Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: geefree on August 08, 2006, 02:35:12 pm

Title: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: geefree on August 08, 2006, 02:35:12 pm
Hi,
i know its easier to buy a small round then build, but to all you succesfull guys out there, how did you manage to live ,pay the mortgage and feed the kids as its so slow building from scratch.. how did you all start, ..so far i have £40 of work per month after lots of door knocking and leaflet dropping.

gary.
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: scrimit2 on August 08, 2006, 04:22:48 pm
hi Gaz hang in there, without a doubt word of mouth is the best way to build your business,
I really made an effort to get on with the customers, now i have 350 plus customers and I never advertised, it took time, well 6 years, i never door knocked, but that is also a good way to get work, but not how i like to do things, have a chat with some local window cleaners im sure they will have some spare work, it might not be the best, but it all helps.

Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: Moderator David@stives on August 08, 2006, 05:41:19 pm
Gazza

I have said this time and time again and i usually get knocked for it.
The best way to get work is to buy it,
Secondly approach all the window cleaners in your area and see if they have any cast offs or details of any work theey have turned down due to being too busy.
Tax credits is a good top up when you first start out ,no one is supposed to starve in this country , employed or not working.
Get your yellow pages out and phone the rest of the window cleaners in your area, you will usually find one who knows one whos selling a round.

Just be bold and ask ,you will never know if you dont.

I still take all the cast off s off all my local window cleaners if offered any, you would be suprised at some of the work others give away and the reasons why.
I got a load off one guy because he said he did not want to clean his neighbors houses anymore , too close to home he said.

You cannot doorknock work if there is none out there, you are quite welcome to knock my round but you wont get nothing, well you might get the odd one,

Dave

Dave
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: matt on August 08, 2006, 05:54:12 pm
Gazza

I have said this time and time again and i usually get knocked for it.
The best way to get work is to buy it,
Secondly approach all the window cleaners in your area and see if they have any cast offs or details of any work theey have turned down due to being too busy.
Tax credits is a good top up when you first start out ,no one is supposed to starve in this country , employed or not working.
Get your yellow pages out and phone the rest of the window cleaners in your area, you will usually find one who knows one whos selling a round.

Just be bold and ask ,you will never know if you dont.

I still take all the cast off s off all my local window cleaners if offered any, you would be suprised at some of the work others give away and the reasons why.
I got a load off one guy because he said he did not want to clean his neighbors houses anymore , too close to home he said.

You cannot doorknock work if there is none out there, you are quite welcome to knock my round but you wont get nothing, well you might get the odd one,

Dave

Dave

Dave is spot on here

ask local guys if they have any work going spare, I brought all of mine (all at 1 X the amount it earned), the guy who was retiring i worked the round with him the first time, thus earned half the money, i told him to keep the money, then only paid him 1/2 the amount, it worked well)

some will give you the odd bit of work they dont want, some might ask for 1X the amount

i was lucky, right time and right place and all that, the old boy who retired brought it off anyother guy many years ago, thus the round was very compact (and with a few flyers placed in the houses he didnt do, i do house and house after house, today i did from No 2 to number 30 and only skipped a few houses)

drive around and ask some of the local WC'ers. some will ignore you, some will look like they want to Kill you, some will have chat and give you some advice, then some might give you the crap they dont want



Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: shammy davis jnr on August 08, 2006, 08:51:12 pm
bruce and the spider, what do u mean there is no work out there ,change your way of thinking how long does it take to do forty quids worth say a day for one person whats happened to the other four days in the week
it aint going to be easy but search and you will find there is no sweat like your own sweat  go through the bullpoopters of this world and demand your right to a good living  just go for it  mate nobody will  poop on you for trying your hardest  well i for one will take my hat of and commened you  it does get rough at times but stay focused and you will shine through    yours shammy davis 
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: windows_chepstow on August 08, 2006, 09:55:03 pm
Hi,
i know its easier to buy a small round then build, but to all you succesfull guys out there, how did you manage to live ,pay the mortgage and feed the kids as its so slow building from scratch.. how did you all start, ..so far i have £40 of work per month after lots of door knocking and leaflet dropping.

gary.

