[gary999]

The biggest expense i have,is having time off

[PoleKing]

I have never known a trade to talk more openly about what they earn than window cleaners.I have very good friends that own building and electrical companies with 10 plus staff and they never tell me what they earn,I meet window cleaners I don't know tell me how many customers they have how much they charge,what car they have at home etc.
When I started cleaning windows in 1996 I did not know any friends that cleaned windows for a living,now more and more are getting into it I know of an electrician,landscaper,bt engineer,graphic designer plus more all get into window cleaning.

The thing is, the more people tell you they're earning-the less they are.

+1

And if they tell you "yeah, I drive an Audi Q8" what they actually mean is "i have a push bike made in Germany, with materials from Kuwait"

Lol. It's a Q7 V8.
How are you getting on with that 3 wheeled van SoupySeconds?
In all seriousness though-I've never posted my earnings. Never will. No good can come from it.

[Soupy]

Yeah me too.

I've got myself a defender. It's a newer one (07) with a transit engine in. Not convinced.

What's a q7? I wasn't meaning you. Honest. 

[PoleKing]

Yeah me too.

I've got myself a defender. It's a newer one (07) with a transit engine in. Not convinced.

What's a q7? I wasn't meaning you. Honest. 

Transit engine? Really?

Google Q7. Flip past all the 3.0 ones that would get beaten to 60 by Daz in his Puma.
If you get to the proper ones-you've gone too far, I can't afford the V12. Scoot back a notch and hey presto, you'll see my jug ears poking out the windows.

[G Griffin]

I earn more as a one man band than I do as a window cleaner although I'm not that great on the harmonica, yet.

[Tom White]

I earn more as a one man band than I do as a window cleaner although I'm not that great on the harmonica, yet.

[G Griffin]

You can take the boy out of the toon............

[Frankybadboy]

I have never known a trade to talk more openly about what they earn than window cleaners.I have very good friends that own building and electrical companies with 10 plus staff and they never tell me what they earn,I meet window cleaners I don't know tell me how many customers they have how much they charge,what car they have at home etc.
When I started cleaning windows in 1996 I did not know any friends that cleaned windows for a living,now more and more are getting into it I know of an electrician,landscaper,bt engineer,graphic designer plus more all get into window cleaning.

lets be fair 90% of window cleaners aint the brightest sparks in the world look at bob,don kee,daz and trippy 

[dazmond]

the thing is anybody starting out  will not make the money some of us earn simply because they havent got the work and experience.then they get demoralised when they realise its not as easy as they thought (getting good solid customers at decent prices day after day,month after month.year after year.)

it takes hard work,determination and years of window cleaning to earn a good wedge at this game.most will fall short and pack in after a while.others will succeed and build good little micro businesses if their VERY self motivated and continue to work hard and provide a good service.

[Ian101]

the thing is anybody starting out  will not make the money some of us earn simply because they havent got the work and experience.then they get demoralised when they realise its not as easy as they thought (getting good solid customers at decent prices day after day,month after month.year after year.)

it takes hard work,determination and years of window cleaning to earn a good wedge at this game.most will fall short and pack in after a while.others will succeed and build good little micro businesses if their VERY self motivated and continue to work hard and provide a good service.

+1 ....               Ive been around a bit now and have seen a few come and go as well as the guys that have been going for years ... few old fellas in my area been going for decades.

[Don Kee]

I have never known a trade to talk more openly about what they earn than window cleaners.I have very good friends that own building and electrical companies with 10 plus staff and they never tell me what they earn,I meet window cleaners I don't know tell me how many customers they have how much they charge,what car they have at home etc.
When I started cleaning windows in 1996 I did not know any friends that cleaned windows for a living,now more and more are getting into it I know of an electrician,landscaper,bt engineer,graphic designer plus more all get into window cleaning.

lets be fair 90% of window cleaners aint the brightest sparks in the world look at bob,don kee,daz and trippy 

 

[SeanK]

the thing is anybody starting out  will not make the money some of us earn simply because they havent got the work and experience.then they get demoralised when they realise its not as easy as they thought (getting good solid customers at decent prices day after day,month after month.year after year.)

it takes hard work,determination and years of window cleaning to earn a good wedge at this game.most will fall short and pack in after a while.others will succeed and build good little micro businesses if their VERY self motivated and continue to work hard and provide a good service.

Its also a lot harder now as a lot of good customers will have already been signed up and will usually remain loyal.
A lot of newbies now will be left with young spoilt I expect everything for nothing types who don't have the same
values as the previous generation.
I know this sounds like doom and gloom but I don't think window cleaning will be the same money earner in years to
come.
I'm going about seven years and there's no way I would start from scratch now.

