I am just starting out

[Royf91]

Your starting out and already got 200 houses on your estate? or is there 200 houses and you "think" you will get them?. Do some research or you may be spending a lot on setting up and finding you have not got the customer base you think. There probably are other windies working the estate already.

The estate I am on is a new bell way houses are going for 280 k daylight robbery if you ask me like for what we have haha and erm there are 184 - 190 in the whole phases I would like to think I would take at least 150 of them too add to this my wife 

is a sale exec she has been in the marketing advising industry for over 10 years she’s done the cold calling and door to door from the bottom to the top so I’ve got the tips on this and I have been reading and watching so meny ppl on this topic 

but the simplest is the best as no one wants to be standing there regardless 

if there going to use me they will if not then not I personally think that it’s going to be down to the house and who lives there even tho the price is high on the homes dosent mean there well off 

 

[Stevieboy]

Always best to check rules especially if the 'rules come from FaceBook'.  While it is legal to work if you can't work from home it's best to protect yourself and custys.

Does the postman deliver letters? Yes then why would it be illegal to drop leaflets?

Facebo11ocks has a lot to answer for, some good and some bad!

I would imagine the postal service is an essential service. Doh. 

 

[harunh]

....... and the charity bags haven't ceased either.

If gets a bit of a grey area when there are notices up of no sales callers etc. 

U still sat there trying to work out my figures ? ? ? ? been a week now ? lmao come on Sprucey boyyyyyyyyyyy

 

[harunh]

The estate I am on is a new bell way houses are going for 280 k daylight robbery if you ask me like for what we have haha and erm there are 184 - 190 in the whole phases I would like to think I would take at least 150 of them too add to this my wife 

is a sale exec she has been in the marketing advising industry for over 10 years she’s done the cold calling and door to door from the bottom to the top so I’ve got the tips on this and I have been reading and watching so meny ppl on this topic 

but the simplest is the best as no one wants to be standing there regardless 

if there going to use me they will if not then not I personally think that it’s going to be down to the house and who lives there even tho the price is high on the homes dosent mean there well off 

Mate our of them 200 houses on your estate you will be lucky toi get 5 sign ups  , and there will most likely be over 10 other window cleaners already on that estate ..... window cleaning is a market that is now overcrowded, 2 years a go there was a shortage of window cleaners but with the amount of new start ups in the UK in the past 12 months i can now tell u the market is officially crowded in 9/10 towns/citys in the UK , u might be in the 1/10 area which is in need of a window cleaner though ? 

 

[Royf91]

I would imagine the postal service is an essential service. Doh. 

Post is due to Covid mail now but there all still catching it there the super spreaders 

U still sat there trying to work out my figures ? ? ? ? been a week now ? lmao come on Sprucey boyyyyyyyyyyy

Me ? 

 

[Pjj]

Mate our of them 200 houses on your estate you will be lucky toi get 5 sign ups  , and there will most likely be over 10 other window cleaners already on that estate ..... window cleaning is a market that is now overcrowded, 2 years a go there was a shortage of window cleaners but with the amount of new start ups in the UK in the past 12 months i can now tell u the market is officially crowded in 9/10 towns/citys in the UK , u might be in the 1/10 area which is in need of a window cleaner though ? 

All depends where you are there certainly isn’t enough hear we are taking on work and telling new customers that it will be at least 8-12 weeks before we can get to them and they are happy to wait 

 

[Royf91]

All depends where you are there certainly isn’t enough hear we are taking on work and telling new customers that it will be at least 8-12 weeks before we can get to them and they are happy to wait 

Really yer ******* hell some work but good word if mouth and free ads for ya basically killing it 

 

[dazmond]

I think your being a bit presumptuous to think you'll get 200 jobs on this new estate.....a lot of people on these estates are cash poor and mortgaged to the hilt...theyll also be many other window cleaners trying to get work on there too....probably at rock bottom prices too!......this is from my experience anyway over the years.....

If you get 5 you'll be lucky then slowly over many years if you stick at it you might end up with 90 or 100 jobs but itll take many years.....

You will have to look further afield for work away from this estate if you want to succeed....

 

[Royf91]

I think your being a bit presumptuous to think you'll get 200 jobs on this new estate.....a lot of people on these estates are cash poor and mortgaged to the hilt...theyll also be many other window cleaners trying to get work on there too....probably at rock bottom prices too!......this is from my experience anyway over the years.....

If you get 5 you'll be lucky then slowly over many years if you stick at it you might end up with 90 or 100 jobs but itll take many years.....

