[Ian Mason]

Hi all,

I am a newbie to this forum, & window cleaning, so please go easy on me.

I have been wanting to start up in the trade for quite a while now, I have been doing huge amounts of research into this, but feel that the current economy could be the only thing stopping me!

As experienced window cleaners, are you finding it really hard getting new jobs at the moment because of the economic problems, or is January a tricky slow month anyway?

I have been dropping flyers, & been following up by knocking on doors as market research, from the perspective of not being set up yet, & with no experience, & this is prooving harder than I thought!

Many thanks,

Ian

[pingu]

Ian I would imagine that there is never a right time to start a fresh..

If you have a little cash behind you this can only help or perhaps a part-time job to help you along the way.

I cannot say it is easy to start up but with determination and a little luck you'll get to where you want to be in a couple of years but these 1st years will test your patiance in so many ways....

All but the very lucky started with 0 customers...all you have to do is get 1 customer and when you have that 1, just get another...repeat until your have enough.

Good luck
Dave.

[d s windowcleaning]

if you get out now and start to build a round up you will have more chane before the summer boys come along good luck .

[Ian Mason]

Hi again,

Thanks for the replies, & putting a slightly different view on things, it does make sense!

Thanks again,

Ian.

[NWH]

Where are you from.

[tonyoliver]

it will take years yes years to get a good round together you will get jobs but renmber you need to fill in those spaces with more jobs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! good hunting

[NWH]

And after you`ve done all of the above you will need to start sifting out the rubbish and that to takes time to do.

[macmac]

There's never a right or wrong time, there's no black or white in this game, just variables. No two windows are the same, no two customers are the same, no two window cleaners are the same, what works for one may not for another. It's good to get advice & encouragement from this forum but it will probably be from someone in completely different circumstances from you, so be flexible with your approach & don't get too disheartened if one method doesn't reap immediate rewards.

Lost my first job to credit crunch last week, a 15 quid job, she told me they're just running out of money.( little B&B )

Yesterday I picked one up quoted at 60 quid & her last window cleaner only charged her 25 quid!!!

Tony

[jonnypneumonic]

Hi Ian, i'm in the same boat mate and know just what you're thinking.

For me the nub of it is this: We all have windows, those windows inevitably get dirty and its very few that will venture out onto a ladder to do it themselves. So who they gonna call - Not Ghostbusters thats for sure. They're gonna call a window cleaner.

What other job / business start-up can offer the rate of income, the flexibility, the opportunity to run your own business as you see fit .... not many.

If you feel there is room for you in your area, you have the drive to make a go of it and are prepared to look at the whole venture with a realistic eye (good and bad alike) then by all means go for it. I know i will be.

I wish you every success.



JP.

[cas100]

try and set you self a target to pick up 15 jobs a day (houses) and stay out till you hit your targets for each day ,do this every day for 4weeks .it can be very easy some days it will be worth the effort . good luck it will pay off .ps give them loads of chat and try and keep to a minium of £10 per clean.

[Tosh]

It's taken me seven years to put a fairly decent round together; but last year and this year so far have been no different to any other year.

[jaykie]

try and set you self a target to pick up 15 jobs a day (houses) and stay out till you hit your targets for each day ,do this every day for 4weeks .it can be very easy some days it will be worth the effort . good luck it will pay off .ps give them loads of chat and try and keep to a minium of £10 per clean.

15 jobs a day, blimey, you must be in a area with not a lot of cleaners,

[MSTAV]

15 is achievable if you do 3-4 hours canvassing. thats what I aim for. (smallish terraced houses). If doing bigger or villages then I aim for whatever I can get.

[mattywig]

buy a round. they are incredibly cheap to buy even if you pay 5 or 6 cleans for them it is still a bargain. they pay for themselves in no time and then from then on it's mostly all profit.

canvass on top of doing this of course! there's nothing sweeter than getting work for free but it does take time.  buying a round is a good way to fasttrack the whole process which you can then build on.

[brett walker]

Buy a compact established round and then build on it

theres not much work out there for sale at the minute as there seems to be  lot of cleaners starting up but dont let that put you off if youve got the determination

ive just bought a round thats all wfp i was lucky getting that as there was a few after it, ask your local cleaners if theyve got any work for sale

good luck  

Brett.

[trevor povey]

as per wiggy the best way to come into w/cleaning is to buy a round and hit the ground running a small round of say a £1,ooo.oo per month can cost as little as £3/4 k  depending on which area you live in.