[peekeclean]

hi guys been wfp for while now but only part time and to be honest iv not realy put my self out as i do shift work.
but i enjoy doing window cleaning i dont my normal job,so how did you go from the security of a job to working for your self?
iv not got much spare time but i have got about 2 days work which is just some pocket money for me but now im thinking about going door knocking and filling my time up then jacking my job.

what pitfalls did you come across?i need any help or advice to make a decision?

cheers joe

[barry woodward]

Pitfalls are staying in a dead end job where you might get 3% rise per annum,

If you are reliable you will get more work than you can handle, all domestic want to see is someone who turns up and does a fair job, you will get noticed if you are reliable and other householders will ask you to clean,

Make sure you get your prices right from the start and dont sell yourself short, it wont happen overnight but i would say in a years time you should have no regrets.

Read as many posts on here as you can there is alot of good advice

[Davew]

Hardest part is bridging the gap of having enough customers part time but not enough full time. You need a lot of customers very quickly unless you have redundancy money to fall back on when you go full time.

[pingu]

Get some leaflets...deliver them and go back to the same streets in 2/3 days and canvass....note down who is in/their response...repeat leaflets every 3 months..

Clean on saturdays ....you'll get seen.
Clean any houses near school & chucking out times..you'll get seen.

Set targets, review them, re-set them...have a clear idea of what you want to achieve weekly, monthly, quaterly, bi-annually, annually...

Watch your pricing....don't price low to get the job...(you will as do I )

Try and find some other w/c in your area/region...find out what they strive to earn as an hourly rate....though not precise...could give you an idea.

Do a good job and do what you say you are going to do on the day you say you'll do it...i.e be a man of his word....

Try to take payments via internet banking/cheques...saves collecting

These are a few of the things I strive to do...I have only been going since Aug 06 and am still growing....And most of these tips were from this forum...

And when it all feels bad...come on here have a cry..and you'll feel better...

Cheers
Dave.

[Paul Coleman]

hi guys been wfp for while now but only part time and to be honest iv not realy put my self out as i do shift work.
but i enjoy doing window cleaning i dont my normal job,so how did you go from the security of a job to working for your self?
iv not got much spare time but i have got about 2 days work which is just some pocket money for me but now im thinking about going door knocking and filling my time up then jacking my job.

what pitfalls did you come across?i need any help or advice to make a decision?

cheers joe

It was easy for me as I had little choice in the matter.  Three redundancies in two year in the early 90s without a sniff of a job meant I was a bit short on choices.  Depending on your circumstances, there comes a point where you have to take a leap and just go for it.  If you have no dependants and low outgoings, it shouldn't be much of an issue.  If you need to be earning higher straight way and have money put by, maybe buying a round or paying a canvassing company could be the way to go.  Alternatively, you could live on that money while canvassing your own work.  There are  potential pitfalls whichever way you go..

[Davew]

I was in a similar situation where i was on shift work, it meant i could find time to work my rounds and could make a fair bit of money but left me with no spare time. As my work picked up it got to the stage where i was taking time off work to cope with my windowcleaning job. There are many pitfalls with cleaning for a living but the good times when they come (like beautifull spring weather) are extra special. It all depends on how much you hate your full time job. If your happy with shifts then carry on as you are.
 I started after spotting a concept20 van set up on t'internet and drove up to the Malverns to Cleanitup to have a look and thought "i could do that". I found a cheaper way to do it as i had little money and no round. My advice would be to be very wary of all the claims of massive income on here and some manufacturers claims. Yes the money can be good but it won't happen overnight.

[magic1]

I came out of a dead end job. Before that had been helping a mate out on his round on/off 5yrs. He had a messy divorce decided to move to new pastures and all that. Handed me his book for nowt. Never looked back. Before dead end job had 2 small video shops. ( the age before downloading!) Got me self up to 750 customers on the books. Couple of new ones every week. Mind you before i changed to wfp was considering selling up. Had a enough of ladders and employing lazy louts. Mate bought in the business, haven't looked back since. 

[windowwashers]

hi guys been wfp for while now but only part time and to be honest iv not realy put my self out as i do shift work.
but i enjoy doing window cleaning i dont my normal job,so how did you go from the security of a job to working for your self?
iv not got much spare time but i have got about 2 days work which is just some pocket money for me but now im thinking about going door knocking and filling my time up then jacking my job.

what pitfalls did you come across?i need any help or advice to make a decision?

cheers joe

My answer would be go for it no job is secure IMO more so if you work for someone else, the only benifit is you get paid holiday's where working for your self you don't, it is harder to start at this time of year if you already have a job but not impossible, you say you have 2 days work is that a week or month ?? do you clean these at weekends ?

