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Start ups appearing by the dozen

Incheck

Well-known member
Messages
1,739
Location
Cardiff
Has anyone else noticed a whopping increase in the number of start ups in their area the last few weeks? Must be as a result of job losses and nowhere else to turn i imagine. I’ve noticed at least a dozen new window cleaning/pressure washing companies advertising in Cardiff, kind of predicted an increase but this is crazy ? 

 
Nope not seen a single newbie, they will come and go anyway as we all know people see our services as an easy job and easy money different ball game altogether running a business and getting no paid holidays.

 
There’s one currently knocking around where I work.

Ive nothing against this, until one of my customers informed me he is asking how much I charge. 
 

This is crossing the line as far as I’m concerned. Now I’m looking forward to bumping into him ?

 
Not seen any around here yet, but will be paying attention to see if I can spot any now ? (not that it's a problem, new start ups welcome of course, as long as they don't use dirty tricks to get customers)

 
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Lots of new vans in my area lots of unsign ritten i call them the stelf wc they are the new breed who like to stay under the radar and sneak around it got me thinking about my van as its very bold and any one van goigle me on fb ect and see what im up to 

 
With everyone being at home then they are taking advantage of it. First sign a recession is beginning, I lost one customer to a guy charging half my price. Once they get a lot of customers all they do is bump the price up because you can't take half an hour and charge £6 unless on benefits. I would be happy if they took some of my moaners but they know I wouldn't have them back.

 
None noticed in my area. I think as we have quite a few window cleaners here already, anyone thinking of starting up would probably think that there wouldn't be any more work for them out there?; although of course there are plenty more potential customers ???

 
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Gardeners are probably having same conversation, I saw someone walking down the street with a strummer,obviously going from one job to other, unless they were just being neighbourly?

 
I've so far noticed one company start up round my way. One of my customers showed me their leaflet. If anything windies have been packing in around here. Charging ridiculous prices and they wonder why they give up. In the 6 years I've been doing this I've never been so busy and backlogged. Not complaining though. 

 
We have have had one new one around here that supposedly has '12 years experience' but everything about his business screams scam and uninsured... Terrifies me that he'll hurt someone or cause some serious damage. Think it's about 6 quid for a bungalow... I'd be charging almost 3 times that!

Also tried to copy me with supporting the NHS. I have given a load of free cleans away locally. Now this newbie says he is 'donating' anything above minimum wage from each job to the NHS... Obviously saw how much engagement and exposure I ended up getting.

Not that I'm fussed at all, I've never been busier. I haven't got a single space available for the next 3 weeks... Another couple of months and I reckon I'll be at my round target. I've added about 10k per year during this pandemic! 6k of it from www.xyzgen.co.uk from leads.

 
We have have had one new one around here that supposedly has '12 years experience' but everything about his business screams scam and uninsured... Terrifies me that he'll hurt someone or cause some serious damage. Think it's about 6 quid for a bungalow... I'd be charging almost 3 times that!

Also tried to copy me with supporting the NHS. I have given a load of free cleans away locally. Now this newbie says he is 'donating' anything above minimum wage from each job to the NHS... Obviously saw how much engagement and exposure I ended up getting.

Not that I'm fussed at all, I've never been busier. I haven't got a single space available for the next 3 weeks... Another couple of months and I reckon I'll be at my round target. I've added about 10k per year during this pandemic! 6k of it from www.xyzgen.co.uk from leads.
He won't last long charging those rates. Someone like that will eventually realise that it really isn't worth it. Some people like to pay those kind of prices for a clean, but they aren't the ones worth having on a round. And, as soon as the weather changes from the  continued sunshine he will give up all of a sudden.  

 
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I saw three on a 5 minute drive to the range this morning. 2 of them unsigned vans the 3rd one I’ve never seen before.

I also saw the new van of someone else who I’d seen just started spamming the local Facebook pages last week. 

