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First paying customers.

Bongofish

Active member
Messages
314
Location
Pontefract
Hi all. 

Well, I now have a van, 10 containers full of purified water from a spotless spot. Clx 22 pole and gardiner backpack, and then the Unger traditional kit. Started spreading the word about on facebook this afternoon, and had 6 enquiries with 2 booked in. Got to say I'm a little nervous. My plan is to just traditional bottom windows and pole the tops. Also am I right in thinking I can just use cold water in my bucket and my HG solution and off I go for traditional?

My pricing i think is fair, charging £8 a house for semi detached new builds around my estate but think i overpriced a lady when i said with the conservatory roof it will be £30 as slot more work and she quickly lost interest. 

We have alot of 3 storey houses round here, wondering if my clx 22 will reach the windows on the 3rd floor? 

Thanks all and any advice for doing my first few houses would be great!

 
If you wfp the tops and the windows have vents then expect streaks down the glass. I did a first clean today and the vents were black so i sprayed pure in from both sides. After I cleaned the other 7 windows I went back and did them all again and thoroughly rinsed the glass with vents above them. Explained to customer some will drip and cause streaks but she was okay with it. She text to tell me there was a few streaks from vents but nothing to worry about so I'm glad I told her before hand. ? 

 
I don’t know your area but £8 a house is very cheap , as for  a house with conservatory roof as well we would be at least £50 just for the roof and that would be for a very small one , they take loads of water and time , we do a lot of 3 storey town houses with an slx 25 , hopefully the 22 will just about reach 

 
Hi all. 

Well, I now have a van, 10 containers full of purified water from a spotless spot. Clx 22 pole and gardiner backpack, and then the Unger traditional kit. Started spreading the word about on facebook this afternoon, and had 6 enquiries with 2 booked in. Got to say I'm a little nervous. My plan is to just traditional bottom windows and pole the tops. Also am I right in thinking I can just use cold water in my bucket and my HG solution and off I go for traditional?

My pricing i think is fair, charging £8 a house for semi detached new builds around my estate but think i overpriced a lady when i said with the conservatory roof it will be £30 as slot more work and she quickly lost interest. 

We have alot of 3 storey houses round here, wondering if my clx 22 will reach the windows on the 3rd floor? 

Thanks all and any advice for doing my first few houses would be great!
Hi Bongo, your pricing sounds low to me as well. But you'll be able to gauge the correct prices as you get going and get the feel of it. Conservatories can be a real trap. People ask you to clean the roof, but what about the gutters around it. Can you clean the roof and the windows and leave the gutters dirty? I won't. I tell the customers that when the roof is being cleaned I will only do the whole conservatory. A soapwash from crest down. No half jobs, it's not the way I work. I won't leave a job half done. Simple semi's start at £14. My minimum for a small conservatory is generally about £70. If you can't get decent prices where you are, I'd scout for better areas, villages or towns not too far away.

When I started out, the potential customers could sense my anxiety and took advantage of it. But not for long. I knew what they were at, rode with it for a very short time  while I got going and then got stronger with the pricing and dealing with "clever" customers.

Best of luck to you mate. ??

 
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Both prices are on the low side, I would expect a minimum of £40 even in my area. However now you know the level you can get window cleaning work at you can start quoting slightly higher and see how you get on.

 
Hi Bongo, your pricing sounds low to me as well. But you'll be able to gauge the correct prices as you get going and get the feel of it. Conservatories can be a real trap. People ask you to clean the roof, but what about the gutters around it. Can you clean the roof and the windows and leave the gutters dirty? I won't. I tell the customers that when the roof is being cleaned I will only do the whole conservatory. A soapwash from crest down. No half jobs, it's not the way I work. I won't leave a job half done. Simple semi's start at £14. My minimum for a small conservatory is generally about £70. If you can't get decent prices where you are, I'd scout for better areas, villages or towns not too far away.

When I started out, the potential customers could sense my anxiety and took advantage of it. But not for long. I knew what they were at, rode with it for a very short time  while I got going and then got stronger with the pricing and dealing with "clever" customers.

Best of luck to you mate. ??
Hey mate.

The area I live in is actually a up to date quite sought after area, but lots of new estates going up here. I know it's a bit on the cheap side for £8 but also would like some custom atleast to get used to going and doing the work and getting paid for it. 

I've already found it abit daunting with the prices as I want the buisness, (I live in a village with about 8,000 houses) and it's all in a 2 mile radius so I'm figuring there wont be much travelling time from house to house? But at the same time you get people who are clearly expecting you to be £4 for the full house just like the "old" window cleaner did with his bucket and ladder. 

 
Also my starting target is to be earning £1000 a month. (Remember I work as a binman at the moment so not trying to match a high paying job). I am a lorry driver by trade and used to be on half descent money but had to work 15 hours a day for a good wage and was missing out on family life too much. If I an make £1000 a month this means I an quit my job and really push to get as many customers as I can. 

 
Hey mate.

The area I live in is actually a up to date quite sought after area, but lots of new estates going up here. I know it's a bit on the cheap side for £8 but also would like some custom atleast to get used to going and doing the work and getting paid for it. 