[peekeclean]

thanks for the replys guys.

windowwashers i have 2 days a month but i work 2 till 10 then 10 till 6 so im in an awkward place with work and now there on about changing the shift so i have no fridays off and that is when i clean?

cheers joe

[windowwashers]

thanks for the replys guys.

windowwashers i have 2 days a month but i work 2 till 10 then 10 till 6 so im in an awkward place with work and now there on about changing the shift so i have no fridays off and that is when i clean?

cheers joe

Joe,

do you work weekends for your 9/5 (or 10/2 as you do) ??

[peekeclean]

no i finish 10 friday night but its the new shifts that make me mad as 10 friday night will be my finish time all the time.

did anyone have any trouble with there system as i was so unlucky?

[NWH]

Hi Joe,take a walk around you local towns-villages early a couple of mornings a week,you might be lucky enough to bump into an old shiner that`s thinking of selling up or retiring it`s worth a try mate,you could also put an add in the local saying your looking for work and you could get someone like me who would be only to pleased to pass work your way.The quickest way to get going is to buy work but i don`t know your finances so can`t comment,keep going mate and stick at it in a couple of years you`ll laugh at the fact your earning in a day what at the moment your earning in a week.

[Jon-scwindows]

well i only started about about 2 months ago, but i bought a round, after doing that for the first time even though several cancelled, i have about 40 regular monthly customers now, a few of these i picked up along the way, im not in desperate need of cash as i have very little monthly outgoings of about £70 which includes window cleaning insurance - as im young and live with my mother as she is on her own in this house, so i dont really have much to pay so i thought it would be good starting young. I now earn about £400 per month, from buying this round which im quite happy with however £100 per month (7 days work) goes on petrol, but thats ok. I borrowed some money to get all the equipment, and now have everything i need and just need to build up more customers, and aim to get to about 100 regular monthly customers. I think its much better than any other employers job, im very pleased being self employed - and can choose whatever hours i like, now its 4 weekly about 7 days of my month is spent working, and the rest i sometimes advertise and can do what i like.

[peekeclean]

thanks guys.

i think now i will start looking for more work and make an effort to go door knocking,any tips on that???

cheers joe

[Paul Coleman]

thanks guys.

i think now i will start looking for more work and make an effort to go door knocking,any tips on that???

cheers joe

Take leaflets with you for posting where people aren't in or leaving with people who are undecided.  Better to do it late afternoon to early evening (maybe 3 - 7) to catch people in more easily.  Perhaps try weekends too.  Offer one off discount to a customer for each new customer they get you (subject to cleaning the new one x amount of times).  Dress smart casual without any smell of alcohol or cigarettes.  Be assertive, positive, and reasonably friendly.  Speak clearly and try to avoid slang.  Don't let on that you haven't got much work.

[Londoner]

Its amazing how motivated you get to go canvassing when your back is against the wall and the bills are dropping on the mat.

For the record, I started 35 years ago with my mate Steve cleaning windows in South Ruislip on a Saturday for spending money. Although I have never been full time until recently I have had spells of part time window cleaning off and on ever since. Redundancy ten years ago from Kodak brought me back into window cleaning although I am a London Taxi driver as well but I can't stand the taxi hours.

My mate Steve now lives in South Carolina and I am back cleaning windows in South Ruislip.

[D.Salkeld_Ltd]

Get some leaflets...deliver them and go back to the same streets in 2/3 days and canvass....note down who is in/their response...repeat leaflets every 3 months..

Clean on saturdays ....you'll get seen.
Clean any houses near school & chucking out times..you'll get seen.

Set targets, review them, re-set them...have a clear idea of what you want to achieve weekly, monthly, quaterly, bi-annually, annually...

Watch your pricing....don't price low to get the job...(you will as do I )

Try and find some other w/c in your area/region...find out what they strive to earn as an hourly rate....though not precise...could give you an idea.

Do a good job and do what you say you are going to do on the day you say you'll do it...i.e be a man of his word....

Try to take payments via internet banking/cheques...saves collecting

These are a few of the things I strive to do...I have only been going since Aug 06 and am still growing....And most of these tips were from this forum...

And when it all feels bad...come on here have a cry..and you'll feel better...

Cheers
Dave.

Top advice

One other thing to do is:

Get some magnetic signs on your car/van with simple wording:

Try this:
http://www.signsandshirts.co.uk/magnetic/default.html

WINDOW CLEANER
Your Name
Your Phone No

Then park:
In the middle of Town
Supermarket Car Park
Near Schools at kicking out time

David

[Londoner]

Yes, thats top advise. A van with your name on, nothing fancy.