Business plan and Expectations.

Morning all,

As a couple of you may well be aware I'm just venturing into window cleaning and going to hopefully, all being well, I'm going to be buying a van mount system on Saturday. 

I've got 2000 leaflets good to go and my new uniform arriving today, and I plan to go canvassing Sunday. 

Now I'm trying to manage my expectations going forward on what my business will look like going into march/spring next year. But I also want to set targets as I think its good to have something to work towards.

So to that end, would a target of either 50/75/100 regular customers by that time be realistic? 

I'm lucky in the fact that I currently work 2 days, 2 nights and then get 4 off as a firefighter so I have ample time to go canvassing. And with that I'm hoping to average out at approx 2 customers per hour of canvassing.

Any advice is very welcome as most of you guys have been at this for years. 

In my recent experience I would say 2000 leaflets might not be enough.

I dropped about 3K over about 6 weeks and picked up about 30 custys. That said a few were from chatting to people in their gardens while leafletting and I did a very small amount of canvassing for about an hour and I did get 2 custys.

I would say, depending on area you should easily get 100 customers by March.

One thing that is tricky is pricing! I would say I get about 80% of the jobs I quote for. I don't think it's that the price is too high more that their previous windy was way too low and dropped them when he realised he had been too cheap. They are just comparing my price to their old windy who is no longer bothered to clean at the price he charged ?

The other thing is first cleans take much longer than repeats but doing a thorough job actually saves you time long term!!! i.e. clearing out expansion joints between frame and sill is a pain but once done the repeat clean is so much quicker. While the experienced windys who have lots of custys will mostly charge a 'first clean' premium I only charge extra if they are really bad. 

Just make sure you practice on your own house a lot. Do windows from different angles as if there are bushes in the way, stand further away as if reaching over an extension/conservatory etc. You will be significantly fitter and stronger than me but all practice teaches you stuff. Plus on your own house you get to go inside to inspect your work. 

Thanks for the reply mate, I really appreciate it. 

I don't plan on doing a leaflet drop, all leaflets I plan to use while out canvassing. 

If I got 100 customers by march I would be an extremely happy man! Haha 

I'll bare that in mind with the first clean mate! 

I have a couple of customers already from the advertising I have done and they start from the 1st of Feb. 

So hopefully that gives me a week or so to practice on friends and families windows! 

You may find door knocking hard on the soul, after hearing no, after no, after no, from irritated home owners. 

Its for this reason I prefered flyers to door knocking. Plus if you hope to get people in, your best chance is in the evening, however with flyers you can blast them out all day. For me you get a 1% enquiry rate on flyers.

However if your skin is thicker than mine, door knocking does have a better enquiry return rate.

I know its almost impossible to know how much to charge, when you don't really know how many customers you can knock out each day, how many days off your going to have with the weather, fuel cost etc. But if your running a large van to work part time, I would start around the £1.50 per window.

Then really start getting something on paper to measure and forecast your income and expenditure, this will help you hone your pricing.

Kerby0814 said:

Morning all,

As a couple of you may well be aware I'm just venturing into window cleaning and going to hopefully, all being well, I'm going to be buying a van mount system on Saturday. 

I've got 2000 leaflets good to go and my new uniform arriving today, and I plan to go canvassing Sunday. 

Now I'm trying to manage my expectations going forward on what my business will look like going into march/spring next year. But I also want to set targets as I think its good to have something to work towards.

So to that end, would a target of either 50/75/100 regular customers by that time be realistic? 

I'm lucky in the fact that I currently work 2 days, 2 nights and then get 4 off as a firefighter so I have ample time to go canvassing. And with that I'm hoping to average out at approx 2 customers per hour of canvassing.

Any advice is very welcome as most of you guys have been at this for years. 

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Depending on your success of canvassing you could pick up a quantity of customers very quickly or the complete opposite of one or two.

Regardless of the outcome it takes time to build a business and graft to get it working.

Don't set your canvassing expectations too high as you could deliver 1000 leaflets and have a return of just 7 customers.

Lots of door knocking is key as letterbox stuffing is a long low process and engaging with potential new customers is the only way.

