My part-time earnings

« **on:** November 13, 2004, 05:31:01 pm »

Hi All!

I have been window cleaning part-time for a year now, I earn about £60-70 a weekend fri/sat.

I have enough work for the spare time available to me(have wife,son,golf2 play and dog) at the moment.

What I'm fishing for if it's not too rude? Is what kind of money do you guys make either with ladders like myself or WFP,s on full-time basis...?

I fully understand if you feel it to personal a question?

I am 42 and my full time job could be gone in a year or 2 as the company are looking to use cheap labour by moving to the Pacific Rim!

Steve Wright

« **Reply #1 on:** November 13, 2004, 11:08:54 pm »

How many hours do you work fri/sat as £60-70 for a weekend is pretty poor.

Price's vary from area to area and how much you want to earn but £15 - £20 per hour is common

« **Reply #2 on:** November 14, 2004, 09:08:22 am »

If you get your pricing right it can return a good wage, 15k and upwards. How much further up depends on the individual.
If you had a full round and were earning less than that you would be doing something wrong.

Ian

« **Reply #3 on:** November 14, 2004, 10:00:15 am »

I usually work 4-5 hours on Friday and just an hour or 2 on Saturday!

Not setting the world alight i know but if i take to much on i will only end up letting people down.

Steve Wright

« **Reply #4 on:** November 14, 2004, 03:35:32 pm »

You still getting £10 and hour
£400 per week if you build it up full time better than what a lot of jobs pay.
And plus the more you do it the quicker you get and the more money you can earn

« **Reply #5 on:** November 14, 2004, 07:46:02 pm »

in north london for a rookie like me u can get about 100 a day using a ladder

with wfp i dont know yet, but will get one soon and let u know

« **Reply #6 on:** November 15, 2004, 08:17:33 pm »

Thanx for info so far guys!

Keep it coming in.It may be be of use for other part-timers and rookies like myself.

I imagine you old hands organise your work a bit better than myself?I seem to hop about from one end of town to another

waste a lot of time!

Steve Wright

« **Reply #7 on:** November 15, 2004, 09:21:26 pm »

hi,

i'm only working part time due to my commitments with my religion, and i'm using ladders, earning around £15/hour, but i'm moving over to a pole system because i should earn £30/hour+ with one and still only work part time, i'll be able to build up my round too, are you thinking of getting a pole system?

Jamie

« **Reply #8 on:** November 16, 2004, 03:24:13 pm »

I imagine you old hands organise your work a bit better than myself?I seem to hop about from one end of town to another waste a lot of time!

Salesmen call it "territory management" - I call it being tight! Nobody pays you for lost time or extra diesel. Well they do overall, but you know what I mean!

If you have jobs close-ish to each other which you do on different days, just tell some of them that you'll be back on a different day (to suit you!) the next time and then regular as clockwork after that. I can guarantee that hardly any of them will bother at all, so long as you turn up when you say you will.

Remember, don't ask them how they'd feel, or would it be OK if you change their day, just tell them quite matter-of-fact that you'll be back on a different day. It's your business and they fit in wherever is best for you.

We tell new customers that while we'll be there ASAP for their first clean, it probably won't be exactly four weeks till we return, but we'll fit them into our schedule and once they're in they can rely on us.

Works for us!

« **Reply #9 on:** November 16, 2004, 11:07:24 pm »

hi stevo
i got exatcly the same problem. cos i am building my round sometimes i work only 5 from 8 hours a day. i ve realised how much time i waste geting from 1 to another. dave is right, customers dont mind if u come later as long as u reliable. if u got only few customers on one street make some noise that they can hear u there, smile a lot and few house wifes ask u for quote. good luck

« **Reply #10 on:** November 18, 2004, 06:32:42 pm »

'using ladders, earning around £15/hour, but i'm moving over to a pole system because i should earn £30/hour+ with one'

Is Jamie a little optimistic..?

And yes Jamie a pole system is on the cards in the new year and if what you say is true i best jump to it!

Steve Wright

« **Reply #11 on:** November 20, 2004, 09:10:37 am »

First, Jamie don't get depressed if in the begining you don't double your money. I have been using a WFP now for almost 6 months and I still havn't doubled my money. I have increased by about £5 - £7 per hour but as I have to do down stairs with the traditional method due to water shortages with a small car I feel that is really a good increase. As I get better I am able to do upstairs more quickly with less water and so at the end of the day I have water left over so I do downstairs with WFP as well. During this time I increase by another £5 per hour. So that says a lot. On wednesday I did an 8 hour day with ladders in 6 1/2 hours with WFP.

