Introduction - New Business

[NoName]

Your right Jjaime - think a lot of 'wannabes' think it's easy money - it takes years of conscientious  hard work to build and sustain a good reputation, get referrals etc whilst managing the business - let alone doing the work.

Also think a lot of start ups - lacking in confidence - price too low to get the work - then can't really make it viable as they've gone in too low so are always chasing their tails to make ends meet - then give up. 

 

[Iron Giant]

Your right Jjaime - think a lot of 'wannbes' think it's easy money - it takes years of conscientious  hard work to build and sustain a good reputation, get referrals etc whilst managing the business - let alone doing the work.

Also think a lot of start ups - lacking in confidence - price too low to get the work - then can't really make it viable as they've gone in too low so are always chasing their tails to make ends meet - then give up. 

@THL4KEL was getting calls last week with people expecting him to charge £3 a house after there window cleaner had disappeared ?

 

[Davy G]

@THL4KEL was getting calls last week with people expecting him to charge £3 a house after there window cleaner had disappeared ?

I've had that. "Oh! My last window cleaner wasn't that expensive."

I have two standard answers :" Where is he now?"  Or" That's probably why he's not here now. "

Said in a polite, pleasant manner of course.

 

[Jjamie]

@THL4KEL was getting calls last week with people expecting him to charge £3 a house after there window cleaner had disappeared ?

Tell them I'll be back next week ??,

old school prices remember doing flats with my brother ground floor flats 75p 4 windows and 1st floor flats  £1.50 

 

[Davy G]

Tell them I'll be back next week ??,

old school prices remember doing flats with my brother ground floor flats 75p 4 windows and 1st floor flats  £1.50 

Ouch!

 

[Jjamie]

I've had that. "Oh! My last window cleaner wasn't that expensive."

I have two standard answers :" Where is he now?"  Or" That's probably why he's not here now. "

Said in a polite, pleasant manner of course.

That's exactley what I say apart from I tell them straight that's the price end off and just walk away 99% will call me back ?

 

[Davy G]

That's exactley what I say apart from I tell them straight that's the price end off and just walk away 99% will call me back ?

Oh yeah. There's no negotiation on the price given. ?

 

[THL4KEL]

Done a fair few quotes lately, the majority are looking for a very low price, which I am not going to work for.

 

[Jjamie]

Ouch!

It was 22 years ago did them every 2 weeks walked for 20mins with ladder and bucket went for about 15flats and about 10 bungalows for couple of pound each 

 

[Teddington Window Cleaners]

Done a fair few quotes lately, the majority are looking for a very low price, which I am not going to work for.

Yoink! 

 

[Mx19]

Done a fair few quotes lately, the majority are looking for a very low price, which I am not going to work for.

Yeah my phone's been going off the hook. So many after dirt cheap prices... No point being a busy fool, someone else is welcome to them haha!
Gave a quote for a gutter clear yesterday, 70m of gutters overflowing with pine needles etc, would have usually charged extra as it was a pig but she wanted a conny clean as well so quoted at my standard price, within 10 minutes of sending the quote I got an email from bark, same woman wanting a quote with a guide-price of less than a quarter of what I quoted.... If anyone does it for that I might start subcontracting hahah!!

 

[Part Timer]

within 10 minutes of sending the quote I got an email from bark, same woman wanting a quote with a guide-price of less than a quarter of what I quoted.... If anyone does it for that I might start subcontracting hahah!!

I was getting them from Bark, 20 metres of gutters, reason for work being done damp in the house, so in other words never been done for years, 20 miles away with a guide price of £40 and to be done asap. Never responded to one and after a while unsubscribed even though I'd never subscribed to begin with. I suppose if you're desperate then it will at least allow you to earn something but not a long term option.

 

[Mx19]

I was getting them from Bark, 20 metres of gutters, reason for work being done damp in the house, so in other words never been done for years, 20 miles away with a guide price of £40 and to be done asap. Never responded to one and after a while unsubscribed even though I'd never subscribed to begin with. I suppose if you're desperate then it will at least allow you to earn something but not a long term option.

Yeah I don’t use them somehow ended up subscribed after checking it out last week, not going to be using it at all though!!

 

[NoName]

I have two standard answers :" Where is he now?"  Or" That's probably why he's not here now. "

Said in a polite, pleasant manner of course.

That's it Davy! Every time you get the line 'we'll that's a bit more than the last guy...'

I often throw in for good measure - in case they don't get it - that he's probably realised his pricing was too low to make a profit and just abandoned those he priced incorrectly...  the good custys realise that and go ahead - the custy that will be a pita try to negotiate - or go ahead reluctantly and YOU end up regretting it....6 mths down the line

It's a great line to sieve the wheat from the chaff...

 

[chris clean]

Good luck with the new start up Nils. Whilst some people may think starting a new business in the middle of all the craziness in the world today might be crazy I think window cleaning wise it's great. I've been back at work just over a week and have had so many people come out and ask to be added to the round. I think it's because they are normally working 9-5 so never see a window cleaner but now they are home they see you and also in the sun they are stating at dirty windows all day! Just take care and stay safe with the hygiene etc but I think it's a good time to make cash. Not as good as a normal time but still work 

 

[HBM]

Hello Nils and welcome to the forum! Lots of helpful people here. Feel free to ask lots of questions.

 

[Teddington Window Cleaners]

Hello Nils and welcome to the forum! Lots of helpful people here. Feel free to ask lots of questions.

Thanks! 

Update!

I am in to my second week of work now and I have 25 customers, I need 200 on a 4 week rotation to make it sustainable based on £20 per customer. using the current rate of growth to forcast I should hit the required level of customers in  it in 7 weeks.  

 

[Davy G]

Thanks! 

Update!

I am in to my second week of work now and I have 25 customers, I need 200 on a 4 week rotation to make it sustainable based on £20 per customer. using the current rate of growth to forcast I should hit the required level of customers in  it in 7 weeks.  

Hi Nils, thanks for the update. Glad to hear you're making good progress.

I hope you won't mind me making a suggestion from my personal experience. I would be setting my business around 6 weekly scheduling. This is much easier to do when starting out than it would be later. You can earn more money for the same amount of work. For instance a £20 job could be charged at £24-£25. You need more customers to fill in the gaps but that's not difficult with a little bit of time and effort and the windows will be no harder to wash. If you do it right you will earn more money without a doubt. I've done the sums for my own business and my son and I working together are able to bring in at least £40 a day more than if we were 4 weekly, so £20 for a single operator. Do the sums on that £100 a week each on a five day week. Round it to a 40 week year to cover weather and holidays and it's 4 grand each minimum. You would earn more but each customer would pay less annually. They would be glad to see you at 6 weeks whereas at 4 you will get some saying "Is it four weeks already?"

The subject of six weekly and other spacings has been discussed several times on the forum. If you go to the search bar at the top of the page and type in 6 weekly you will see the links. I'd also strongly suggest that you run it by your accountant.

 

[Guest]

Thanks! 

Update!

I am in to my second week of work now and I have 25 customers, I need 200 on a 4 week rotation to make it sustainable based on £20 per customer. using the current rate of growth to forcast I should hit the required level of customers in  it in 7 weeks.  

Go for 8 weekly and charge more.

When I started five years ago, I set a target of canvassing 3 good jobs a day, 5 days a week.

Good luck!

 

[Jjamie]

Go for 12 weekly and charge even more..... ?

 

[Davy G]

Go for 12 weekly and charge even more..... ?

Go for once a year and charge a lot more. ?