Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Mr Sparkle on March 06, 2009, 12:23:31 pm
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Hi guys i've been going since the start of the year.
I've got around 60 customers on 4 weekly cleans.
I'm hoping to get around 200 customers but finding it hard recently to pick up extras.
I try and put out a thousand leaflets a week as i just can't do door knocking.
Is 200 customers achievable just on leaflets alone?
Really want to make this work as i really enjoy cleaning the windows.
Quit a decent job to do this so need to make it work really.
By the way this forum is great and you guys are a credit to the proffesion ;)
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i dont like door knocking either ! , but that is the quickest ( best ? ) way to build your round up !
maybe get someone to knock for you ?
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If youve only been going since the start of the year - well done - 60 customers is good, after all its only 2 months and a bit! Its just a numbers game, but door knocking will fetch you in more customers. I'm still building and havent done any door knocking since last November, but am about to start again, I think you will find with the better weather coming things will pick up. dont give up - just remember if you carry on like you have been you'll soon reach your target. Good luck.
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Just got back from door knocking with the mrs, i hate it big time, id say at least 90% are out, so its back on a evening for a bit, mind you i dont knock in the dark, so only a hour or so of light. Im finding picking up work harder now than when i first done w/c in 1985, think back then it took me all of 6 months to build a compact round, but even if ya only pick up a tenner a day thats £50 a week £500 in ten weeks so a full round even now should only take less than a year
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its taken me less than a year to build up a full round. i didnt do all the canvassing myself though, got some helpful nephews to do it for me ;D
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Good thread Jason,
It shows how difficult it can be to start from scratch, but 60 in two months is great going. Over the next 6 months you should get to your 200 with ease, good ones at that. Truth is I never stop building as ther is a percentage of crap that we carry, bad/late payers, access problem ect.
So when you get to your 200 start refineing, good luck
Tony
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Definitely, if you are doing to 1000 flyers a week that’s some going, and agree you are doing great my friend just keep hacking away at it. I could still do more now, I guess a full round can mean different things to different people, depends how many days you want to work, time you want to finish etc.
I work six days 8 - 6 and take Sunday off, even then I have one or two I do an odd Sunday. If I have a bad day, snowed in etc and try and catch up on Sundays but that’s a last resort.
You know I guess the good definition of a full round.... is when you have to take on extra help you do it, not want to for the free time but need to. So for that, and to finally answer your thread, I think a year maybe two depending on your situation and commitments.
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on the topic of canvassing, how do you go about it?
Do you just knock the door say hi im a window cleaner, do you want them cleaned...blah blah blah and hand them a flyer?
im just interested as im about to heavy into the canvassing again and want to maximise my return by looking professional
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if you really want to, I dont. Everything counts, shaven, clean cut, how your dressed, are you smilling etc. But try to keep what you say stupid simple and get to the point quick,
Hi I am working in this area, I do some your nieghbours and would like to give you a free qoute, do you mind me having a look around.
you will get a good amount of sure go ahead, but the majority will tell your they are not interested. Then if your price is right you got a customer.
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thanks for the advice!
I was thinking of going with "im expanding my round in this area" so you sound more experienced and established, which i am so im not lieing!
all the help on this forum is great!!
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I havent done it for years but I would leaflet an area I liked and then I would go back in the evening a couple of days later. That worked for me and you would always pick up as you go along. You would be suprised at how long people keep flyers for.
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thanks for the advice!
I was thinking of going with "im expanding my round in this area" so you sound more experienced and established, which i am so im not lieing!
all the help on this forum is great!!
Thats exactly what i say, expanding implies your experianced
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This post spured me on to start again, did 2 hrs today only about 40 houses, half wern't in, but still picked up 7 new customers 6 weekly and 1 one off clean. I'm going to aim for 5 -10 a week now if posssible.
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2 months = 60
4 months = 120
6 months = 180
At the rate you are going you should be there by the end of july.
Well done. ;)
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To build a round can be done quickly to build a good 1 will take years and i mean years.
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To build a round can be done quickly to build a good 1 will take years and i mean years.
Very true
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a good round will take forever or should that be a perfect round 8)we are talking
£1500 a week here ;)
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This can't be true because you have to biuld a new one every time you buy a van ww. And look at an even more extreme example Ian ferguson, he has to set them up from scratch to earn from day one.
When you say good round do you mean people smile and make tea and pay promptly- well i admitt i am still working on that, but as a biz making money it needn't take years.
If you lost the lot and started with nothing you could do it in 6mths ww, and so too could NWH. One bit of advice for next time around though- join the guild ;)
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This can't be true because you have to biuld a new one every time you buy a van ww. And look at an even more extreme example Ian ferguson, he has to set them up from scratch to earn from day one.
When you say good round do you mean people smile and make tea and pay promptly- well i admitt i am still working on that, but as a biz making money it needn't take years.