It's difficult.  I worked part time for Royal Mail and had another weekend job doing security at a building site.  I also had around £8000 in savings that helped me for around six months; it helped pay for my living expenses.

You've just got to go for it; leaflet and canvass like mad; it was definately a struggle and it's only about now; nearly four years after starting; that my finances have moved from 'diabolical' to 'not bad'.

Looking back, I wish I bought a round, but this forum wasn't here then and the window cleaners I knew back then, I didn't trust.



Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: craig jwc on August 08, 2006, 10:56:15 pm
I was working part-time for a company when i started, just to boost my income.
I put flyers out and went doorknocking.
I only managed to get up around £70 a month in the first couple of months.
After about another couple of months i was able to quit my part-time job and w/c as my main job.
Most of my work has come from recomendation. Because  i did a good job work started flooding in.
I had my bad weeks where the phone never rang with new work but i stuck at it with the encouragement from this site.
I've been at it 12 months now and earn more than i did when i was working full-time for an engineering company.
I did get the tax credits as i am a single parent which helped but they are next to nothing now.
You will be surprised how you can manage and pay all your bills etc.
I worried about my mortage and how i was going to pay my solicitors fees as i am still going through divorce, but i have managed.
Stick at it mate and if you want it to work it will.
Don't be put off when you have a bad day because good days i find come round more.
I've just had a week off with the kids and picked up 10 new jobs by customer recomendation.

Stick at it......... You won't regret it

Craig


Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: abacus on August 08, 2006, 11:57:11 pm
Hi
bread and dripping

my old man say he lived onit as kid


or feed the kids and starve the bank manager

I must admit I brought mine from a guy my dad knew let me pay weekly no interest
but a loan may help but make sure you can meet the payments or its just another millstone around your neck

regards grant
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: paul mather on August 09, 2006, 12:22:45 am
Gazza,

Don't give up it will come but if your work is coming in that slowly it maybe a good idea to get yourself a part time job whilst your round grows.

Oh & ignore the postings on this forum from those who love bragging about how much they earn, it may or may not be true , but how much we all earn is no one elses business but ours & the taxmans. I can imagine how it must make you feel to see others quoting weekly earnings of 4 figures, whilst you are busting your hump to get work.

Good idea about calling other WCers in your area, most of us at one time or another have off loaded work cos it maybe our worst paying bit, but I'm sure you would take it right now.

Just be prepared for some not so favourable responses, our industry has more than its fair share of wazzocks.
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: geefree on August 09, 2006, 08:53:46 am
thanks lads

yes it is coming slowly, dont want to sound a misery though, i will keep going, i have seen one or two window cleaners in the areas i leaflet drop but have not acknowledged them as yet, i still feel like i am treading on their toes so i dont even look up and just continue dropping them,  but i do feel uncomfortable, not intimidated or scared lol. just feel they looking at me as the enemy, but it does not put me off because they have to know where it all began for them too !.. i do feel like i dont knock on the door enough though, after a few knockbacks i tend to drift into just posting leaflets again.... maybe this is why its slow... im full of enthusiasm and optimism at the start and but after a couple of hours my head starts to drop.... maybe thats why its so slow.  gary.
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: Paul Coleman on August 09, 2006, 09:18:23 am
Hi,
i know its easier to buy a small round then build, but to all you succesfull guys out there, how did you manage to live ,pay the mortgage and feed the kids as its so slow building from scratch.. how did you all start, ..so far i have £40 of work per month after lots of door knocking and leaflet dropping.

gary.

