Hi all, I am starting out window cleaning after a long stint in the military. I have settled in an area that I didn't grow up in and barely know many people apart from a few members of my partners family/friends. I was lucky enough to have a little bit of a payout when I left the military and have invested in a van and pure water system etc. I have a few customers from posting in local facebook groups, partners family etc. I guess what I am trying to say is there any tips/tricks to building a fresh round and anyone out there who has done it from a similar situation, I would love to hear from you. Thanks
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Starting out in a new place of residency
- Thread starter SlySquid
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Windamon
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- Coppull lancs
Good luck pal in ur new venture hope u do well.
Ps. Be prepared for a stiff neck tho!
Ps. Be prepared for a stiff neck tho!
Thanks mate, hopefully I can make something work!
ched999uk
Well-known member
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- Lancashire
Get some fliers and get out door knocking introduce yourself as a local window cleaner and would they like a quote. Wear a 'uniform' even if it's just a embroidered polo shirt (less that £10 on ebay) and look smart - I guess you are used to that though! If people are not in drop a flier.
It might be slow going but keep at it and you will gain customers. Don't be the cheapest windy as putting up prices is difficult without the current inflation situation we have coming!
Practice on all your friends and family's windows as then you can go inside to check out how well you did!
There are lots of tips here, the search is great (top right).
There is a great thread from @HWCS here: Upto 50 customers he details him starting up - although he started trad cleaning and maybe a bit cheap, but he has now progressed to wfp and I think he has an employee within about 2 or 3 years! It's a good read.
I only started last June using a backpack and my car till Jan then bought a van. It's going well for me and I pick up customers with just leaflets but it would be faster with door knocking. Don't be scared to say you can't do a window as some customers are fine, be confident and personally I wouldn't negotiate on price, my price is my price! Aim to get 80% of your quotes, if you get 100% then either you are too cheap or you have found a gold mine
. If you find you are getting a low % of quotes then maybe you are too expensive but start high and bring it down till you get about 80% ish.
Good luck and keep us informed.
It might be slow going but keep at it and you will gain customers. Don't be the cheapest windy as putting up prices is difficult without the current inflation situation we have coming!
Practice on all your friends and family's windows as then you can go inside to check out how well you did!
There are lots of tips here, the search is great (top right).
There is a great thread from @HWCS here: Upto 50 customers he details him starting up - although he started trad cleaning and maybe a bit cheap, but he has now progressed to wfp and I think he has an employee within about 2 or 3 years! It's a good read.
I only started last June using a backpack and my car till Jan then bought a van. It's going well for me and I pick up customers with just leaflets but it would be faster with door knocking. Don't be scared to say you can't do a window as some customers are fine, be confident and personally I wouldn't negotiate on price, my price is my price! Aim to get 80% of your quotes, if you get 100% then either you are too cheap or you have found a gold mine
. If you find you are getting a low % of quotes then maybe you are too expensive but start high and bring it down till you get about 80% ish.Good luck and keep us informed.
Nice 1 mate, I have had a polo shirt made up and have been knocking a few doors in my local area but when I say my prices alot of them turn their nose up (usually the oldies who have probably been paying £5 since 1998). I get what you mean with the pricing, I think that I do a good job and take my time to make sure everything is spot on and want to be paid accordingly for my effort as I am sure everyone does. Hopefully I can work out a happy medium with the pricing and I'll keep you informed on how I get on though! Thanks for taking the time to reply.Get some fliers and get out door knocking introduce yourself as a local window cleaner and would they like a quote. Wear a 'uniform' even if it's just a embroidered polo shirt (less that £10 on ebay) and look smart - I guess you are used to that though! If people are not in drop a flier.
It might be slow going but keep at it and you will gain customers. Don't be the cheapest windy as putting up prices is difficult without the current inflation situation we have coming!
Practice on all your friends and family's windows as then you can go inside to check out how well you did!
There are lots of tips here, the search is great (top right).
There is a great thread from @HWCS here: Upto 50 customers he details him starting up - although he started trad cleaning and maybe a bit cheap, but he has now progressed to wfp and I think he has an employee within about 2 or 3 years! It's a good read.