If you lost the lot and started with nothing you could do it in 6mths ww, and so too could NWH. One bit of advice for next time around though- join the guild ;)
I was talking about a good round, you are right in saying getting new van and getting work, but that comes with its own problems, people messing you about ect, this is what I guess NWH was talking about, I find this happens less now as all new customers are now under contract for a certain period, if they dont sign it they do not get our services. Cut the messers down and affected sign up a little but marginal
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Lots of WC`s out there with so called massive rounds,lots of busy fools aswell.
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,lots of busy fools aswell.
wish i had a pound for everytime youve said that ;D ;D
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Nothing wrong with the Guild, but you should also join the FWC
Can you explain to me how the FWC can benefit my company as when i spoke to them they just seemed more interested in my money, Im a memeber of fsb and sorting buy with confidence and safe contractor.
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Nwh, i think being a busy fool is necessary as you progress. When I was trad £70 was about my best day. I would still work for £70 if i had too.
did you finish at dinner ;D ;D
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Full day and tired out. Possibly could see that some could hit a tonne, but not day in day out. It's the hardest way to earn a living i've ever known. If this is what you do hats off to you Stan.
If i had another go now i'd probably do better. I'm trying to learn insides at the mo, expecially how not to get dirty water on carpets. Any tips for me?
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sometimes get tired but not that bad,
tips
dont put to much water on your applicater
when bladeing hold your applicator underneath to catch a lot of the water
use a towel to wipe window bottom
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,lots of busy fools aswell.
wish i had a pound for everytime youve said that ;D ;D
Yeah well there`s a lot of busy fools on here need telling lol. ;D
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Full day and tired out. Possibly could see that some could hit a tonne, but not day in day out. It's the hardest way to earn a living i've ever known. If this is what you do hats off to you Stan.
If i had another go now i'd probably do better. I'm trying to learn insides at the mo, expecially how not to get dirty water on carpets. Any tips for me?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QrJRkne7GA
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wouldnt mind her cleaning my windows ;D ;D ;D
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Nothing wrong with the Guild, but you should also join the FWC
Can you explain to me how the FWC can benefit my company as when i spoke to them they just seemed more interested in my money, Im a memeber of fsb and sorting buy with confidence and safe contractor.
If you can’t see how it would benefit you as a window cleaner…. :o
FSB about £100 and the FWC about £100, you can go around collecting memberships but these two are the best for “business & window cleaning”.
IOSH certificates £150 last 3 or more years for H&S & good insurance polices £200.
Total about average about £450 a year
If you haven’t got any of those but a load of others, you have either paid to little or paying too much.
Or don’t have any of the above you will still be a legitimate window cleaner, as none are required by law, professional I don’t think so!
Sorry Ewan im not one of these thats just going to pick holes in you like some have but i didnt see a answer in that response, i generally wish to know how the FWC can benefit me, I honestly dont think it can and when it came to choosing i went with the fsb because i felt i had good support with them as im a sole trader and felt alone to begin with.
Chris
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Nothing wrong with the Guild, but you should also join the FWC
Can you explain to me how the FWC can benefit my company as when i spoke to them they just seemed more interested in my money, Im a memeber of fsb and sorting buy with confidence and safe contractor.
If you can’t see how it would benefit you as a window cleaner…. :o
FSB about £100 and the FWC about £100, you can go around collecting memberships but these two are the best for “business & window cleaning”.
IOSH certificates £150 last 3 or more years for H&S & good insurance polices £200.
Total about average about £450 a year
If you haven’t got any of those but a load of others, you have either paid to little or paying too much.
Or don’t have any of the above you will still be a legitimate window cleaner, as none are required by law, professional I don’t think so!
Is this what you have Ewan ?
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Still dont really feel that me spending £120 or whatever it is just to make up the numbers justifys what i get for my money, when I phoned them up they said theyll send me a pack, all this was was a 2 year out of date magazine and telling me id get £50 off my insurance with allied, all i feel is id get a sticker saying FWC on it, dont think custys will be too interested in this. FSB is much better known to the general public, I wouldnt spend money on a company just in the hope that more people will join.
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a life time
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To build a round can be done quickly to build a good 1 will take years and i mean years.
Very true
So very true
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To build a round can be done quickly to build a good 1 will take years and i mean years.
Very true
So very true
I was going to say the same!! Its best i think if you can quickly get to a stage where you can cover bills and overheads then look for good work then to sllowly weed out the bad and get to your ideal wage :)
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To build a round can be done quickly to build a good 1 will take years and i mean years.
Very true
So very true
I was going to say the same!! Its best i think if you can quickly get to a stage where you can cover bills and overheads then look for good work then to sllowly weed out the bad and get to your ideal wage :)
Yet again so very true