Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: drwindows on February 18, 2008, 09:02:43 am
-
Hello fellow cleanitupers.
I have been viewing the forum for a while now but only just started contributing so I thought I might as well introduce myself.
My name is Dave and I have been window cleaning for 9 months following taking voluntary redundancy. I use a 600 litre thermopure reach and wash system out of a renault trafic van. I have never used ladders and I have the upmost respect for you boys who do because I am terrified of heights. Ashamed to admit it but whenever it cant be avoided I let my girlfriend do the ladder work as she is really fearless (and much tougher than I am!). I do almost all domestic window cleaning.
As for window cleaning, I love it (how sad is that) and so does my girl. We work together 3 days a week, the rest of the time I work on my own while she does other, girl stuff like shopping and manicures etc.
I look forward to trying to help everyone with my comments, but I'm not all that experienced so please bear with me.
Thanks
Dave
-
Be a Man Dave and go up them ladders ;D
No only joking, It sounds like you have got it right there mate ;D
Welcome to cleanitup. Look forward to your replys
Glyn
-
Welcome to the forum Dave, I'll look forward to reading your posts....
And good for you too, straight in with a full on Ionics thermopure! Brave man, thats an expensive system!!
A bold move in investing so much, hope everything goes really well for you and your girlfriend ;)
Ian
-
Hello fellow cleanitupers.
I have been viewing the forum for a while now but only just started contributing so I thought I might as well introduce myself.
My name is Dave and I have been window cleaning for 9 months following taking voluntary redundancy. I use a 600 litre thermopure reach and wash system out of a renault trafic van. I have never used ladders and I have the upmost respect for you boys who do because I am terrified of heights. Ashamed to admit it but whenever it cant be avoided I let my girlfriend do the ladder work as she is really fearless (and much tougher than I am!). I do almost all domestic window cleaning.
As for window cleaning, I love it (how sad is that) and so does my girl. We work together 3 days a week, the rest of the time I work on my own while she does other, girl stuff like shopping and manicures etc.
I look forward to trying to help everyone with my comments, but I'm not all that experienced so please bear with me.
Thanks
Dave
Welcome to the forum Dave.
With a girlfriend like that, why not start a chimney sweeping sideline and get her to go up the chimneys?
Seriously though, there's a lot of good help on here if you need it. There's bickering as well interspersed with the odd bit of trolling. Pretty normal internet forum really. :)
-
Welcome dave, its good to have you on-board.
Out of interest, when you left your old job why did you decide window cleaning? for most people its not an obvious choice. But a great one nevertheless.
Anyway, good to meet you buddy.
-
hi Dave and welcome.
i am very new to w/c and wondering how you got your customers doorknocking, leaflet also do you carry b/cards as i am about to start doorknocking soon.
how long did it take you to get your customers just wondering as it will be interresting to see how long i have to work before i give my work up so that i can go full time with window cleaning
thanks bern
-
Welcome to the forum Dave!
Where are you based?
Andy
-
Hello everybody and thanks for the pleasant welcome.
Climbing chimneys, haha I don't think she'd be up for that. She does some rock climbing in her spare time so she has no problem with heights. But I think she'd draw the line at getting covered in soot though!
Tennet, I was offered redundancy when the company I was working for downsized and to be honest I was somewhat sick of the job anyway so I took it and with it the opportunity to work for myself. At the age of 26 I looked around at what I could do. I looked at several business including carpet cleaning, DVD rental franchise, and a few other things. Most franchises cost about £20k to get into and are hard work. I wouldnt have minded spending the money, but then my girlfriend didnt like the idea of us working our bums off only to have someone else take a slice of it at the end of the year. Fair point.
So I looked into window cleaning because I saw somebody doing it very badly and thought to myself that there would be a good market for it if done seriously. After all, everyone wants a good window cleaner dont they?!
The start up costs are very low in comparison to the other things I looked at and best for me is that its not a franchise, its our own business. And its not going to bog me down in boring paperwork, supplier accounts, stock holding and all that stuff that happens with other businesses. Never looked back, I really like it. As work goes I love working hard, but window cleaning just doesnt seem like hard work at all to me. I'll like it even more when the summer comes.
Ian Giles, thank you for your good wishes. I knew that starting any business would cost money, and I'm of a mind that we needed to get the right equipment in order to be able to sell ourselves well. The van and system were not too expensive and there are not many businesses that you can get going with as quickly as this. I sometimes wonder why more people don't do it as the money is so good. (a well kept secret, I wont be letting on!)
bernlyn, both me and girl tried lots of different ways to get new customers including newspaper advertising, leaflet drops, canvassing door-to-door, notices in post offices and so on. Some of it, especially the newspaper, was expensive for hardly any response. We had the leaflets designed professionally (girlfriends sister's boyfriend is a graphic designer) and they looked really good. We got some work from that but knocking on doors is what we found worked best. We always carry business cards, but we have found that people who dont say "yes" there and then almost never call you back. You just have to be persistent and not get discouraged.
We threw ourselves into getting the work very intensively for at least 3 months, maybe a little longer, and by then we were able to get along quite nicely. Smaller villages with bigger properties are our speciality. I also like townhouses as other window cleaners tend to avoid them, but they are easy to do with a pole.
Hi Andy at scs, we are based in devizes in wiltshire.