Get a A4 day per page diary and take it with you with a few pens as one never works on demand.

If you get a customer interested while canvassing clean their windows and forfill their needs immediately asap 

I think the  soul destroying door knocking is the best method to start a tight window cleaning round if you want 50 customers you will probably need to canvas 75 and lose 25. Be prepared for drop off it is how the buisness works it will be hard, you will feel rejected but it’s a process of three steps forward two steps back at the beginning. I think this is one of the reasons many quit after a few months. I’m glad to hear you have another income as this will soften the blow and give you a greater amount of time to establish. You’ll know when your established when your ok with customers dropping you.

one of my favourite canvassing door approaches is 

Hi my name is …. I’m a local window cleaner have you appointed anyone to clean your windows? 
yes… move on

No… May I clean your Windows.

I would usually hold a flyer an if they wanted a cleaner offer it to them as I talk about how what I do etc.

good luck

I spend a grand a year on advertising. Is it worth it? I pick up one new customer per week and don't lose many a year. My problem is I'm too helpful with people which takes up alot of time but I make money from it. I picked up a new customer in an area nearby but I don't have any in that area. Maybe I'll pick up more when folk see me or my customer tells the neighbours, that's usually how it works for me.

scottish cleaning service said:

I spend a grand a year on advertising. Is it worth it? I pick up one new customer per week and don't lose many a year. My problem is I'm too helpful with people which takes up alot of time but I make money from it. I picked up a new customer in an area nearby but I don't have any in that area. Maybe I'll pick up more when folk see me or my customer tells the neighbours, that's usually how it works for me.

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Is that for other services like gutter cleaning or window cleaning? ?

I really just have my website and Google listing along with my logo on the vans.

Our phone is basically switched off at the moment, can't take on any more, so don't spend anything on advertising excluding the hosting for the website.

Apw1210 said:

Lots of door knocking is key as letterbox stuffing is a long low process and engaging with potential new customers is the only way.

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I have decided against doing any mass leaflet drops etc purely door to door, those that answer get a leaflet mate.

BigFoot said:

I think the  soul destroying door knocking is the best method to start a tight window cleaning round if you want 50 customers you will probably need to canvas 75 and lose 25

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From what I've read I have factored that sort of thing to happen. I'm in no rush to get a big round going thankfully. Although it would always be nice lol. Im hoping in 6 months time that where customers are dropping off, I'll still be gaining others ?

laddergarder said:

Is that for other services like gutter cleaning or window cleaning? ?

I really just have my website and Google listing along with my logo on the vans.

Our phone is basically switched off at the moment, can't take on any more, so don't spend anything on advertising excluding the hosting for the website.

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I changed to just window cleaning advertising on Checkatrade so most of the calls are about that. I suppose I don't need to advertise now but I can pick up good customers. Will keep it going for another year and then will change to affiliated member. I believe it was the best thing I did was advertise and it paid off so I have no complaints.

One thing about canvassing vs advertising is that you can keep your area nice and compact. My 30 custy are within 1.5miles of my house!!! So little time lost driving between jobs plus if anything doesn't go to plan or breaks then home and spares aren't far away.

I realise that it does depend on how many houses are nearby but canvassing/leafletting keeps things compact and you target the areas you want.

ched999uk said:

One thing about canvassing vs advertising is that you can keep your area nice and compact. My 30 custy are within 1.5miles of my house!

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Oh thats decent mate! What would you say your customer per knock was? If that makes sense haha 

The reason good advertising can pay off big time is when a windy gives up and doesn't come back. You may get one customer calling you and then you pick up all the rest, what happened to me. You only need one customer in an estate and then you pick up more and more, work begets work.

ched999uk said:

One thing about canvassing vs advertising is that you can keep your area nice and compact. My 30 custy are within 1.5miles of my house!!! So little time lost driving between jobs plus if anything doesn't go to plan or breaks then home and spares aren't far away.

I realise that it does depend on how many houses are nearby but canvassing/leafletting keeps things compact and you target the areas you want.

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That will change as you get going.

For me I don't try and make thing compact through advertising.

I work in two towns, and take them on here there and everywhere within my town. Over the years, they have become compact.