You will have to look further afield for work away from this estate if you want to succeed....

Totally appreciate the feed back mate and from anyone 

As I’ve never been in this industry 

and obviously want to break into this field 

 

[Iron Giant]

Not quite clear on this housing estate are the 190 houses already built or is there only a few with a proposed 190 to be built

If the houses are already up they will nearly all have a windy already, if there is only 10 built now for example it will take years before the rest are built so the idea of sowing it up is kinda out the window.

Also cleaning houses every 2 weeks doesn't happen anymore, @Royf91 you have a nice dream but with respect you need to be realistic, a glimmer of hope is your wifes sales background, once you can get out knocking doors gaining custys is a great deal easier as that's what people really want to see the person who will be cleaning their windows

Also debted up to the eyeballs on these estates is old news these days just ain't the case anymore for a good number of people. 

 

[Royf91]

Not quite clear on this housing estate are the 190 houses already built or is there only a few with a proposed 190 to be built

If the houses are already up they will nearly all have a windy already, if there is only 10 built now for example it will take years before the rest are built so the idea of sowing it up is kinda out the window.

Also cleaning houses every 2 weeks doesn't happen anymore, @Royf91 you have a nice dream but with respect you need to be realistic, a glimmer of hope is your wifes sales background, once you can get out knocking doors gaining custys is a great deal easier as that's what people really want to see the person who will be cleaning their windows

Also debted up to the eyeballs on these estates is old news these days just ain't the case anymore for a good number of people. 

Half of the estate is done just the other half is getting done now 

it should be another year to 1.5 years left for them to be put up 

and I don’t mind knocking on them doors I used to never see my window cleaner haha 

but so you think ppl on the estate are in bad debt then 

I am use sure regardless of the Covid you will have ppl who are living beyond there means and ppl who have a comfy life everyone is different but the amount of debt ppl are in is unreal 

like I lost my business not down to me down to in bezelment witch lead to 250 k debt and bankruptcy - I lost this during the time of my other daughter past away so a manager took advantage of this and the events came to harm us even more 

but obviously with windows I need the fexilbity for my youngest who is disabled and Ill the point to try and protect her as much as possible the hope was to with doing windows 

I am lucky where we are now but obviously money is okay for us not the best 

and much appreciated for feedback etc I respect the feedback really guys I do 

 

[Royf91]

Half of the estate is done just the other half is getting done now 

it should be another year to 1.5 years left for them to be put up 

and I don’t mind knocking on them doors I used to never see my window cleaner haha 

but so you think ppl on the estate are in bad debt then 

I am use sure regardless of the Covid you will have ppl who are living beyond there means and ppl who have a comfy life everyone is different but the amount of debt ppl are in is unreal 

like I lost my business not down to me down to in bezelment witch lead to 250 k debt and bankruptcy - I lost this during the time of my other daughter past away so a manager took advantage of this and the events came to harm us even more 

but obviously with windows I need the fexilbity for my youngest who is disabled and Ill the point to try and protect her as much as possible the hope was to with doing windows 

I am lucky where we are now but obviously money is okay for us not the best 

and much appreciated for feedback etc I respect the feedback really guys I do 

Too add to the above 

would you say knock on the doors before investing in to anything first 

then would you say wf is better or traditional so unsure about this too 

 

[Pjj]

Too add to the above 

would you say knock on the doors before investing in to anything first 

then would you say wf is better or traditional so unsure about this too 

In an ideal world wfp has to be the first choice these days it’s safe easier , dies a better job windows that cannot be cleaned trad can easily be done  wfp , Ime not knocking trad cleaning but like all things it is being replaced on most outside jobs by wfp it does  still have its place for some jobs , but to really make a good go of window cleaning and earn good money wfp is the way ahead obviously it costs more to set up and it’s far easier with a van and tank mount rather than the family car and backpack , I would go out and canvass see what response you get and make a start with what ever you can , as you get established keep re investing in kit and get what you can afford that’s how I started , if you have the drive and get up and go attitude Ime sure you can make it work . 

 

[Part Timer]

You're target is too small, you really need to broaden your target. Expecting to pick up an estate is far to ambitious and I would be very surprised if you pick up a quarter of it. Your whole business model is then in shreds.

 

[Royf91]

You're target is too small, you really need to broaden your target. Expecting to pick up an estate is far to ambitious and I would be very surprised if you pick up a quarter of it. Your whole business model is then in shreds.

