[Wc Solutions]

This isn't an anti wfp or newbie post! Been wfp for years n years now ...

Just pointing out that over the past say 3 try's I'm seeing so many wcs popping up every day.

Years ago it was just in the summer, norm story old clapped out motor, cheap bucket and kit kat tea towel...

But since wfp became so easy/cheap to DIY etc ... Newbies are lasting alot longer and in my area there's too many about now. Not effect me one but just worried for the future of wc in some way ... Don't want it becoming a price war! Be getting £1 house window cleaner next like the pound shop ... So in a way wfp could harm the trad in that way ( hope that makes sense )

[lee_dewing]

Maybe under current climate more and more window cleaners inevitable.

I just concentrate on being reliable, polite and doing a good job, at a fair price.

Window cleaning is a rewarding job but has it's downsides, I've met a few windies on my travels who were going to take over the world, only to jack it in 2 years later.

I want my customers to want me because i'm a good window cleaner and not the only window cleaner.
Don't worry about what others are doing mate
Let em worry about you.

[Smudgeoff Cleaning Services]

Maybe under current climate more and more window cleaners inevitable.

I just concentrate on being reliable, polite and doing a good job, at a fair price.

Window cleaning is a rewarding job but has it's downsides, I've met a few windies on my travels who were going to take over the world, only to jack it in 2 years later.

I want my customers to want me because i'm a good window cleaner and not the only window cleaner.
Don't worry about what others are doing mate
Let em worry about you.

Excellent advice....

[tonyoliver]

shops in croydon are being done for 40 p and houses are down to 4 all windows for a three bed semi was 15 last  year  shops 5  we are having our arses ripped out

[Fin Clearview]

I'm not being funny but this forum makes me laugh, banging on about how many new kids are on the block yet this forum constantly has lads posting their hourly rate and daily takings,
is it any wonder?

This is a great place for everything else bar discussing finances and in future for the security of earning a fair living some people should be more smart imo.

[james peters]

I'm not being funny but this forum makes me laugh, banging on about how many new kids are on the block yet this forum constantly has lads posting their hourly rate and daily takings,
is it any wonder?

This is a great place for everything else bar discussing finances and in future for the security of earning a fair living some people should be more smart imo.

my thoughts exactly...having said that....look at all the posts about cold weather rain etc....
some are finding it hard going...and many just wont work in the rain etc......
IMO you have to work in all weathers to succeed in this game...

[robertphil]

  market for wfp on the big council estates is very limited,iv not seen 1 in five years

 the big houses is the wfp market  

  

 

[Wc Solutions]

My point was with too many wcs about after wfp is making it more appealing to newbies, the whole ladder thing would put them off before.

Just don't want a price war to start... Years n tears ago if I said there would be 4 pound shops in every town I'd have been laughed at!

[Dave Mills]

shops in croydon are being done for 40 p and houses are down to 4 all windows for a three bed semi was 15 last  year  shops 5  we are having our arses ripped out

Can I be blunt?  I simply do not beleive that shops that were £5 last year and houses that were £15 are now 40p and £4. 

Youre not comparing like with like, or youre making some other error.  Are you sure youre not mixing up fears and truth?

[tonyoliver]

s orry dave i have lost shops at £5 to an asian guy who does em for 40 p he uses tissue paper and seems to spend forever but the shop keepers say cheap is cheap and quality has gone out of the window  game. the cheap houses are done by a guy who uses a wheelie bin to move around the area and has even asked to borrow my ladders to help him out .....
commercial...... in croydon the shopping ctr was cleaned every day state   £ 40 per shop big shops and were checked every day by the ctr manager who went round with a white hankie any dirt and you would clean the whole lot again  last week i saw to cleaners clean  with a small pole and no water leaving grey smears on all  the windows   leaving the windows in such a state anyone here  would expect the sack price not pros is the way forward and we are all doomed to poverty some time soon

[robertphil]

i notice that a long established wfpoler  in my area now is advertising carpet and some other cleaning as well as windows on his merc van.  i used to feel a bit jealous of him when i was working from a car only.  now it looks to me like he cant cut it on the windows so has diversified


course he may just have fancied doing carpets  tho if he has a full round which he surely should have had ,how has he the time to do it all

[tonyoliver]

you think window cleaning is cut throat look at the carpet boys post whole house 15 quid ect

[Fin Clearview]

My point was with too many wcs about after wfp is making it more appealing to newbies, the whole ladder thing would put them off before.

Just don't want a price war to start... Years n tears ago if I said there would be 4 pound shops in every town I'd have been laughed at!

I totally agree but I just wanted to say something about this forum that I think is quite ridiculous when it comes to safe guarding our income. People posting 'i did x number of jobs at x price for x hours work on a public forum seems daft to me. I mean you wouldn't go and tell everyone down your local this information would you, but a public forum where thousands of people come to? 

[deeege]

s orry dave i have lost shops at £5 to an asian guy who does em for 40 p he uses tissue paper and seems to spend forever but the shop keepers say cheap is cheap and quality has gone out of the window  game. the cheap houses are done by a guy who uses a wheelie bin to move around the area and has even asked to borrow my ladders to help him out .....
commercial...... in croydon the shopping ctr was cleaned every day state   £ 40 per shop big shops and were checked every day by the ctr manager who went round with a white hankie any dirt and you would clean the whole lot again  last week i saw to cleaners clean  with a small pole and no water leaving grey smears on all  the windows   leaving the windows in such a state anyone here  would expect the sack price not pros is the way forward and we are all doomed to poverty some time soon

This needs to be recorded and uploaded to YouTube

[rosskesava]

I'm not being funny but this forum makes me laugh, banging on about how many new kids are on the block yet this forum constantly has lads posting their hourly rate and daily takings,
is it any wonder?

