Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: pdale on June 26, 2010, 11:30:52 am
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Hi all, i window cleaned for 4 years up until the winter and sold my round. In hindsight if i'm honest i'm beginning to regret it.
As i'm from a sales background, I have never found difficulty in getting work through concentrated canvassing and leaflet dropping but wondered what the market was like now? With the recession and credit crunch is it more difficult to get work? Or is it just the same as it always was and people are crying out for window cleaners. I would imagine due to people being out of work that there are more window cleaners?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I'm also thinking along the lines of wfp, beforehand i was tradtional. I've been told that the residential customers don't like this, is this correct?
Thanks in advance, Paul
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if youve cleaned for 4 years you shouldnt need advice
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The advice i'm really after is whether it's just as easy to set up a window cleaning round in today's financial climate as it was when i first started out 4/5 years ago.
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i started 2 years ago, it was tough to start with, like everything else in life !
pretty sure id have been doomed if i had tried w.f.p. , just my opinion, a fair chunk of my round are old fashioned folk, with old wooden windows and have tales of woe about w.f.p.
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the place is crawling with new wc trying to undercut;
at mo must admit i try to get wfp work; but evry job coming in is trad
good job im great at both ;D
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Its tougher out there right now, have no doubt. Even in the lucrative villages I notice it. The pensioners savings rates have been slashed, it goes down the line.
You could set up now, it would be tougher though. Window cleaners springing up due to redundancy, so plenty of canvassing going on. Setting up WFP would be even tougher, personally if your going residential only I wouldn't go that route. Keep your overheads to a minimum, and give the customers the option most prefer.
I don't know if its just me, but the past few weeks has seen a fairly substantial rise in residential enquiries. Small commercial is in the gutter though, many are suffering. Shops still need them doing, but huge competition. My business is strongest in the villages where there is money, but even then not back to pre recession standard.
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take no notice of the doom and gloomers , just get out canvassing with your experience you will have no trouble building a round , i,ve picked up £350 of new work this week , and yes there are loads starting up i was one 4 years ago , and deffo throw that squeegee away the pole is the way forward and soooooooooo much better in every way , stop dithering and get on with it regards alan
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well said prestige !
yes there are few more about than last year but a lot will disapear again come the colder weather.
If you can start and build a business now in this climate - you will go on to be successful.
Darran
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Be aware a large majority of this site use wfp, me included. Many are very biased towards it, don't believe all you read about its magical properties.
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just get out there and get on with it!if we all said" ooh i cant see building a good window cleaning round in this present climate" then we d all fail!! ;D ;D
depends on so many factors and what area your canvassing.but if you really want to make it happen then its entirely up to you to make it happen.
stop thinking and start doing!! ;) ;D ;D ;D ;D
best wishes
dazmond
oh and wfp is great!sod the ladders!! ;D ;D ;D
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The country is full of houses and they all have windows. Its a can't fail business. The only difference is the number of houses you may have to knock on to get a full round. But if you knock on enough doors you will there eventually even in the depths of recession.
Like I said, it can't fail
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Well i've decided to go out for 3 hours tomorrow night and canvas. I'll be able to tell from that what sort of response i'll get. May well hand in my notice at work on Tuesday. I'll see if i can get some one off gutter and upvc cleans too. I also have a petrol generated power washer so may diversify into drives too. Will see how tomorrow night goes anyhow, watch this space.
I also think wfp has to be the way to go, i have a volvo estate so should fit well into there with a flat tank.
Paul
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My advice would be to diversify.
Offer pressure washing & gutter cleaning too,.. if you offer more services you will pick up work faster & also have something to keep you going when the weather is too bad for window cleaning.
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My advice would be to diversify.
Offer pressure washing & gutter cleaning too,.. if you offer more services you will pick up work faster & also have something to keep you going when the weather is too bad for window cleaning.
that right of more than one service
you will always earn money ;)
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The country is full of houses and they all have windows. Its a can't fail business. The only difference is the number of houses you may have to knock on to get a full round. But if you knock on enough doors you will there eventually even in the depths of recession.
Like I said, it can't fail
Totally agree BUT what about stepping on other lads toes by doing this are you not inviting trouble?.....or you must have a rule not to drop prices below other w/c
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The country is full of houses and they all have windows. Its a can't fail business. The only difference is the number of houses you may have to knock on to get a full round. But if you knock on enough doors you will there eventually even in the depths of recession.
Like I said, it can't fail
Totally agree BUT what about stepping on other lads toes by doing this are you not inviting trouble?.....or you must have a rule not to drop prices below other w/c
In all my years I have never had any problem with stepping on other window cleaners toes except when we were eighteen and got warned off by a couple of old hands. Any way ME? drop prices you have got to be kidding I'm in it for the money, I'm not a flipping charity.
