Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Davew on November 15, 2007, 07:26:13 pm
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Since i started wfp everyone seems to be on a roll round my area, Mother phoned me tonight to remind me of yet another van she spotted (she lives near Bath) We seem to be everywhere so either a) a lot of new cleaners are popping up or b) existing cleaners are changing to wfp and signwriting their vans. I think it's a) and it may explain my difficulty in gaining work that people lead us to believe is out there. I see the commercial market is going to dry up pretty rapidly and then domestic what do you lot think? (should i move to Anglesy?)
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more and more people are seeing the advantages of being self employed as a WC - whether trad or wfp - ive seen so many around, but if you think- how many 1000's of properties are everywhere- theres allways going to be business, its just not allways easy to get what you want- ive seen lots of people just walking around with a ladder on their shoulder and squeegee applicator - who seem to have just popped up starting WC but not as many WFP window cleaners- today i was working in the same road as another window cleaner!
he was up a ladder i was under my pole.
i think it can get overcroweded though- in some areas, which is awkward- but no one person can have all the custys in one particular road or area.
i dont think it is that difficult to get work, just by working wfp in one road, i had a lady approach me and ask to do her house monthly, and while cleaning her house, another man came from accross the road and asked me to clean his windows too.
While out working in a road, or at the end of the day iv been posting a few flyers here and there next to customers, and pick up a few.
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Since i started wfp everyone seems to be on a roll round my area, Mother phoned me tonight to remind me of yet another van she spotted (she lives near Bath) We seem to be everywhere so either a) a lot of new cleaners are popping up or b) existing cleaners are changing to wfp and signwriting their vans. I think it's a) and it may explain my difficulty in gaining work that people lead us to believe is out there. I see the commercial market is going to dry up pretty rapidly and then domestic what do you lot think? (should i move to Anglesy?)
most people will stick with who they know, there are many people that window cleaner for some spare money and stop when its cold, these are the people that will be affected, yes many are changing to wfp, other will not because of the expense, to much hard work to get a pint in some peoples eyes
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I think that as more and more people see the good business opportunity in window cleaning, obtaining jobs will become harder and harder.
Do you think we will have to reduce our prices to keep our standard of living up?
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Ian, i'm talking about big units here, proper sign written vans, pure water technology- like yours and mine. We have several in my area now.
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Ian, i'm talking about big units here, proper sign written vans pure, water technology- like yours and mine. We have several in my area now.
do a good job there will not be a problem in my eyes, new work may dry up a little, then at the mo I do not mind,I have plenty and I am also expanding at the same time as I am one of these people that like to expand
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I'll be expanding a lot at the end of next month!
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I don't think there are more than usual new window cleaners out there it's more lie they are becoming more visable with sighn written vans and long poles sticing up in the air.
I've been WFP for just over four years now, I've always given best advice to other window cleaners when they've ased me about WFP systems and I am always willing to help any one with a new system (keep your friends close, keep the compitition closer) and to date I still keep picking up new work,
I believe like any other profeshion if you do a good job at a fair price your customers will promote you, and you will never be short of work.
Alan
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One thing that I've noticed is the amount of WFP equipment being sold on ebay over the last few months, many of the sellers state they are selling because they are taking up a different business.
I think this happens because some people setup in WFP window cleaning thinking it's easy and then find that actually building a successful round and sticking to it, staying motivated etc... is not as easy as they thought it would be - they then sell up!
Andy
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One thing that I've noticed is the amount of WFP equipment being sold on ebay over the last few months, many of the sellers state they are selling because they are taking up a different business.
I think this happens because some people setup in WFP window cleaning thinking it's easy and then find that actually building a successful round and sticking to it, staying motivated etc... is not as easy as they thought it would be - they then sell up!
Andy
also alot of window cleaners try wfp. get sick of it and go back to trad, I know a guy in cambridge that did this, not knocking him as hes a nice bloke but he tried it for a couple of months and didnt get on with it as was slow.
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I think that as more and more people see the good business opportunity in window cleaning, obtaining jobs will become harder and harder.
Do you think we will have to reduce our prices to keep our standard of living up?
As your business evolves you have to make changes to make sure that you "move with the times" and stay competitive. I'm not saying that you will have to reduce pricing, but sometimes you will have to bite the bullet on how you want to go forward, sit back and revise and go down another route. As new wc's come into your area, which they inevitably will and will probably be slightly cheaper than you cos they are starting up, you will lose "some" not all customers :)
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Theres a lot to be said for loyalty. Loads of houses are done near me by one person in particular. I've canvassed his houses not knowingly with the reply "we've got x - he's crap but we've had him for twenty years" One street i know has the smeariest windows on the planet when the sun comes out, but i can't crack it.
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LOL move to Anglesy ;D
Dont think many picked you up on that one dave.
Bob
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Theres a lot to be said for loyalty. Loads of houses are done near me by one person in particular. I've canvassed his houses not knowingly with the reply "we've got x - he's crap but we've had him for twenty years" One street i know has the smeariest windows on the planet when the sun comes out, but i can't crack it.
In Putney High Street there's an old boy who does most of the shop windows...he's been doing them as long as I've lived here (20 yrs)...he's absolute C R A P...
