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New starter - what is your first action to get things going and custys in?

Scottie

Active member
Messages
475
Hi all,

Another question if I may. Hope everyone is well that comes on here.

Well, with help form a few members on here I am virtually ready to kick start my business now as a window cleaner. I have designed my flyers and business cards, found the equipment I need and have a check list of all the things I need to do, but, MONEY, where I left my hell of a job I am low on money and yes it is my thorn in the side at present. So anoying I just want to move on and start.

Anyway, I have everything in place, I have not actioned a thing yet, but want to know what would you advise I do first and so on as I will kick it all off once I get some advice here, if I do get any lol. What order did you do things? did you just advertise and knock doors? or did you have equipment also ready etc...

Do I just go out and flyer and knock doors?

Do I need my web site built up or after?

Do I buy equipment now or when I get custys?

I hope you guys can help, as I dont want to spend loads £££ and I get no custys. I am just stuck at present on what to do and thought I would ask you all.

Thank you in advance and well I would not be at this point now if not for this forum so thanks again.

 
If you haven't got any tools yet, have you even cleaned a window? Because if not, then you are going to have to train yourself up on your own house yet, before you let yourself loose on the customers.

After that I would get a load of your flyers and cards printed and spend hours every day walking the streets dropping them in. If you are confident to canvass then go for that as that really brings people in.

Advertise in a few places. And put up flyers anywhere you can find a spot.

Spend your evening getting good on the squeegee, and make sure you practice on your ladder, as that's a whole new experience. Practice on windows of different sizes and shapes, and don't forget to do a little pole work from awkward angles to simulate above conservatories and porches.

Its all going to happen at once mate, but this is an active job, so if you can build up your fitness walking, and squeegeeing before you start for real, you'll look a lot more professional when you get out there.

Good luck matey.

 
yeah practice and practice more on your own windows until ya confidence and skill grow

you will be slow but thats ok speed will come with experience

everything Tolish said

 
the guys have covered everything , your ladders plenty of practice, dont just put the flyers through the door if you can talk to the

folk and sell yourself more chance of success

if you have drive work hard there will be no problem you will get work

 
Practice on your house and close relatives houses and friends, tell them you are starting and get them on board as paying customers, I started with 4 customers on April the 14th this year now I have 110 customers, this was all done by flyering and word of mouth! I now find that I am getting at least 5 customers a week by people approaching me or phoning me, above all be friendly polite and honest and do a good job!

Good luck matey it will happen, any spare time get out there talking to people and networking, be positive about your business!

All the best!

 
get cracking on - dont delay - if youve quit your job then get that ladder and squeegee etc with no delay. dont fret about websites and flyers until you are sure that this job is to your liking.

if you havent got enough money for a ladder then beg ,borrow or steal one [temporary loan] , you need to be up it on day 1 ,somewhere

 
Last edited:
Hi all,
Another question if I may. Hope everyone is well that comes on here.

Well, with help form a few members on here I am virtually ready to kick start my business now as a window cleaner. I have designed my flyers and business cards, found the equipment I need and have a check list of all the things I need to do, but, MONEY, where I left my hell of a job I am low on money and yes it is my thorn in the side at present. So anoying I just want to move on and start.

Anyway, I have everything in place, I have not actioned a thing yet, but want to know what would you advise I do first and so on as I will kick it all off once I get some advice here, if I do get any lol. What order did you do things? did you just advertise and knock doors? or did you have equipment also ready etc...

Do I just go out and flyer and knock doors?

Do I need my web site built up or after?

Do I buy equipment now or when I get custys?

I hope you guys can help, as I dont want to spend loads £££ and I get no custys. I am just stuck at present on what to do and thought I would ask you all.

Thank you in advance and well I would not be at this point now if not for this forum so thanks again.

First thing to do is a plan; spend as much time as you need preparing this, it only requires a small amount of money to do a detailed plan, setting up and operating a business in year 1, will cost you two hundred times more than the cost of the plan.

The chance of you not getting any customers is not likely to happen, the opposite will happen and as soon as you start to offer a window cleaning service, you will find yourself working, so you do need some equipment.

You don’t need a website; you will need a flyer or business card for when you go door knocking, some customers need more time to make a decision, so you will need to give them something.

 
Get some ladders and tools..knock on doors and as soon as you get a yes say "I'll do em now while I'm here.

Kerching money coming in while looking for more

 
dont panic about weather you will get enough work, you will it will come fast .be organised note pad prices etc

as davey said if they want your service do the work straught away

 
another quick way to set up is to get your local paper to drop your leaflets for you...it isnt cheap but it will cover a large area...its the only way i have canvassed as once you get a couple of jobs usually ..people spot you and you are off..any way good luck..and you will soon be cursing like me cause....you cant get any time off..../emoticons/biggrin.png

 
WOW! Thank you to everyone whom has replied, this has given me such a boost. I have lost alot of confidence over the last year and I wont bore you all with it, so this jump into somthing new has been hard, but I am jobless, I feel free at last but now I need to get a move on as you say. I can not thank you all enough for taking time out to reply, its spot on to hear it form pro's whom say I can achive it etc...

