Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: BVC on April 27, 2012, 06:57:52 pm
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So, With the different class of newbie on the scene. (dedicated and serious) I have 2 questions..
1. What do you think it will do for the trade? Raise its profile/ Raise customer expectations/ promote price wars etc....
2. What are you doing about it? Stepping up and bringing your A game/ Not bothered/ Worried/ Encouraged?
I am talking about the guys coming through with nice vans and systems doing things by the book. I personally think Its a positive thing for the trade. Helps custys view us as tradesman rather than tax dodgers and generally makes work life more pleasant all round. I have a little more pride in my work if i am honest :)
However saying that, and I genuinely mean that, what I do wonder is with such small (relatively speaking) outlay and overheads (I spoke to a hairdresser the other day and was shocked at their break even figure) are we approaching saturation point anytime soon and if we are with what results.
I suppose thats 3 or even 4 questions..but knock yourself out I am interested in your opinions.
ps...
I also believe that the financial markets are on the verge of total collapse as soon as the social elite decide the time is right and pull the plug and re-boot the system. Prices have not gone up! the value of the paper in your pocket has gone down! So I suppose my questions are somewhat moot, If your interested take a look a fractional reserve banking and Inflation.
but hey ho... at least its friday ;D
Have a good weekend guys
BVC.
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Its easy to go out and buy a nice van and new equipment if you have the money / can get finance... But, that doesn't give you an instant business.
Its taken me years of building and refining, getting through winters etc...
It's not as easy as some people think... I reckon about 70% of new window cleaning startups give up within the first year.
All the best to serious newbies though!
Andy
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I think you are dead right andy. Which is why I think we can use it as an opportunity to maybe re-evaluate our business without freaking out about the new vans out on the road. I think it is a reminder for us not to be to compacent with our custys though. I think some are quick to dump and may regret it one day.
BVC.
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1. What do you think it will do for the trade? Raise its profile/ Raise customer expectations/ promote price wars etc....
2. What are you doing about it? Stepping up and bringing your A game/ Not bothered/ Worried/ Encouraged?
However saying that, and I genuinely mean that, what I do wonder is with such small (relatively speaking) outlay and overheads (I spoke to a hairdresser the other day and was shocked at their break even figure) are we approaching saturation point anytime soon and if we are with what results.
1. I think our profile will be raised. If people are truly professional then there's a hope they might just raise prices, as they'll understand it isn't price that wins customers, it's quality of service. For us 90% of it is turning up and cleaning their windows when you say you will. The other 10% is what differentiates.
2. Always improving what we do. Always looking for ways to do it better.
3. The outlay and overheads aren't as low as it looks from the outside and that'll bring a few of the new starters up short. I don't think we're anywhere near saturation (though that could depend on where you are in the country). I've not seen any tailing off at all of the response rate to my leaflets. In fact, we're so full we really shouldn't be taking anyone new on.
Andy makes a good point above. Remember, most businesses are gone within five years - I don't see our business being an exception. From the outside any business looks an easy way to make loads of money. Look how many restaurants have opened and closed near you in the past five years. All those people sank loads of money into their sure-fire winner.
A guy around here started with a sign-written van, worked at it for three years then gave up two winters ago. One of his friends said he couldn't understand it, but I can. Bumping along as a windy is easy. Making a success of it is a completely different game. Whatever your goal is - shorter hours, more control, more money, whatever, long-term success won't come unless you can succeed running a business. Not in the daft Alan Sugar testosterone televisually exciting way, just doing all the stuff that you have to do come rain, shine, light, dark, cold, rainy... Keeping accounts up to date, always being positive with customers, planning so you don't run out of anything and have to wait a week, remembering to fill the van, getting up when your body is crying out to stay in bed as you're aching with all the first cleans when you've just started, and a hundred other things you get right when you've been doing it a while....
Plenty of the new guys won't be equipped mentally for that and plenty will fall by the wayside. The remainder will be good to have in the industry.
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Just chase them off you patch lads ;D Remember your the old school now
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some good posts already on this! ;) ;D ;D
my take?im already on the top of my game!!sign written van,18 years established,uniform,WFP and TRAD,reliable,honest and do a good job of glass,sills,frames and doors.
and most importantly my hearts in it 100%!! ;D ;D ;D
a few things that discourages newbies after a while.the job can get boring esp in bad weather.you need a good solid customer base before you start to make it pay which takes time.
make no mistake window cleaning is hard work day in/day out.some people cant hack it!!
seen a few newbies near me lately with much nicer vans and systems than me but they havent got enough work!!
im not overly concerned.ive had parts of my round canvassed and leafletted 5-6 times already this year.WORK LOST?NOT ONE CUSTOMER TO THESE NEWBIES!! :D :D :D
regards
dazmond
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Well well....