One thing that does worry me sometimes is illness. I dont have any insurance in case one of us gets ill and cant work. Girlfriend is a fit freak and is like NEVER ill, but still accidents happen. What do you guys do about insurance?
-
seems like a man who's got his head screwed on. ;D Hes looked at the options and made a choice and worked hard to get off the ground,so hell do well.
all the best.
Phil
-
you want to be carefull posting on here that you have a fit girlfriend that does all the ladderwork as some of the pervs will point out the health and safety risks and be offering to hold the ladder for free ;D ;D
welcome to the forum by the way
-
Hi Dave
Welcome to the forum, I think you have made a great decision to go in to window cleaning.
I look forward to reading about you making your first million.
-
hi dave and welcome ;D
P.S. it's not sad to love this job,
i go out every day and still love it ;)
-
couldnt agree more was out working today first time in eight weeks due to illness
it was brilliant sun shining nice and fresh and people handing over money for me
services wonderful! :) :)
best job around
-
Hi Dave, welcome aboard mate, you seem to have got yourself off to an excellent start.
I wish I was your age, and just starting out. I was 51 when I went back to window cleaning, within three years I got rid of the guy that was helping me, sold off a big chunk of my round and went back on my own.
12 months of canvassing nearly every Saturday and Sunday got me more work than I needed, weekend canvassing brought the best results by far.
I loved working with the Mrs, unfortunately that had to stop when the kids came.
I'm sure you will be posting on here like a veteran in a very short time, good luck mate. Dai
-
Hello DRwindows. Welcome.
Devizes eh?
I spent 1988/2000 driving around Wiltshire selling wordprocessing and supplies to local authorities and solicitors. So Police HQ and the Market Place are well known to me.
Do the Wadsworth drays still hold up the traffic with their Shire horses?
Get your girl off those ladders!
-
Welcome dave, its good to have you on-board.
Out of interest, when you left your old job why did you decide window cleaning? for most people its not an obvious choice. But a great one nevertheless.
Anyway, good to meet you buddy.
My goodness Mr Tennant i take it all back what i said about you with a nice welcome like that lol. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
-
drwindows where are you from,and if you don`t mind me asking did you buy the setup or do you lease.
-
Hello Dave (Dr Windows) and your partner.
You are very lucky to have a girlfriend who will actually climb up a ladder.
I wish you both all the success with your window cleaning for the future.
I look forward to reading your posts.
Good luck, Wayne
-
Hi Dave
welcome to the most popular window cleaning forum out there, glad to hear you are enjoying your work if theres any advice you need you will be sure to find it on here
good luck with your business 8)
regards
Brett
-
Another newbie taking the plunge.
Don't come on here much to be honest but when I do pick up a few interseting bits and bobs.
Thanks
-
Another newbie taking the plunge.
Don't come on here much to be honest but when I do pick up a few interseting bits and bobs.
Thanks
Yeah right don`t come on here much,what do you mean this week lol. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
-
Yeah right don`t come on here much,what do you mean this week lol
Do I have a user name like someone else? That's twice I get the feeling I'm getting mixed up with someone else!
-
LWC i thought you just added the ltd bit.
-
No worries
-
Devizes? just down the road from you, you have probably entered the windowcleaning market just in time, there seems to be a lot of units working this area with pure water systems - well done.
-
Welcome Dave & welcome LWC Ltd,
Dave your story is the same as mine, the only differences are that it's bruv & me. We have invested in the same system as you, did'nt go the whole hog with the van though, saved a bit by buying an older Vivaro.
We love the job as well, both got out of warehousing to do this summer of last year.
We work in Devizes as well, so look forward to seeing you out & about ;D
If you ever see us (Spotless Window Cleaners), come & have a chat.
Cheers
-
Hello, wow lots of replies since I was last on here!
Its a small world I see, lots of members not too far from me, if you see me around say hello, though I hardly ever see other window cleaners.
drwindows where are you from,and if you don`t mind me asking did you buy the setup or do you lease.
I leased the van and system together over 5 years. If I had really wanted to I could have bought it outright, but really there is not much point in doing that. Okay, you save the cost of interest, but having a big chunk of capital tied up right from the start, not good for cashflow. Better to spend that money on other things like food, mortgage etc!
Hello Dave (Dr Windows) and your partner.
You are very lucky to have a girlfriend who will actually climb up a ladder.
I wish you both all the success with your window cleaning for the future.
I look forward to reading your posts.
Good luck, Wayne
Yes she is really great. I dont make her do ladder work unless its absolutely necessary though!
Welcome Dave & welcome LWC Ltd,
Dave your story is the same as mine, the only differences are that it's bruv & me. We have invested in the same system as you, did'nt go the whole hog with the van though, saved a bit by buying an older Vivaro.
We love the job as well, both got out of warehousing to do this summer of last year.
We work in Devizes as well, so look forward to seeing you out & about Grin
If you ever see us (Spotless Window Cleaners), come & have a chat.
Cheers
Hi Dale, yes I'll look out for your van and we could go for a coffee. Hey small world. I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who thinks this business is the best thing since sliced bread. Some friends and family thought I was nuts when they found out we were starting window cleaning, but now they want in on the action!
Anyway, thanks for the warm welcome good to meet you all and I'll look forward to reading all your comments.