I have done some rather sharp flyers and business cards all ready to go and vista print have a 50% off at mo, so thats my cue I thinks. I have a website and face book being done and I will knock on the doors also or speak to people in the street I am flyering as you all say word of mouth is good. I should be ok as I worked in office work and customer services so I used to selling things and talking in office posh, lol. HATED IT!

I will get the pole and squeegee etc and all that I need to get by and as I earn and get customers I can purchase better equipment and thus perform faster work enabeling me to earn more if I can pack my week out! I have praciced with basic stuff at home and families, but poor tools like cheap pound shop stuff so does not squeegee the window well and leaves water on it lol, but the unger stuff I will buy will work better. I think I will get it in and start to work non stop on my own and families going over and over and maybe offering some of the friends some free cleans to practice and of course they can sign up too lol.

I have taken all the info in. So I assume it correct to buy some equipment in and practice and get my flyers out there after a few a bit of practice and do cleans there and then if I can.

SO:

1) buy equipment

2) flyer and door knock and do all other advertising

3) unsure when to actually register with HMRC, and kick off PLI and car insurance, I suppose as soon as I get first custy?

THANKS all for your amazing help, I will update you all on how it goes and I hope I can come back and thank you for helping me achive this. I feel some people are looking down on me and saying dont do it and its not good pay, but I feel they are so wrong, looking at amount cna earn per house and number of houses I can do in a day, say 12 house or so then I will smash what i earn in the office. I think its a very good job to have and a great way of life, always have, always been jelous of the windys while I am stuck in an office with horrid people whom woudl **** on you form a great hight.

P.S - If my windy at present can do it, then I can as he is awful, misses windows and leaves water marks round all edges, I have to go out and finish it, so if he cna I sure can as I am very committed to getting it right for each custy.

All the best!

 
I'm finding most of my work is coming from facebook the last few weeks, if you want any tips I'll be happy to share.

 
Hi,

I have set up a facebook page now for business use, but I have never used it before facebook, so getting to grips with it. I realise that when looking for it via google, you cna not locate it, so basically the only people whom can find it are those whom have facebok and search for it in the search facility. I am bit confused as people whom dont have FB will not be able to find the page on google to take them there, they have no way of getting in. Bit stuck any advice off someone who knows their sh*t much appriciated.

Thanks

 
Beat thing is to find local swap and sell pages and business pages etc and post your link on their with a quick message

People will see it and you'll get a few jobs

 
Hi,
I have set up a facebook page now for business use, but I have never used it before facebook, so getting to grips with it. I realise that when looking for it via google, you cna not locate it, so basically the only people whom can find it are those whom have facebok and search for it in the search facility. I am bit confused as people whom dont have FB will not be able to find the page on google to take them there, they have no way of getting in. Bit stuck any advice off someone who knows their sh*t much appriciated.

Thanks
Made a post on this http://windowcleaningforums.co.uk/threads/facebook-twitter-tips-and-tricks.13361/

 
Hi Scottie

A lot of what I was going to suggest has been said but a couple of tips.

1). If you have the equipment you need, upgrade it as you go. Once you have made the money, invest in better equipment - never skint yourself. Good equipment will pay for itself (make sure you keep the receipts)!

2) Be thorough. Flyer an area, knock the same area on the next day, knock the rest of the area the next evening. Cover all your ground as the more customers you have in one area, the less petrol you spend and your hourly wage goes through the roof!

3) Don't be scared. Easier said than done but once you knock that first door and speak to that first person, you're sound.

4) Don't get de-motivated. There's going to be days where you aren't as productive but when you get that first customer of the day, you'll feel a new person and you'll pick up a few.

5) Home-made flyers work a treat. Can't recommend them enough.

6) A website is awesome but like your equipment, upgrade to that once you have the income. It's not a must but it helps.

Hope that helps you a bit and good luck with the round Scottie! /emoticons/smile.png

 
Some great sound and very sensible advice there for you Scottie, In fact some I've taken on board myself , Like others have said practice practice and more practice so it becomes second nature to you I really hope your business takes off for you, Just don't undercut yourself to start. All the best mate ...Now get out there and get cleaning.

 
Practice on custys windowsThen you can call it paid training
That's exactly what I did, it used to take me bloody ages to do one house when I first started, at that point I had cleaned my own house and that was it.

Still have the very first customer I got as well, so can't have been that bad lol.

 
Cheers guys, so far not much happening, I am pushing flyers out when its not peeing down with rain, had one customer from 700 flyers, the flyers are good quality and can not diss the lay out, its all well explaind.

I think I need to shift the 2500 in total and see what happens, I am goign to door knock and start in an area and work around it and branch out and keep it tight, best way. Nerves lol but I am going to do loads of it.

I got two customers off facebook on the groups so three custys and all 6 weekly. I had one oen off conny clean that has been done.

Any other tips?

On facebook struggling, can not work out how to message all the people that have liked my page or if you target an area and it will random message people, is there thta facility?

Thanks and cheers Ben for the words.

 

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