I was fortunate in that I had very low overheads at the beginning.  For the first few weeks, I qualified for unemployment benefit (pro rata) too if I squashed my small amount of work into one day each week.  Then I got lucky.  I landed a self-employed driving job that paid very well for one week a month and I built my window cleaning business around that.  Also, I landed a fair size window cleaning job at some offices when I wasn't even looking for it (I bumped into some guy at the janitorial supply shop).  It wasn'tr easy though.  I was out four or five evenings a week canvassing and occasionally I would draw a blank.  There was a big recession at the time though.
You need to keep[ plugging away at it.  Also, to help cashflow, maybe search the small ads for part time PAYE office cleaning work that is done early morning and won't interfere with you window cleaning.  I landed several self-employed window cleaning jobs from companies who I worked PAYE for.  Just keep persevering, stay open minded, and it will work for you.
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: pylofm on August 09, 2006, 12:40:49 pm
Keep going Gary.....Like yourself am out each day this week...I keep in mind that this is all just a numbers game....

Keep your chin up and just know that when you're out and about, there are others like you and I doing the self same things and just think when you have built your own business with your own sweat....How good it will feel to KNOW that you made it happen.

Cheers Dave...Like Nike say...Just do it! ;)

Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: geefree on August 09, 2006, 12:46:35 pm
thanks again, that will help to keep my head up during the suicide moments  ;)... what is the best accounts book to use , customer management, accounts, paid ..not paid, etc just using a diary (planner) and address book at the moment.
thanks to you all for your support once again.

gary.
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: pylofm on August 09, 2006, 02:27:35 pm
Hi Gary...I have got a trial copy of 'George' which is a computer round program....

I think alot of w/c use it (http://www.georgesystems.co.uk), there is also another one knocking about which again many w/c use...The name escapes me at the moment...Hope someone can give you the url for it.

Hope these mutterings help..

Cheers
Dave. ;D
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: windows_chepstow on August 09, 2006, 05:41:16 pm
thanks lads

i have seen one or two window cleaners in the areas i leaflet drop but have not acknowledged them as yet, i still feel like i am treading on their toes so i dont even look up and just continue dropping them,  but i do feel uncomfortable, not intimidated or scared lol. just feel they looking at me as the enemy, but it does not put me off because they have to know where it all began for them too !

Smile and introduce yourself; be confident.  Most window cleaners are a decent lot.  If the window cleaner is a decent sort of chap, he'll take your number and pass you on work or potential customers he doesn't want.

I've had two calls this evening from people wanting a window cleaner who were given my number from another window cleaner.  One I referred to our Ian_Giles (since they live in one of his areas) and the other I passed to another window cleaner who I know works that area.

Local window cleaners do network.

Try it!

.. i do feel like i dont knock on the door enough though, after a few knockbacks i tend to drift into just posting leaflets again.... maybe this is why its slow... im full of enthusiasm and optimism at the start and but after a couple of hours my head starts to drop.... maybe thats why its so slow.  gary.

I know that feeling, mate.  It's like you've got a finite amount of courage and self-confidence and once it's used up; it's just easier to post those leaflets; you get to the point where you hope the 'potential customer' isn't in.

You've just got to soldier on though.

I keep going by hoping the next customer is going to be 'young, blonde, pretty and receptive to my Geordie charm'.  Invaribly they're old, grumpy, deaf and don't like Geordies; but it keeps me going.

As someone said here, it's a numbers game.

Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: JM123 on August 09, 2006, 07:12:52 pm
Hi Gazza another thing you could try is FAMILY, believe me mate it works - think about it, if your famiy members ie brother/sister/cousin etc all recommend you to workmates etc  you'll find that the work will start to roll in, remember when a snowball rolls down a hill it takes a while to pick up speed, but as it gets going quicker it picks up more snow and gets bigger, it then goes faster and faster and grows and grows and.....I'm gotting carried away here.  Just remember the snowball!
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: dai on August 09, 2006, 07:57:40 pm
Gazza, get all the local papers that cover a 30 mile radius of where you live, there must be some new houses getting built somewhere. Target these, I did this, got to do the show house and gave all of them a free first clean as they moved in. The sales office staff will tell you when new people are moving in. My biggest estate where I have 6 days work didn't even have a show house, I just got to know the foreman. I travel 25 miles to get to where my work is but there aren't many rounds as compact as mine. It's great when you don't have to move your van all day. Many of my houses are £5 a go, so I am one of those dreadful £5 merchants. When you have streets of these where you do 90% of the houses, all open plan fronts with 7 windows in each, believe me you can earn a tidy sum in a day.
I have my £15 stand alone jobs, but not many. I actually make more an hour on my compact jobs. Good luck mate and don't forget each new job for you is a monthly pay rise, and you have all the time in the world to canvass at the moment. I'm that busy trying to keep up with what I have that I don't have time to go looking for more lucrative work. I now turn down £15 jobs if they are not in a street that I already clean. Dai
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: geefree on August 09, 2006, 08:40:08 pm
thanks to everyone , it really is invaluable all the help and advice given, i want to answer everyone but i cant  ???  lol.  love the bread and dripping bit abacus , and all the ideas are brilliant, family & friends, new houses..etc.... and i think once i am out there regular people, hopefully will notice and enquire.... but most of all its really inspiring to know that you are all here. ;)...

