Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Richy L on June 26, 2007, 06:32:10 pm
-
I no this isnt really window cleaning but......
I find it hard to drum up jet washing business. 99% of my jet washing comes from my window cleaning customers.
How do any of you guys find enough work for full time jet washing?or at least regular work?
Ive tried yellow pages, but i only really had enough work to pay for the ad!
Is the answer flyers? I know with window cleaning flyers are usually a waste of time.
So what would you guys suggest?
-
I also do power washing , and most of my customers come from people who I clean windows for .
I have had a add in a local free mag, it has brought in some work but not as much as I had hoped for.
Last year I posted 10,000 flyers and had about 10 jobs from them
This year I have had 1 job from the flyers I left last year.
-
it seems to be mostly word of mouth, but how can you get the word spead, if you dont have much business to start with? :-\
-
Jet washing is a good add-on when the elements prevent window cleaning.
But it's a really seasonal thing from march to September (who gives a stuff about their patio in the winter?).
Do this: Alter your biz card to read, Window/Patio Cleaning. Point this out to customers but explain that you can only do it when you're not window cleaning...ie: wet weather.
Another thing is to offer a re-grouting service after you're 140psi monster has ripped up most of the old loose mortar ;D
Good luck!
-
ive never done regrouting before.
Is it easy to do?
-
Richy - get your van sign written as I have picked up alot through the signs on the van.
When window cleaning we use another van so park the ambulance (drive doctor) on very busy roads and this has also done well.
Only been doing it 4 months and it has already paid for itself.
Had my good lady and one of my lads doing 2 drives today but still learning how to cut the time down and best ways of cleaning.
I also try to get my clients to go on a yearly clean so they are booked for next year
Good Luck
Robbie
-
cheers guys, all good advice.
I was thinking of pirctures on my van .... before and after ...... after all, pictures speak louder then words.
-
I've had next to nothing despite the signs on the side of my van. What a waste of money. Will stick it all on ebay after this summer, but will wait to catch someone who thinks they can make a go of it for 2008, then unload the whole thing.
-
so how many jobs do you guys get every month?
Only on average. and how much a job.
Basically, how much can you guys make from just jet washing a month?
-
ive never done regrouting before.
Is it easy to do?
Easy Peasy. Go to B&Q and buy a 25lt bag of RMC and a trowel. Mix it up, then with the trowel whack it into the gap(making sure you've prised up any loose bits!!!!)....leave for 1/2 hr. Then with a 6" bit of hosepipe smooth down. Leave for a a further 1/2 hr and brush off residue with a wire brush.....job done ;)
If you're feeling brave offer to re-lay rocky/uneven slabs....nowt a bag of sharp sand and a spirit level can't do!
-
As I said it's seasonal and you'll not make a full-time living doing just this !
Charge £1 per Sq Yd for the clean, £2 per Sq Yd for the re-grout.
With a 130psi machine a 40 Sq Yd patio should take 90 mins if you work 40 mins....rest machine 10 mins....work 40 mins.
-
do you mean 1300 psi?
The one i use is 3500 psi and use a spinner.
-
i tend to use chemicals on drives, as doesnt affect the pointing, customers love it as most people use jet washers and make a mess. then they come back year after year
-
I have mine printed on the slips i put through the door if the customers isn't in.
I use my pressure washer to do the Gutters and Fascia's using a Gutter Lance.
A couple of weeks ago a woman saw me cleaning the gutters on a neighbours house and asked me to go and quote on 2 lots of decking and a driveway plus the guttering.
As soon as my customers saw i was doing pressure washing they started asking me.
Within about 12 weeks it had paid for itself.
If you have a customer base for the windows then you already have the work there for Gutter Cleaning and Pressure Washing.
-
craig what pressure set up have you got size etc.
also where you got you lance from.
regards steve.
-
Richy - Cleaned one today £480.00.
Only managed to get half of it sanded so have to go back but the doctor was very happy with the outcome.
We use a 4000 psi powerwasher and a flatdeck cleaner.
We are averaging about 10-12 cleans per month but we also have the window side so this is just an add on to offer to our clients.
I do not think you could get a fulltime living from it as I would imagine it will be very quiet over the winter months.
Good Luck
Robbie
-
Cleantime - It's nothing special.
I picked it up from B&Q as i needed one quick for a job.
It has a Briggs & Stratton 3.5 (4 stroke engine) - 125 BAR
Got it for £200.
