Making the leap into window cleaning

[Delboy]

Hi guys,

Been lurking for a while but today decided to join.

Im looking for advice from you guys as you seem a very helpful bunch ?

Sorry for the very long post, but please bare with me.

Im 41, back in may i was made redundant from my job at a printers.

I wasn't a printer, i operated slitting machines on a 12hr continental shift pattern earning around 20k a year before stoppages (**** for the unsociable long hrs) and i hated doing them.

I got 5k redundancy, other than the redundancy money im skint (married with 3 kids... no savings).

Im an outdoors person and love gardening so thought id have a look around for work.

The only gardening job i could get was thru an agency, with the prospect of a full time job after 12wks. This meant 12 wks of min wage but ive been sucking it up and getting on with it. BUT, reading between the lines i think im being used for the summer period till end of sept....then im 99% certain to be outta work again.

Im loving being outside, sun or rain its just a million times better than being stuck in a factory. Not experienced cold yet tho ?

I thought about buying a van, mower etc and doing my own gardening round but my passion is tropical plants, not lawns, so im not sure its for me plus i get hayfever ?

I do however love hands on work, getting stuck into something where you can stand back after and see a difference.

Car cleaning, window cleaning  (only done my house) anything like that i enjoy and take real pride in getting good results.

Im a perfectionist, ocd lol.

Which leads me onto window cleaning.

This is something ive fancied doing for a while. Im not scared of hard work, love the idea of working for myself and being outdoors. 

I live in an area where the houses range from council estate (about 600 houses) to big 6 beds in posh cul-de-sac's all within 3 miles of my house...thousands of properties. 

On the council estate there are 2 window cleaners. One old guy who lives there and has done the estate for a good 20yrs, but doesnt seem to do many properties any more. I rarely see him about but he does still work as he cleans my grandparents windows.

The other guy is a local character i know quite well. Again he lives on the estate works from his car with a ladder bucket and sponge, dont even think he carries water with him. Everyone knows him hes a nice funny guy but again he only seems to do maybe 30 houses at most. Probably all cash in hand on the side tbh.

On google ive seen 12 other window cleaners advertised. Im in quite a large ever expanding city so i think theres room for 1 more.

I have 7-8 wks agency work left.

So my idea is this, right now whilst i have a min wage coming in (260 a wk ?)

Buy a WFP back pack, a good one and put it on a trolley. 

Buy my RO water from a place up the road, well 15min drive at 5p a litre.

Use my ford focus family car and get some 25ltr containers and carry as much water as car allows to safely do so. Dont mind coming home for more as i reckon a lot of the properties will be within 5 miles of home.

I Would get public liability insurance and inform the tax man.

I get home at 4. Could canvas for a few hrs a night or even clean a few houses until 6 ish.

Work saturdays for next 7-8 wks.

If i get more work i can pull sickies on the agency if needed. There using me so i wont feel bad and wont get paid anyway.

I have 3 yrs left on a 170 a month bank loan which i could half if i paid say 3k off and used 1k on starting up the business but would only have 1k left of redundancy to fall back on, plus then ive got all the other bills to pay which is about 700 a month inc morgage.

Or i could use say 1k buying equipment and keep the 4k in the bank and just pay loan off monthly until im earning a proper wage.

Once i have enough customers and know if i like the job i could then buy a van etc.

If i hated the job i guess I could sell on the backpack.

Im not looking to be rich but would be nice to be at least on par with my old printers job.

Im a sensible person who doesnt take risks but something inside is telling me to just go for it. Just scary cus of having the kids to think about.

What do you guys think? Help lol.

 

[Damo]

Hi!
 

You need the FEAR!!! Go into the agency and quit, you'll be surprised how quickly you can build a round.

Where are you based? 

 

[Dave B]

Hi!
 

You need the FEAR!!! Go into the agency and quit, you'll be surprised how quickly you can build a round.

Where are you based? 

The fear

I've heard that before somewhere.. oh yeah from you @Damo mate

It is true though nothing will make you get this business up and running successfully like the fear of not feeding the family and paying the bills

 

[Delboy]

Hi!
 

You need the FEAR!!! Go into the agency and quit, you'll be surprised how quickly you can build a round.

Where are you based? 

Worcester.