Second, I agree absolutely about customers not minding if you are late occasionaly. If you are regular and trustworthy they will wait a week or two. Because of a holiday and the fact I pulled a muscle in my neck when I slipped while lifting a barrel I am now almost 4 weeks late. I just put notes through my customers doors explaining and appologising for the delay. I have done this before and they always appreciate it.

Colin

« **Reply #12 on:** November 20, 2004, 09:33:19 am »

Hi Steve,

No, Jamie isn't being optomistic at all. November is my second full month using wfp and my forecast income for this month is £2,194. Of course with another 10 days to go, I'll probably add another £200 or so to that.

Mind you, not all of this is cleaning windows. I'm doing very well with fascia and soffit and conservatory cleans too. However, if you price your jobs right, you can easily earn £30 per hour with wfp. You have to make sure that you aren't wasting time travelling either. Initially you'll have no choice as you will only have a few customers to service but, as your round builds, you become more and more productive every day (and you get better using the equipment too).

There's a lot of money to be made window cleaning. How much is entirely up to you!

Regards,

Paul

« **Reply #13 on:** November 20, 2004, 02:25:26 pm »

Been cleaning windows for six years, and depending on pricing, my hourly rate with an established round is £25-35 per hour (squeegee/applicator), sometimes more....I`ve just moved house and am establishing a new round, so for first time cleans i`ll probably bang out £15-20 per hour, and in 3/4 months be back earning in and around £30 again.

I`m going to use WFP in the future, but their not brilliant in all circumstances, i`ve tried one on my mates round and he`s banging £40-50 per hour on certain areas....Some house ain`t worth using `em for, i find their better on Semis and detached houses, where they`re ain`t too much fence hoping....

« **Reply #14 on:** November 21, 2004, 11:20:34 am »

It's great to see such good earnings to be had with some hard work and organising your selves...!

Glad i'm not out there today it's wet and cold here.

Thanks 4 input guys

Steve Wright

« **Reply #15 on:** November 21, 2004, 11:42:16 am »

All these £££££££ signs making me dizzt remember the good old tax man could be using this for bedtime reading........5,10,15 pound and hour be careful.

« **Reply #16 on:** November 21, 2004, 05:04:47 pm »

What r u saying not all earnings r disclosed...?

Heaven forbid..!

« **Reply #17 on:** November 21, 2004, 10:38:50 pm »

Quote from: tightswerve on November 21, 2004, 05:04:47 pm

What r u saying not all earnings r disclosed...?

Heaven forbid..!

« **Reply #18 on:** November 24, 2004, 06:29:24 pm »

IM THE TAX INSPECTOR YOUR ACCOUNTANT WARNED U ABOUT HA HA HA

« **Reply #19 on:** November 27, 2004, 01:44:30 pm »

Well it would appear there is plenty of money to be made..!

The fact that only a few of u guys has told me about your earnings tells me a lot! As lots have people have said nothing speaks volumes!

Hey but thats cool!If lots of people were shouting there mouth off about huge potential earnings i would be a little sceptical.

Steve Wright

« **Reply #20 on:** December 03, 2004, 04:09:21 pm »

Took day off work to catch up on window cleaning work today.

Worked from 9 till 4 and made £97 is that any good ?
I'm bl**dy knackered...!

Steve Wright

« **Reply #21 on:** December 03, 2004, 04:43:30 pm »

is it more than you would have earned if you where at work.
If so it must be good

Paul

« **Reply #22 on:** December 04, 2004, 01:43:30 pm »

As the months have passed i have become quicker.

For example a very large detached house i do(huge conservatory,indoor swimming pool,leaded french windows every where) used to take me 4/5 hours i can now do in 2and a half !But i feel a little guilty as i still charge £45.

This is the case with other jobs,when the customer is in i try and leave it till the very last minute(put ladders on van etc) before i ask for money.

Should i not worry about this and just get on with it? :

Steve Wright

« **Reply #23 on:** December 04, 2004, 03:46:41 pm »

i can now do in 2and a half !But i feel a little guilty as i still charge £45.
That's £18 per hour, which is quite cheap by the standards of some on these boards. Don't just time yourself while you're cleaning the windows - you've got to get to their premises, so factor in the cost of that, you also need to purchase all the gear you need to enable you to do the job, plus the time taken to complete the paperwork later, the cost of your insurance, time wasted while the old darlings hunt for their purse after watching you at every window all round the house and haven't quite connected the fact of you being there and needing paid when you're finished . . .

This is the case with other jobs,when the customer is in i try and leave it till the very last minute(put ladders on van etc) before i ask for money.
If you've given them a price for the job don't feel guilty about asking for the money. Try starting the job so that you'll finish at their front door and knock that when you're two windows away. Why? Because by the time you've finally finished, they'll have the right money ready and you can wish them a cheery goodbye as you're on your way back to the motor.