The Gutter Lance i got form Varitech, but can't remember the price.
People might have a few comments about the washer i bought, but i was really surprised how good it is. It does for what i want and it's paid for itself already including the lance.
The Decking & Patios i have cleaned have come up looking good and the customers where well pleased with them.
-
who cares what it looks like. so long as it as its doing the job mate ;D
thanks for the info.
-
Will it power a spinner or whirl away?
-
If you mean a surface cleaner, i was told it would, but never tried it.
I just use the lance, but am looking at a surface cleaner as it would make the job quicker.
-
Richy - Cleaned one today £480.00.
Only managed to get half of it sanded so have to go back but the doctor was very happy with the outcome.
We use a 4000 psi powerwasher and a flatdeck cleaner.
We are averaging about 10-12 cleans per month but we also have the window side so this is just an add on to offer to our clients.
I do not think you could get a fulltime living from it as I would imagine it will be very quiet over the winter months.
Good Luck
Robbie
how do you manage to get 10 - 12 cleans a month?
im lucky to get 1 every two months!
-
I am looking around at the moment for a pressure washer - and some good advice I can give the cheap ones are for domestic use only - best type to get would have to have a honda engine and would need to be rated for commercial use
Andy
-
the one i use, and share with my father cost us £3000 so its a good one. Its a diesil engine, 3500psi, 250 bar(i think)
i dont use a flat surface cleaner, just a spinner and fan for floors, with a 7mtr lance for gutters, etc.
-
I'm looking too. There are some good back posts on the general cleaning forum.
The consensus is that there isn't enought domestic, there are a lot of pit falls and things you can get the blame for, and to do it properly you need to weed kill the week before, have tamper block lifter etc, and some knowledge of sealants.
-
there are thousands upon thousands of block paved driveways...you do not weedkill the week before...the pressure washer gets out weeds from roots up...you do not lift blocks...no need to do this.
If the blocks have sunk due to the layer not doing job properly/settlement whatever, you simply inform the owner of the fact.
You are there to clean the surface and joints...this is done so easily with pressure washer and flat surface cleaner.
When using lance, try and direct jet away from house...this is easily done.
Direct sand with your lance to a wall area away from drain and shovel up into a bucket.
After cleaning, and resanding, tell the owner to apply "pathclear" weedkiller to the area over the next week or so and repeat in 6 months and they should have weed free driveway for 12 months...then tell them to call you back to reclean.
I don`t even offer a sealing service...too many problems, too many return visits.
Keep it simple...clean, resand, drive away with money in your hand and your contact details in theirs.
I average 2-3 good jobs a week from advertising in local magazines @ £315 for 3 months in 4 magazines covering a population of 14000...those 14000 are the areas I want and they get my half page colour ad in their letter box every 4 weeks for 3 months...£315.00 all in.
-
Steve, we have a local directory that i am going in.
Is what you are talking about (mags) a bit more up market lifestyely and glossy. We have those as well but I'd never really considered them before.
-
Im going to branch out now into office cleaning,carpet cleaning,pressure washing and maybe also car valeting.
Expand expand expand take chances i did and they have all paid off
-
You are right of course Easyclean expansion is a good strategy. It's doing it well that's the problem.
I think jetwash/drive restoration cleaning is younger than office & carpet cleaning and therefore more accessable. No extra employees are required(theres only me).
It probably boils down to what you say, taking a chance. That and not expecting everything to just happen without hard work.
-
I started out as a pressure washing business and had to get a window cleaning round to make ends meet.
Now after about 18 months I have got a steady stream of jobs coming in, nearly all of them from word of mouth.
Wasted alot of money in the first 12 months with advertising and got nearly nothing from it. The van is sign written for pressure washing and not window cleaning. I figured its easier to get window jobs so just use the van space for pressure washing and that gets a few jobs now a nd again but word of mouth is the best.
Did a block paved drive this week and that has got me 2 more jobs lined up thanks to nosey neighbours.
We also do van / fleet cleaning for a couple of local firms. Regular monthly income from that is a bonus in the winter I can tell you.
-
Those Yank websites are very go getting. I think it must be a hot bus over there, and we're normally only a few years behind. I remember watching a docu about a guy who'd gone over there and was making a good living mowing lawns, it'll be happening here next people said.
How about some tips on eqiupment, whats a reasonable but not over the top petrol machine to power a surface cleaner or whirl away, and do you use a resovoir tank?