[L.J.Thorpe]

james
not wanting to be a killjoy but try canvassing first
i know 22 window cleaners by name who work within a 10 mile radius of me
i am based in holbeach
i have also noticed a few more part timers lately
there are also a few "crews" of poles/liths who probably come over from wisbech and boston
DGM and Castlebuild have recently gone bust
so lots of roofers,chippies,plasterers and brickies are all looking for work
i was working in weston last week and was approached by a bloke who was asking about my wfp set up,a roofer by trade who was cleaning windows to make ends meet
i have heard that spalding is well served for wc ers
and at least one of em should be kept on the right side of
try canvassing first and then see if you really want to pack your job in completely
try part time first and start out trad
its cheaper and you will be able to find out if you REALLY want to do it before spending much cash

[williamx]

With the budget you have you will find it difficult, but not impossible to start up.  If you are taking out a loan to start up with then I would reccomend that you increase the amount that you need to borrow.

Its better to have some surplus cash in case of emergences, and I can assure you that these will happen.

You mention that you are going to the bank for a loan, this is an ideal source of finance but have you thought of asking family and friends if they will loan you what you need.

In your figures you don't mention how much your van insurance is? with your age you will find that this can be very expensive.

On customer pricing, do not charge what your local cleaner does, instead charge what you consider is a fair price that will cover all of your costs and leave you with a profit.  I would also reccommend that you charge double for 1st cleans, because you will spend more time cleaning them to start with.

Remember also that skill is a very important component in your business,anyone buying a wfp system does not make a good window cleaner, see if you can learn from experenced wfp cleaners, their are many on this site who will help you with this.

At first you do not need to spend money on marketing, you will find this can be very expensive and can be very hit and miss on getting you business, instead order some business cards from Vista Print (look out for their promotion offers) then go out door to door, within a few weeks you will have a nice little round.

Anyway the best of luck

[wightsurf]

Here is a list of roughly what you will need to diy it your self with prices of which you can look for better deals on the web.The only bit you would want to improve on would be the pole once up and running or add a bit more cash and buy what you want.
200ltr usa gpd= £200.ro di unit
10ltr di resin = £45.
250 Litre Flat Tank =£125
100 Metres Microbore = £45+vat hose
100 PSI Shurflo 12V water delivery =£100
Varistream Digital Waterflow regulator=£93
Deep cycle battery =£60.
hose conectors fittings £20. (includeing bits hose needed)
B&Q harris pole £18.00
Salmon brush £6.00
Jets angle adapter £10.00

[peter holley]

if i was 18  and had your attitude and enthusiasm, i would give my job up and just GO FOR IT!
if you want to succeed as much as your post says then it willwork for you

we can do anything
regards

BARAK OBARMA

[jefftemperley]

lots of people start in this game but dont last , so be sensible stay in your job and build a trad round first ,while its growing you should be able to do your round on a sat and keep your job mon-fri.

when you have your speed up you should be able to do 20 houses a day, so 4 sats a mth = 80 houses x £10 each average =£800 on top of your bread and butter.

if you get to that point then think about leaving your job and trying to double you customer base, then if you manage that invest in wfp kit and double your customer base again as you will be working twice as fast.

if along the way you find this game is not for you you would have spent a lot less money finding out!

good luck

[wightsurf]

The thing is  He's scared of hieghts....
So can't do trad.Which i agree is a shame as what you just said Jeff is the right way to go about it.
Maybe do the same but with  a water fed pole see how it goes. You can always sell the gear on flea bay

[seandyer2003]

i would get used to wcleaning trad first, if you can do trad you will stick wfp easy, but you will also have a better understanding of what is going on cleaning the glass, the different types of stain etc. Many who start wfp just stroke the window and walk off wishing it is clean, but good luck to you!!

Although i cant help but agree with malc about education while its free. i started many a college course and never finished it wanting to earn money and have a good laugh but if i stayed at it id have a degree by now, and prob not be much worse off as i have spent all i earned although i would of been skint i would have a good chance of earning good money without the hassle of self employment, but i do enjoy being my own boss and being in the driving seat of my own businesses, and i wouldnt change it now to be fair, i am happy, and the money is coming slowly but surely, i have doubled my annual turnover in the last 12 months, and will again in next 6-12....

So go slow, learn the trade and if its still for you - go for it, dont take any heed of posts about what you should earn every day but do take yourself seriously, and do quote sensibly, not just to get the work as you will regret it later, so dont be scared to say "no that is my price i cant go lower"..offer a longer frequency instead, say 2 monthly instead of 1 for another £1 or £2 i find that usually works, if not they are just tight and would be a pain in your butt anyway

If you ever need any help most on here are good so you are in the right place!!

Rant over

[peter holley]

lots of people start in this game but dont last , so be sensible stay in your job and build a trad round first ,while its growing you should be able to do your round on a sat and keep your job mon-fri.

when you have your speed up you should be able to do 20 houses a day, so 4 sats a mth = 80 houses x £10 each average =£800 on top of your bread and butter.

if you get to that point then think about leaving your job and trying to double you customer base, then if you manage that invest in wfp kit and double your customer base again as you will be working twice as fast.

if along the way you find this game is not for you you would have spent a lot less money finding out!

good luck

i like your website by the way, its uncluttered and direct, very informative, i like the map with the circle

i undersand your reasoning about not giving his job up but he is 18 living at home...£650 a month can be replaced very quickly within a matter of months....if  james had a family a mortgage etc that would be a different matter.

