What customer numbers is classed as good round

[Clisty1989]

Going back to the OP, I've found in my experience that the magic number is 100 a month. At that point assuming you have a minimum charge of £10 you'll be making £1000+ a month, and then more often then not work will start coming to you through walk-ups and referrals. Obviously this is a long long way off full (3-400 is easily doable a month) but it's the point where windows pays more than a minimum wage job.

 

[Dane]

Going back to the OP, I've found in my experience that the magic number is 100 a month. At that point assuming you have a minimum charge of £10 you'll be making £1000+ a month, and then more often then not work will start coming to you through walk-ups and referrals. Obviously this is a long long way off full (3-400 is easily doable a month) but it's the point where windows pays more than a minimum wage job.

Back to the topic I would second this. Just to give the best possible answer to your question as possible (which as already mentioned) is difficult given the many different factors up and down the country or individual to individual. Get 100 and you have a “foundation” to go down whichever route you like, whether that’s more windows or add ons.

Dane

Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Forums

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I don't think you all understand the philosophy of starting a new business. Most folk jack it in, in the first year or two. When you set out with high hopes and try and get as many customers as you can is ok but what if the custom isn't there? One becomes demoralized and gives up when the bills mount up. Much better to buy a small round and build it up. I'm talking to the housing association regarding the cleaning contract. From small acorns large oak trees are made slowly through time. 

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

It is all about the core business once you have a decent enough number of window cleaning customers then you have an immediate target audience for when you want to start pushing driveway cleaning gutter cleaning and other add-on services, if you go the other way around and you start by just pressure washing or just gutter cleaning it takes you longer to build up a good strong regular core customer base because most of these jobs are annual or bi annual opposed to monthly or bi-monthly like the window cleaning side. With a window cleaning round of 200 300 or even 400 customers a month you have an immediate marketing base to ask would you like your gutters cleaned this month?  A lot easier to pick up add-ons from existing customers as opposed to looking for 1 off odd jobs which really is what you're doing if you clean gutters for somebody who is not a regular customer then you're just doing odd jobs so to speak but if you're doing them for your regular customers only then they are add-ons

 

[P4dstar]

Theres alot to learn with regard to how to clean stuff quickly, but there's not much to the fundamental principal of cleaning a window or clearing out a gutter.  You can do it with the most basic of tools and knowledge.  So while you're starting out, why not offer every service you can?  It gets you out there earning and building your reputation in the community.  Also, I've picked up many window cleaning customers by doing the add ons well for them.

If your end game is to build a window cleaning only business, and you have the luxury of being able to finance yourself to support yourself to achieve this then that's good for you!

In my experience add ons are a pain in the ar5e. Too easy to price them wrong. If you're not skilled in doing the job then it takes you longer and you won't necessarily do as good a job as the professionals so to speak.

We live in very very similar areas only a few miles apart. In 18 months you've gone to 2 operators. Hopefully i'll not be far behind you. Perhaps things have gone differently for me because of how I started part time with a full time job. I advertised all of the above and would have taken any job on. I have a £400 300HP pressure washer gathering dust in the garage because people only really wanted window cleaning. The gutter vac was a good investment but I don't feel I would be in a different place had I not offered pressure washing.

 

[P4dstar]

I don't think you all understand the philosophy of starting a new business. Most folk jack it in, in the first year or two. When you set out with high hopes and try and get as many customers as you can is ok but what if the custom isn't there? One becomes demoralized and gives up when the bills mount up. Much better to buy a small round and build it up. I'm talking to the housing association regarding the cleaning contract. From small acorns large oak trees are made slowly through time. 

You're entitled to your opinion dude but you're wrong. Some of the guys on here already run successful businesses and without sounding arrogant I feel I can say I am well on my way to joining them. If in 18 months I had 1 weeks worth of work I would have given up long ago.

This is not a bit of fun for me. I am working hard to provide for my family. I want to pay for my kids to go through university, Buy a house, put food on the table etc etc etc. You're circumstances are different which is cool but the point we were making is your advice is not relevant to someone who has a wage to replace like the OP.

There is an element of patience required with building a round no one is disagreeing with that but in 18 months you've only picked up a weeks work. Yes things may take off for you and I truly hope they do but your way of working is not suited to the OP. You spend 4k was it on a pressure washer but you still don't have a WFP? The honest point people were making is that you comment for the sake of commenting. I've said it before but above your name it says Guru so newbies to the site who don't know you will take your advice as gospel sometimes. I know Garwood has ripped you for months for commenting on everything going, I even ripped you myself when you commented on a post that literally had the title Anyone in Bournemouth or something.