I've watched him:
Applicate, blade straight down...move onto next window. No attempt at detailing and doesn't seem fussed about runs.
Even if I wanted to poach he business it'd be impossible....he's a "face" along the high street and seems to know everybody.
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I think that as more and more people see the good business opportunity in window cleaning, obtaining jobs will become harder and harder.
Do you think we will have to reduce our prices to keep our standard of living up?
As your business evolves you have to make changes to make sure that you "move with the times" and stay competitive. I'm not saying that you will have to reduce pricing, but sometimes you will have to bite the bullet on how you want to go forward, sit back and revise and go down another route. As new wc's come into your area, which they inevitably will and will probably be slightly cheaper than you cos they are starting up, you will lose "some" not all customers :)
Thanks for that. I will take that on board.
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:) have a good weekend
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With more and more wfp systems on the streets, it will be of benefit to us all, because those customers who are unsure of wfp cleaning will see it becoming more acceptable by their neighbours and this will change their minds.
Pricewise, it won't have much affect on the domestic market, you will have the newbie who starts up and starts charging silly prices, but as soon as he realises that he can command more per job then his prices will increase.
The commercial market is very different, the price on these jobs will go down, mainly because cleaners are charging Trad prices because that is what they are used to, now they have started using wfp and they now can clean these properties faster, but their price does not reflect this.
A new cleaner who has never cleaned windows before and starts up with a wfp system, will charge cheaper because a wfp system is faster than a ladder user.
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I think that in the future we are going to see some of the big companies attempt to corner the market via franchising and that trhe big challange will be in seeing them off. I was reading a U.K. franhising publication yesterday and there are now two wfp w c franchises on the market (don't look to pro ). Sorry if any of you guys are behind U C Clear or the other one that I cant remember. The big issue that these companies will cause are the reduction in price and the customers perception of price as they will have to market very agressively to fulfill the needs of new fanchisors and will allbe targeting the major retailers as thety give instant volume. I am not worried about the part timers or the newbies with good set ups as thety will struggle to take many of my customers and I will keep trying to expand to protect my business and be agressive in targeting all new business. We all need to keep promoting Safety and training and acreditation and licencing might help.
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I can't see a franchise reducing prices cos the guy paying for the privelege of using their franchised logo/van will probably be paying i don't know £20000? It's going to take a lot of work to clear that.
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Not all franchisees will borrow the start up cash.It is said that most people who buy mid to low cost franchises do so from redundancy, re mrtgageor, savings etc. I don't have any real knowledge about this issue except that it holds a bit more fear for me than the one off competition, some of which will be good some bad.
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healthy competition never hurt anyone
only the professional ones will stay the course . from what i see there is plenty of work to go around
imo imay be wrong but there are still plenty out there whom do not have a service provider on aregular basis
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I agree about Franchises being the biggest form of new competition, In my opinion most people who buy into a window cleaning franchise are not window cleaners or to look at that another way most window cleaners would not buy into a franchise. So they get their training and some customers and tons of great ideas and paperwork and off they go.
So bar the new van and signwriting and nice shirts they are novices, with no one to look to for immediate help when things inevitably go wrong.But unlike most newbies they have to make a go of it as they have paid big to get in.
So when their quality of work is not where it should be, and there sales are slacking off they are under more pressure to drop their price to get the work
Also while they may recieve training in the method of window cleaning and possibly the sales aspect it is very difficult for a franchisor to help with pricing as it varies so much from area to area
There are 2 franchises in our area and one is by far and away the cheapest around, sometimes his prices are as little as 25% of ours, he pays his lads peanuts and gets poor quality workers in return, the majority of his work is for national co,s like The gap etc where he survives by large volume por quality work
The other started out about 2 years ago and was incredibly expensive for a very short time, then i think he went the other way and ended up being too cheap
I think he is either gone out of business or will be gone soon
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Do you think we will have to reduce our prices to keep our standard of living up?
That sounds like a contradiction to me.
As williamx mentions it might be the case if you are commercial and want to keep hold of it. But i think well priced domestic work is different altogether and will eventually become (if it is not already) the cream work.
New window cleaners will most times charge less, but only because of inexperience and while they might be a threat to the odd job here or there they will never be a threat to anyones round if we are reliable and do a good job.
How many of us have picked up work at a much higher price than the customers were used to paying before? I'm sure all of us have, or will eventually.
As long as we keep quoting for the job rather than by the hour we should have nothing to worry about.
Wfp might be easier than working trad but it takes time to build up a round and that is where new wc will always struggle.
For new wc who have bought a round, they will still have to work it and are basically thrown in at the deep end. For example:
"round for sale in ******. Generates £2000 per month. £200 per day possible" blah blah blah. These earnings are most likely impossible for someone with no experience.
There will always be work out there regardless of how many of us there are.
It is a hard job and thankfully not a very glamorous profession to people outside the industry.
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Simonwonder how are you doing? you are in the same county as me but bigger city. I see you have lots of competition where you are (you only need to go to yell.com). Not long ago you were looking for work. Have you found there to be plenty of work around for you? Just interested and not having a go. ;)