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The country is full of houses and they all have windows. Its a can't fail business. The only difference is the number of houses you may have to knock on to get a full round. But if you knock on enough doors you will there eventually even in the depths of recession.
Like I said, it can't fail
Totally agree BUT what about stepping on other lads toes by doing this are you not inviting trouble?.....or you must have a rule not to drop prices below other w/c
I've always believed that undercutting is bad business and i've never been cheap, on the other hand if somebody is unhappy with their window cleaner and i come along i have no issues with stepping on their toes.
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hi mate
you should get a 350 ltr tank in that volvo if wfp wat wfp system are you thinking mate u ok and get the biggest pole you can find you know the sayin the bigger the better anyting over 30 ft xtel light and flexible give us a ring if u want will point you in the right direction
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Yeah i might do that Al, i've been looking on ebay at a few items. Need to have a browse on the net as to what kits are available. I was up your way last week, are you driving a landrover discovery now?
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I didn't canvas last night due to a working late, i'm planning on giving it a go tomorrow as i have the day off.
Paul
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Well finally took the plunge. Cut down my work hours to a couple of days a week and intend to set up a window cleaning round again over the next couple of months.
Went out last night for 2hrs canvassing and took £96 worth of work!
They're average 3 bed semis with five sided bays on front, charging £9 each every four weeks, reckon each one should take 30/35 minutes. I took 8 houses at £9, 2 just the fronts at £6 and another slightly larger at £12.
Last nights was my first venture out canvassing, i'm intending to go out later tonight and also do some more this week and hopefully have a full weeks work next week!
Will keep forum informed :)
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Hi Paul
Good on ya mate! You decided about wfp yet?
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Hi Alan, i'm not going wfp yet. I have thought about it, but there seems to be a negative reaction by a few when i canvas. I think i'll build the round up first, then when i can afford to lose some with a change over i'll go over to it.
Start work tomorrow, been canvassing Wombourne, so not too far from you. Decided to canvass the whole of the village, even though there's some window cleaners there, i'm just getting my head down and canvassing.
I'm also doing some gutter repairs and got a couple of jobs lined up.
How are you getting on with the round?
Paul
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Good on ya Paul. Once a window cleaner always one I say. I was going to be a traffic warden a few years back. ;D. There's a few packed it in round Wombourne, picked up one last week down there. Other chap packed it in cos the dog bit him ;D
Round going great mate ta - got the missus with me and she's a big hit with the custies. She does the talking, I do work.
Don't use wfp myself all the time. Some custies don't like it especially older ones even if results good. Had to do a couple trad today. It ain't good in the sun either.
If you ever want to have a look at wfp just give me the nod mate.
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not sure how from from you but try coven
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wezz i think its a bit to far for paul think he wants to target close to house mate
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Hi Alan, i'm not going wfp yet. I have thought about it, but there seems to be a negative reaction by a few when i canvas. I think i'll build the round up first, then when i can afford to lose some with a change over i'll go over to it.
Start work tomorrow, been canvassing Wombourne, so not too far from you. Decided to canvass the whole of the village, even though there's some window cleaners there, i'm just getting my head down and canvassing.
I'm also doing some gutter repairs and got a couple of jobs lined up.
How are you getting on with the round?
Paul
Hi mate you will be lucky to get any round wombourn me and 7 other window cleaner do round there and i know off 3 that live in wombourn
you mite be lucky dave
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Thanks Al, i'll give you a call at some point, would like to see how wfp works as i've never given it a try.
Coven is a bit far from me Wezzy, it seems as though there's still plenty of work going local to me. I used to do a bit of Coven with my cousin, he still works around there and also Brewood.
I've picked up a fair bit so far Dave. Had a tough time tonight though so tried an estate i wanted to do in Kingswinford also.
I'm on target so far for £300 for my first week and i've only canvassed three evenings, but i am from a sales background so knocking doors is second nature to me really. Planning on canvassing tomorrow and Saturday so things are looking good. It's dirty for the first clean though and got a few aches as it's been a while since i've got the ladders out, but enjoying it!
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try that boozer the summerhill ;D ;D ;D ;D
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hiya mate ive been doing window cleaning for 6 months and ive got 120 houses now so you can do the same mate wfp is the way forward ;)
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ryan you cant rely on reach and wash to do everything mate you have to do a bit of blading once in a while lead winds are a must clean for wfp but its a service you give to the custie that counts if they dont want it its there call.
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That's true Al, i've taken about 3 customers off a guy who does wfp as they're not happy with him, reckons he leaves stains on the window sills. The fact that i do tradtional swung it, i even charged a pound or two more.
When i can afford to let some go i'll go wfp, but until then i'll stick with what i know.