still looking for the best accounts/customer book.. but as i just kicked off its not taking too much organising..lol

Anyway just got in after another leaflet/canvass day..
i got 8 new customers today... :D.

thanks again lads.

gary.
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: john tomkins on August 09, 2006, 10:16:34 pm

i got 8 new customers today... :D.

thanks again lads.

gary.

Nice one mate, that's got to inspire you. ;D
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: JM123 on August 10, 2006, 12:15:23 am
good man gazzasp8 - just remember, you may only get 5 new customers a week, but after a year thats 260customers!!  Like I said - SNOWBALL
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: geefree on August 10, 2006, 12:41:01 am
cheers jmi123, your posts were excellent, and you are dead right...5 per day would be a lot better tho lol.... but its the right way to think

cheers.
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: geefree on August 10, 2006, 12:43:40 am
yes john it does inspire and i feel better now. thanks :D
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: windows_chepstow on August 10, 2006, 07:29:37 am
Gazzasp8,

If you want some inspiration, don't post on here till 12.45 am.

As my old boss used to say, "If you're going to 'hoot with the owls', make sure you're capable of getting up early and 'soaring with the eagles'.

 ;D
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: geefree on August 10, 2006, 08:27:24 am
 :D... was a bit late eh lol.
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: Fast 1 * on August 10, 2006, 11:13:13 am
gazza,how much work have you got so far?
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: s.hughes on August 10, 2006, 04:42:10 pm
Take on some office cleaning to help yourself get a start.

Steve
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: windows_chepstow on August 10, 2006, 04:52:15 pm
Take on some office cleaning to help yourself get a start.

Steve

That's easier said than done.  I always keep an eye on our various news agents boards and I've saw two adverts today offering office cleaning services.

It seems quite competitive around here.
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: geefree on August 10, 2006, 06:13:08 pm
hi fast one got some more today thats a grand total of 15 !  ???
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: pylofm on August 10, 2006, 06:33:57 pm
Well done Gazza, 15, just do that another 20 times and you're a millionaire...

 ;D Dave.
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: geefree on August 11, 2006, 12:04:01 am
i know ha!... still on catch up tho dave.. with you... how did your day go.

gary.
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: Fast 1 * on August 11, 2006, 12:08:50 am
gazza,do you go knocking in the daytime?
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: geefree on August 11, 2006, 12:12:27 am
hi f/
i knock during the way for an hour in, where i hear life .. then leaflet drop for an hour... then have a food break then knock some doors for a while after 5pm
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: geefree on August 11, 2006, 12:14:20 am
i mean i alternate each hour during the day... not just one hour on one off then home lol.
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: Fast 1 * on August 11, 2006, 12:16:34 am
what,so you knock on doors for an hour,then deliver leaflets for an hour,then go back to knocking?
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: geefree on August 11, 2006, 12:25:49 am
no lol....... during the day i drop leaflets..then after an hour i  knock a few doors, for maybe an hour (dropping a leaflet when no-one home).. and i sort of do that most of the day.... then i go home ,have some tea.... then pure door knocking... as 99% are at home then.
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: Fast 1 * on August 11, 2006, 12:30:57 am
how much work have you got so far m8
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: geefree on August 11, 2006, 12:36:25 am
got 4 more tonight ....19 cleans now ..  ha ha.. dont look down on me please, im very new.  but thing are looking up now , i hit an area where i think some one had a go then left so i will blanket it tomorrow.
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: Fast 1 * on August 11, 2006, 12:43:40 am
im not looking down on you gazza,ya nutta.I wish you all the best.With the way your optimism is,you will get there in no time.
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: geefree on August 11, 2006, 01:04:19 am
thanks... i hope so , i am taking anything that comes at the mo, even little old ladys bungalows where they say" i have been charged £2 for ten years.".... lol.   i  nearly lost one but got away with it.. £4 for 3 and a half windows... hey i know what you are going to say, but blow it.. ! im taking them for the experience i need, and just being out there hoping people will ask me to do theirs....... i know i maybe making a rod for my own back but they are  only a couple of small bungalows.  ;)
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: pjulk on August 11, 2006, 01:27:39 am
Gazza