Some well thought out, educated info. Any serious newby would do well to take that info on board. Taking these thoughts into consideration, anyone that has been in the game long enough to get the rent paid month in month out, deserves a well earned pat on the back.
I think being a regular reliable honest wc is something to be proud of. So anyone thinking they dont compare to some of the big boys, (or the shiny van brigade) take a step back and think how good we have got it. Set your goals (not always more cash) and be grateful for what we have....and if you lose a bit of direction ciu can set you straight.
btw I am not stoned, Just spoken to a few people this week that have reminded me how lucky I am.
BVC.
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i agree BVC.i know loads of people struggling.cant find a job or doing jobs they hate for crap money.im doing very well.better than ever in fact at 40 years of age!! ;D ;D
but ive been single minded over the last few years and put the effort in and invested money into equipment etc.my attitude has also changed for the better as well.its paying off handsomely now.although is ongoing all the time.
this forum has helped immensely in turning around the business i had 3 years ago!!!
best wishes to everyone
dazmond
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I started window cleaning just over a year ago more out of had 2 than wanted 2 , my brother in law is a window cleaner (as was i with my dad many years ago) and after finding myself broke and with no work coming in on the building side he said why dont you just try a bit of window cleaning , so i did and i have not looked back.
2 months ago i set up my wfp system which has a static van set up and a mobile unit that i made using a shur flo back pack and a small sack trolly , now i know im still a new boy on the block and will be for a while but through commitment and hard work ,knocking on doors and just pushing myself i have a business that earns pretty good money , granted i need more custies and in time they will come,
I had a lot of advise off here thanks to me being asked to do a diary of a new window cleaner on here ,and the other window cleaners in my area have been proper stars and helped no end. i feel proud of what i do and it shows in my work my custies really seem to like me and recently my wife had a baby boy and quite a few of my custies sent cards and presents .
so to all those who like me at times doubt they will pregress just keep going and do your best i will pay off .
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Its easy to go out and buy a nice van and new equipment if you have the money / can get finance... But, that doesn't give you an instant business.
Its taken me years of building and refining, getting through winters etc...
It's not as easy as some people think... I reckon about 70% of new window cleaning startups give up within the first year.
All the best to serious newbies though!
Andy
agreed
the building process isnt overnight you almost need the funds to support yourself and family for a good year during that transition period -especially as now the weekly outlay in bills alone for the average family is horrendus
again people underestimate how much work is needed to get a client base they work doesnt just come in via ads in the paper etc its hard work especially now with so many at it due to the recession
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Doesn't matter what shiney new equipment they have, if they can't clean windows to a high enough standard they will fail.
It amazes me, the amount of work I pick up from already, well established cleaning firms that are doing a crap job. Some wfp, some trad.
Any new guys need to ensure quality is at the forefront of their agenda, or they won't hold onto the customers long enough to build a sustainable business
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How to be a success in the business in 1 word.
Consistency
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I think there is a over focus on equipment a van and image. Owning the beautifully wrapped van with all gardener poles.Drop thousands of leaflets by someone else.Having a web page from day one.These do help a business but ramp up the starting cost of a business as well as expectations of the owner.
When the hard spade work really produces results.
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Yeah we've had a few start up by us with brand hew wrapped vans with the top of the range systems fitted in the back. I can't help but notice that when their customers are pulling them down in comments box on the internet they never write " Made a mess of my windows, never use these cowboys. Nice van though!"
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I used to work in an office and thought that running your own business would be easy peasy - big shock I had when I joined the other half. No paid holiday, sick etc etc
If people are using their redundancy to buy nice new kit that's all very well but it doesn't necessarily mean that they are going to be good business people. It's a big shift in attitude to go from working from somebody else to having to motivate yourself to go out to work every day and to get more work in even when it's pouring with rain/blowing a gale.
Winter sorts out the majority of newbies - only those that are made of sterner stuff battle on through it :D
Window cleaning is a great business but like any business you don't get it handed to you on a plate. Customers value quality work and reliability - they don't care if someone has a huge van and loads of expensive equipment!
