy
  

In addition to the basics above you may want to look at these below also.

• 20 foot ladder
  
• wedges, ladder mats, ladder footee (for decking)
  
• ladder clamps
  
• padlocks
  
• 12" squeegee (30 degree and 0 degree for pole work)
  
• 4" squeegee
  
• 12" applicator
  
• holster
  
• pouches
  
• belt
  
• scraper
  
• short handled extension
  
• small extension for shops
  
• ladder clamp for detailing pole work
  
• scrims (prewashed are better)
  
• microfibers (for frames)
  
• Spare squeegee rubbers
  
• Spare scraper blades
  
• FIRST AID KIT
  

If you are going down the Water Fed Pole (wfp) route then you will need:

Discuss your water fed pole questions here.

• A baffled water tank.
  
• TDS Meter
  
• A pole and brush.
  
• Pump.
  
• Pump Controller
  
• Filter system, DI and Ro
  
• Leisure battery to power pump
  
• Metal hose reel
  
• 100m x 8mm Yellow 'Microbore' Hose
  
• Heavy Duty 'Garden' Hose to connect the tank to pump and pump to hose reel
  
• Connectors clips etc.
  

Most of this equipment you can find from the suppliers on this page

http://windowcleaningforums.co.uk/pages/suppliers/

Here are some other suppliers that may be of interest.

http://www.windowcleaningwarehouse.co.uk/shop/

http://www.windowcleancentre.co.uk/

Getting customers

You can ask more questions on canvasing in the advertising online & offline area.

• Canvassing/Knocking people’s doors and asking them if they want to use your service, couple this with dropping leaflets with them and those that don't answer then follow those up a day or two later.
  
• Ask your neighbours, friends and family if they want their windows done, if they don’t they may know someone else who does.
  
• Put an advert in a shop window
  
• Use the Free listings on the internet like Yell.com, Touchlocal, windowcleaner directory, mylocal and many others out there you can put a listing on for nothing
  
• Sign written van/car even if it has Window cleaner Phone 07xxxxxxxx people who need a window cleaner may see it in supermarket car park or when your round back
  

These are all good methods of getting noticed and to turn them into customers you need to sell yourself, looking smart and tidy, being polite, closing their gate (not letting it slam) writing down the quote for them with your contact details.

Doing the best job you can will get you recommended to others and recommendation is the best way to get loyal Customers

Pricing

Pricing is always a hard one and can only really be learned as you gain experience, you will no doubt under price and overprice a few jobs, I have! The main thing to do is work out what you want to earn an hour. Many claim they can earn £30-£40 an hour but I would say as a guide £20-£30 is closer to it. This of course all depends on the area etc.

A rough guide to pricing a job is to price standard sized windows at £1 each, bay windows and patio doors at £2 and at the same time look at the job and decide how long it may take keeping in mind you hourly rate. Then with all that you can put a price together.

Record keeping

There is plenty of information in the managing your business section.

• A small note pad to write customers address/name/price and frequency of clean (4-8weeks) keep this in your back pocket with a pen.
  
• A Diary, you can buy an A5 one with a day on each page or a week on 2 pages
  
• The above are great for starting out as they are easy to carry and cheap to buy. However as you get more customers you can invest in a computer program like George or window cleaning pro and the many others out there.
  

As well as keeping track of you customers you will also need to keep good clear accounts on expenses and profits etc.

Here is some info and templates on basic business record keeping; this should a lot when first starting a window cleaning business.

https://www.gov.uk/browse/business/setting-up

You may also find a browse through our resources are useful for documentation and document templates.http://windowcleaningforums.co.uk/resources/

Insurance

One thing you will need no matter what route you take is public liability Insurance along with any other insurance you feel necessary. Some commercial van insurance also covers your equipment so you need to ensure you do your homework. Liability insurance is a MUST. You can not run a good business without this cover, it only takes one customer tripping over your gear or you breaking a window and your up that creak without a paddle!

If you feel anything needs to be added to this, please feel free to PM me and I will update this post.

 

[pateman]

Great advise as useual everyone!! Im looking into liabilty insurance at mo wats the best companys to use at good prices??

 

[Gavin]

There are many around, one of our sponsors offers public liability http://www.simplybusiness.co.uk/insurance/window-cleaners/

 

[pateman]

Great thanks gav will take a look :-D

 

[Dave B]

Great advise as useual everyone!! Im looking into liabilty insurance at mo wats the best companys to use at good prices??

Gleaming insurance

£14 quid a month and best cover around

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

I asked gleaming for a quote - Public and employee liability -

Never had a claim in my life. They want......wait for it.............dramatic pause.........£899.20 or just £74.98 per month.

I asked how the policies broke down. How much for the public independently and how much for the employee?

They said 'Oh no, there is no break down, It's all one policy.

What toss, my Public / employers policies have never been the 'same' policy.

Why I wrote back to say that typically Public is around £150 per £1'000'000 of cover and I pay £300 for £10 mil of Employee so combined I only pay £450 per year.

Well they couldn't even do the common courtesy of a reply.

NOT IMPRESSED WITH GLEAMING AT ALL

 

[Dave B]

They have been good to me

 

[kev]

I pay 60 odd quid a year lol, insured upto £1 million. Simply business. Just basic public liability insurance, been with them the last 3 to 4 years

 

[Simply Business]

Happy to have you on board @kev :thumbsup:

 

[WantPurchaseClamps]

Very clear and practical.

 

[Gavin]

Gav submitted a new resource:

How to start a window cleaning business. - Starting a window cleaning business the basics.

Starting a window cleaning businessAs with setting up any business it can be a mixture of excitement and utter stress. The key is proper planning and realistic expectations.

Starting a window cleaning business is certainly a great choice as a business model and one that allows a fair amount of freedom. Still you will only get out what you put in! So lets talk a little about why you want to be a window cleaner, what the best methods are and everything in between.

If you decide after...

Read more about this resource...

 

[Gavin]

Gav updated How to start a window cleaning business. with a new update entry:

Amended errors in article.

Just amended some errors in the article and added a few more pictures.

Read the rest of this update entry...

 

["H"]

Personally, I do WFP for upstairs and trad down. I explain on a first call what the WFP entails including doing the frames,downstairs I will give the frames a scrub to get the worst off but I won't be doing restoration. That's extra. (First clean I will do pre-wash with the WFP down stairs too to ease the cleaning when I come to them on trad.) I explain that a quick wipe down with a sill rag.

Average 3 bedroom house takes about 15-20mins mins using both styles once you get your hand in and that includes loading and unloading. (Back pack on a trolley.)