This site IMHO is the best place to get advice on how to become a window cleaner in the UK. The guys on here have helped me no end. When you post something you have no experience with such as WFP or getting 200+ customers you need to think of the impact your comments may have on the person taking the advice. You are waiting for something to fall into your lap like the housing association. If you needed to have a good solid income you would be looking at this completely differently.

 

[Stedon]

You're entitled to your opinion dude but you're wrong. Some of the guys on here already run successful businesses and without sounding arrogant I feel I can say I am well on my way to joining them. If in 18 months I had 1 weeks worth of work I would have given up long ago.

This is not a bit of fun for me. I am working hard to provide for my family. I want to pay for my kids to go through university, Buy a house, put food on the table etc etc etc. You're circumstances are different which is cool but the point we were making is your advice is not relevant to someone who has a wage to replace like the OP.

There is an element of patience required with building a round no one is disagreeing with that but in 18 months you've only picked up a weeks work. Yes things may take off for you and I truly hope they do but your way of working is not suited to the OP. You spend 4k was it on a pressure washer but you still don't have a WFP? The honest point people were making is that you comment for the sake of commenting. I've said it before but above your name it says Guru so newbies to the site who don't know you will take your advice as gospel sometimes. I know Garwood has ripped you for months for commenting on everything going, I even ripped you myself when you commented on a post that literally had the title Anyone in Bournemouth or something.

This site IMHO is the best place to get advice on how to become a window cleaner in the UK. The guys on here have helped me no end. When you post something you have no experience with such as WFP or getting 200+ customers you need to think of the impact your comments may have on the person taking the advice. You are waiting for something to fall into your lap like the housing association. If you needed to have a good solid income you would be looking at this completely differently.

Some really decent living people on here a great help ?

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I have a WFP slx 27 and two backpacks. I am an avid reader on this site and take in what everyone says. I have spent about 10 grand this year on stuff for my cleaning business. I just fail to understand how one can get 200 customers in 6 months if the customers are just not there? Maybe I an missing something, that's why I tell newbies to canvass a new estate because no one will be in it

 

[P4dstar]

I have a WFP slx 27 and two backpacks. I am an avid reader on this site and take in what everyone says. I have spent about 10 grand this year on stuff for my cleaning business. I just fail to understand how one can get 200 customers in 6 months if the customers are just not there? Maybe I an missing something, that's why I tell newbies to canvass a new estate because no one will be in it

I'm just going on what you say ?‍

 

[P4dstar]

I don't understand why the customers are not there. @Green Pro Clean Ltd offers a lead generation service. You can put out 600-800 leaflets alone in a day which should return 1-2% which is 6-8 customers per day. Build a FB page and get people to like and share. I have an army of customers that recommend me every time someone asks for a windy in my area which is great. They recommend me to friends and family. In one week I picked up 42 customers. Had I kept everyone on the books this year I would be close to 400 customers but I dropped the bad ones as I went along. I left my job in April with 45 customers, I passed 250 customers a little while back and i'm heading towards 300. Different areas and all that but the work is there. You yourself constantly tell us how this is a growing industry?

With regards to canvassing new estates, do you not think every windy is thinking the same? I remember a post where either Iron Giant or Spruce said about how those estates are constantly swamped with windies canvassing. Why hit a ''new area'' why not just canvass where you already work and build a bigger compact round instead.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I will only use my WFP when I get a tank fitted. I only use it with the backpacks for my pvc cleans. Will now go for a twin hot water system rather than a cold system in the future. My problem is that I do things methodically and I seem to upset some people with it. Happened all my life so I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Den]

Here’s me wanting to reduce my round sick too death of struggling to complete each day too much work and that’s two of us ?

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Here’s me wanting to reduce my round sick too death of struggling to complete each day too much work and that’s two of us ?

You end up just burning yourself out.

 

[Iron Giant]

I don't understand why the customers are not there. @Green Pro Clean Ltd offers a lead generation service. You can put out 600-800 leaflets alone in a day which should return 1-2% which is 6-8 customers per day. Build a FB page and get people to like and share. I have an army of customers that recommend me every time someone asks for a windy in my area which is great. They recommend me to friends and family. In one week I picked up 42 customers. Had I kept everyone on the books this year I would be close to 400 customers but I dropped the bad ones as I went along. I left my job in April with 45 customers, I passed 250 customers a little while back and i'm heading towards 300. Different areas and all that but the work is there. You yourself constantly tell us how this is a growing industry?

With regards to canvassing new estates, do you not think every windy is thinking the same? I remember a post where either Iron Giant or Spruce said about how those estates are constantly swamped with windies canvassing. Why hit a ''new area'' why not just canvass where you already work and build a bigger compact round instead.

