Would you startup today knowing what you now know?

[mike007]

I was reluctant to change over from trad to pole even though my body was telling me otherwise. I was a big naysayer at first and found every excuse that wfp was ****, but in the end I woke up and smelt the coffee and swapped overnight and I am now enjoying my job a lot more.

That is less strain, less hours and a better income.

I still think wfp is harder on the body, I wfp tops and Trad bottoms....get more aches from the pole work.

 

[Part Timer]

I still think wfp is harder on the body, I wfp tops and Trad bottoms....get more aches from the pole work.

But what would your aches be humping ladders around and climbing up and down them. The only hard part about WFP is extending the pole and waving it around at height.

 

[dmw]

I still think wfp is harder on the body, I wfp tops and Trad bottoms....get more aches from the pole work.

My upper body copes well, it's the knees with me climbimg ladders and gave me quite a bit of jip.

You've got a good compromise. 

 

[danzlfc]

Hi, I've spent most of the day reading posts here to gain a little understanding of starting a window cleaning business. This forum is full of great info, thanks. I now know a very very small amount and understand the very basics.

I was trained as an electronics engineer and have lots of engineering experience. We also ran our own customer facing businesses for the last 15 years, so marketing, tax, customers etc is all OK.

Anyway back to my question. Would you startup a window cleaning business today if you had the knowledge you have today?

Thanks for any suggestions.

I think it depends what your goals are and how fast you want to achieve them, whether you have the budget to do that or not etc. 
 

For me I had previously worked for an electrician in my teens where I did crazy hours and travelled a lot, worked in an office where I was bored out of my mind, worked in a workshop where I had difficult deadlines to get products made in time, so came to the conclusion I wanted to work for myself on my own terms, I didn’t wanna have to work 5 or more days a week because to me there’s much more to life than working.

Started window cleaning at 21, built up from knocking on doors and didn’t even have a car at the time so had to walk everywhere with my ladders and bucket! I’m 27 now and never looked back, in that time I’ve got married and got on the property ladder, sold our first house and in a decent enough one now that I doubt we will move from again. Whereas I have friends and family that still are in not much better than min wage jobs and living with parents or high pressure jobs that cause stress. I only need to work 3-4 days a week to live comfortable but have plenty of time to do other things, so it’s the perfect job for me really.. but obviously like I say it depends what your goals are and how much time you have, it’s taken me 5-6 years to get to where I want to be and a lot of hard work, but I had no money starting out which made it harder whereas if you can invest that will help.

My main advice from my own experience would be do a top job and charge for it, I used to charge peanuts because I was desperate for work, it’s only in the last couple of years I’ve realised people seem to still say yes at much higher prices if you do a good job and are reliable. 

 

[Davy G]

I still think wfp is harder on the body, I wfp tops and Trad bottoms....get more aches from the pole work.

I doubt if anyone who ever had a mishap with a ladder would agree with that. I'm including a few people I've known down the years and myself in that : ladder slips, falls, one guy stepped off to talk to some buddies on a scaffold beside him. He forgot he was on a ladder. I nearly had my finger de-gloved when I stepped off the second rung of a ladder and my wedding ring got caught in the ridges of a rung. Ring went in to the bone and we had to cut it off with a junior hacksaw before the finger was too swollen. A 4 or 5 hour visit to A&E for stitches followed.

 

[Bwfc]

I would of definitely started sooner. Worked with my brother window cleaning on £25 a day 16 years ago then 2 years later started to build up on my own but problem was didn't like heights so I just did bungalows which for few years was great but when moved out and got married needed more money so that's when the pole came in & money changed double what I could earn in a day as was quicker & could finally do houses. Still got around 10 small bungalows I do trad still which I enjoy

 

[Don Logan]

Started as a window cleaner back in 82 then got a apprenticeship as a printer. I was a printer till 2009, but I knew our days were numbered around 2005. I decided to buy a load of trad gear and start up again along with my job In print. Started family and friends and then went full time around 2009 after redundancy. Starting a window cleaning business 11 years ago to starting one now will be a lot more difficult. I reckon around 75% pack up with in 5 years, round here I have seen loads start up and disappear. I've asked a few when I have run into them why? they all give the same answer I got a better job ,normally they were too cheap couldn't invest and didn't make money. The answer to the original question given what I know now  yes without question, but I would have done things differently from the off.          

 

[ched999uk]

Thanks again for all the replies.

It does appear that if you work hard, are reliable and do a good job then you will be OK. 

I don't need to earn megga money as we don't have a mortgage. Plus normally earn a bit from websites.

I think the safest way is for me to buy a decent backpack or trolley, small water purification system, some barrels and a decent pole and brush, liability insurance, inform car insurance company and give it a go. So probably just risking £6-700 seeing how I get on with it. If all goes OK then go for a van mounted system?

Does that sound mad or a reasonable plan?

 

[Part Timer]

That for sure is the cheapest method to start out. However lugging barrels and filling backpacks is hard work.

 

[ched999uk]

That for sure is the cheapest method to start out. However lugging barrels and filling backpacks is hard work.

You are 100% correct, lugging barrels isn't going to be easy but it's less risky than spending 10K+ on a van and setup for me to find there is not enough work or I'm not up to it ?

