[jonboywalton75]

I  bought 4 small rounds and started earning straight away
you need Trust though and that can be hard to find

[slap bash]

Approach the Prince`s trust for financial help and go out with brother in law on your off days  build a round in off time so that the change will not be a battle then when you have a few days work you can tell the min wages / asses to take a jump. Please do as I say you will get to the top in a short time with help to get a van and some equipment.And if you can speak with a bit of knowledge of this industry the trust can help. Tell about your son and your dreams for him. Good luck.

[Sean Dyer]

how friendly is your brother in law? have you told him you want to start ?
Your sister might give him a push to help you with any work he doesnt need or gear and myabe give you some days to start learning and earning

The upside is from what you have said your on part time minimum wage?
So on £150 ish a week after tax?
You will be cleaning that in a full day 6 months from now easy and in a couple of months replacd that money with your own work, its hard but keep at it , it gets better , now is the best time too , from march to november its much easier
If you were any closer to me i'd help you out .. good luck

[Stoots]

Welcome and good luck mate.
ANOTHER FROM WAKEFIELD!!!!!
[/q

 

[robbo333]

Get out and work with your bro in law. Is he traditional or water fed pole? Pick his brains as much as you can and you'll learn loads. Learn about cleaning but also pricing and dealing with customers. Don't worry at all about other window cleaners and just focus on what you want to achieve. If you want it and you work hard, you'll get it. Sounds like you could do ok. Good luck.

[Stoots]

Im in wakefield as well mate and in a similar boat, although im a bit older (33)

was (still am ) Working for minimum wage, 3 kids to support, miserable, it took a relationship breakdown over a year ago for me to act and decide to do something about it.

I started out last april doing car valeting around my full time job, realised i needed more time so quit that job and now work 30 hours for minimum wage so, anyway i realised windows was a more reliable steady income so got in that about last august.

Was poop scared of canvassing so only started doing that about 2 weeks ago and only managed about 4 hours total to date, half hour here and there. although i have picked up about 8 custies from it so it defo works. i mainly got jobs off facebook, and self made website along with other bits, today i did an hour canvassing and signed up my 48th customer lol. I need 100 to go full time and 200 to be comfy.

Its a hard road starting a business, youll doubt yourself and want to quit at times. Im only now starting to see its possible but just keep plodding on. set yourself targets and chunk it down dont think too far ahead. Aim for 1 custy, do a good job, aim for 2, 5, 10 etc, just keep going, feel like poop? scared? wanna quit? keep going anyway..

good luck

[Gary Barker]

My three ha'penny worth. Get your van sign written. If you can afford even the most modest web site, do it and get on Facebook for Business, it's free so everyone on here really ought to be on it.

Finally, after you've done your first three or four cleans, ask customers for REFERRALS. Don't be shy!!

[Oliver James]

Don't worry too much about other cleaners.... MOST established cleaners who are doing a decent job for their clients won't see you as too much of a threat.

Be safe on the ladders. Find an experienced pro and let him show you how it is done.

Go for standards over speed in the early days.

Expect to work very long hours as you get established. But you might luck out and pick up another cleaners work (who has maybe been 'seen off' by the bad weather).

Good luck.

[Spruce]

My three ha'penny worth. Get your van sign written. If you can afford even the most modest web site, do it and get on Facebook for Business, it's free so everyone on here really ought to be on it.

Finally, after you've done your first three or four cleans, ask customers for REFERRALS. Don't be shy!!

^^^ what he said especially about referrals.

In the early days I got a lot of customers in a street of terraced houses which initially started by asking for a referral in another village. The potential customer I was referred to introduced me to them all and even got me a couple of additional jobs that there was no one at home and were later confirmed. And my price in those days was nearly twice what the previous cleaners were charging. We still clean the majority of them 10 years on.

We find that the referrals are the best customers to have as they are inclined to stick with you - they are more loyal - in our experience anyway.

Focus every conversation around window cleaning - think, talk, sleep, breathe window cleaning. You will never have enough time to talk, even if your customer is the same team supporter as you are, so don't get into the habit. You can waste hours talking.

When you finish a house, knock the doors around the house. Canvass every spare moment you can.
Use any gaps in your day to knock doors and leave a leaflet.

Try to clean on Saturdays. People are more likely to be at home and see you working.

[paul alan]

You have gone down the right path! I started when I lost my job, had to sell my car to live on the cash, was broke as a joke. Been scared of heights all my life so a window cleaner was the last thing I thought I would become, didn't let it stop me.
Off I went with my bucket and ladder, on foot. Didn't even know how to trad.
Today I have a 2 man setup in my van, for me and my wife. All paid for by window cleaning, we work 2-3 days a week, I'm not saying how much we earn but we don't need to work any more than that and have the rest of the time with the kids.
I no longer look for work, work looks for me. You have to know how to be with the customers is the best advice I can give you, if they like you as a person then your in!
Be polite, bucket loads of respect for them and there property. Go the extra mile now and again, give them something for nothing. Be complimentary(cheesy but works a treat if done right) take complaints seriously, make sure they're satisfied with your work. Be regular, let them know if your not going to be on time,, some people hate not knowing.
You can make this work as many before you have.
Get in touch with local window cleaners(good ones) and ask to go cleaning with them, I did, and learned a lot.
If there's anything I can do to help you then I defiantly will mate.
I'm sorry to hear about your son, keep him in mind when the going gets tough
As it always does.
The very best of luck to you.