[CJWalker]

Firstly i'm new to the forum, so please bear with me, and some of these questions might sound stupid, but here it goes, lol...

I'm looking to start in the domestic window cleaning sector, and plan to drop 5000 leaflets in my local area, expect it to take me around 1 week to complete, i know the expected return rate is only 1%-2%, but i can cover more households quicker using this method...

I have about a £200 startup budget, so going traditional, but thinking about using a Ettore Back Flip Window Cleaning Applicator / Squeegee with pole, instead of ladders, for 2nd floor windows, whats your views on this method... the only reason im considering this is currently i dont have access to a vehicle, and a pole would be easy and lighter to carry, allowing me to cover a larger area.

Also how would you price? I think my mums window cleaner charges £6 for a 3 bed terrace, but i was going to start around £4.50 - £5.00, this hopefully would gain new customers

Look forward to all your responses.

[windiewasher]

Firstly i'm new to the forum, so please bear with me, and some of these questions might sound stupid, but here it goes, lol...

I'm looking to start in the domestic window cleaning sector, and plan to drop 5000 leaflets in my local area, expect it to take me around 1 week to complete, i know the expected return rate is only 1%-2%, but i can cover more households quicker using this method...

I have about a £200 startup budget, so going traditional, but thinking about using a Ettore Back Flip Window Cleaning Applicator / Squeegee with pole, instead of ladders, for 2nd floor windows, whats your views on this method... the only reason im considering this is currently i dont have access to a vehicle, and a pole would be easy and lighter to carry, allowing me to cover a larger area.

Also how would you price? I think my mums window cleaner charges £6 for a 3 bed terrace, but i was going to start around £4.50 - £5.00, this hopefully would gain new customers

Look forward to all your responses.

the other windies in leeds will love you

[Ian Lancaster]

Firstly i'm new to the forum, so please bear with me, and some of these questions might sound stupid, but here it goes, lol...

I'm looking to start in the domestic window cleaning sector, and plan to drop 5000 leaflets in my local area, expect it to take me around 1 week to complete, i know the expected return rate is only 1%-2%, but i can cover more households quicker using this method...

I have about a £200 startup budget, so going traditional, but thinking about using a Ettore Back Flip Window Cleaning Applicator / Squeegee with pole, instead of ladders, for 2nd floor windows, whats your views on this method... the only reason im considering this is currently i dont have access to a vehicle, and a pole would be easy and lighter to carry, allowing me to cover a larger area.

Also how would you price? I think my mums window cleaner charges £6 for a 3 bed terrace, but i was going to start around £4.50 - £5.00, this hopefully would gain new customers

Look forward to all your responses.

Firstly a return of 1-2% on your leafletting is over optimistic.  I doubt you will get better than 0.1 - 0.5 unless you follow up with a doorknock.  If you are leafletting only (without follow up) you need to drop at least 15-20,000 to get anything like a worthwhile return.

Using traditional tools on a pole is a skill that could take months to perfect - how much practising have you done?  Better by far to bite the bullet and carry a ladder about with you.

Pricing: the biggest mistake you can make is to underprice.  If you start off too cheaply, it is extremely difficult to achieve a decent return on your efforts and trying to increase your prices in the early stages will lose you most of the jobs you got to start with.  Aim for a minimum charge of £10 - you will get fewer jobs but make more money per hour.

[Window Washers]

Firstly i'm new to the forum, so please bear with me, and some of these questions might sound stupid, but here it goes, lol...

I'm looking to start in the domestic window cleaning sector, and plan to drop 5000 leaflets in my local area, expect it to take me around 1 week to complete, i know the expected return rate is only 1%-2%, but i can cover more households quicker using this method...

I have about a £200 startup budget, so going traditional, but thinking about using a Ettore Back Flip Window Cleaning Applicator / Squeegee with pole, instead of ladders, for 2nd floor windows, whats your views on this method... the only reason im considering this is currently i dont have access to a vehicle, and a pole would be easy and lighter to carry, allowing me to cover a larger area.

Also how would you price? I think my mums window cleaner charges £6 for a 3 bed terrace, but i was going to start around £4.50 - £5.00, this hopefully would gain new customers

Look forward to all your responses.

Firstly a return of 1-2% on your leafletting is over optimistic.  I doubt you will get better than 0.1 - 0.5 unless you follow up with a doorknock.  If you are leafletting only (without follow up) you need to drop at least 15-20,000 to get anything like a worthwhile return.

