What would you do differently if you were starting afresh again?

So my recent romancing over starting again on the glass got me thinking.

What would you do differently if you we're starting again from scratch, new business etc.

Thought it might be interesting for those who are now starting in the business. Maybe help them out and and help them skip some mistakes etc.

With all the things you've learned, mistakes you've made etc what would you do differently?

Not invite frank is a given /emoticons/wink.png

Would buy a decent van straighaway bought a cheap combo van had to put LOTS of money in it to make it serviceable and in the end decided to sell as outgrown it fairly quickly anyway. So if going wfp buy as big and as new van and equipment as you can afford.

well....er....I would like to increase my original quotes...bearing in mind...if you quote low...the custy loves to keep you to that price..

mind you now....me got the blue one in my mind so I always smurf new jobs..

got one today on the moby...are you a window cleaner...? er well I am up the feckin ladder and Ive just soaped up the window and its er very warm and well yes you could say...

how much for an extended semi..?

I mean what the feck...that could be...an extended semi or ...an extended semi ...I MEAN...it could mean anything...

er...I will get back to you on that....

text me your address and number..

and now look at the feckin mess on that window...

see what you mean boar..yeh...any none payers out there boar knows what to do...

so I WILL re soap that one...

the phone is obviously set to ring in the most awkward places...its never on the ground..

and then...cheapie is quite proud of his henry ford method of work ..weather permitting of course...

so he soaps up all four windows on a bay..

he gets mr squeegee to wipe em clean..

just the detailing to do then...

and yes sandra wants a conversation...

all I could think of...is DETAILING....its too late now.....

yeh ..i JUST did em again...:rofl:

but she does a good brew does sandra..

and hey you cant laugh at a fiver for a semi..

well okay maybe..

I would practice my pricing more.. I really undercharged.. mainly because I was scared they would say no, take a while to learn the pricing even now sometimes you get it wrong.

Don't think you can do 50 houses a day.

Start with a cheap trolley water fed pole system or backpack until you know your happy with the window cleaning before investing in a van system. Also take the time to learn the water fed pole method works

Agree with cheap - I priced too low when I first started and have had to go through the process of increasing prices. I didn't lose any customers (that I know of!) but the whole palava of doing it is a proper ball ache. It's all in the head......

'What if they say thanks but no thanks........and start shouting......and then I will have no customers......and it's winter........and we'll run out of food.......become homeless.......all because I raised their prices by two quid.......'

But in reality they just went

'Yeah no probs buddy - see ya next month /emoticons/smile.png '

Think there might be a theme developing here...........

Ha yeah I think it's one of the biggest things. Everyone quotes low when they start.

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I canhonestly saythat theres hardly any regrets to how I did things for my windowclean business. I made most of my mistakes already with my handyman business so I felt like a pro after just a few months lol. I should have invested more time and money in advertising and worked a lot harder to build my round in the early days as it would enable me to take on an employee right now, but I've been caning the leaflet dropping this week with all the **** weather we've had. When I started with the windows I had no idea how good it was going to be, so I didnt give it the attention is deserves, but I'm getting focused with the employer mindset now, just need a bigger round to give the bloke plenty of work or its pointless.

Nice one. Yeah I guess if you have had a similar type business before then you have similar sorts of skills and know how already.

For me I think I would have done the same re advertising etc. I could have pushed and tried a lot harder and maybe I may not have had to quit it at the time.

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Yep, same as. Quote on the higher end. Think of a number and add five quid.

Yep, same as. Quote on the higher end. Think of a number and add five quid.

Click to expand...

Ha I used to do that near the end. When I got better at pulling a figure quicker or if I thought they would pay well would think of a price and then think hhmm let's add a few quid to that.

I would have concentrated hard on a high ranking website, other than that, nothing else!

Edit - actually I would have added more services sooner, especially pressure washing, and probably got my branding done sooner.

Stayed on me own. To much hassle employing someone. Had last 2 days on me Todd & loved it.

ahhh the blue one ....me miss you bro....the smurf effect..

he was very wise to be honest..

an awful lot is in the mind...

but then again...its just like poker...

if you have a good hand you can be a cocky barsteward and go for a good price

but a weak hand ...DONT LET EM KNOW..

yes its always hard in the beginning..thankfully cheapie is on the road now...

I recently took a look at a bungalow...

and all ready cheapie didnt like the fact ...it was on the edge of his area and...

you cant get in unless someones there ..now as you know cheapie doesnt like :specs

and the guy was stood there as he looked around so he just said ...

£30 ....

got a text later ...he had the job....

but when he turned up although really quite dirty it didnt look as bad as he first thought and he felt guilty....so he said ...okay at £20 first clean

£10 normally..well ...no ladders ..walk around...easy peasy..

and then she said...oh suppose its the same for inside..

yeh ..but how do i tell her...nope...as Ive seen the insides..

yes its hard at times...

so what does she tell me this time?

Ive just been diagnosed with melanoma the worst kind of skin cancer..

dont really know what to say to that..

still dodged the inside so far though...

re the post....probs not a lot....but I would listen to the wise words of the blue one regards h and s as ....life is short....and I dont think money is worth the risk of making it shorter...

Cheap! Stop being cheap!

yep your right jake but....

some one has to fill that gap...

anyway a fiver is a fiver but then again ...

its not quite the fiver it used to be at £4,10 a pint...

yeh jake your right I aint so cheap any more..:rofl:

ye gods a fiver used to buy me and the missus two pints and two packets of quavers and still change.

oh cheapie getting old...

You don't need to be the one filling the gap...

Your worth more!

I wouldn't change how i started up both times

I do regret selling my london round sometimes though although 40 minutes each way don't appeal to me

yep me regret in a way selling all my top work..

but I do admit I found it hard to put up prices which is mainly why I sold it ..

even today its so much easier to pop a price through the door and they phone you or they dont.../emoticons/biggrin.png

but ....looking at the rival windies around here...not saying anything but...there not young and...when they do finally hang up their shammy or whatever..cheapie will gladly step in....and smurf the price somewhat...

But you're ancient too aren't you Dave

Well older than me anyway

I wouldn't have sold all of my commercial work 10 years ago to go back to engineering. Took me at least 12 months to get back to a stable income, and still needs work every now and then to maintain.

I'd also bring parity to my pricing, I have still got jobs next door to each other, exactly the same houses that are differently priced, one at £15 and one at £22.