To wean yourself into this system, why not ring the bell after you've finished and then start to put the ladders back on the van? They'll come to the door, you can shout out that you'll be there just as soon as you've tied the ladders on. I'm sure they'll start to get the hint!

Should i not worry about this and just get on with it?
CORRECT

« **Reply #24 on:** December 05, 2004, 05:51:01 pm »

Once again WavieDavie wise words

Will take on board what u have said!

Thanx Steve Wright

« **Reply #25 on:** December 05, 2004, 07:53:33 pm »

I seem to be averaging about $25 per hour, for 5 hours work, Mon to Fri, using the pole. (I'm a bit lazy) That's £100 per day, £500 per week....part time really, but hey ! I've got other things I'd rather be doing with my time...(like riding my Bandit 1200, or going Scuba Diving..lol)

« **Reply #26 on:** December 07, 2004, 02:13:33 pm »

Hi,

I also work two or three days per week to other commitments and find that since moving over to WFP my earnings ahve gone up. As I only had aenough work to fill 2 days per week using ladders it's taken a while to build up more now that I am quicker with a WFP.

I also found that I could take on work I wouldn't dream of doing with a ladder (too high, too awkward) and I can charge a "healthy" sum to do it with my WFP.

I am now trying to ween out from my round the houses that are too cheap, and replace them with the high paying house, 3 storey houses, large coutry properties, awkward to reach windows ect, so I can make my WFP pay better.

i also got the feeling when I first switched that on some places I was cleaning them too quickly for the price I was charging but I view it this way:

I invested £xxx in the WFP for my benefit (safer/quicker ect), not the customers benefit. We agreed a price for the job, not for the time spent. As long as they are happy with the job that's what counts.

If you are really worried about a customer complaining that you ahve been "too quick" jsut aim to clean it when they are not there!!!

Cheers
Steve

« **Reply #27 on:** December 10, 2004, 12:23:29 pm »

just joined the forum .......Hello
well i stay in scotland ....(Very posh area)
if i dont break 18 pound an hour i dont do them
i work a 3 day week with a friend of mine .......... he pays me 10 an hour(but i know i earn him at least 16 an hour......... (simple maths for every hour i work he gets 6 in his pocket for me just working)
anyway im just starting out myself and have managed to get a few customers but only enough for about 5 hours a week but its a start..... hoping to build on that......... have a word with other window cleaners in your area ..........
most have houses that they r dying to get rid of (generally horrible wee panes)
start from there .........charge a wee bit extra .... say a pound........ print yourself a few flyers..... post them in shops..... post offices etc........
generally if you get one new one in a street ..........within a year you will have at least 5 on that street......... word of mouth is our best way of new customers

« **Reply #28 on:** December 10, 2004, 04:52:20 pm »

I`ve just started this week and i`m earning £10 an hour. I still need to speed up a lot to up thew earnings but its not bad !!!

This is on my own round

« **Reply #29 on:** December 10, 2004, 10:31:01 pm »

just joined the forum .......Hello
well i stay in scotland ....(Very posh area)

And Hello to you too thewindowcleaner, glad you popped in.

Any chance of you filling in a bit more of your profile, so we know a bit more about you, and which posh part of God's own land you're from? Edinburgh, Glasgow, city, countryside?

« **Reply #30 on:** December 15, 2004, 06:22:35 am »

Got to take my hat off to you full time guys!

Have been using holiday time i have left this year and have been working all day 9till 4ish(gets a bit dark) and don't know if i could do it week in week out?

The time certainly flies by and out doors all day i could sleep for England!

Earning 80-£100 a day with 20mins for lunch.

Steve Wright

« **Reply #31 on:** December 16, 2004, 04:06:14 pm »

Sounds like you're gradually picking up speed quite nicely - I'm sure that as time goes by and you use some of the techniques to be found on this board you'll soon be approaching £150 on a dry 9 - 4 day!
You could've taken me home in a wheelbarrow after a busy day in the early stages of my cleaning career!

« **Reply #32 on:** December 16, 2004, 05:30:15 pm »

I reckon on a reasonable day....using the pole, I make about £25 an hour. Not every hour, as I have to travel a few miles for some country jobs, but generally....
I try to make £100 in about 5 hours, mon - fri....I don't think that's unreasonable or un-attainable...works for me anyway....I used to work for Tewkesbury Borough Council for £6.48 an hour, then they cut my hours to 30 a week...what a joke....now I make more than three times as much for many less hours.....go WC's !