 
Has anyone else noticed a whopping increase in the number of start ups in their area the last few weeks? Must be as a result of job losses and nowhere else to turn i imagine. I’ve noticed at least a dozen new window cleaning/pressure washing companies advertising in Cardiff, kind of predicted an increase but this is crazy ? 
Why tell lies 

 
I have seen a couple advertise constantly on local FB selling sites but not seen them out cleaning.

There is so much work out there for everyone I am really not bothered about potential competition. 

 
I don't do Facebook business or personal, but I see a fair bit of FB stuff out there and it's full of newbie window cleaners posting pictures of them and their smiley faced families and children trying to catch the wholesome family image of nice guys cleaning glass, it's not my cup of tea but perhaps that's the way it's moving?

 
I don't do Facebook business or personal, but I see a fair bit of FB stuff out there and it's full of newbie window cleaners posting pictures of them and their smiley faced families and children trying to catch the wholesome family image of nice guys cleaning glass, it's not my cup of tea but perhaps that's the way it's moving?
I do both although personal I am fully locked down in terms of privacy no picture of myself as for business it's been going this way for years to gain business and has worked really well for me I have picked up 100's of decent now long term custys via FB and the work keeps on coming in through recommendations on residents pages were people recommend me. 

 
I don't do Facebook business or personal, but I see a fair bit of FB stuff out there and it's full of newbie window cleaners posting pictures of them and their smiley faced families and children trying to catch the wholesome family image of nice guys cleaning glass, it's not my cup of tea but perhaps that's the way it's moving?
I know a windy on facebook - met him at my local spotless filling station before they lifted it and abandoned us.. Nice guy he also does the family photos thing on facebook but having met him, spent half hour talking, comparing gear etc.. he's a legit fella really making a good go of it. He's also incredibly busy. He has a gutter vac and i said i'd pass any gutter cleaning jobs onto him as long as he didn't nick my window work lol. Last time i had a job for him i run him up and he said he'd struggle to get to it as he was so busy but would do his best to get to it within the next 3 weeks.

Then there's me.. not a facebook user and not overly busy (kind of a blessing given my recent gearbox failure!)

On the original point my area is completely saturated with windys anyway so any newcomers probably won't last long. It's tough round here picking up custys and i met another windy a while back at my weekend job who literally said "don't bother with the villages mate i've got them all stitched up". 

 
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I know a windy on facebook - met him at my local spotless filling station before they lifted it and abandoned us.. Nice guy he also does the family photos thing on facebook but having met him, spent half hour talking, comparing gear etc.. he's a legit fella really making a good go of it. He's also incredibly busy. He has a gutter vac and i said i'd pass any gutter cleaning jobs onto him as long as he didn't nick my window work lol. Last time i had a job for him i run him up and he said he'd struggle to get to it as he was so busy but would do his best to get to it within the next 3 weeks.

Then there's me.. not a facebook user and not overly busy (kind of a blessing given my recent gearbox failure!)

On the original point my area is completely saturated with windys anyway so any newcomers probably won't last long. It's tough round here picking up custys and i met another windy a while back at my weekend job who literally said "don't bother with the villages mate i've got them all stitched up". 
That is a carrot to a donkey situation. 

"Don't bother as I do it all" attitude means to me "prove him wrong and get as much as I can in the villages"

Some people do make you chuckle. 

 
Muist admit i was a tad shocked by his over confidence lol - there's over 40 windys on yell.com for this area and i figured that if he'd got them all completely stitched, there wouldn't be that many. Nice enough guy though, we had a good chin wag lol.

But.. it is a busy area here windy wise..

 
This is my fifth week since I started my business and the projection is looking good based on customer growth, checkatrade is driving it for me with 4 calls a day. 

Getting my van signed up tomorrow as I struck up a deal with the local signwriter to help him with his website. 

There are no other proffesional window cleaners in my town, they are all rogue traders. 

I'm very happy with how its going ?

 
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