Two of us do around 550-600 properties. All within 5 miles. If I get a call or email, we usually have work not far away.

I have had some streets over the years were I have had one customer for years then suddenly picked up a dozen in one go, after a window cleaner has given up, so some times odd ones can pay off. 

Kerby0814 said:

Oh thats decent mate! What would you say your customer per knock was? If that makes sense haha 

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It's difficult to say really as I only canvassed after I leafletted a few days earlier and only a very small number of houses. I would guess that I spoke to about 50 people and ended up with 2 custys. On the other hand I think that I also picked up about 6 customers when dropping leaflets. They happen to be outside their houses and I asked if then needed a windy? That's started a conversation and I gave quotes there and then and picked up new custys. I am hoping to start leafletting again within the next couple of weeks. 

Wear your uniform, look smart, be polite, smile, and don't try and oversell or you will sound desperate. If they want a quote give them a written one and make your own note of it, so if they call you know the price quoted, don't take a custy word for how many windows they have or 'it's a little conny'!! Always check the job!!!

ched999uk said:

It's difficult to say really as I only canvassed after I leafletted a few days earlier and only a very small number of houses. I would guess that I spoke to about 50 people and ended up with 2 custys. On the other hand I think that I also picked up about 6 customers when dropping leaflets. They happen to be outside their houses and I asked if then needed a windy? That's started a conversation and I gave quotes there and then and picked up new custys. I am hoping to start leafletting again within the next couple of weeks. 

Wear your uniform, look smart, be polite, smile, and don't try and oversell or you will sound desperate. If they want a quote give them a written one and make your own note of it, so if they call you know the price quoted, don't take a custy word for how many windows they have or 'it's a little conny'!! Always check the job!!!

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Brilliant thanks buddy. I'm hoping to average 2 customers per hour. May be wishful thinking but time will tell! Haha. 

I've got my clipboard with fresh paper, pen and a handful of leaflets good to go Sunday! 

Kerby0814 said:

Brilliant thanks buddy. I'm hoping to average 2 customers per hour. May be wishful thinking but time will tell! Haha. 

I've got my clipboard with fresh paper, pen and a handful of leaflets good to go Sunday! 

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Just remember that even if you don't get any in an hour the next person you speak to could be a custy!!!

Good Luck and let us know how you get on.

ched999uk said:

Just remember that even if you don't get any in an hour the next person you speak to could be a custy!!!

Good Luck and let us know how you get on.

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Will do!

First day out from my 10 days isolation tomorrow to get my van system. I'm very eager to get going now!

scottish cleaning service said:

I changed to just window cleaning advertising on Checkatrade so most of the calls are about that. I suppose I don't need to advertise now but I can pick up good customers. Will keep it going for another year and then will change to affiliated member. I believe it was the best thing I did was advertise and it paid off so I have no complaints.

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Yes, but you were doing almost every odd job going as well, spending 1k on ads and only servicing around 100 clients and only been bothered about a gaining a small number of jobs isn't any good for just window cleaning, 

Ultimately in this day and age for a quite a few windys they are having to branch out into other services for varied reasons, some can't gain enough regular window jobs so they need to bolster their income with add on's 

Iron Giant said:

Yes, but you were doing almost every odd job going as well, spending 1k on ads and only servicing around 100 clients and only been bothered about a gaining a small number of jobs isn't any good for just window cleaning, 

Ultimately in this day and age for a quite a few windys they are having to branch out into other services for varied reasons, some can't gain enough regular window jobs so they need to bolster their income with add on's 

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I found our customers want add-ons done on their homes but have problems finding people to do them. I do most things for my customers so I don't tend to lose many. When I do lose them then I don't do their add-ons for them and they know this.

scottish cleaning service said:

I found our customers want add-ons done on their homes but have problems finding people to do them. I do most things for my customers so I don't tend to lose many. When I do lose them then I don't do their add-ons for them and they know this.

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I have always believed its better for sole traders to focus on one thing if possible, as doing various services, you need to purchased, maintained and replaced more equipment, which can be allot financially.

But the older I get, I see the benefit to doing a few other things that's lighter work. But for now I will just be sticking to window cleaning.