Using traditional tools on a pole is a skill that could take months to perfect - how much practising have you done?  Better by far to bite the bullet and carry a ladder about with you.

Pricing: the biggest mistake you can make is to underprice.  If you start off too cheaply, it is extremely difficult to achieve a decent return on your efforts and trying to increase your prices in the early stages will lose you most of the jobs you got to start with.  Aim for a minimum charge of £10 - you will get fewer jobs but make more money per hour.

agree with everything Ian has just said apart from the % on leaflets, this will depend soley on the marketing hooks used on the leaflet get it worng then what % Ian says is true get it right and you may hit the 1%,  2% would be very lucky and not repeatable all the time imo

[Ian101]

Leafleting will work for you but slowly ... door knocking will work faster for you ................. just depends how much of a hurry you need an income .... if your on your own and no big bills then time prob not an issue. leaflets followed by a doot knock few days later best combination though.

Are u working at moment if yes keep job for long as you can ... I took 2 weeks holiday followed by a few sickies to get my ball rolling but had about 50 odd customers before I went full time.

DO NOT UNDERPRICE JOBS ........... 3 good reasons for this ......... you be working hard for little money .... tricky to increase in price and I should know as now 2 years in and only just proper pricing some of my early work  .... you will be able to look any "geroff my patch" idiots in the eye and tell em your not undercutting.

Pole work very tricky unless your very experianced ... yes it can be done but not by a newbie I rekon .... get some lightweight titan double ladders £150 I seem to recall but u can have these on your shoulders all day long and after a while not even notice them.

Good luck but remember only u can make it work ............ or fail ......... all down to you mate 

[Lee Pryor]

Ian lancaster is absolutly right. I think its safe to say that we deliver more leaflets each year than anyone else on this forum, and if you get better than 0.5% return then your doing very well. 1-2% is a total dream. On pricing, if your mum gets hers done for £6 what is the reason to be any cheaper than that.?

[Window Washers]

Ian lancaster is absolutly right. I think its safe to say that we deliver more leaflets each year than anyone else on this forum, and if you get better than 0.5% return then your doing very well. 1-2% is a total dream. On pricing, if your mum gets hers done for £6 what is the reason to be any cheaper than that.?

how many leaflets have you put out so far this year Lee ?
it also has a lot to do with what is on the leaflet as this will affect the %

[CJWalker]

Using traditional tools on a pole i have yet to practice, did not want to purchase the equipment to find out that i wouldn't be able to achieve a good standard of work.

Also how safe are ladders?

Regarding my leaflets, im not in a great hurry, to turn them into customers, and decided to set my price at £5.50... but offer a 4 week promotion to new customers of £4.50, then this hopefully will stop the old round wars... 

[windiewasher]

Using traditional tools on a pole i have yet to practice, did not want to purchase the equipment to find out that i wouldn't be able to achieve a good standard of work.

Also how safe are ladders?

Regarding my leaflets, im not in a great hurry, to turn them into customers, and decided to set my price at £5.50... but offer a 4 week promotion to new customers of £4.50, then this hopefully will stop the old round wars... 

you should aim for 8 pounds minimum and if you do undercut at 4.50 think you might upset a few window cleaners.just wondered have you ever cleaned any windows?
if so how long does it take to do a house?
how many a hour?

[CJWalker]

Doc, never been a window cleaner, well just for the wife, and she's never complained  but £8, i dont think people in this area can or will  pay that much... i understand what you are all saying, but if i overprice i wont get the business started. When i do my own home, (downstairs) takes me about 10 minutes, but that's going at my own pace. I must also say, i'm very good with website design and seo work, i sold a domestic cleaning website around 6 months ago when i got to page 1 in google, and gained a page rank of 4  so it wont just be leaflets... in total i plan to drop 10,000 - 15,000 leaflets within the first 4 - 6 weeks. To start with all i need is around 50 customers, this will be enough to cover what i need to pay out.

[Dominic Carnell]

I'm not a windy, I just like reading all the banter, but I agree that you shouldn't undercut - if there is a going rate for your area then stick to it.

Another reason, other than those mentioned above, that you don't want 'price shoppers' is if they already have a window cleaner that charges say £6, and they are happy to ditch him/her because you've come along charging £4.50, then you will be ditched if someone comes along charging less again.