Thanks

 

[Don Logan]

I would disagree, spend 10k on a van and around 5-7k on a good van mount including poles hose reel and trad gear and then your serious about what your doing . Your wasting your time doing what your suggesting because if you get cheesed off one day its easy to sling it in. Spend money as a investment and you have to make it work. Doing the way your saying mate is half hearted, make the investment, or stick to what you know.  Good luck.

 

[Clearview Lee]

Thanks again for all the replies.

It does appear that if you work hard, are reliable and do a good job then you will be OK. 

I don't need to earn megga money as we don't have a mortgage. Plus normally earn a bit from websites.

I think the safest way is for me to buy a decent backpack or trolley, small water purification system, some barrels and a decent pole and brush, liability insurance, inform car insurance company and give it a go. So probably just risking £6-700 seeing how I get on with it. If all goes OK then go for a van mounted system?

Does that sound mad or a reasonable plan?

I started out with nothing - but what I did have is the passion in me to absolutely know it would absolutely 100% definitely work out for me. Aim as high as you can go, that's my advice. You'll enjoy the journey more. Working off backpacks on a daily basis does not sound fun at all. You have to enjoy your work and want to get up and get out there. You're your own boss here, how do you see yourself in the world??

 

[ched999uk]

I would disagree, spend 10k on a van and around 5-7k on a good van mount including poles hose reel and trad gear and then your serious about what your doing . Your wasting your time doing what your suggesting because if you get cheesed off one day its easy to sling it in. Spend money as a investment and you have to make it work. Doing the way your saying mate is half hearted, make the investment, or stick to what you know.  Good luck.

Cheers.

I get what you are saying and to a certain degree I agree that a proper van setup looks a lot more professional as well.  I don't have a problem investing money into a startup at all.

The problem I have is if I can't get enough business to make a living I have spent a lot of money. I wasn't intending on using car and backpack type setup for long. Just long enough to see if I can get customers. Maybe a month or 2 at most. It would also allow me to work out what works for me and what doesn't.  There is so much kit around and lots of helpful advice on here without a bit of hands on experience knowing what I don't know is difficult ?

 

[ched999uk]

I started out with nothing - but what I did have is the passion in me to absolutely know it would absolutely 100% definitely work out for me. Aim as high as you can go, that's my advice. You'll enjoy the journey more. Working off backpacks on a daily basis does not sound fun at all. You have to enjoy your work and want to get up and get out there. You're your own boss here, how do you see yourself in the world??

Cheers.

We ran holiday apartments for the last 15 years, so being our own boss is normal for us. I do enjoy learning new stuff, I'm a bit of a nerd that way. I read lots and watch youtube vids (some better than others) to try and understand things but there is nothing like really doing the job. Marketing should be OK as I run about 50 websites that I built. Social media I not great at. Customer facing I OK at too. I am also fine with routine repeatable stuff.

I think if it were just my head I would buy a van and all the kit but my partner is more hold on that's a lot of money to spend without knowing if it will pay off. She is a good moderating influence on me ?

 

[Martyn]

Your plans sounds o.k to me, only thing I would suggest depending on your car is that if you could strap a small tank in the car and use that to fill the backpack it would make life a lot easier.

 

[ched999uk]

Your plans sounds o.k to me, only thing I would suggest depending on your car is that if you could strap a small tank in the car and use that to fill the backpack it would make life a lot easier.

Cheers. I was intending to use a 12v submersible pump to transfer from barrel to backpack. I have seen 125 litre tanks which might fit in the boot and isn't too heavy. It would make accessing the spare difficult if it were full! 

We have a Honda Civic so rear seats fold up giving more floor space maybe enough for 4 x 25 lts drums, then 2 more in boot with other kit.

Don't worry I will strap things down be they barrels or a small tank. I have some decent 2 ton ratchet straps OK so built in tie downs not up to that so will have to strengthen those.

Certainly something to think about, thanks.

 

[Iron Giant]

Cheers. I was intending to use a 12v submersible pump to transfer from barrel to backpack. I have seen 125 litre tanks which might fit in the boot and isn't too heavy. It would make accessing the spare difficult if it were full! 

We have a Honda Civic so rear seats fold up giving more floor space maybe enough for 4 x 25 lts drums, then 2 more in booth with other kit.

Don't worry I will strap things down be they barrels or a small tank. I have some decent 2 ton ratchet straps OK so built in tie downs not up to that so will have to strengthen those.

Certainly something to think about, thanks.

A 125litres of water is 125kg so heavy enough to move and kill you, barrels in foot wells would be somewhat better although not ideal.

 

[Part Timer]

A 125litres of water is 125kg so heavy enough to move and kill you, barrels in foot wells would be somewhat better although not ideal.

That would be like having me sitting behind you not strapped in ?

 

[ched999uk]

I would strap them down with decent ratchet straps. I realise that the weight is dangerous if not properly secured.

Thanks for the warnings.

 

[Iron Giant]

That would be like having me sitting behind you not strapped in ?

I'd make you sit behind the passenger seat area as the front seat would have to be removed to fit you in ?

 

[mike007]

You are 100% correct, lugging barrels isn't going to be easy but it's less risky than spending 10K+ on a van and setup for me to find there is not enough work or I'm not up to it ?

Thanks

If you go the barrel route, simple thing like only filling them just over half full makes a huge difference in the weight your handling. Course you will need more barrels.