[geefree]

Am i being unrealistic or just moaning,

i did 4 semis this morning all £6

All spread out, by the time i had messed about, ladders on and off the van for each job,

3 and a half hours had passed, .. it really has got me down.

I am speeding up as each day passes, but i cant stop thinking, is it always going to be like this?

What if i dont get plenty of work on the same streets eventually ?

what if its always going to be spread out?

I will never earn a wage at that rate,

I will be on around £60 per day doing a ten hour day up here in west yorks.

please tell me you remember when you thought the same,

or am i wasting my time in this county as prices are crap,

i dont want beer money, or to be happy with a crap wage, i want a successful round,

is it really just in the south where decent money can be made,

how can i do 20 per day if they always spread out..

sorry guys i just got in from leaflet drops and had to get it off my chest,

all i get when i get home is ," how many you done? oh is that all ,! you must be slow etc"

its getting me down.!!

Gary.

[Sir Squeaky]

Gary, sooner or later you'll get those £6 semis down to about 15-20 minutes.

Even with moving around you'll be able to get the four of them done in 1hr 20 mins.
That means a turnover of around £19-20 per hour.
Not bad.

Trust me, it will happen.

I remember just about managing the £12 per hour turnover Ian used to ask me to do inside an hour.....it was a push.
Half hour per house if I went fast....

These days I'd hope to do at least 3, maybe four of those houses if they're close together within an hour.

Just little things here and there speed you up.
You won't all of a sudden wake up and be speedy, it'll happen gradually.

I'm still getting quicker now.....after 9 years!

If you can't get close-in work, you'll have to buy it, I had to......
It's worth the loan if you haven't got the ready cash.
It'll give you a decent business.

Cheers, Rog.

[Dick]

Yes you will get both faster and more customers it's only a waiting game. You'll also have more customers next door etc. so cutting down on travel and cost.
I started 2 years ago and took over a round from a retiring cleaner who had let many customers slip through his fingers as he didn't want to take on any more, I now have in excess of 200, mainly gained through recommendations and a bit of leafletting. Don't rely on leaflets too much, recommendations and being "out there" is better than anything else. You could try a bit of canvassing either side of where you currently do rather than dropping a leaflet
Good luck, it can only get better.
Dick

[reah]

Hey
if you are doing a good job you will pick up more work just hang in there.
I had a couple of roads that i had one house in each i now do 8 in one and 12 in the other it took two years but someone said they had the same situation and they ran with it.
If you have loads of work then you will drop the odds.
Just be patient polite and do the best you can.
It will pay off.
Have you been out with anyone in your area to see what they do cleaning wise.
If you were not so far away you could come out with me.
I am sure some one would take you out.

Keep going

Reah

[david68]

Gary

You seem to be in the same situation as me.

So far 4 days work and my month is done......

We have to stick with it and listen to the advise people are telling us.

Maybe then we can responed one day to someone asking the same question.

I know have a person trying to get me customers and he gets the first clean price.

Also considering grass cutting in summer......"They seem to me on more"


Stick with it mate

Dave

[robbie14000]

Gaz, I was exactly the same 3 years ago all work really spread out and quite cheap.
Every time you pick up another house  flyer the rest of the street it will soon rise.
Also have a drive to areas where you do not have any cleaning at present and do a little door knocking it works.
I started by charging £1-£2 cheaper than i would charge normally just to get me in the area, they soon come out of the wood work.
we will talk to you next year and you will be doing £150 -£200 a day.
Most of my work is now compact having on some streets 20-30 houses.
The first time i started i gave it up after 3 months went back into leisure and carried on cleaning part -time until my round was big enough for me to leave.
You will have people working for you in no time at all.
It is a very lucrative business if you can get it right so keep it up.
Talk to other established businesses in your area as most are full and will gladly pass on work to you or addresses that need pricing.
When i first started I used to help out window cleaners that were to busy and do some work for them(not with them).
They took a smaller cut but were happy to be catching up with thier work.
One of them today gave me a care home to price as he is to busy £80.
It pays to be nice and help people out as they will return the favour in your early years.
All the best
Do you do any work in Harrogate as i understand you are based in west yorkshire?
Robbie -Clearshine - Harrogate

[macc]

Hi Gaz.