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E bay is full of so many of these start up Flops. Some times I would give my left ba...ll to have half of what they start up with.I don`t spent much time on here but I see so many starters want to start at the top.
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How to be a success in the business in 1 word.
Consistency
My one word would be to take ACTION
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no need to panic...fractional lending isnt affecting this market, there isnt any lending going on regardless of the fraction.....companies and banks are holding on to cash until the euro stabilises and the worlds banks, and hence the world economies are shown to be secure, particularly in europe....who owns Greek debt? we will only know when the greeks default.....until then it can stay on the books as an asset....rocky road ahead but dont see a meltdown. China's slowing down so this should ease demand for raw materials and hence inflation, giving the rest of the world a chance to book some growth......a slow crawl out of the recession is on the cards.....no meltdown though (in my opnion), also dont forget inflations only a bad thing if you have savings rather than debt, at the moment most countries are drowning in debt, hence inflation reduces the burden......things not so bad after all..... :) :) :)
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Hey congrats on your new family addition Shaun. I'll be in the same boat in less than 3 weeks or so. Never gave window cleaning much thought as such, until someone suggested it the other week. I know theres a lot of hard graft to be done to make some wedge, but I'm prepared to crack on with it, rain or shine. I guess 12 years of working outside at heights with BT hardens you up. Quite looking forward to running my own business though. All the best with the family :) hope you get unbroken
sleep
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who owns Greek debt? we will only know when the greeks default.....until then it can stay on the books as an asset....rocky road ahead but dont see a meltdown. no meltdown though (in my opnion), not so bad after all..... :) :) :)
I agree to some degree pete, however, like I said, I dont believe the collapse will come as a result of the debt based fiat currencies used by the major word players, but that the social elite will instigate a crash and use the ensuing panic to introduce a new system. I really do not believe that debt based currencies can continue indefinately. Every bubble bursts eventually. Our current finacial system is no different. Whether it's Tulips, houses or paper currency they all burst.
I also agree debt is not a bad thing and can be used to leverage much gain, however when you can barely pay the interest on your debt, It doestn't take einstein to take a punt at the result.
So my question to you would be.. Why spend the rest of your life trying to pay of an ever increasing debt, when you can wipe the slate clean and start all over again? We have borrowed against our childrens incomes and the incomes of our chilrens children. Take a look at the next generation. Are they seriously going to spend their lives paying off our debt? They are more concered with their xbox's and facebook accounts (a sweeping generalized statement that could come back and bite me in the bum, I know, but I stand by it!)
Personally I couldnt care less about the financial markets. 35,000 Children died today from starvation :'(
I am just a window cleaner with a bit to much thinking time, so if you do know better, or you have letters after your name, go easy on me :)
anyway. to keep the mods happy, What pole do you use?
Be cool
BVC. ;D
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.....no drama BVC, love a chinwag about the global economy. Would be a simple solution to cancel the debts, but the time to do it would be when Lehman collapsed, maintaining the status quo is the course we are on, like it or not.
Once the Euro is sorted, (my guess is Greece exits), or Germany spits the dummy and breaks up the whole thing, the markets will calm down, as I said could take ten to fifteen years for that to unravel, slow crawl out of recession is on the cards. Not so bad as Japan did ok for ten years with zero growth, no bad thing.
Re inflation, (didnt mean leverage), if base rates/ interbank lending rates are kept close to zero whilst inflation continues at 4%, the real value of your debts are dimishing by the difference every year.....this is the plan, its a simple wealth transfer from the retired (looking for interest on savings) to those who holds debts (typically those of working age with houses, kids and credit cards) as they will spend more with cheap money hence stimulating the economy into growth.....you see, not that bad after all......my mortgage payments are down to nothing but I have to put up with my retired mum moaning about a 2% yield on her barclays bonds......!!!!!
Good question.....poles are gardeners, natch! :) :) :) :)
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....Pete, will have to agree to disagree my friend... apart from one thing................
Gardiner poles are da bomb!!!!!!!!!!!! ;)
BVC.
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I reckon a lot of these newbies have their backs against the wall and are not going to give up that easily. They may be making mistakes but they should be learning from them.
