In a pickle

Hi all.

I work Monday to Friday in a office. And on weekends I work doing my windows. Just don’t know how I can go full time on the window cleaning without paying a Canvassing company. I can’t go part time in my current role. Just thought I’d ask what other people would do or have done in this situation. All advice is welcome.

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IF youre planning on leaving in the very near future to take up window cleaning full time, could you perhaps take a week (or two) as holiday from work and spend it canvassing the areas you want to work? At least then you would know if it is viable to switch by the reception you get.

BlueClearChoice said:

Hi all.

I work Monday to Friday in a office. And on weekends I work doing my windows. Just don’t know how I can go full time on the window cleaning without paying a Canvassing company. I can’t go part time in my current role. Just thought I’d ask what other people would do or have done in this situation. All advice is welcome.

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I’m in a similar situation. Except I haven’t actually started a round yet. I’m intending to got part time with my office job when I get enough customers though.

BlueClearChoice said:

Hi all.

I work Monday to Friday in a office. And on weekends I work doing my windows. Just don’t know how I can go full time on the window cleaning without paying a Canvassing company. I can’t go part time in my current role. Just thought I’d ask what other people would do or have done in this situation. All advice is welcome.

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If you have 2 full days on the glass I would hope you would be somewhere close to your office wage. If you can have 6 months of not touching your window money this should build a cash buffer to enable you to go at it full time. Keeping your fingers out of the till will be hard to do though.

Robt100 said:

IF youre planning on leaving in the very near future to take up window cleaning full time, could you perhaps take a week (or two) as holiday from work and spend it canvassing the areas you want to work? At least then you would know if it is viable to switch by the reception you get.

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I have thought long and hard about this. Maybe if I took a week of work to Canvass then the week after I could clean them.

Only other option I can think of is paying 3 times for a canvasser while I’m still working where I am. Just don’t like the fact paying for canvassing.


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Part Timer said:

If you have 2 full days on the glass I would hope you would be somewhere close to your office wage. If you can have 6 months of not touching your window money this should build a cash buffer to enable you to go at it full time. Keeping your fingers out of the till will be hard to do though.

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I have 3 full Saturdays at the minute. But it’s not close for me to quit my job just yet. I really wish it was.


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BlueClearChoice said:

I have 3 full Saturdays at the minute. But it’s not close for me to quit my job just yet. I really wish it was.

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If I were you I would continue doing what you're doing and canvass weekends when you're not busy. When you have 2 full days you then have a choice to make. I appreciate working 7 days a week isn't much fun, I personally would have Sunday morning off, but if this saves you paying for a canvasser and gets you in this full time then that is what you might need to do to achieve it. I would still bank your window cleaning money, if possible, and when you have saved enough to live on for 6 months go full time.

The problem with paying for canvassing is 

1. they are usually busy so will need to book well in advance

2. Canvassed work can be very fickle and you will lose customers after 1 or 2 cleans and canvassers never get the work you would want yourself as they are just getting the numbers you asked for

The only good thing is it gets you into an area and seen working

Much better if you can get the work yourself

BlueClearChoice said:

I have thought long and hard about this. Maybe if I took a week of work to Canvass then the week after I could clean them.

Only other option I can think of is paying 3 times for a canvasser while I’m still working where I am. Just don’t like the fact paying for canvassing.


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I have 3 full Saturdays at the minute. But it’s not close for me to quit my job just yet. I really wish it was.


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Have you looked into how much canvassing is? I’ve wondered how much they charge.

You can’t to be honest. You have to take a leap of faith. Working part time you have a chance.
You could build a round on evenings and weekends and then subby it out every month. Once the round is big enough for to pay your wage start doing it yourself.
Youl need to find a local window cleaner who’s up for the deal though it’s not a hard sell


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BlueClearChoice said:

Hi all.

I work Monday to Friday in a office. And on weekends I work doing my windows. Just don’t know how I can go full time on the window cleaning without paying a Canvassing company. I can’t go part time in my current role. Just thought I’d ask what other people would do or have done in this situation. All advice is welcome.

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Why can't you go part-time? Have you asked?

The other option is to get as much window cleaning work as possible, then hand in your notice, find a part-time job (in Tesco or somewhere), where you do get a guaranteed part-time income but also where you'll have enough time to build up your window cleaning business.

Agree with the above post. Look for a part time job and work around those hours.

I got a job in a warehouse and did 5.30am-12.30pm then worked window cleaning after. It was pretty much full time pay with the best part of the day still to be seen cleaning and building up the round.

If you keep an eye out the opportunities are out there.


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ksp said:

Agree with the above post. Look for a part time job and work around those hours.

I got a job in a warehouse and did 5.30am-12.30pm then worked window cleaning after. It was pretty much full time pay with the best part of the day still to be seen cleaning and building up the round.

If you keep an eye out the opportunities are out there.


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Good hustling

Well done


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Maybe purchase a round of you have any savings? Or of an evening just canvass online via Facebook and a website should bring in some customers.

Good luck!

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Dave B said:

The problem with paying for canvassing is 

1. they are usually busy so will need to book well in advance

2. Canvassed work can be very fickle and you will lose customers after 1 or 2 cleans and canvassers never get the work you would want yourself as they are just getting the numbers you asked for

The only good thing is it gets you into an area and seen working

Much better if you can get the work yourself

Click to expand...

I agree, it's dead money IMHO, whether its canvassing or lead generation there ain't no guarantees moving forward and just don't think a sustainable round can be built, It's like Ringtons tea company they get a sales guy to go out canvassing people sign up because of the patter but soon ditch them I have seen it multiple times and done it myself.

I did this about 18 yrs ago. I wanted to get back into window Cleaning so I booked 2 weeks hol.spent the fortnight canvassing. Got enough work. Went back to work my weeks notice and left. Never looked back. Was a bit of a leap of faith tho cos I was earning less initially, but once you start you pick up plenty of work.

I jumped ship from a £35k job to this in April. Paddy’s quote of the week “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!!”

Probably not the time of year to go full time, unless you do gutters too then maybe.

If I were you I would be looking for a job on nights, come home and sleep it off and then get out cleaning. Even train yourself to sleep in the afternoon or early evening if you can, that would free up the entire day. Although you’re more likely to find people at home in the morning. Use every resource available, chapping doors doesn’t work for everyone but if they’re not home you can leave a leaflet. Use social media... the list is endless.

Darren from Green Pro has a lead generation service. I can’t tag him as I’m using an old version of the app but that would certainly be cheaper and better than a canvassing company!


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