Starting a window cleaning business - Equipment you need, suppliers to use and trade organisations to join, etc.

been at it for 3 months now
Posted by matt (matt), 22 September 2003
this is my story  Smiley

we have just had a baby, and me and my mrs wanted to both work part time, and bring up our little girl  Smiley (im a carpenter by trade, and i packed my job in, as i was unable to work just 3 days for this firm)

so i work, mon - tue - wed, and my wife works thurs - fri - sat

my mother in laws partner has been doing window cleaning for about 2 years now, at the same time as me finishing work, he broke his arm and leg (not on a ladder, but fell off a kids skate board)

He does domestic work, houses and bungalows

He was earning roughly 100 quid a day, 9ish to 4.30ish (at roughly 9 quid a house)

I have taken over his round (well he is now back doing downstairs while i do the ladder work)

We are currently earning 60 quid a day each, so 120 a day between us (of course he is slow because of his ankle, and im slow because i havent the speed yet which only time gives you)

I have seen posts on here saying about earning 30 quid a hour, and some saying they can do 25 3bed homes between 9 and 3, 25 homes in 6 hours

any advice on how to speed up Huh??

we mop the fairy and water on, squegee it off, and then wipe around the window with a scrim cloth (this is how most do it around here (wilts)

Now from a beginner, i have noticed we spend a fair amount of time wiping around the window frames   Sad

I have seen window cleaning solutions online...is this better than fairy liquid Huh??

i have also seen the SqueegeeMate....is this any good HuhHuh....will it save me time Huh??

any other advice HuhHuh




Posted by Majestic (Majestic), 22 September 2003
Hi Mat
Welcome  I think every window cleaner will tell you something different every one has his or her way of doing things , if you have been doing it for 3 months now you will be in a routine , some wc use nothing but fairy others swear by GG4  .When applying your water its like dot to dot get close to the edge but try not to go onto the rubber , every day you will be that little bit faster ,and for earning 72k per year  Lips Sealed I use a backflip it does save you time  but  its all down to personal choice Cool
Posted by shinnyshinner (shinnyshinner), 22 September 2003
Welcome Matt
This is my Honest opinion of my job, I go out clean the windows of the customers I have a have a chat a cup of tea, biscuits with this job I find that know two people are the same weather an old boy who once signed up to fight for his country too multi million pound business right down to the person down on his luck out of work and where else can you go out and earn 50,60 or up to 120 pound a day sometimes cash in hand too in the same atmosphere as what we are working in we are free,
I do the same as you do my job wipe my sills and my frames to make a good job and keep my customers happy. What is the point in rushing it and spoiling it?
Cheers Alan  

Posted by matt (matt), 22 September 2003
shinnyshinner, your right, we do a good job, the guy i work with is fussy about that (but i guess its good to have a high standard)

just wish i could put a few quid extra onto the day Cheesy Cheesy ...but dont we all
Posted by Squeaky_Clean (Squeaky_Clean), 22 September 2003
Hi Matt
A great help is having a good pouch set to hold your scrims and most important a bucket on a belt, if you havent got these that will help speed you up no end. I work with my bro inlaw we try for min of £150 per day,  aim for £300, usually  average £200 -£250 per day, but we really have to push ourselves. Also try getting some commercial work in a day now and then, a job worth £100 to £200 for a morning  does wonders for the days income. Hope that helps. Paul
Posted by matt (matt), 22 September 2003
thanks

we both use a unger mop (sleeve and T bar)
2 X unger squeegees (2 sizes)
a Unger belt bucket
and a 2 pocket pouch (1 for damp scrim and 1 for dry)

thats about it, seems to be the norm around here
Posted by shinnyshinner (shinnyshinner), 22 September 2003
Hi matt
do you sell extras on your round say a normal house £8 for windows, sills, and the edge of your windows and offer a service where every 3 months you wash all the frames helping to keep the condition of there pvc also as the session is changing maintaince of the gullys cleaning out so to prevent blockages in the down pipes, and surface water drains say £7 a side these are areas the customer forgets and you can earn a lot of money doing these jobs.
I got my self a brush on a extendable pole only cheap and told the customer of the importance of removing the green of the top of the conservatories.
you have now opened your company from window cleaning to lots more.
hope this helps
Alan
Posted by matt (matt), 22 September 2003
Hmmmmmmmmm

funny you should say that, we have been asked a few times about gutters and fascias etc

we have said YES, but with time being short we will get around to them, we are currently doing a 6 week turnaround on a round that should be getting done every 4 weeks (though we have taken a fair bit of work of a guy who is semi-retireing)

i guess its just a thing to wait till my mate gets back to full strenght and i get faster
Posted by shinnyshinner (shinnyshinner), 22 September 2003
Do you find that you are getting to grips with it and finding your own way to make jobs quicker?
Alan
Posted by matt (matt), 22 September 2003
In the first few weeks my speed picked up a fair bit

but now i feel i am allmost at top speed doing it the way i do it

this is why i am after idea's from experieced pros  Wink, allthough saying that, i guess every1 has there own way


Posted by shinnyshinner (shinnyshinner), 22 September 2003
The forum is good as you can pick up from peoples experiece and also people just starting up with new ideas find when you have been doing the job for a while you get stuck in a rut doing the same old thing and on a few occasions someone fairly new has come in with a idea and you think I never thought of that and bobs your uncle its better then the one you have been using for years.
Its like a while ago someone told me about A frame ladders I up graded to these after 16 years and find my work is done safer and has knocked a bit of time too.
But is at a cost but they will soon pay off for themselves
Alan
P.S well done with the little one
Posted by Rob_B (Rob_B), 23 September 2003
I tried the squeegemate but didn't think it was any good. I gave it a go for a couple of days but I couldn't get the technique right. i found you had to press quite hard to remove dirt from the windows but the squeegemate was too flimsy. In the end I gave it up it was costing me time rather than saving.
Posted by Majestic (Majestic), 23 September 2003
Rob
Have you not tried the Backflip from Ettore, or the Unger Visa Versa ,they can both be used as a one pass tool , and are a blit stronger than the squeegemate , you can also have them so you just turn them over to use the other side Cool
Posted by Rob_B (Rob_B), 23 September 2003
No I haven't, do you find that they save you time?
Posted by Majestic (Majestic), 23 September 2003
Rob
I have the backflip ,I have tried it as a one pass tool but cant get the hang of it I should try a bit more but I use it as a backflip and it does save time as you have both tools in the same hand at the same time , the only thing is it does not fit into a bucket on a belt so well  Cool
Posted by Rob_B (Rob_B), 23 September 2003
Yes, I had that problem with the squeegemate, I think I might invest in a backflip then and give it a go. Thanks
Posted by DR_WYNDAZ (DR_WYNDAZ), 25 September 2003
good to see ya getting in there and working for the family.
keep on plugging at it. up here in west yorks your lucky to do £4.50 a house. i earn extra on gutters and even greenhouses and caravans. if you have the time and someone asks. clean it!
Posted by Majestic (Majestic), 25 September 2003
Living in Fleetwood which is a fishing port  I have been paid in fish in the past Cool
Posted by DR_WYNDAZ (DR_WYNDAZ), 25 September 2003
another little earner is a wet and dry vac. i've done many a caravan/car interior for 20 quid a go. do 10 jobs and the machines paid for. remember when you do peoples windows your already in contact with them. you dont have to do the sales pitch. just offer to help.

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