This is a great place for everything else bar discussing finances and in future for the security of earning a fair living some people should be more smart imo.

Exactly. I keep my business methods to myself. Giving anything other than general easy to find advise, what a stupid thing to do.

It's like telling your competitor how you run your business, it's daft. Does anyone on here think that large corporations do that? Does Tesco tell Sainsbury's the best way to get more customers?

This forum is run by people who want more window cleaners to buy window cleaning stuff. The more who give it a go, the more money they make.

[Fin Clearview]

I'm not being funny but this forum makes me laugh, banging on about how many new kids are on the block yet this forum constantly has lads posting their hourly rate and daily takings,
is it any wonder?

This is a great place for everything else bar discussing finances and in future for the security of earning a fair living some people should be more smart imo.

Exactly. I keep my business methods to myself. Giving anything other than general easy to find advise, what a stupid thing to do.

It's like telling your competitor how you run your business, it's daft. Does anyone on here think that large corporations do that? Does Tesco tell Sainsbury's the best way to get more customers?

This forum is run by people who want more window cleaners to buy window cleaning stuff. The more who give it a go, the more money they make.

I'm sure it is but those people shoul take a long hard look at themselves for they will also be planting seeds in the minds of people who would also like to start up a supplies company...this might be our way out if the tough gets going.

[dazmond]

its the explosion in people having access to the internet,forums,online window cleaning magazines,WFP,recession etc.

i dont see the problem in posting earnings and what you can earn in a day etc as most newbie window cleaners will be sadly disappointed when they start up and only earn a fraction of that for a good while as you need to find the work,price well and keep the customers!as well as build up funds for emergencies,sickness,holidays,tax,insurances,new equipment etc.

and then of course there is the weather issue and boredom,late paying customers,non paying customers!the list goes on!!

just concentrate on your own business and do the best job you can and dont worry what other window cleaners are doing/charging etc.

there is a lot of glass out there that needs cleaning!!

[Dave Willis]

"I earned just under £400 on a bad day last week - here's a list of all my jobs and prices" .................. can't understand why anyone would want to be a window cleaner really 

[home6442]

Does anyone really believe whats posted on this site about earnings anyway.
Think about it why go to university and get into debt when you can earn
millions cleaning windows.
Just remembered I must get the Rolls Royce serviced.

[Dave Mills]

s orry dave i have lost shops at £5 to an asian guy who does em for 40 p he uses tissue paper and seems to spend forever but the shop keepers say cheap is cheap and quality has gone out of the window  game. the cheap houses are done by a guy who uses a wheelie bin to move around the area and has even asked to borrow my ladders to help him out .....
commercial...... in croydon the shopping ctr was cleaned every day state   £ 40 per shop big shops and were checked every day by the ctr manager who went round with a white hankie any dirt and you would clean the whole lot again  last week i saw to cleaners clean  with a small pole and no water leaving grey smears on all  the windows   leaving the windows in such a state anyone here  would expect the sack price not pros is the way forward and we are all doomed to poverty some time soon

Ridiculous - "doomed to poverty"?

You think no one will ever notice that 40p gets them a terrible job done?

Get a grip and sell on the quality  you offer.

[bobplum]

evolve, diversify

[Dave Willis]

Emulsify.

[dazmond]

fair play to the guy who posted earnings of £400 a day.ive never earned £400 a day window cleaning ever and dont see me doing so anytime soon!!

the guy lives down south where we all know the cost of living is very high.

the point is over the course of a year after tax,insurances,fuel,equipment,no sick pay,holiday pay,bad weather days etc and he wont earn £400 a day every day his earnings will be a lot lower divided up into days worked.

most newbie window cleaners will be sadly disappointed when they realise they cant earn anywhere near £400 a day and jack it in!!

[Dave Mills]

Plenty of people have started here in the past few years.

I see very few of them about now.  One was always bleating about how hard it is to get customers while I was worrying about how I was going to do all my work.  He has disappeared now.

He was wfp, with a nice setup - now his customers all need servicing and he will not be coming again.

[jimiwindows]

wfp is killing the game

[Dave Mills]

wfp is killing the game

Funniest thing I have read on here in months.

[Andrew Giles]

I think the advice about cocerntrating on your own business is a good one, yes there does seem to be alot more cleaners about these days but it doesn't bother me because we provide a high quality service and charge what we think we are worth.

If somebody doesn't want to pay the prices we charge, we don't barter, we just leave them a card and let them find somebody else at half the price just to find out that the phrase 'you get what you pay for' does usually apply. Quite often those customers will come back to us and wish they didn't bother with the other guy in the first place!

A couple of times over the past 12 months I have had customers tell me that they have had other Wc's canvasing for work (which i have no problem with as people are entitled to earn a living), but they ask how much we charge them and they will either try to get the job for a quid less or try and slash the price by 50%......... and they never manage to get the job!
The reason why, because we are reliable, charge reasonable but healthy price's and provide a very good service with a smile.

So all in all we don't worry about the newbies because they generally don't last, mainly because they have to work a lot harder for there money and end up comprimising on quality because they are charging half the price of what they could and are struggling to cover there overheads.

Charge right, do the job right, the rest will follow!

[Andrew Giles]

........and there is plenty of work out there for us all, sometimes you might have to do a little work to find it!

[C o z y]

Well said Andrew Giles.


The guys who have a good income in this game are the ones who are out there knocking doors and leafleting while others sit on forums complaining.

[lee_dewing]

A good workman is always busy!

[Whizz-Bizz]

There was an article in the financial times a while back and the reporter said you can tell when theres a recession on when w/cs are all fighting over the same houses. Its so true. Im loving it never been so busy

[lee_dewing]

So you take peoples redundancy money promising them a great business but in reality there's more window cleaners than windows?