Okay there’s loads of houses like by me I know that’s sound silly haha 

but I don’t mind making this bigger like 

thanks 

 

[Iron Giant]

Half of the estate is done just the other half is getting done now 

it should be another year to 1.5 years left for them to be put up 

and I don’t mind knocking on them doors I used to never see my window cleaner haha 

but so you think ppl on the estate are in bad debt then 

I am use sure regardless of the Covid you will have ppl who are living beyond there means and ppl who have a comfy life everyone is different but the amount of debt ppl are in is unreal 

like I lost my business not down to me down to in bezelment witch lead to 250 k debt and bankruptcy - I lost this during the time of my other daughter past away so a manager took advantage of this and the events came to harm us even more 

but obviously with windows I need the fexilbity for my youngest who is disabled and Ill the point to try and protect her as much as possible the hope was to with doing windows 

I am lucky where we are now but obviously money is okay for us not the best 

and much appreciated for feedback etc I respect the feedback really guys I do 

Window cleaners are all over new estates, I've had people say to me never seen a window cleaner on this estate and there is usually 4-5 if not more on a new build estate and the older ones as well

In lockdown you can't do door to door sales I don't think, there is no doubt a residents FB page for your estate there usually is on new builds this could work in you favour been one of the residents,

also I didn't say people were in bad debt it was another member, windys used to think that because of few bad apples but I have never found that to be the cases for majority of people.

 

 

[Royf91]

Window cleaners are all over new estates, I've had people say to me never seen a window cleaner on this estate and there is usually 4-5 if not more on a new build estate and the older ones as well

In lockdown you can't do door to door sales I don't think, there is no doubt a residents FB page for your estate there usually is on new builds this could work in you favour been one of the residents,

also I didn't say people were in bad debt it was another member, windys used to think that because of few bad apples but I have never found that to be the cases for majority of people.

 

Really appreciate mate 

so basically windows cleaning is just like taxis ppl flood the work 

I understand why there is 4-5 on an estate some are massive 

always get bad apples 

thanks 

 

[Iron Giant]

so basically windows cleaning is just like taxis ppl flood the work 

I understand why there is 4-5 on an estate some are massive 

always get bad apples 

thanks 

Exactly it's been like this for years, I wouldn't be surprised if there is 3 on your estate already new build estates are like the proverbial honey pot, lads will travel 20 miles to clean houses on new build estates. 

On here these past 10 months we have had almost 4-5 newbies a week popping up asking about starting out so that will give some idea also of the amount of interest in window cleaning I would guess 1% will have made the leap.

 

[spruce]

Too add to the above 

would you say knock on the doors before investing in to anything first 

then would you say wf is better or traditional so unsure about this too 

When we first started window cleaning we bought traditional window cleaning gear and started practicing on our own windows. I used the ladder I already owned. Once we had got the hang of it and looked as though we had some form of professionalism we then started looking for work. 

I think the same process still applies. If I was starting out now  I would buy a Gardiners back pack and a Clx22 or clx27 pole and a tds meter.

If there is a spotless water near you I would buy a few 25 litre plastic containers, fill up at Spotless and get to work on my own windows.

If there isn't a Spotless near you I would then use the TDS meter to measure the quality of my tap water as that will give me a direction to process water - r/o or just Di.

I believe you have to have confidence in what you are selling and when you get a 'yes' when canvassing, you need to be able to clean those windows as soon as possible.

 

[Royf91]

Exactly it's been like this for years, I wouldn't be surprised if there is 3 on your estate already new build estates are like the proverbial honey pot, lads will travel 20 miles to clean houses on new build estates. 

On here these past 10 months we have had almost 4-5 newbies a week popping up asking about starting out so that will give some idea also of the amount of interest in window cleaning I would guess 1% will have made the leap.

It’s madness competition Dosent bother me used to working long hours of need be before I had my own business I was doing 50-60 hours a week on a bad week with Uber but still take home 1000 a week but that was everyday of working different hours 

it’s madness tho to see ppl travel so far and the worst thing is that ppl are going to make it hard for everyone 

And surely they have ehough work and surely you would think that they wouldn’t have much time to take More on 

 

[wezza13]

Just read through this thread and I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned that not every household has a window cleaner. I say this, because you say there are 200 houses on this estate and hopefully you can get them all. I think that the figure (that somebody mentioned previously) of you'd be lucky to get 5 is about right, if you're lucky.

There are an awful lot of people out there that aren't bothered about having a window cleaner. In my experience - the youngsters.

The first thing to do is to canvas the estate and get a feel for it. If the first 5 that answer say they've already got a window cleaner, then you'll know what to expect. Definitely canvas the whole area first, so that you can judge for yourself.

Good luck ?