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Window Cleaning Issues - Canvassing, pole systems, pricing, problems, etc.

how and when should i canvass?

Posted by andy (andy), 17 September 2003
Hello peeps!

Im going to start off from scratch to run a window cleaning business. I have all the equipment but no customers as yet!

Can anyone tell me where is a good place to get customers in london?

I live in WC2 (kings cross) its very central.

Is it a good idea to try and find new houses just built and home owners currently moving in.

I would appreciate any advice on how, when, where to go canvassing for customers!!!

cheers! Andy.
Posted by Terry_Burrows (Terry_Burrows), 17 September 2003
Wink well Andy,get cards printed up for starters! you can then get leaflets,walk about sticking them in every letter box u see!new buildings just nearly open,pop in ask!leave your card at least,local papers,I also advetise
on the net! you can spend lots of money on ads,

large cleaning companies somtimes sub out there work!
give them a call leave details etc
Posted by andy (andy), 17 September 2003
cheers terry!

Please keep them coming.

Kindest Regards
Andrew Alexander
Posted by The_Fed_Man (The_Fed_Man), 17 September 2003
The best way to pick up work is hit the streets, knocking on doors.  Do this sytematically, write down the streets you have done and the dates.  When you have some work, knock the neighbours each side and opposite, some people like to see you established first before they will use you.  Get insurance and tell them you have it, do a free clean or part clean for a referall to a friend or say five more customers, this works.  Get some signs for your vehicle, even if they are the removalable type.  Don't give up, there's plenty of work out there!

Oh & join the NATIONAL FEDERATION OF MASTER WINDOW & GENERAL CLEANERS 0161 432 8754, well worth it!
Posted by andy (andy), 17 September 2003
Nice one fed man!

Has anyone got any tactics on how to get business? like where and when to knock?

Kindest Regards
Andrew Alexander
Posted by The_Fed_Man (The_Fed_Man), 17 September 2003
Tea times or early evenings for families and working people, daytime for retired people and businesses.
Just try a few things and see what works best for you in your area.
Posted by gibbouk (gibbouk), 17 September 2003
one thing i would say is dont undercut others. maybe with experiance i can operate like this. i knocked on one the other day who wanted to knock me down on my price. i explained that that was my price and it was the same as all her neighbours, basicly like it or lump it she moaned said no  but a week later she came back. i just think it sets the tone that you are a bargain window cleaner not a profesional one
Posted by Majestic (Majestic), 17 September 2003
Get to know  other window cleaners in the area where you are going to clean , you could find out the going rate for each job,ie shops leaded domestic. where I live all the window cleaners talk to each other daily  we let each other know about bad payers , and I have been cleaning for a few years now and  can only clean x amount in one day so if someone askes me to clean there windows I tell them I cant but give them another wc phone no.  When I first started I had some luck with post cards in paper shop windows, try knocking on doors,but dont give up

