[josh foster]

Hi I would like to start my own window cleaning business / round using traditional  method what will I need how much will it cost me cheers

[Johnny B]

You will need a set of extension ladders (3.5-4.00 metres will be long enough), bucket, squeegees (12 and/or 14 inch channels), mop (applicator), selection of scrims or microfibre cloths, bucket  on a belt, builders pouch or similar to put cloths in,  safety scraper, notebook and pen, roofrack or bars for your vehicle.

£200-300 will cover the above and get you started.

Best wishes,
John

[steve rix]

You will need a set of extension ladders (3.5-4.00 metres will be long enough), bucket, squeegees (12 and/or 14 inch channels), mop (applicator), selection of scrims or microfibre cloths, bucket  on a belt, builders pouch or similar to put cloths in,  safety scraper, notebook and pen, roofrack or bars for your vehicle.

£200-300 will cover the above and get you started.

Best wishes,
John

+1

[Smudger]

Customers

Darran

[Ian101]

Customers

Darran

Getting the money together is easy.
Getting customers not so easy but doable

What you really need is
Commitment
Tenacity
Drive
Determination
A supportive partner
Possibly a part time job in the early days that don't interfere with your window cleaning efforts - I loaded frozen food vans for 6 months from 3am to 8am 6 days a week then went out canvassing and cleaning.

Good luck

oh and biggest tip I can give you is not to keep hold of slow payers / non payers and messers ... ignore any of this 3 strikes rule you may see on here ... a bad customer never changes and will only hinder your success.

[Smudger]

Customers

Darran

Getting the money together is easy.
Getting customers not so easy but doable

What you really need is
Commitment
Tenacity
Drive
Determination
A supportive partner
Possibly a part time job in the early days that don't interfere with your window cleaning efforts - I loaded frozen food vans for 6 months from 3am to 8am 6 days a week then went out canvassing and cleaning.

Good luck

oh and biggest tip I can give you is not to keep hold of slow payers / non payers and messers ... ignore any of this 3 strikes rule you may see on here ... a bad customer never changes and will only hinder your success.

Good post ian

[nathankaye]

In addition to above posts, which is all excellent advice. The only additional advice I can give is not to sell yourself cheap, just to get the job. Start as you mean to continue. No under cutting just for the sake of a job, because if you gain any additional customers on the street, chances are they would want same low price and that would sap your motivation. So stick to your pricing strategy and hope it works out doe ya

[SeanK]

An upgrade on your vehicle insurance for business use and public liability insurance for peace of mind.

[jwplasterers]

1-£30.000 for a year to cover you when building a good round and you can put in 100%.

[Stoots]

Like Ian said.

My first step from full time employment was to get a part time job. I managed to find a 30 hr per week job them paid a canvasser to get me a bit of work. Then I built a few websites and started hitting fb and leaflets and managed to reduce my hours to 16. That's when it got hard as I didn't think I had enough income to go full time but couldn't take on any more work as between the part time job and the weather always being crap when I wanted to clean and good when I was employed it made it hard.

In the end I just jacked the job in 2 months ago and just got on with it. No savings or owt as I just couldn't afford to save on little over minimum wage. So far it's working out Ibe been bust most days theres always awful days like today with the weather when I'll probably only earn 20 quid but the good days balance it out. The key is to constantly be doing something. Today for me is a day off the weather  is appalling so I'm supposed to be redoing my website setting up adwords and Facebook. 

Like Ian said tenacity commitment etc but another one is FOCUS. Look where you want to go and no matter what goes on around you with weather messers bad payers etc just keep focused on your goal and move forward. If you let all the inevitable ups and downs mess with your head it's easy to get down in the dumps as it's hard work for sure. Goodluck