A lot of houses, very built up but also some nice posh villages close by.

A few of the domestics round here are now more commercial, gone big. Plenty of factory's etc.

How is it with rounds? Do you avoid other window cleaners areas or is it every man for himself kind a thing.

 

[Damo]

Every man for himself tbh nowadays. I would go with the plan you've got and start building a round straight away. 

 

[Skxawng]

As long as you have a little business sense and are the type of person who can motivate themselves (some really struggle with this) then there's no reason why you can't do well off it. How fast you build it depends how much time and effort you put in. Buying water will cost a lot, better to get cheap RO or di. As you said no need to go whole hog but that will make a difference. Can manage with car, barrels, backpack while starting to see if you get on with it but it sounds like you will ?

 

[Delboy]

As long as you have a little business sense and are the type of person who can motivate themselves (some really struggle with this) then there's no reason why you can't do well off it. How fast you build it depends how much time and effort you put in. Buying water will cost a lot, better to get cheap RO or di.

Thing is how easy is it, im a complete novice and wouldnt know where to start or even what equipment to buy.

Wife wouldnt want anything set up in the house.

For back pack i was looking at this

http://thewindowcleaningsupplier.co.uk/product/big-boy-backpack-renegade-deal/

Could i pull that from the box, fill with RO water and go to work or is there more to buy.

I dont mind spending more. And would prefer not to have to wheel the backpack/trolley around a house so would want a longer hose from backpack to pole so it could be parked up somewhere and then walk around the house with just the pole.

Are the fittings etc easy to suss.

 

[Nicky]

When I quit working for a large window cleaning firm in 1992 I had absolutely nothing and 3 girls and a wife to feed and clothe not a quid behind me or a veichle, the need for us to eat drove me on I had no choice but to crack on knock knock on every door the ladder and bucket outside the gate if they said yes I would do it there and then day after day walking miles with the ladder on my shoulder like Stan Ogden. Slowly,slowly catch a monkey 25 years on and going from strength to strength could never imagine that I would have the business I do. Go for it lad and don't get to disheartening if it takes a while just carry on regardless don't give in remember the kids need feeding.

by the way my first ladder was nicked.

GOOD LUCK

 

[Delboy]

When I quit working for a large window cleaning firm in 1992 I had absolutely nothing and 3 girls and a wife to feed and clothe not a quid behind me or a veichle, the need for us to eat drove me on I had no choice but to crack on knock knock on every door the ladder and bucket outside the gate if they said yes I would do it there and then day after day walking miles with the ladder on my shoulder like Stan Ogden. Slowly,slowly catch a monkey 25 years on and going from strength to strength could never imagine that I would have the business I do. Go for it lad and don't get to disheartening if it takes a while just carry on regardless don't give in remember the kids need feeding.

by the way my first ladder was nicked.

GOOD LUCK

Thanks Nicky.

I guess i could do that with a trolley set up. Park up knock doors and do it there and then if wanted. 

There was a guy at school all he ever wanted to be was a window cleaner and people laughed.

Now, 20 odd years on he has a huge commercial business with loads of vans. Lots of staff work for him. Raking it in. Fair play to him to, was a nice lad.

 

[Skxawng]

Thing is how easy is it, im a complete novice and wouldnt know where to start or even what equipment to buy.

Wife wouldnt want anything set up in the house.

For back pack i was looking at this

http://thewindowcleaningsupplier.co.uk/product/big-boy-backpack-renegade-deal/

Could i pull that from the box, fill with RO water and go to work or is there more to buy.

I dont mind spending more. And would prefer not to have to wheel the ba kpack/trolley around a house so would want a longer hose from backpack to pole so it could be parked up somewhere and then walk around the house with just the pole.

Are the fittings etc easy to suss.

As to the equipment to buy I'll let others help with that as I've never bought a backpack. But people are so helpful on here, they'll be falling over themselves to help you out with questions you have. With how easy.. If you mean producing water, DI is very easy and doesn't need much equipment. If you mean wfp cleaning, I'd say easy enough to start, harder to master but skill will come in time. You can compensate for lack of experience by just doing a very thorough job (including your own windows) until you know what you can get away with. Lots of people will share their method though which will give you a leg up. Trained monkeys could do it with enough practice :1f602:

being a perfectionist will help as you can aim for the high quality cleaning bracket which is better prices.

