Starting out and confused about pricing

[Kugo1]

Hello, I am thinking of starting out in my area. I am confused about pricing. I only want to do shop windows as I do not have a car and live in the city centre so I could easily get around all the shops in my area without a car at the moment. The only thing I am confused about is the pricing. Could anyone help me with pricing shop windows? Many thanks

 

[Pjj]

Hello, I am thinking of starting out in my area. I am confused about pricing. I only want to do shop windows as I do not have a car and live in the city centre so I could easily get around all the shops in my area without a car at the moment. The only thing I am confused about is the pricing. Could anyone help me with pricing shop windows? Many thanks

Don’t want to put you down but I expect every man and his dog  will already be doing most town centre shops etc this unfortunately pushes prices down , firms like marks and Spencer’s and other large retail usually have national companies like mitie or rssuk doing there work , from my experience shops arnt really worth chasing . 

 

[Kugo1]

Don’t want to put you down but I expect every man and his dog  will already be doing most town centre shops etc this unfortunately pushes prices down , firms like marks and Spencer’s and other large retail usually have national companies like mitie or rssuk doing there work , from my experience shops arnt really worth chasing . 

Thanks for the advise. However, the main reason I want to do this is because I see most of windows in the shops and takeaways in my city are filthy. I can see there must be a company doing windows around as the shopping centre etc have their windows very clean. But most don't. I also couldn't find any companies around. This is a small city so there might be room for me?

 

[ched999uk]

Thanks for the advise. However, the main reason I want to do this is because I see most of windows in the shops and takeaways in my city are filthy. I can see there must be a company doing windows around as the shopping centre etc have their windows very clean. But most don't. I also couldn't find any companies around. This is a small city so there might be room for me?

If you see a market then it might be worth buying some basic trad kit and teaching yourself to use it. Then get a polo shirt with a business name embroidered and some business cards and see if you can get work, if you can then get liability insurance. As for price it's a tricky one, each town is different. I would say learn to clean your own windows, then try and work out how long a shop window would take you. Think about an hourly rate, remember no holiday or sick pay, and your costs, tax, and travel time. Start at a high price as you can always reduce your prices if you don't get any work but it's difficult to raise prices. 

Hope that gives you some ideas? 

 

[Pjj]

Thanks for the advise. However, the main reason I want to do this is because I see most of windows in the shops and takeaways in my city are filthy. I can see there must be a company doing windows around as the shopping centre etc have their windows very clean. But most don't. I also couldn't find any companies around. This is a small city so there might be room for me?

Ok that’s unusual most towns the shops are done regularly, go for it if they are like that . Price wise work out what you want to earn per hour and go from there so as an example if you want to earn £30 per hour and think a job will take you 15 muinits then the minimum price will be £7:50 , 30 muinits  minimum price is £15 and so on , I would set yourself a sensible hourly rate but £30 per hour should be a starting point taking into account , no holiday pay etc if you go in to cheap you will regret it in the long run this is the main reason ones don’t make a go of it they cannot survive on less money .

 

[Kugo1]

If you see a market then it might be worth buying some basic trad kit and teaching yourself to use it. Then get a polo shirt with a business name embroidered and some business cards and see if you can get work, if you can then get liability insurance. As for price it's a tricky one, each town is different. I would say learn to clean your own windows, then try and work out how long a shop window would take you. Think about an hourly rate, remember no holiday or sick pay, and your costs, tax, and travel time. Start at a high price as you can always reduce your prices if you don't get any work but it's difficult to raise prices. 

Hope that gives you some ideas? 

Thanks, that's some good advise and I didn't think about it that way. I am trying to learn as much as I can so I don't do as many nooby mistakes. Although, it's hard to say what's a high price, I would like to have a clear structure in place but I can't find much information anywhere about storefronts. 

 

[Deleted member 7446]

Hello, I am thinking of starting out in my area. I am confused about pricing. I only want to do shop windows as I do not have a car and live in the city centre so I could easily get around all the shops in my area without a car at the moment. The only thing I am confused about is the pricing. Could anyone help me with pricing shop windows? Many thanks

You will have a very limited income with just retail. That is if you can get the work from them. You'd best try the small independent retailers as all nationwide national stores use large scale contractors 

 

[Pjj]

Thanks, that's some good advise and I didn't think about it that way. I am trying to learn as much as I can so I don't do as many nooby mistakes. Although, it's hard to say what's a high price, I would like to have a clear structure in place but I can't find much information anywhere about storefronts. 

Shops is a cut throat business we do some not beacause I want to do them but we do the owners houses so it’s difficult to say no , generally speaking you can earn considerably more doing houses but I understand you don’t Have transport  so the shops are a lot easier for you , good luck getting going let us know how you get on , for trad gear look at unger stuff applicators , squeegee, etc is good stuff and not expensive, as has already been said practice on your own house inside and out , watch some YouTube videos of how to “ fan” as well as straight pulls as fanning is much easier and faster , it’s easy once you master the basics .

 

[laddergarder]

This is very difficult to answer without other variables.

How much will you want to be paid?

How much will you overheads be?

How many hours will you work?

Average time per job, jobs per day?

You could Jerry rig a bike trailer setup, for what your talking about, bucket moerman squeegees etc. just a thought. Would be kind of cool ?.

Let's look at an example (just an example lets not pick at it guys ?),

Let's say you do 12 shops per day, 20 minutes each including travel, collecting, 5 days a week.

That is 60 shops in 20 hours each week.

If you pay yourself £12 per hour, thats £240 per week, £12,480 per year.

Lets say £4000 on costs and marketing.

Taxes and some profit say another 4k.

Take off 6 weeks for holidays downtime, you'll have to make around 21k in 46 weeks, around £460 per week.

Which would be an average of £8 per shop.