[Zac Nicholson]

Hi, i'm new to this site, but need some direction.

I bought some window cleaning work last year off a guy who retired. He said it would make me £100 per day over 3 days and I could expand.

Now i'm not slow, I window cleaned 15 years ago part time, so I know what i'm doing.

The problem is the work is well underpaid. Working 9 am till 5 I can only get through about £60.

I can live off £300 per week but its proving hard work getting through the work and doing my head in at £60 per day.

What should I do?

[Alex Wingrove]

how much work do you have?

you need to put it up so you can earn what you want

[Zac Nicholson]

I have about £1200, and get through it in 4 weeks. That is unless it rains.
Thankfully April has been dry.

[a-r window cleanin]

Canvass for more customers and put your current prices up.
I use towork my guts out for about £70 a day so I got a wfp and canvassed like mad. I delivered leaflets and door knocked every minute I was not cleaning windows and that was feb this year now I have no room for more customers and will not take on any more work unless it is more money then I get now.
Dont give up just get canvassing

[Zac Nicholson]

Should I raise my prices first, as I need the money, but have no spare time.?

[Clear Vision]

Up your prices by £1 on every house. That will give you a couple of hundread extra a month. Then canvas more work and quote high. If you get it thats a bonus. Then you could start to drop your worst jobs.

Just an idea

[need a cleaner]

Im fairly new on the wc side of things but that would seem the way to go for me, as it would solve 2 prob at the same time, it would increase the revenue and would create you some extra time as some clients are bond to leave, but i would do it in stages, ex 1 week at the time and only moving to the next1 once the first was stable.

Just my 2 cents :

[Alex Wingrove]

what are the average prices foe houses then,

if they are low that could be could be your problem,

how long have you had the clients and when was the last price increase,

also do you do frames and sills, if you do say i do all of this at no extra charge for x amount, and i havnt put them up in so much time, i would like to put them up 1-5pounds depending on what you can get about with

but if you dont do them increase the price and say you will do the frames and sills, bit more work involved but youll earn more moeny

[Zac Nicholson]

I've made a decision!!

I've printed a note to all my customers and doubled ALL the prices.

looking at this forum, i'm well under any way. I should now make over £100 a day and double my income.

I've said that in order to continue I have no choice but to increase the price.

I'm now going out to post them all.

Thanks

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

If your going reasonably fast you should be getting £100 easy maybe £150 especially on those hours.

Print a letter explaining the reason for the price rise, in the letter explain to them that the new price is still very low in comparison to other window cleaners in the area, say that you can only honor this new increased price for existing customers and that new customer have an even higher price. If need be let them have a month to think things over.  Give out the letter and tell each one in person as well. 

All so put in the letter other reasons for the price increase.  Maybe their prices haven't gone up in years where fuel, rent, ect have.

You will loose a few but you should still have a round that is worth more than it was and hopefully you won't be working as long.

Simon.

[Moderator David@stives]

Nice one, stick to your guns.

you wont regret it

Dave

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

Now that's going some.

Let us all know how you get on.

[M & C Window Cleaning]

Hi Nicho,
Many years ago I purchased a round from a guy that reckoned he could get through £100 worth of work between 9am and 3pm working on his own.
First time we did it two of us working together couldn't get through £80 working 8.30am - 5.30pm with no break. At the time I was doing £80 a day on my own.
I fretted about what to do as I'd paid good money for this round and I didn't want to throw it away. In the end I made a similar decision to you. I made a general increase of 50% and by the time I'd done them a couple of times I was up to my usual £80/day.
I also had to 'educate' the customers to my way of working and pricing as the previous chap had priced everyting exactly the same. Leaded, Georgian, UPVC - Ali - Wood frames and with some he was even cleaning the frames as well, all for the same money.

Out of about 140 houses I lost about a dozen, but I picked up more than I lost. Most of the customers knew the previous chap was dirt cheap and were expecting it. Judging from their comments I think many of them would have accepted a 75% increase.

Turned into quite a nice round. Some years on I sold it when I didn't need it as the young lad working with me moved. Recently discovered another pal of mine is now working it.

[matt]

start by putting them up £1

thats a few mor quid in your pocket

then get door knocking for more work, the houses inbetween the houses you do are ideal, no travelling, put a nice price in, as you have nothing to lose, you dont have the work, so any more at good prices are a bonus

[Zac Nicholson]

Just finished posting note to about 1/4 of my customers. (Local ones first)

most were not in thankfully.

One woman came rushing out waving the note. "Oh dear" i thought.

"It's about time isn't it. Malc never put his price up in 8 years. We were worried we would loose you because I cant see how you make a living"

WOW wasn't expecting that!

She wanted to give me her friends address to go there as well, so I explained that for new customers the price would be more expensive again. Not a problem she recons!

I think the guy worked on the basis of 30p per window (each ladder move) what should I charge for new ones?

[matt]

i started off pricing 50 p per ladder move ( this was cheap )

i now price more ( though im WFP upstairs, so no more ladders ) , sometimes 75p, sometimes £1

Im of the opinion that when i price a job, i havent got it to start with, so price a nice price and if you get it, its a great bonus

the new prices you give are the prices that will earn you more then your 60 quid a day, so price well

[matt]

oh and you will also find that most customrs who want a regular window cleaner understand we all need to make a living, they know EVERYTHING has gone up, so we pay more for everything, so that means we need to put our prices up , thats life, and most accept it

[a-r window cleanin]

£1 per hole in the wall min I rekon.
Charge more for bay windows and doors etc

[Zac Nicholson]

Should I invest in a Water Fed Pole as well?

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

80p to a £1 for a ladder stand and a lot more if it's leaded or a frame wipe.

I think some will say that thats too cheap.

You already have a full round so price high and if you don't get it it's not a loss.

Simon