We've all been there mate & after all these years i still have the odd day each month that are downers.

Gary

You seem to be in the same situation as me.

So far 4 days work and my month is done......

We have to stick with it and listen to the advise people are telling us.

Maybe then we can responed one day to someone asking the same question.


Stick with it mate

Dave

Dave, not maybe you will. Good attitude mate. 

Macc

[brett walker]

Gaz

everyone is slow at first dont try and rush, if you do a good job word of mouth will get round just as it would if you did a bad job.  If you are not picking many up from canvassing try and buy some work, you are not doing anything wrong we all started off in the same boat

best of luck

Brett

[tatman]

It will come you gotta give it a least 6 months. How long you been wc? I was cleaning a close i knew there was no cleaner but people held back. The next month i showed up got another two. The next month another two. Once your face is seen coming back you get the work. I've got all 8 houses there now £10 each. Thats the best advertising actually being seen.

[mgba_78]

It will come you gotta give it a least 6 months. How long you been wc? I was cleaning a close i knew there was no cleaner but people held back. The next month i showed up got another two. The next month another two. Once your face is seen coming back you get the work. I've got all 8 houses there now £10 each. Thats the best advertising actually being seen.

This is so ture, i have only been going 4 months next week and from my original canvassing i am slowly picking up new work which wasnt interseted 1st time around as the people have no faith in window cleaners as so many come and go, once they see you are regular it sort of put their mind at rest a little because thats all they want a regular, reliable quality cleaner.

When i originally canvassed this one close i got 2 houses at £7 each and we knocked all of the 30 houses, now i do 7 houses and this street earns me about £20 per hour depending on what speed i work at and what mood im in and how many teas i get

Although i would say these are slightly under priced a couple of quid its just too easy to do as no need to pack up after each one just walk next door and get it done.
Just stick at it, it will come, for some like me i have been lucky with poor cleaners in the past being unreliable and not regular. When i went yesterday for the 4th time i was a week late and they were concered i had a fall or something as i have never been late before but really pleased to see me, things like this make it worth while!!!!!!

Word of mouth is the best advertising and money cant buy it, do the best job possible have the polite chat and they will tell their friends.

Also i think with speed if you havent much work on you tend to work slower i know i do!!!
Last friday managed to do 9 houses for £130 today did 5 for about £70 and took more time and both days are very compact. i work better under a bit of pressure

Im about 2/3rds of where i want to be £££ wise but hey 4 months in i think i am doing ok
try targeting bigger houses thats what i have done it means you clean less houses but need less to get more £££'s (if that makes sense)

Andy

[geefree]

Thank you all for your brilliant replies,..

It really does lift me when  you all tell me to keep going,

.. robbie i am in wakefield,... i want to answer everone but i dont know how to insert a quote, well a one line quote anyway :

i have never been out with anyone , and only been doing it a couple of months , if that, but i am doing a top job with every house, and maybe too perfect !...hoping when i get up to speed my fussiness will also come up to speed (if you know what i mean) at the same time.

i was really down today,

just come back from leaflet drop and read all of your replies. lifted again.!

thank you

Gary.

[D.Salkeld_Ltd]

When I first met my wife about the same time I started Window cleaning, 19 years ago.  I remember saying to her one day.
"I done £30!!!!! today"

When I fisrt started a three bed house say with 10 average sized windows would take me about 3/4 an hour.
I charged 25p per window thats £2.50 for the house and about £3.50 per hour.

It is hard at first.  You realy need persiverence and determination to succeed.

David

[geefree]

cheers dave,
 i will push push push.

[rosskesava]

It seems to happen bit by bit. I think it's a confidence thing as well as getting good at cleaning windows quickly and efficiently.

To start with it's all hit and miss with the thought of you'll never going to make money mixed in with a lot of hope that you will.

Some of our work we had to start with is almost laughable compared to what we have now except for the fact that that work got us to the present.

It does take time but bit by bit, if you stick at it and keep pushing out your boundries of what you are prepared to go for, it'll all start to happen.

Cheers

[windows_chepstow]

Gazzasp8,

have you considered getting this book?