 

[Gazz]

No harm in going trad for your first year and then convert to wfp. Expenses will vary for both but by the time you get big with trad you'd have a van and the transaction will be easier. 

Can use the family car and get roof bars on it for the ladders. Buy a squeegee and applicator and crack on. Chap doors and get the money in part time before going full time.

 

[Delboy]

I like the idea of WFP over trad.

The 2 guys around here are both trad so id offer something different.

Im not scared of heights at all but dont overly fancy working off a ladder. I fell about 20ft a few years back whilst cutting down a big conifer, luckily i landed on the cut off branches so it was a softer landing but scared the **** outta me.

 

[Part Timer]

Sometimes in life you have to take a step into the unknown. If I were you I would keep the day job and start window cleaning as a part time job. Use some of your redundancy to buy a decent R/O and decent equipment, this puts the pressure on you to succeed. You may have to do 70 hours a week initially, but it will pay off in the long run if you really want to make it work. Good luck mate and remember there is always help on here, however the biggest help any of us is nothing compared to you working really hard to make it work. 

 

[Clisty1989]

all you need after insurance is

backpack 80-100

hybrid pole - 22/27ft - 150-200

containers £5 each, or free from places like car washes

ladders (even wfp you'll need them occaisionally) - 100

trad tools - £50

I got all my wfp gear from the cleaning warehouse and cost me 450 with a di vessel.

id also recommend going either hybrid or carbon pole as an alu pole will weigh a ton. Also get a tds meter and check you tap water. In the long run may be worth you making your own pure eventually as it'll cost you around 1p a litre. I use a focus sized car and carry 6 barrels trad tools and other gear for add ons easily.

 

[Delboy]

All i know is according to seven trent this is a moderately hard water area.

I dont even know how to make RO water ? think i have some homework to do.

And thanks to all who have replied. Never been on such a friendly forum ?

 

[adamangler]

all you need after insurance is

backpack 80-100

hybrid pole - 22/27ft - 150-200

containers £5 each, or free from places like car washes

ladders (even wfp you'll need them occaisionally) - 100

trad tools - £50

I got all my wfp gear from the cleaning warehouse and cost me 450 with a di vessel.

id also recommend going either hybrid or carbon pole as an alu pole will weigh a ton. Also get a tds meter and check you tap water. In the long run may be worth you making your own pure eventually as it'll cost you around 1p a litre. I use a focus sized car and carry 6 barrels trad tools and other gear for add ons easily.

I started my business alongside a part time job. I did 16-30 hours a weeks at minimum wage for about 18 months.

Once I got to a grand a month of regular reliable window custies I made the jump and never looked back.

A leap.of faith is always scary. But what is the other option, keep scraping by all your life being too scared to take a chance. 

As long as you are determined to succeed you can't really fail, it's a simple business just a numbers game.

 

[Iron Giant]

Personally I would start out trad its a whole load cheaper for a start and isn't that hard to master, Compared to wfp which can be a lot harder to get right and you have to put a lot more graft in than it might appear when watching lads cleaning as a proper first clean will take 2-3 times longer and use a lot more water 

Cleaning the window frames and wiping down the entire doors and not just cleaning the glass will potentially give you the edge of the other lads in your area as most just do the glass doing trad.

The sooner you get the basic gear together and get out door knocking will tell you if you are able to build a round to cover your bills before your temp contract is up. 

 

 

[High-tower]

Trad is 100% the way to start. You will need to buy the trad equipment anyway. And it will give you a chance to find out if running a business is for you.

 

[Clisty1989]

id agree with starting trad, I did and costs a lot less to run a trad business, allowing you time to save up and then go wfp with a customer base and money behind you, better when you have bills to pay and mouths to feed

 

[Gazz]

Some people actually trad the first cleans and then wfp for the regular maintenance cleans. For some of the reasons mentioned above.

 

[Delboy]

When i was on hols last year down in devon there was a guy with a pole doing upstairs windows from the ground but im sure there was soap or something coming from pole too. 

Do such things exist? (I warned you all i was a noob lol)

If they do how do they work, can they be attached to a back pack and just use normal water instead of RO.

I dont mind starting trad, just didnt fancy all the ladder work for 2nd floor windows.