[mlscontractcleaner]

7 years?

You're just a beginner mate haha!!!!

You could start out today just as you did back then. There are still plenty of new customers to be had.

We started out in 1992 and although it was easier to pick up new work back then we still get a lot of new customers now, and that's all walk up or word of mouth.

And Facebook; our business page is forever receiving friends requests from friends of satisfied customers. These too become customers who have friends who send requests and so on.

And it's free!!!

[trippyboy]

I have never known a trade to talk more openly about what they earn than window cleaners.I have very good friends that own building and electrical companies with 10 plus staff and they never tell me what they earn,I meet window cleaners I don't know tell me how many customers they have how much they charge,what car they have at home etc.
When I started cleaning windows in 1996 I did not know any friends that cleaned windows for a living,now more and more are getting into it I know of an electrician,landscaper,bt engineer,graphic designer plus more all get into window cleaning.

  Noone has been asked to announce on this thread what they earn,thats private and would be rude to imo.
If a person averages £40 per hour and works 3 hours per week he makes £120 per week
If a person averages £40 per hour and works 40 hours per week he makes £1,600... Big difference eh.
As far as hourly rates are concerned I would be a fool not to ask the plumber/spark/chippy what he was going to charge me per hour.
Same as if I booked my van in at a garage, I would enquire how much their hourly rate was.
So ask your sparky mates if any potential customers ask what they charge per hour?

[cgh window cleaning]

My comment was not aimed at you or this post direct just this forum and window cleaners in general,they like to talk money and this could be part of what makes new people start up(not that new people starting is a bad thing).
All the best.

[Fin Clearview]

Great idea for a thread. We need more discussions about prices on here.  

Also, average what? Turnover or profit? A £20 average turnover per hour might look good on paper (to some) but in reality is little more than minimum wage (if paying Tax, Ni, insurances etc etc)

+1

[SeanK]

7 years?

You're just a beginner mate haha!!!!

You could start out today just as you did back then. There are still plenty of new customers to be had.

We started out in 1992 and although it was easier to pick up new work back then we still get a lot of new customers now, and that's all walk up or word of mouth.

And Facebook; our business page is forever receiving friends requests from friends of satisfied customers. These too become customers who have friends who send requests and so on.

And it's free!!!

Not saying there isn't new work but a lot of it is from young people with high mortgages or rents who don't
seem to give the same importance in having clean windows or just cant afford the cost.
Was just using the fact the even though I'm only cleaning windows for 7 years the difference in the amount
of what I would call quality customers has decreased to the point where it would be almost impossible to build
a quality round.
I'm sure there are areas where this hasn't happened as of yet but with the amount of new start wfp cleaners
its just a matter of time.
Most new guys are quitting in my area because they just cant get enough quality work.

[PoleKing]

7 years?

You're just a beginner mate haha!!!!

You could start out today just as you did back then. There are still plenty of new customers to be had.

We started out in 1992 and although it was easier to pick up new work back then we still get a lot of new customers now, and that's all walk up or word of mouth.

And Facebook; our business page is forever receiving friends requests from friends of satisfied customers. These too become customers who have friends who send requests and so on.

And it's free!!!

Not saying there isn't new work but a lot of it is from young people with high mortgages or rents who don't
seem to give the same importance in having clean windows or just cant afford the cost.
Was just using the fact the even though I'm only cleaning windows for 7 years the difference in the amount
of what I would call quality customers has decreased to the point where it would be almost impossible to build
a quality round.
I'm sure there are areas where this hasn't happened as of yet but with the amount of new start wfp cleaners
its just a matter of time.
Most new guys are quitting in my area because they just cant get enough quality work.

How do you know about the newbs Sean?
I'm forever seeing new vans (not new new) round my manor-actually saw a crappy old multicoloured vivaro this morning.
My town is absolutely chock full of shiners.
Cant remember seeing too many that haven't made it...
In fact, i posted a few weeks back a mate of mine lives in a satellite village of lincoln. He canvassed for 3 evenings and picked up £800 of monthly work!
Ive never heard of such a return on domestic.
Ive certainly never achieved that myself.

[AuRavelling79]

I thought the question was how many hours a week I worked - I put 20 - 30. 

 

[PoleKing]

I thought the question was how many hours a week I worked - I put 20 - 30. 

 

Lol, you're counting time on here Goldie. Put your glass time down