[Niall McAllister]

funny thread this. you're not actually doing it for free , ok your not doing it for money (blasphemy ), but you are getting something you feel is valuable from it. make sure the pics are at a high res so you can show the detail
and if it turns out to be a foolish, you will learn from it and that is always valuable
BUT no point to having poles if you do't have the pure water to send up them

[pingu]

Adam...loads of good advice here from the starters to seasoned old boys...each has something to say of worth and equally we all spout nonesense from time to time.

The wonderful thing about the information given freely on this site is that you can have your fill on this buffet and take as much as you like or try little bits of this and that...you'll find your own way.

A very respected member of this forum helped me out no end when I started and without him I seriously doubt I would have passed the 6 month mark without failing very badly and using the last of my savings...god knows what situation I would be in now, I am based in Holland and did not speak the language)...but I took all his advice except he said offer 4 weekly and I was adament that I would offer 8 weekly as my 'norm'...and scheduled cleans (to the day).

In the end within 2,5 years I have a comfortable business I do scheduled cleans every 8 weeks...but 99.9% of his advice I took and ran with...

Most guys here have pretty good lifestyles considering they wipe and brush glass with rags, rubber and brushes...

Sit back write down all the pro's and cons of the advice and go 'do it'.

Seriously good luck...I await your war stories

Dave.

[daniel worgan]

You run a very succesful internet business.....well sorry but i see no reason why you want to go into window cleaning.
Why dont you put all your efforts into expanding your internet business,that you surely must be able to do.
If i ran a succesful business like you in window cleaning i wouldn't go onto a forum and ask how to start up a internet business i would expand what i already know.
Ok some people like to diversify,but in times when wc's are losing work and being undercut by newbies some might just think you are taking the rise out of them.
Stick to what you know is my advice.

[dai]

When I started back in window cleaning, I targeted a new estate that they had just started building, every new customer had the first clean free, that was 15 years ago and I still do most of that estate.
It was the first free clean that gave me the edge over my rivals, it cost me nothing other than my time, as I didn't have a full round.
I know you will get the odd one that will take advantage, but the vast majority feel obligated having accepted the free clean.
That estate is now 6 working days of highly compact work, so free cleaning worked for me.

[Nathanael Jones]

I don't know why ppl are getting so worked up about this, I don't think its a bad idea at all. As far as marketing materials go, genuine photo's of you at work produce much better results than borrowed or stock photo's,.. so giving up perhaps a days income over the lifetime of your company is a very small price to pay.

[simon knight]

I promised myself that I wouldn't post again on this thread but I can't resist :

Firstly working for nothing is not a concept I understand.

And as for the before and after photos: OK, you take the first photo of a dirty window. You clean it and then take the second photo showing a clean window.

Fine! But what's your point? Surely your job is to make a dirty window clean? It's a bit like Asda taking photos of customers going into the store empty handed and then taking photos of them coming out with carrier bags...."Look! we've sold them food". Or your dry-cleaners taking a photo of a pair of trousers with a wine stain and then a second one without the wine stain..."Look! we got the stain out"

But more importantly; you do it for nowt...and take ages to get the glass up to pristine condition for your photo which you proudly show to all your prospective new customers...

If I were that customer I'd be expecting that same pristine standard (per the photo) and if you didn't produce that result I'd accuse you of misrepresentation and refuse to pay (the full amount).

Now be honest with yourself: Yes, as a one off, take-as-long-as-you-like-clean you'll get a great result...but are you going to do that day in day out...no you are not!...unless of course you're going to go top-end and spend a day on a conservatory and charge £200...which I suspect you're not.

Trust me and others on here. Do a half reasonable job, charge half reasonable prices and the recommendations will come naturally.

Oh! and few people look for or indeed expect "perfection".

[davids3511]

Oh! and few people look for or indeed expect "perfection".

And when you find one of these they should be avoided like the plague.

[Skyglide]

Giving something 'free' to someone means that they will see no value in what they recieve.  You always have to charge to make the person percieve a value.

Practice your work at their expense, take photos, etc and seek referrals, no problem - but always charge the customer something.

[Phil Mitchell]

Cleaned a house this morning in exchange for 12 bags of year old horse muck. Not really for free but my veggies will be happy this year!

[Adam_london_uk]

Doing front and back gutters tomorrow for £10.00.

Again for promotional matarial and its a family friend!

[brianbarber]

I just cleaned the inside roof (only ) of my mums conservatory, and i even charged her £50.00 !!!

Mr B

[cozy]

Think you were ripped off mate, 50 quid? Should have taken more!!!

[AuRavelling79]

I just cleaned the inside roof (only ) of my mums conservatory, and i even charged her £50.00 !!!

Mr B

You're proud of that Mr B? ... there must be more to this than meets the eye!

[Tosh]

Firstly working for nothing is not a concept I understand.

Sometimes, by donating your time and effort for free, you can get payment not in cash, but in feeling good about yourself.

I've done voluntary work for a cause I believe in; and I do understand that there's no such thing as a totally unselfish act; and the payment I received was that I felt good about myself and can take the moral high-ground in discussions like this.

But cleaning someone's windows for free; a strangers; goes against my grain.  Surely the OP can find a customer with a house that fits the bill he's looking for; for his interweb pics?