[L.J.Thorpe]

jefftemperley and seandyer make good sense
he only does 25 to 30 hours a week so has time to canvass and build some work up
as for ladders ,practice builds confidence and makes you aware of limitations to their use
trad is an invaluable skill and imo MUST be learned
i will also make the point again that he is working in an area where there is already a fair level of competition and it is increasing
if he can canvass up some work then all well and good,but he does not have to give up the day job just yet and i think he would be foolish to do so at the moment

[peter holley]

yes i understand.... its good advice ,but i sense he is going to go ahead ... from his post it reminds me of what i was like at 18..... :olol    oh dear ithink il go to bed.... ::)it's late :

[pjulk]

With your budget you could do it that money will get you escort van probably about a 94 - 95 model.

I think you are going to only just scrape by on the money for a wfp system.
And then you will still need traditional gear and ladders even if its only for access.

If i were you get a little escort van get it signwritten and traditional gear and a good set of ladders ( You will soon overcome you fear of heights ).

And when your financies are better go WFP.

You could even buy WFP bits each week until you have everything.

Another thing don't pack your job in build up a round in your spare time.
It take time building up a round and at the moment its not easy getting customer.

A lot of people start up window cleaning and most pack it in.

[seandyer2003]

ps, i was petrified of heights and now i bounce up ladders, and down, i love it, and nothing scares me which is a bad thing ! but you will over come it quickly, its good in the beginning as you will need to be careful till you get used to setting ladders, soon it becomes second nature..so dont let that fear stop you learning trad, as it is dirt cheap to get set up cleaning trad, £100 max and you are away earning, if you invest wfp before you are sure its for you, you may not get back what you invested as diy wfp are ten a penny and not worth much 2nd hand

[peter holley]

no! start wfp... i cant believe the advice to go trad if you start trad you will have a nightmare converting your custies whenyou go wfp

[bwoofie]

1. learn a bit of trad cleaning cos you will allways need it!
2. Glean all you can from the guys on here, then make your own mind up
3. Get a WFP backpack system, smartest way to get of the ground
4. Use your own car to start of with if you are on a tight budget, the backpack will easily fit into it
5. using the above and your own savvy, if you want it you will get it!

[Londoner]

How many bungalows are there in your part of the world? Why not start canvassing a few for a but of part time "work experience" doing them trad. Keep your earning separate and see where you go from there. You will learn so much, not only about window cleaning but also about what you want to do.

Think of it as a long term project. Personal development.

I would never think its a good idea to give up a job in the present climate, even if its boring.
 

[gerard mcmanus]

A couple of things pal. I was in a very similar possition to you when I was 18 and think you are on the right track, you can make more than just a good living with window cleaning, but here is where I think your inexpierance might hinder you in the long run.

Buy a better van, pay it up if you have to, and dont just quit your job. Start window cleaning now, and window clean when your are not in the supermarket. This will give you a head start.

The reason I say this, is that you really want about 400 customers, but it takes time to accuire them, and accuire good ones at that. When you are drinking from a bottle of the barrel you get all the crap, that everyone else left, and you will find yourself wanting to do allot of refining.

Also as a few have said, learn trad methods, which will take you a while to get used to, but if you only do outsides, you'll find you dont get allot of, one larger jobs ad two commericial contracts, as they tend to want both inside and out done, so if you cant swivvel, you might find it difficult.

£100 marketing is way of as well, my local newpaper charges about that for one add on there front page. You should get out and start knocking doors right away, you can start making up flyers, brochures and poster etc now, when you are still in the planning stage.

Hope that all helps

Gerard  

[Brownie10]

James I too am 18

Go for it, I went staright in with water fed pole. But you do get asked a lot to do insides so learning trad is important- Im getting better all the time.

Also dont be afraid of the initial investment, you sound keen enough and you will soon pay it off. If not, someone on here will buy it off you Set yourself some targets in terms of getting new work each week for motivation. Plus everyone on here is great for help.

Im still learning to drive so have to walk around with a 70litre trolley but because of the area Im still earning more than my friends with just over half a days work!

Lovely jubbly

Rob

[karygate]

first off no one can decide for you . secondly if i was 18 and still living at home with no commitments i would go for it . the mistake i made was waiting till 36 and being made redundant. but why not do your job and build your round up at the moment.

[davids3511]

and £700 for a wfp system no way try again

Why not, a backpack from WCW is £80.00, add a water butt and an RO unit. Well under £700.00. In fact probably under £200.00. Brodex 18 footer and he's off.

[Chris Galloway]

and £700 for a wfp system no way try again

Why not, a backpack from WCW is £80.00, add a water butt and an RO unit. Well under £700.00. In fact probably under £200.00. Brodex 18 footer and he's off.

well thats a very good idea initially. As to start he wont have that many customers - then he can work to a bigger system.

Just make sure, you get wfp experience! all too many start ups get a system and have no idea behind the theory of how it works (the water tech side) or how to use the system properly.

Keep hold of a second job to as long as possible, it can be a source of money until WC takes of properly. Get a evening job, or one thats during the hours of darkness (which is after 4pm now that winter is among us) There is a lot of good info in this thread, just make sure you read it all, and take on board the fundamentals.