Posted by wazzastud (wazzastud), 19 September 2003
Andy listen to fed man he knows a thing or two about marketing, i would give the same advice use what is technically called a five point landing knock eather side of the ones you clean and the 3 doors opposit, or you could take out some expensive advertising in local papers and have some leaflets printed this is expensive though, but if you want a cheap way to print leaflets LISTEN UP!!!!! in the early days one of my companies that is a publishing company by the way, we used to use MS word and place four to six text boxes onto a single page, then we would place our text, logos artwork and anything else we wanted to say in the boxes, NOW print the page (this is your master copy) and take it to office world where you can get 1000 copies done for £23.50 inc VAT so now you have 1000 A4 pages with four flyers printed on them, NEXT either Buy a small guillotine again from Office world or cut them with scissors (The scisors method makes ya hand ache though i am sure some of you fellers know the feeling well lol) now you have 4000 small flyers to post in letter boxes BUT through my years of experience with various projects I have only ever seen a response rate from flyers of no more than 1-3% this seems to be a universal response, so i would not go that route.....if i were you, however you will have a much better response if you use flyers as an introduction to your company and then follow up with knocking on those doors and asking weather they got the flyer and would they be interested in using your window cleaning services....hope this helps you M8,
NOW FOR THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN SLATING ME, HOW MUCH IS THAT LITTLE PIECE OF INFORMATION WORTH TO YOU? IF YOU USE LEAFLETS DAILY? ITS ALL IN A CERTAIN PUBLICATION I COULD MENTION BUT WONT, I HAVE RECIEVED AN E-MAIL TONIGHT WHERE THE SENDER WAS ACCUSING ME OF STEALING INFORMATION FROM YOU GUYS IN THIS FORUM, YOU WILL NEVER SEE A PRODUCT OF MINE OR SERVICE WE OFFER RIPPED FROM ANYONE ON HERE OR ANYWHERE ELSE FOR THAT MATTER (just for the record) The sender of that email has had his Name his IP address and a copy of the slanderous E-Mail Recorded, his Internet Service Providers (ISP) will be hearing from my Legal Team, in the not very distant future in pursuit of his static address which he claims is on the Spanish mainland, it could be outta Mongolia, he will be found, he best start saving his Euros up, He really shouldn’t have said that, anyway on a lighter note.....lol......I HOPE THE ABOVE INFORMATION HELPS THE NEW GUYS AND PUTS SOME MYTHS TO SLEEP...........PS forgive any spelling mistakes its been a bloody long but prosperous day Undecided

Posted by luap (luap), 19 September 2003
if anyone runs IE install this prog it is a great little program and is free.

www.iespell.com

paul.
Posted by STEVE71163 (Steve Lowe), 19 September 2003
Thanks Paul. That helps some times when your tired and make mistakes Cheesy

Steve Lowe
Posted by karlosdaze (karlosdaze), 20 September 2003
Hi folks, this is a reply from "WAZZASTUDS" when I replied the book wasn't for me.
You can find more of his fine work at:-
http://hstrial-wsmith1.homestead.com/home.html
I have already emailed the companies he has attached his "book" too.
Go ahead Warren Shenton, sue me.
(Oh, and get a life).
Karl.

Dear Mr Robinson

There are many Ex pats in spain who couldn't make it here in the UK.....or are being sort by British police,HM Customs or the VAT man in fact a few of my old associates from my nightclub bouncing days are there now......having fun but still making trouble for people....just to set the record strait, i run a few companies some of which are cleaning related and a publishing company, yes we pay tax, much more than many and yes you or whoever can contact the police if you think i am breaking some sort of law, i am sure they will have a good laugh about it, if i was breaking the law i would run my companies from spain like most of the dregs that run to the Costa's, wouldn't i? and yes you are probably right, our book would not be for you.
however i am very concerned with that last comment in your e-mail regarding asking for free information and then selling it back those that provided it in the first place.
Telefonica will be hearing from our legal team, as you are slandering me by saying that any of my companies have stolen information from that crummy forum clean it up, there is not one post from me asking anybody for information for one of our Information products SO YOU WANT TO BE A WINDOW CLEANER tm, so Mr Robinson Start saving those Euros as it could be an expensive accusation you have just made and i will be passing your isp details along with your slanderous e-mail and your IP address onto my legal team first thing in the morning, they will track you down from there..........it wouldn't be the first time this has happened and i am sure it wont be the last. Now if you will excuse me, I have some paperwork to prepare for my lawyars.

Have a nice day Mr Robinson
And also Good Luck, sounds like you may need it my friend.
Posted by admin (Forum Admin), 20 September 2003
Can we please put the manual discussion to rest now! All the posts have remained on the forum so far but if you want to continue discussing it please do it between yourselves by email!

Warren should be happy now he has a link to his book for those that want to buy it,  and everyone else has enough information to decide whether they think it's worth buying or not!

There's plenty of opportunity out there for us all - lets now concentrate on helping each other make the most of it!
 
Posted by steve_tyler (steve_tyler), 20 September 2003
well said admin.....
Posted by andy (andy), 22 September 2003
Well boys and girls! i hope you can sort this little issue out with your selfs.

Thank you wazzastud for giving the info, and i will find it very helpful if you have there telephone number to hand for me.

Cheers everyone for replying to my posts!

Andy!

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