Whereas, if the customer values quality of service, reliability, politeness, punctuality etc then they won't care about switching to somene else just because they are a quid or so cheaper.

[AC Window Cleaning]

Dont undercut.Just dont.Not only will you regret it for working for little,you will get loads of backs up,not only for undercutting to gain work but also because people who undercut bring prices down in the area.
You cannot possibly start a business charging prices like that.
Soon you will need a van/car and will regret charging so little as tax/mot/ins/fuel plus NI/tax equipment and upkeep of the vehicle will mean your working for around £5 per hour.
Also,if you gain customers from undercutting,then that is the worst type of customer in my eyes,as in 3 months time,whats to stop somebody else coming and undercutting you? thus losing the customer!
I would never recommend using a squeegee pole for upstairs,that would take forever,as you cant see what your cleaning/detailing properly.
Add this very slow method to your price plan and you cant possibly make it worth while.
Sorry to sound harsh but thats the facts.

[Perfect Windows]

Doc, never been a window cleaner, well just for the wife, and she's never complained  but £8, i dont think people in this area can or will  pay that much... i understand what you are all saying, but if i overprice i wont get the business started. When i do my own home, (downstairs) takes me about 10 minutes, but that's going at my own pace. I must also say, i'm very good with website design and seo work, i sold a domestic cleaning website around 6 months ago when i got to page 1 in google, and gained a page rank of 4  so it wont just be leaflets... in total i plan to drop 10,000 - 15,000 leaflets within the first 4 - 6 weeks. To start with all i need is around 50 customers, this will be enough to cover what i need to pay out.

I promise you that they will pay £10.

Start professional.  Look neat and tidy. In your literature and in every first chat with a customer, tell them that you know they have had window cleaners who come once and are never seen again.  That tells them that you know why they are sick of windys.  It will also tell them you're serious about coming again (and doing a good job so they will want you again) and they will pay for that.

I took a £20 customer from a £3.50 (or £3, can't remember) guy because he did a crap job and turned up when he felt like it.  He told me he'd lost the customer because she'd not got the money any more.  In truth, she didn't care about the price, just the service.

You're getting consistent advice on this thread not to underprice.  There just might be a reason why everyone's saying the same thing.  Either we're all out to fool you or we're telling the truth.

Vin

[AC Window Cleaning]

Heres something i posted last year to somebody,and also what i started with.
"Buy a set of ladders,mop,squeegee,bucket on a belt,scraper,bucket,A frame,scrims and cut up some old towels.
Buy a escort van or similar size get a good roof rack fitted and summat to secure the ladders.
Print some leaflets,and take them door knocking-Simply say-"Hello,do you need a window cleaner??" If door not answered post a leaflet.
Start small and work your way up.
Most of all,be confident in your approach to it."
Furthermore,price accordingly,if the going rate is £6,then do it for £7-that way you will not upset anyone,and if you get undercut then you know theyre not worth bothering with anyway,as the loyal ones will stay if your regular and do a good job.
HTH

[CJWalker]

Cheers guys, i totally understand what you are all saying, so i'll price correctly for the area, and not undercut to gain customers, then i suppose this will make my round more profitable  , so not many like the idea of a pole, just i got the idea from a youtube video, any body used telescopic ladders? just trying to find the best solution for me, once i have the equipment i'm going to practice on my own home, before running the business, so which ever method i go for, it will be tried and tested...

[AC Window Cleaning]

I paid £137 posted for a set of double 17's (3 storey easily) and £92posted for a set of double 12's which do any of my 1st floor work.Brand New.
Theyre light,and good strong sturdy ladders.I'll look through my invoices to find where theyre from and link you.
A pole will be too much messing,plus,how will you wipe the sills clean?? which is one of customers biggest gripes with wc's who dont clean sills

[CJWalker]

What size ladder would you suggest? are these safe? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-8m-Teletower-Telescopic-Ladder-/190640074234?pt=UK_H_G_Ladders_RL&hash=item2c6308adfa

[AC Window Cleaning]

I wouldnt use them all day everyday.No way.
Heres the link

http://www.laddersandaccess.co.uk/trade-extension-ladders/prod_125.html

[dave f]

befor you spend any money have you thought  about winter if you aint got enough custys your gonna strugle, are you still working? if you are why not do it part time ie saturdays until youve got the hang of it you may find window cleaning aint for you

[CJWalker]

Thanks for the link, What size ladder would you say is suitable for a standard 2 story house?