I only started last June using a backpack and my car till Jan then bought a van. It's going well for me and I pick up customers with just leaflets but it would be faster with door knocking. Don't be scared to say you can't do a window as some customers are fine, be confident and personally I wouldn't negotiate on price, my price is my price! Aim to get 80% of your quotes, if you get 100% then either you are too cheap or you have found a gold mine
Good luck and keep us informed.
ched999uk
Well-known member
- Messages
- 4,834
- Location
- Lancashire
Try different areas as sometimes it's surprising how many customers you get in an area you didn't expect. That said watch out for areas with hugely overgrown gardens with dumped cars and fridges in the street
. Sometimes the 'posh' areas have windys but you never know. It's just a numbers game and having a tough skin. Keep the smile on and do a good job. The ones who 'had' a windy do their windows for £5 ask them if they still have that window cleaner? I bet they don't, reason being he found better paid work!!! Obviously put it in a better way .You are probably way way fitter than I was/am so you will be fine with lots of first cleans in a day. IMHO first cleans take about 1.5 to 2 x longer than a maintenance clean. Some charge extra for a first clean to weed out the chaff but when you are starting out sometimes it's more about gaining experience and being seen on the streets.
I am sure with all your experience you will succeed - just stick with it, do a good job and you will be fine.
Great shout, ?? my area seems to be pretty saturated and happy to branch out a little of it helps me grab new customers. I had a fair bit of success on a new build estate and managed to grab a decent day per months work out of it about 25 mins drive away from my house though and with the fuel increase etc I really want to be as close to home as possible but beggars can't be choosers! I guess finding little pockets like that will help me out aswell. I'm fairly fit so have been more than happy to tackle the first cleans without a price increase so far! Although there have been a few minging jobs.
- Messages
- 11,326
- Location
- Sunderland Tyne and Wear
Where abouts are you, there might be someone local that can advise on min max prices
ched999uk
Well-known member
- Messages
- 4,834
- Location
- Lancashire
So far I have managed to keep my customers all within 3 miles of home which helps. I am in quite a built up area which helps as there are lots of houses. With door knocking or leafletting you chose the areas you want but that does depend a bit on the saturation level. Don't be tempted to undercut other windys as it's then just a race to the bottom and no one wins!
Good Luck.
Good Luck.
Between Bristol and Bath
- Messages
- 11,326
- Location
- Sunderland Tyne and Wear
@P4dstar territory
He's growing so there must be potential in his area.
- Messages
- 11,326
- Location
- Sunderland Tyne and Wear
I think he's slightly East and North of Bristol but a damn site closer than me and you
- Messages
- 3,959
- Location
- Gloucestershire
Two of the most expensive places to live in the UK. Sell the quality and service you'll offer confidently and you'll get the jobs. Check our local window cleaners websites, the big companies will put prices out to give you a guide.
I went out the other day and quoted £18 for a house, around 15 mins work. We have several others in the street and the current windy was doing a shocking job (The frame of the conservatory was still green) I then find out he's been charging £20 and the reason for the call, he put it up to £25 with no notice... As in he just emailed an invoice for £25. Makes me doubt my prices.
Best advice around here is to go out to the villages where people don't like to travel. There's money outside of the built up areas, less traffic etc too.
- Messages
- 3,959
- Location
- Gloucestershire
North west of it... I mean you've literally sat in a pub with me round here. Surely you know ???I think he's slightly East and North of Bristol but a damn site closer than me and you
Thanks for the advice bud. I have looked around at a few different companys prices. I'm currently around £17 for a 3 bed semi monthly clean and £20 for bi monthly. That includes frames and sills etc. Will definitely be looking into the smaller villages also.
- Messages
- 3,959
- Location
- Gloucestershire
Personally I would be whacking £5 on for the bi monthly. Outside of that it seems like good solid pricing to me. There will be people charging more. Also, those who don't want you because you're more than the current guy as sh!t customers you don't want anyway. If they're willing to drop the current guy over price they'll do the same to you!
Good shout I'll start going in with the extra £5 for bi monthly then I reckon. Hopefully pick up some more monthly customers that way aswell. Just a nice quick whip around that way aint it.
- Messages
- 11,326
- Location
- Sunderland Tyne and Wear
Well last time I looked Gloucester was North and slightly East of Bristol. If you were NW of Bristol you'd either be in the Bristol Channel or Wales
- Messages
- 3,959
- Location
- Gloucestershire
It would appear you're correct. The map doesn't look like that in my head though, mainly because Wales doesn't count ? ? ?Well last time I looked Gloucester was North and slightly East of Bristol. If you were NW of Bristol you'd either be in the Bristol Channel or Wales
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