[robertphil]

so many chancers in this game , makes it easy for anybody with real commitment

[dazmond]

robertphil i think thats the best post ive seen in a while!

[bobplum]

There are certainly a lot more window cleaners about than there were when I started

If the market gets flooded the weak will go to the wall, or back to a cozy factory.  Keep the faith - if it got to the '£10 every 4 months' stage 90% of window cleaners would pack in and leave the field clear for the ones with the nerve to hold out.

why pick on cozy, his a nice lad

[robertphil]

im surprised iv not read on the forums of  folk  with real money who has rolled out a big business doin domestic on a big scale . maybe there are these people in the cities

[AuRavelling79]

im surprised iv not read on the forums of  folk  with real money who has rolled out a big business doin domestic on a big scale . maybe there are these people in the cities

Because quality drops - (sweeping generalisation alert!) when you employ loads of chaps they just do a job, swarm all over houses, smoke fAgs in the garden, nick the garden gnomes and case the joint. Frankly only the low end of the job market work as an employed windie outside a family or well run small business.

Custies want someone they can trust round their gaff, not some "unknown" changing with the season employee.

Commercial is different.

[LT carpet cleaning]

what do industries do to drop prices, they introduce more competition, that drives the price down in the long run, all im saying is do our job and say nothing, i know other window cleaners in my area that love to tell everyone there earning a fortune even though it might not be true, but people listen.

Its true in a way, I have had few of my old customers drop me because they saw me driving my nice car in shopping centre.   

Yep, people are very impressed with a nice car. 

[cgh window cleaning]

I have picked up quite a bit of commercial this month and I have stopped taking on residential,this week alone I have turned down 4 enquiries so there is plenty out there.
If you are professional at what you do and reliable,do a good job and price fair you can't go wrong.
I do agree with what his saying there are loads of new starters and part of that could be to do with the way some conduct them selves.i have never known an industry talk so openly about money,what they charge,what they earn.

[robertphil]

im surprised iv not read on the forums of  folk  with real money who has rolled out a big business doin domestic on a big scale . maybe there are these people in the cities

Because quality drops - (sweeping generalisation alert!) when you employ loads of chaps they just do a job, swarm all over houses, smoke fAgs in the garden, nick the garden gnomes and case the joint. Frankly only the low end of the job market work as an employed windie outside a family or well run small business.

Custies want someone they can trust round their gaff, not some "unknown" changing with the season employee.

Commercial is different.

im sure thats true!    however now n then iv come across ads  on the net from somebody biggish  selling up , asking 1 or 2 million for a domestic round

 . they usually are "moving abroad "  .   i spose they could be in debt, cocaine ruined it all ,  or even some kind of elevated chancer  looking for the big pot  .

[gary999]

ive picked up 7 new monthly cleans,i con clean and a fascia
clean this month and i havent been out cleaning

My advice would be..tighten up at the chocolate starfish end
and get on with it.

Im off to san miguel tomorrow....enjoy the fear

[andyM]

im surprised iv not read on the forums of  folk  with real money who has rolled out a big business doin domestic on a big scale . maybe there are these people in the cities

Because quality drops - (sweeping generalisation alert!) when you employ loads of chaps they just do a job, swarm all over houses, smoke fAgs in the garden, nick the garden gnomes and case the joint. Frankly only the low end of the job market work as an employed windie outside a family or well run small business.

Custies want someone they can trust round their gaff, not some "unknown" changing with the season employee.

Commercial is different.

Very true.
Small businesses and sole traders are usually at the coal face of any business they do, and so tend to value and uphold the good reputation they have built.
If reputation isn't important to them they usually struggle to keep their heads above water.
 

[Ian101]

Unless they have a share in the company min wage staff can adopt don't care attitude

[SeanK]

im surprised iv not read on the forums of  folk  with real money who has rolled out a big business doin domestic on a big scale . maybe there are these people in the cities

Because quality drops - (sweeping generalisation alert!) when you employ loads of chaps they just do a job, swarm all over houses, smoke fAgs in the garden, nick the garden gnomes and case the joint. Frankly only the low end of the job market work as an employed windie outside a family or well run small business.

Custies want someone they can trust round their gaff, not some "unknown" changing with the season employee.

Commercial is different.

Totally agree,
Iv picked up plenty of custom were the customer has told me their last window cleaners quality
went from excellent to rubbish once they started to employ.

[Dunner]

Around our way a few have started up but in a 15 mile radius around us there must have been
7000 new houses built in the last 5 years or so.

That must be 15 - 20 sole traders so plenty to go around.

In fact, looking at it like that there properly isn't enough window cleaners to service them all. 

[C o z y]

Around our way a few have started up but in a 15 mile radius around us there must have been
7000 new houses built in the last 5 years or so.

That must be 15 - 20 sole traders so plenty to go around.

In fact, looking at it like that there properly isn't enough window cleaners to service them all. 

Good point, good attitude IMO 

[Dunner]

Fanks Cozy 

[dave the rave]

where i live over past few years its packed with windys and i mean packed.i got a phone call of one of my custys  only last  nights aying hes just had aguy touting for work. nowt you can do but i must admit it gets me back up a bit but hey ho just hope he aint under cutting then you may see prices start falling
                                             Could not help but laugh at this QUOTE

[Fin Clearview]

Well said Matty, too much bragging on here why discuss money etc, just get on with your work! Why not have these discussions in private on the road with other window cleaners..

[rosskesava]

Well said Matty, too much bragging on here why discuss money etc, just get on with your work! Why not have these discussions in private on the road with other window cleaners..

Couldn't agree more.

...............................

I havn't noticed any real increase in the number of window cleaners around here. Every spring a few new nicely sign written vans appear and each winter they're gone. The only ones who seem to have stayed the distance are those who have started with what they've got - a cheap van or a car with a roof rack and very basic stuff and usually trad to begin with.

What amazes me though is when someone new to forum posts that they're thinking of starting up and what do they need etc, and some other members give that hard learnt info out free gratis and for nothing.

It's like shooting yourself in the foot.

[Whizz-Bizz]

Heres something to think about, when the gas and electric companies had to go out and start knocking to get deals after the government broke the monopolies up they would pay just £10-£20 a deal as it was really easy all the customers got on the band wagon and switched and the canvassers made great money.

Fast forward 5 years they had to pay canvassers £30-£60 a deal just so they could make the same money as it was so saturated.

Lets hope this never happens in this industry.       

[sunshine windows]

Surely that would mean cleaning a house for between £30-£60 instead of £10 a pop.
Roll on the hard times