Stick with it you will get there.
You will get phone calls for a while from the leaflets.
You may not get loads from them but some people keep them i have had phone calls about 9 months after i dropped leaflets.

I use leaflets quite often putting out a few thousand on rainy days then maybe a month or two do the same area again

Paul
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: geefree on August 11, 2006, 01:36:49 am
hi paul.. cant sleep either eh..?  i want to do the best i can . i wont give up but its a bad area for decent money i think, compared to a lot of guys on here... or is it me being sucked in by ... oh i only ever paid this or that .. brigade.? ???
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: pjulk on August 11, 2006, 01:51:10 am
Don't need to get up early as i have an appointment with the business person from the bank tomorrow morning at 10.
Christ didn't realise the time was that late.

You will soon get better prices once you get more confindence and more work.

The way you are going though you will have a good sized round in no time then you can pick and choose your work and command a higher price.
Then put the prices up on the cheaper ones and most will stay with you once they get to know you

Paul
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: geefree on August 11, 2006, 10:28:39 am
Cheers Paul,
thats encouraging, well here we go again a new day , fresh enthusiasm, (a little later than ususal though)... would be nice to hear that phone ringing again today.

Gary.
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: Franky2020 on August 11, 2006, 06:18:35 pm
Just keep plugging away GazzaP8 ,I started wcing last September with no customers and went door knocking and now nearly a year later I have nearly 300 customers and are now getting to a stage where Im dropping ones that are a pain and keeping the good calls.
It really has been amazing how it snowballs , and as long as you are reliable ,courteous and do a good job you should have no problem. Best of luck.
Title: Re: FEEDING THE KIDS
Post by: neil100 on August 11, 2006, 06:55:06 pm
If you want it to work and are willing to put the time in long term then you will make it. I started in 1980, I stayed up all night with my land lady weighing up weather to start my new job on Monday morning or give w/c a try. At 5am I wrote a letter to the company who were giving me a start to apolgise that I would not be starting work with them. I rang my freind at 8am and said I am going to give w/c a go. Went round to his house and practiced for an hour cleaning his mothers windows, leather and scrim. He gave me lots of advice, told me to stop putting the ladder up upside-down, I had never used one before.

His brother took me out canvasing for an hour that evening to show me how to price up. Over 26yrs and still going strong.

My advice. Canvass, Canvass, Canvass. I would canvass in the evenings and do the work next day. For a year I canvassed every week, I was still canvassing after 4 years. You get to a point were you dont need to canvass, just being at work will get you other work.

Dont underprice just to get work as you will end up with a crap round, Go into as many villages as you can, they can earn you good money.

Set yourself a target, Say to earn £100 a week, When you hit that rise it to £150 a week. In six months you should be earning about £250 a week.

If you dont have self dicipline you will not make it.

I wont put down How much I have earned this week because it seams to upset a lot of people on this forum, I dont tell to brag, I have the attiude if I can do it so can you. IT WAS A mega week considering I only worked 4 days as I was at Headingly watching the cricket on Tuesday.

You can earn very good money at it Gary. get the basics right, take pride in the job you do and dont undersell yourself.

Nel.