I've already found it abit daunting with the prices as I want the buisness, (I live in a village with about 8,000 houses) and it's all in a 2 mile radius so I'm figuring there wont be much travelling time from house to house? But at the same time you get people who are clearly expecting you to be £4 for the full house just like the "old" window cleaner did with his bucket and ladder. 
You'll be fine mate. It's always difficult starting out. ??

 
Also my starting target is to be earning £1000 a month. (Remember I work as a binman at the moment so not trying to match a high paying job). I am a lorry driver by trade and used to be on half descent money but had to work 15 hours a day for a good wage and was missing out on family life too much. If I an make £1000 a month this means I an quit my job and really push to get as many customers as I can. 
Yeah, I know what it's like to work long hours for very modest pay. I think you won't know yourself when you start to get established.

 
Also my starting target is to be earning £1000 a month. (Remember I work as a binman at the moment so not trying to match a high paying job). I am a lorry driver by trade and used to be on half descent money but had to work 15 hours a day for a good wage and was missing out on family life too much. If I an make £1000 a month this means I an quit my job and really push to get as many customers as I can. 
Don’t want to dampen your enthusiasm but you would be better getting less new jobs  at a higher price rather than loads at a cheap price once word gets round you are cheap you will become a busy fool , that’s what happened to me when I started out , once you do that it’s difficult  charge more as people say you do my friends for xxx why is mine so much more , build good quality work from the word go build slowly but steadily , Ime sure you will get there you sound like a grafter , but don’t under value your self or the service you supply . Hope it goes well .

 
Don’t want to dampen your enthusiasm but you would be better getting less new jobs  at a higher price rather than loads at a cheap price once word gets round you are cheap you will become a busy fool , that’s what happened to me when I started out , once you do that it’s difficult  charge more as people say you do my friends for xxx why is mine so much more , build good quality work from the word go build slowly but steadily , Ime sure you will get there you sound like a grafter , but don’t under value your self or the service you supply . Hope it goes well .
This fully makes sense to me. Its just getting that confidence boost of having customers I guess. I live on one of the large new estates (must be 600 houses on this estate) so the small semi detached are only a 20 second drive and about 10 -15 minutes worth of work so figures £8 is not that bad as at the moment I get £10 an hour for pulling bins to the back of a wagon all day, this really is a mugs game. Absolutely shattered at the end of the day, stink, and the pays bad....but the hours were better than lorry driving. 

Me and my wife are maybe considering that I hand my notice in when I go back and just try and get this rolling as quick as we can. We have enough in savings that if I didnt make 1 penny we could keep going as normal for 6 months. But obviously all being well after 1 month of getting out there would be hoping to pull in some money.

 
This fully makes sense to me. Its just getting that confidence boost of having customers I guess. I live on one of the large new estates (must be 600 houses on this estate) so the small semi detached are only a 20 second drive and about 10 -15 minutes worth of work so figures £8 is not that bad as at the moment I get £10 an hour for pulling bins to the back of a wagon all day, this really is a mugs game. Absolutely shattered at the end of the day, stink, and the pays bad....but the hours were better than lorry driving. 

Me and my wife are maybe considering that I hand my notice in when I go back and just try and get this rolling as quick as we can. We have enough in savings that if I didnt make 1 penny we could keep going as normal for 6 months. But obviously all being well after 1 month of getting out there would  be hoping to pull in some money.
Pjj's comments are absolutely spot on. Start as you mean to go on. If you start cheap and word gets round it will probably be very difficult to raise your prices.

 
Anyone have any theorys on just dropping work as a binman and going for it. Only been a binman for 3 months but really not enjoying the work or the pay to be honest. Believe I have all the gear to start now and a little van. Like said above after making £1000 a month (within first 3 months) this will atleast mean wheni hit this figure no more savings being used to cover wage. I dont know whether to just go steady and try and do both but obviously cuts alot of time down getting customers and actually going window cleaning or just cut all ties and just try....at the worst I have al my HGV licenses to fall back on. 

 
No one but you can make this decision. From personal experience it will be quicker for you to grow your business if you put 100% of your time and effort into it. However we don't know how you'll react to the many knock backs you'll get, and you will get them. We also don't know your area.

Also we don't know what's going to happen over the next 6 months. A steady, even if it's smelly, income might've the safest way to go currently. I am however someone that only takes gambles when the odds are stacked in my favour.

For me I'd knock my plug in for 4 weeks, working weekends etc, trying to get more work and review where you're at then. You can then either go full time or do the same for the next month.

@HWCS started his business working 2 jobs and has been very successful, his input might be more relevant.

 
Price is relevant to the area as the author is in Yorkshire and I am guessing the semi detached houses he is mentioning are 2-3 bed modern semis with 5 windows a front door and set of patio doors so £8 once every 4 weeks is a good price for those little houses I can do one in less than 10 minutes quite easily fully wfp

 
Price is relevant to the area as the author is in Yorkshire and I am guessing the semi detached houses he is mentioning are 2-3 bed modern semis with 5 windows a front door and set of patio doors so £8 once every 4 weeks is a good price for those little houses I can do one in less than 10 minutes quite easily fully wfp
Yep you basically got it. 3 windows and door at front and 2 windows and patio doors at back 

Also does anyone use breakdown cover in there van and does it have to be buisness breakdown cover? 