New estates are like the proverbial honeypot a large combined development I clean on I have a solid 5 days work and that's only a slice of it there are another 5 lads that I know of, as you well know time waits for no man and you have done exceptionally well mate to build a regular client base of close to 300 in 18 months ?

As for the rest ?? 

 

[Part Timer]

I will only use my WFP when I get a tank fitted. I only use it with the backpacks for my pvc cleans. Will now go for a twin hot water system rather than a cold system in the future. My problem is that I do things methodically and I seem to upset some people with it. Happened all my life so I wouldn't worry about it.

What I read into your position, forgive me if I'm wrong, is that you have either an income from a pension / investment or a significant sum put to one side. No one is knocking you for this, rightly so, but you are actively telling people that NEED to earn money not to rush. There are probably quite a few on here that would like, one day, to be in your position of being able to spend thousands on a bit of kit that they "might" get some work from. Unfortunately the "newbies" haven't got £15k to buy a decent van and install a 2 man hot water system in it.

 

[P4dstar]

New estates are like the proverbial honeypot a large combined development I clean on I have a solid 5 days work and that's only a slice of it there are another 5 lads that I know of, as you well know time waits for no man and you have done exceptionally well mate to build a regular client base of close to 300 in 18 months ?

As for the rest ?? 

450 and someone working with me by the end of next year. Thats the plan. This time next year Rodders ?

 

[scottish cleaning service]

What I read into your position, forgive me if I'm wrong, is that you have either an income from a pension / investment or a significant sum put to one side. No one is knocking you for this, rightly so, but you are actively telling people that NEED to earn money not to rush. There are probably quite a few on here that would like, one day, to be in your position of being able to spend thousands on a bit of kit that they "might" get some work from. Unfortunately the "newbies" haven't got £15k to buy a decent van and install a 2 man hot water system in it.

Yes a lot of my mates were now wishing they had invested in a pension. I still have a mortgage so I can just get by without working. The answer to wealth is "many streams of income" and even better if the mortgage is paid off. I just think the easiest way into this business is to buy a round. In 2013 I began recycling and spent thousands on van and website and the rest. A Year later oil priced collapsed and so did my recycling. It was a sore one to take because I had so much faith in it and put in a lot of effort for 0. The ironic thing about it is this. At the time my old windy cleaner was retiring and wanted me to buy his round for £8 grand. I discussed it with my mother and she ridiculed me for being a windy cleaner so I declined his offer and set up the recycling. Then my mum and brother suggested a man and van. I think I lasted 6 months with that headache and went on to building fences. This was actually good and enjoyable but its only seasonal. Then by accident I started window cleaning and its growing on its own without any help from me. Its all to do with supply and demand. I think next year will be a good year for me but I only work in a 500m radius for window cleaning. The add-ons I can travel 10 miles or so.

 

[Den]

450 and someone working with me by the end of next year. Thats the plan. This time next year Rodders ?

If that’s what you want and your goal then I honestly wish you the very best. I’m really lucky and have my son full time with me we both just get on with without any of us giving a thought works great. But there is a but I personally want to slow down maybe do 3 or 4 days a week and he wants to work full time flat out yes he his young at 33 so I’m thinking of handing over the majority to him keeping just enough for myself and both going our separate ways. 

 

[steve garwood]

Here’s me wanting to reduce my round sick too death of struggling to complete each day too much work and that’s two of us ?

I’ve been in this position for a while now.

I became good mates with a fellow local windie who’s younger than me and wants to build his round.

Any potential new customers now, I just bell him, he prices for it and pays me two cleans.

I mainly do affluent areas, so I’m regularly meeting up with him to collect 60-80 quids for doing bugger all.

Might be worth thinking about ?

 

[Den]

I’ve been in this position for a while now.

I became good mates with a fellow local windie who’s younger than me and wants to build his round.

Any potential new customers now, I just bell him, he prices for it and pays me two cleans.

I mainly do affluent areas, so I’m regularly meeting up with him to collect 60-80 quids for doing bugger all.

Might be worth thinking about ?

I have been passing work onto a couple of windies that are out of my area they just give me a drink one of them is a son of a very old friend I could easy sell the leads on even too them both and defo worth a serious consideration ? for the future. 

Personally I know I could build my business easily a couple more vans wi5hin a year just I don’t want the hag would be quite happy now days working alone 9.00 to 2.00ish four days a week relatively stress free ? you know what I mean as I’m nearly as old as you ? and we aren’t half as old as @Part Timer ?

 

[Part Timer]

don’t want the hag would be quite happy now days working alone 9.00 to 2.00ish four days a

About what this old man is doing now ?