Stick with it, mate; you'll get there in the end.  If it was easy, you'd find you'll have much more competition!

Regards,

Tosh

PS.  Sorry about the naff joke, mate, I've been playing about with some photo-imaging software.

[EasyClean]

Failure can not live with persistency!

[Ian Rochester]

Everyone here knows and understands what you are going through.  There are two primary things that you have to concentrate on:

* Do the job properly, the speed will come naturally, and if you do a goood job you will get other work from recommendations

* Market yourself well, make sure if you go into a street or estate to leaflet drop that you are turned out well, ideally with a logo'd top and good quality flyers.  Don't be afraid to knock on doors to look for work.

Last week I heard about a large estate that had not seen their window cleaner since easter, two of us went up to drop some leaflets off, one went one way and I went the other.  When we got back together, I had picked up 17 houses and he had got only 2.  The reason why was because he had just stuck the flyers through the letterbox, whereas I had knocked on every door as well.  He's going back to do his half again tomorrow!

I have only had 4 phone calls from the flyers, people are generally lazy and you need to get out and tell them that they NEED your services

We have just taken on new lad on at the beginning of this month, he is desparate to be as fast as the other lads, however what I have instillled in him is "Do it right and the speed will come naturally"

He has now moved from a straight up and down or side to side stroke, to cleaning the window in one action, his wrist is still stiff but he's getting there.  I've got him on a fixed hourly rate for 2 months (£6.00/hr) till he gets his speed up, then after that he's on piece rate and I would expect him to be earning himself £10-12 / hour

[supernova77]

sorry guys i just got in from leaflet drops and had to get it off my chest,

Don't just drop leaflets - YOU HAVE TO KNOCK ON THE DOORS!

This is the only way you can quickly build up a round. I started window cleaning in January this year... Everyday for the first few months that I wasn't cleaning I went out and knocked on doors.

For the last 3 months now I haven't had to canvass at all, but my round is still building up through word of mouth and people seeing me around etc...

Keep it up Gazza, but - YOU HAVE TO KNOCK ON THE DOORS! 

Andy

[geefree]

hi again, thank you all very much for putting my mind at rest,

i do work hard and i want it to work, been out this morning , did two semis in one hour and thats with ladders on and off the van as had to drive a mile up the road,

so i feel better again today,... you guys are a real help,

i have done lots and lots of door knocking, polite , with a good attitude and a smile,.. but i still have a better percentage with leaflets,

its hard, i never expected it to be easy, but i wont give up on it now at all.

so cheers for your moral boosters,

and excellent advice. 

gary.

[marc al]

 Gazza

   One thing that will come is being able to talk to people better, it is a skill thatdevelopes with time, your confidence comes up. I used to hate going to see people, nervous as hell, I think this really comes across to the customer, nowdays it doesn't bother me at all.

   Now is also the time when you will start to really pick up the work, there is too much competition in the warmer months, they have all started to dissapear already, plus the windows now get dirty with spiders and wind and rain.

   Marc

[dai]

Targeting new deveopments is the best way to get compact work. I hardly ever have to move the van more than once a day, and sometimes not at all.
On open plan starter homes at £5 a go [without conservatory] you can make a good living and nobody else can compete with your prices. I can do the tops of 4 houses WFP and then start on the bottoms, no waiting for drips to stop. 6 windows one patio and a door on each house, but they are all next to each other. Dai

[neil100]

Your speed will come in time Gazza, dont worry.

You need to round build and to do that you need to canvass.

In August I decided to take an hands on approach to help my son develop a w/c round.He was allways putting canvassing off till the following week. I have now decided to do the canvassing for him, the w/c round will belong to me, he will just do the work on the round, If he stops w/c I will take over the work, and if I have too much work I will sell the round on.

I have been out canvassing for about 8 hours all told. To date I have picked up 36 customers worth £430.00. We are doing some new work today that I canvassed worth £153.00.

We will do this together untill March going 50 50. I will then build him a trailer system(W F P) where he will do it on his own.

In March he will have a days work a week for 4 weeks of his own work which will pay £250 a day. It will then be up to him to develop the round further.

Keep on going.

Nel.