 
Hey Bongofish,

You sound just like me in April 2019, ive no idea what Pontefract is like as never been there, no idea how much 'competition' youve got.

My advice would be simple dont give up your day job yet, youll need more than just facebook to get yourself established, get onto vistaprint and get yourself 5000 leaflets, and get flyering for an hour each evening youll be suprised how many you can get out quickly.

Have a word with your bosses and tell them you need to go part time from the end of the month, 3 days a week, that gives you 2 days plus weekends to clean windows, when theres more windows than free days thats when you need to jack in.

A binman on £10 p/h is crazy round my area binmen get paid nearer £15 p/h and the driver is on nearly £20 p/h.

No idea what van you have but 10x 25ltr barrels wont go as far as you think.

Personally id ditch the idea of trading bottoms as it will hold you up and once your established youll have to convince/explain why your now wfping the bottoms 'start as you mean to go on'

Like others said its easy to fall into the trap of being busy because your cheap, my bottom line for a house is £10 thats mid terraces 2 windows 2 doors bottom and 4 windows top.

You WILL underprice jobs and kick yourself i know i have, i hit a brand new estate really eary on in my journey into windying its a 15 job day and every house bar 3 are underpriced by £3-7, i have kept the prices there rather than boost them as it was my inexperience rather than the customers but come jan 2021 ill habe had them 18months and will put them all up £2.

Your CLX may struggle with dorma windows on 3 storeys but should get the normal top windows.

Make your £8 houses a tenner if they moan and say last windy was £6 just politely say "ahhh im sorry i cant get down to there, i always give my best price, if you change your mind ferl free to give me a shout"

I dont have all the answers but if you read my thread 'upto 50 customers' ive kinda blogged my journey and thetes some awesome advice ftom guys on this forum.

Good luck mate

 
Price is relevant to the area as the author is in Yorkshire and I am guessing the semi detached houses he is mentioning are 2-3 bed modern semis with 5 windows a front door and set of patio doors so £8 once every 4 weeks is a good price for those little houses I can do one in less than 10 minutes quite easily fully wfp
If thats the going rate in the area then yeah thats where @Bongofish will jave to pitch until hes at the stage of "'if i get the job happy days, if i dont MEH'''

 
Hey Bongofish,

You sound just like me in April 2019, ive no idea what Pontefract is like as never been there, no idea how much 'competition' youve got.

My advice would be simple dont give up your day job yet, youll need more than just facebook to get yourself established, get onto vistaprint and get yourself 5000 leaflets, and get flyering for an hour each evening youll be suprised how many you can get out quickly.

Have a word with your bosses and tell them you need to go part time from the end of the month, 3 days a week, that gives you 2 days plus weekends to clean windows, when theres more windows than free days thats when you need to jack in.

A binman on £10 p/h is crazy round my area binmen get paid nearer £15 p/h and the driver is on nearly £20 p/h.

No idea what van you have but 10x 25ltr barrels wont go as far as you think.

Personally id ditch the idea of trading bottoms as it will hold you up and once your established youll have to convince/explain why your now wfping the bottoms 'start as you mean to go on'

Like others said its easy to fall into the trap of being busy because your cheap, my bottom line for a house is £10 thats mid terraces 2 windows 2 doors bottom and 4 windows top.

You WILL underprice jobs and kick yourself i know i have, i hit a brand new estate really eary on in my journey into windying its a 15 job day and every house bar 3 are underpriced by £3-7, i have kept the prices there rather than boost them as it was my inexperience rather than the customers but come jan 2021 ill habe had them 18months and will put them all up £2.

Your CLX may struggle with dorma windows on 3 storeys but should get the normal top windows.

Make your £8 houses a tenner if they moan and say last windy was £6 just politely say "ahhh im sorry i cant get down to there, i always give my best price, if you change your mind ferl free to give me a shout"

I dont have all the answers but if you read my thread 'upto 50 customers' ive kinda blogged my journey and thetes some awesome advice ftom guys on this forum.

Good luck mate
Thanks so much for the reply mate. I have flyers at the ready and alot of estates and new build estates round my area. I dont think it helped coming from being a lorry driver on £16ph and then knocking down to £10ph and running after a lorybqhie pulling bins. The hours attracted me but i genuinely dont like the job hence why maybe I'm more willing just to go full pelt at this. 

How long would you say it took you to start reaching a £1000 a month from window cleaning and have you had any issues from customers complaining about cleaning in the rain? As thisnweeksnweather isnforecst rain all week and got a couple booked in.

Thanks again!

 
Apsonwould anyone think it was a worth investment to get a slx 25 pole as we have alot of 3 storey houses round here. Dont want to be spending anymore really but also dont want to be missing out because on one of the big estates 1 min away from house 2/3 are 3 storey+ houses. 

 
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