[windiewasher]

The quote section sounds really helpful!

I plan to knock and leave a leaflet and if no one is in leave a leaflet anyway, just dropping leaflets left, right and centre without knocking and hoping for the best i think is a little bit of a waste.

I was planning on investing in a pressure washer just to pick some one off's for Saturdays as and when i can for some extra as i am building.

Gutter vac is something i can get once i have some spare cash and decent regular round work.

Leaflet drops can be good if you are aiming at a area and then knock a few days later,always find sunday is best day for leaflets as there is no post that day and people are more likely to read it!
 Gutter vacs are good and can be set up for not much money!
 

[Richard Avis]

Good point about sunday's, great idea.

[CleartechLee]

just dont knock on a sunday they hate it lol

[Ste M]

Ste M, your an idiot,

£5 a house you say

remember this post you made      "i just ask what they currently pay, i they say £10 then i say ill do all their frames and cills as well as windows and also facias once a year foc for £5"

No wonder you charge a fiver a house, you undercut every other cleaner as you are happy making nothing.  


What a terrible philosophy!

Why not work smart, price fairly, do a good honest job and surely your customers will stick with you. £5 a house is rubbish i know that from working here and there as favours for friends.

Thanks for not posting on this thread any more...

Sensible, realistic, honest posters are still welcome

I do detect a hint of trying to scare newbies off........??

Who the fook you calling an idiot ? I tried to give you honest advice and you didn't like it. You just want to hear big bucks and easy work, well. It ain't like that you fool. It's harder than you think. I've never made that statement and no way do I ever ask how much they pay nor do I have £5 houses so go crawl back to your mate and ask him your questions you fool

[AS Window Cleaning]

dude don't be too quick to knock other people's opinion if it isn't what u want to hear, there's some good advice I've just read here. even if some is tongue in cheek!

if I were to generalize, I'd say the average window cleaner (if there is such a thing!)makes between 120 and 200 a day on average domestic work by himself. but don't think it's easy money, the higher earners have priced well, work hard, and refined their work over many years.

if you haven't done any/much you can't really knock anyone, or really know what to expect. don't have too high expectations is all, you will only be disappointed.

window cleaning can provide a good living with low hassle.but it's not for everyone. and there are still challenges. the better prepared you are for it, the better you will succeed.

oh, and good luck with it!

[Richard Avis]

And I thought ste m wasn't posting

[Richard Avis]

But seriously....

I think it's sensible for me to speak to as many people as I can who are experienced and get as much help as I can and expect and aim to get £100 per day at the end of say 6 months and prepare my self for a rocky road.

The idiot comment was tongue in cheek as we're other comments but Ste m I will stay off your patch incase you beat me!

I think I should lower my expectations slightly and increase my level of expectancy for a tough first year and work for £100 per day monthly round at the end of 6/8 months??

[rg1]

Have you got a backup plan for when it rains and when the winters are harsh? Cos you certainly won't be earning £100 a day then and the lost income could put a serious dent in your earnings.

[Richard Avis]

Well, from what I can see, wind, rain and severe cold is what stops the majority, right?

I don't have anything solid as a back up for each and every down day, off the top of my head i was thinking of canvassing, put a dent in my savings! , sell the clothes off my back etc etc

What is people's usual downtime solutions?

[rg1]

Some of us put money by each month to see us through the bad spells.

What capital if any do you have to start with? As you will need to buy equipment and of course a van.

[Halfadaylee]

dude don't be too quick to knock other people's opinion if it isn't what u want to hear, there's some good advice I've just read here. even if some is tongue in cheek!

if I were to generalize, I'd say the average window cleaner (if there is such a thing!)makes between 12 and 200 a day on average domestic work by himself. but don't think it's easy money, the higher earners have priced well, work hard, and refined their work over many years.

if you haven't done any/much you can't really knock anyone, or really know what to expect. don't have too high expectations is all, you will only be disappointed.

window cleaning can provide a good living with low hassle.but it's not for everyone. and there are still challenges. the better prepared you are for it, the better you will succeed.

oh, and good luck with it!

respect, good post.

[Richard Avis]

I have a van already and enough capital to buy an 500 ish litre system according to some quotes / browsing I have done. Also apparently I should be buying Gardner poles? Right??

I think I will have to rely  on my savings as a back up and still my income from my job (part time now due to slump, hence the w/c idea)

[Helen]

I live in Liverpool. I think if I'm honest I'm the only cleaner around. I get on average 10 new houses a day at an average of £40 a clean takes me 10 minutes to do an they all pay on the day. Access is perfect. Don't have to purify the water as the water is already pure from the mersey. Local run scheme even gave me 10k to start my business up. I now make in excess of 80k a year an life is great.

There you go. That's the reply it sounds like your after. Go out there an clean as you seem to only want to hear the positives anyway. Won't get no more replies of me on this thread so good luck

 
Sorry Richard, but you do come across as someone who has selective hearing/reading

[Richard Avis]

Fair play Helen, maybe it's my rose tinted glasses.

Too optimistic?

[Roy Cauldery]

Richard
You seem like a fair minded guy, and you have had lots of decent opinions.At the end of the day,its always gonna be your call...how you canvss,what system you buy,how much you charge etc....
You have to respect the other guys out there already doing it,day in/out
Only you know if you want to commit and from what i've read already,it seems you have some sensible precautions in mind but hey what the heck,unless you dive in who knows how cold the water is!!

As for me,its the best thing I ever done, I love it every day... staff,winter problems,difficult customers,,,bring it all on I say.Only you are in charge of what you do

Regards

Roy Cauldery
www.phoenixecs.co.uk

[Richard Avis]

What a guy Roy is!

I kinda do want to just jump in with 2 feet, and face the negatives and positives.

Thanks for everyones honest opinion. Shook my ideas up - I think some rethinking will be done then I'll come back tomorrow with more questions for you all!!

[Crystal-clear]

ok rich,

you need to walk before you can run m8t

£250 a day is something that will come in time...


just to give you an idea of the dedication you will need to make £250 a day
in a short period like you are wanting

you will need to canvass about 60 hours a week if you cant you will need to hire someone's services the canvassing guys on this forum might be able to help you ,you will need £5k a month worth of work (put a side thousands for this if you have savings)

depends on areas hit and miss but you or a single canvasser doing it for you could take about 6 months to establish a solid round of that value. im talking after the drop outs.

you will need van system sorted best to get a carbon fibre pole too etc etc.unifirm,leaflets,etc

then you might be there with a bit of luck

[Richard Avis]

What is the general opinion from customers of cleaning Saturday and Sunday?

[Helen]

Fair play Helen, maybe it's my rose tinted glasses.

Too optimistic?

Would never knock anyone for being optimistic, better than negative, but realistic is better.
Rose tinted glasses never did anyone any good, cos once they come off reality sets in

[firefly123]

dream land one man starting up it takes a long time