More important to look at is the situation ie jobs and money that brought them to the decision to try their luck at window cleaning. That affects the customers as well. I believe the customer pool is shrinking and will continue to shrink as money for non essencial services is needed elsewhere.
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.......haha, no problem there mate, if it does collapse I'll expect a call from you in your bunker larfin yr ass off!!!!!!
Gardiners indeed are "da bomb"
P ;D ;D ;D ;D
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who owns Greek debt? we will only know when the greeks default.....until then it can stay on the books as an asset....rocky road ahead but dont see a meltdown. no meltdown though (in my opnion), not so bad after all..... :) :) :)
I agree to some degree pete, however, like I said, I dont believe the collapse will come as a result of the debt based fiat currencies used by the major word players, but that the social elite will instigate a crash and use the ensuing panic to introduce a new system. I really do not believe that debt based currencies can continue indefinately. Every bubble bursts eventually. Our current finacial system is no different. Whether it's Tulips, houses or paper currency they all burst.
I also agree debt is not a bad thing and can be used to leverage much gain, however when you can barely pay the interest on your debt, It doestn't take einstein to take a punt at the result.
So my question to you would be.. Why spend the rest of your life trying to pay of an ever increasing debt, when you can wipe the slate clean and start all over again? We have borrowed against our childrens incomes and the incomes of our chilrens children. Take a look at the next generation. Are they seriously going to spend their lives paying off our debt? They are more concered with their xbox's and facebook accounts (a sweeping generalized statement that could come back and bite me in the bum, I know, but I stand by it!)
Personally I couldnt care less about the financial markets. 35,000 Children died today from starvation :'(
I am just a window cleaner with a bit to much thinking time, so if you do know better, or you have letters after your name, go easy on me :)
anyway. to keep the mods happy, What pole do you use?
Be cool
BVC. ;D
you been watching tv again?
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when i look down one of millions of streets in the uk and see 200 hundred houses and i think to myself- 'thats about 2-3 weeks work right there', i dont care how many people start up windows cleaning. there are so many more potential customers out there.
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.......haha, no problem there mate, if it does collapse I'll expect a call from you in your bunker larfin yr ass off!!!!!!
Gardiners indeed are "da bomb"
P ;D ;D ;D ;D
I might even let you in if you ask nicely... ;D Bring your slx and a bag of rice though....
BVC.
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when i look down one of millions of streets in the uk and see 200 hundred houses and i think to myself- 'thats about 2-3 weeks work right there', i dont care how many people start up windows cleaning. there are so many more potential customers out there.
I agree mate ;)
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when i look down one of millions of streets in the uk and see 200 hundred houses and i think to myself- 'thats about 2-3 weeks work right there', i dont care how many people start up windows cleaning. there are so many more potential customers out there.
Someone who cleaned just one in ten of the privately owned houses within five miles of where I live could run 26 full-time vans running flat out. That's ignoring every flat, every commercial job and every council estate. Given that I have streets where I now do half the houses, by that measure you could run 130 full-time vans.
Vin
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when i look down one of millions of streets in the uk and see 200 hundred houses and i think to myself- 'thats about 2-3 weeks work right there', i dont care how many people start up windows cleaning. there are so many more potential customers out there.
Someone who cleaned just one in ten of the privately owned houses within five miles of where I live could run 26 full-time vans running flat out. That's ignoring every flat, every commercial job and every council estate. Given that I have streets where I now do half the houses, by that measure you could run 130 full-time vans.
Vin
Daddy like....... :-* 10% of your immediate catchment area.. Relentless leaflets on a monthly basis (think pizza hut) Cant be that hard.
Maybe you could even charge a fiver and have the lot away. ;) Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
BVC.
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Come and buy a franchise. You know it make sense!
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when i look down one of millions of streets in the uk and see 200 hundred houses and i think to myself- 'thats about 2-3 weeks work right there', i dont care how many people start up windows cleaning. there are so many more potential customers out there.
Someone who cleaned just one in ten of the privately owned houses within five miles of where I live could run 26 full-time vans running flat out. That's ignoring every flat, every commercial job and every council estate. Given that I have streets where I now do half the houses, by that measure you could run 130 full-time vans.
Vin
Daddy like....... :-* 10% of your immediate catchment area.. Relentless leaflets on a monthly basis (think pizza hut) Cant be that hard.
Maybe you could even charge a fiver and have the lot away. ;) Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
BVC.
you never reply to me, so im not replying to you!
DOH!