[mark dew]

Ic don't give up on the villages. How else do you advertise other than leaflets?
If you haven't done already, you want to be reaching out to the community oriented people. These network and most around my way has a window cleaner.
The best way is to advertise in a parish magazine that gets distributed in the villages you want to work.
You will need to ask your existing customers if they know of one or who to call. If they don't know, the vicar at the local church. The name and a ccontact number will be on the noticeboard of the church.
Also, do you use a landline number? Cos country people are fickle.

[Gav Camm lammy 283]

I would love to start from scratch again, I can just feel that fire in my belly.

this is a class quote to open yr eyes fr
a guy who as made it an yet strives to remake it
nice quote david replys like this i like to see keep plodding on lad

[Terry_Burrows]

  we did never cleaned houses,but when some knocks at my home trying to sell me on the door that gets my back up you would be far better to leave your card, disturbing people I have found myself is not always the way to go :-they may be busy at the time I have done this many years ago doing carpet cleaning response not good..

[actualcleaning]

I would love to start from scratch again, I can just feel that fire in my belly.

this is a class quote to open yr eyes fr
a guy who as made it an yet strives to remake it
nice quote david replys like this i like to see keep plodding on lad

It is also a very flippant remark from someone who is not in the position that the original poster is in.
If David was in the same position would he really truthfully be telling this forum how he yearns to start all over again....i doubt it very much. :

[lee09]

I would love to start from scratch again, I can just feel that fire in my belly.

Dave,
Do you want to sub your work out, write a book or start again?
As for the fire in your belly try Gaviscon.

Actualcleaning, it takes time fella, just keep at it.
Lee

[MikeyL]

Door knocking is the fastest way of getting customers but it can be scary. I don't like it at all, I haven't long started working for myself, and I get worried that i'm doing myself or the customer out of money. Or worried that there's another window cleaner in the same street.
Now comes the BUT when I have gone out there I have had days where I got £80 worth of new jobs in a couple of hours. It can be done and as it was said before after the first few houses it does get easier.
Don't lose faith. you can do it.
Good luck

[actualcleaning]

I would love to start from scratch again, I can just feel that fire in my belly.

Dave,
Do you want to sub your work out, write a book or start again?
As for the fire in your belly try Gaviscon.

Actualcleaning, it takes time fella, just keep at it.
Lee

Thanks for your kind words mate...but i wasn't referring to me,i am sound with my business ....i was referring to the original poster who is going through some hard times....

[lee09]

I would love to start from scratch again, I can just feel that fire in my belly.

Dave,
Do you want to sub your work out, write a book or start again?
As for the fire in your belly try Gaviscon.

Actualcleaning, it takes time fella, just keep at it.
Lee

Thanks for your kind words mate...but i wasn't referring to me,i am sound with my business ....i was referring to the original poster who is going through some hard times....

Oops, that will be icwalker then

[Jonathan Spencer]

All of us know it can be hard especially after the winter we have had (I do not mind the cold apart from my hands which really suffer).

I personally do not door knock.  I do not like it when someones knocks on my door and I am eating or playing games with my kids.  I do not like leafleting but do it with mixed results.  Sometimes you need a bit of luck in hitting an area.  For example a neighbour of mine told me a drinking mate of his was after a window cleaner.  It was out of my way but after 2 visits and leafleting 2 roads around his house I ended up with £150 of work.

Regards

Jonathan

[Moderator David@stives]

actual cleaning

It is a bit like yearning to be a child again, although you would love to re live those days it is just a saying.

I was a lot happier when i started.

I cant see no harm in my post though, just trying to inspire, didnt mean to sound flippant.

The work is out there for the taking, if you have enough passion, you will find the work, I am sure I don't have to spell that out.

[R W C™]

actual cleaning

It is a bit like yearning to be a child again, although you would love to re live those days it is just a saying.

I was a lot happier when i started.

I cant see no harm in my post though, just trying to inspire, didnt mean to sound flippant.

The work is out there for the taking, if you have enough passion, you will find the work, I am sure I don't have to spell that out.

I got to agree with what you say Dave, building is the best part of this business watching a business grow from nothing is the fun part along with , recieving the calls, quoting, meeting custys, designing leaflets, getting system installed, new ladders, trad gear and poles etc turning up by the delivery company, getting your new vehicle,joining a forum and learning things for the 1st time, the list goes on, once youve done all this its just a case of working for the business.

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

You need to get out and knock on doors. In a road of 50 you might pick up 2-5 houses even if there is another window cleaner. However a year down the line that work would have doubled. Some streets will take off others will not increase.

Another idea is to pay a door knocking company, these normally charge 2 times what they pick up. It's probably the hardest it's been for a long time to crack into window cleaning dye to all the new start ups.

Simon.

[lcwalker]

Thanks for all the surport i delivered some leaflets in a village before christmas and im going to go back and try some door knocking there.I also know my milkman from school and im going to get him to deliver some leaflets for me i will only have to buy him a bottle of something he has around 350 milk customers so that should help i feel abit more positive now thanks.

[Ryan @ Transparent, Carlisle]

heres my tuppence worth....

i was the same when i first started out. There is an estate round here overcrowded (or seemingly so) with w/c's. So it was a bit off-putting.

I happen to live on this estate, and everytime i felt like canvassing, i got to a street and got put off as most the windows were clean.....

I now have about 45 houses on this estate, im glad i kept at it  and i have never once taken or undercut a job from another windy

[lcwalker]

heres my tuppence worth....

i was the same when i first started out. There is an estate round here overcrowded (or seemingly so) with w/c's. So it was a bit off-putting.

I happen to live on this estate, and everytime i felt like canvassing, i got to a street and got put off as most the windows were clean.....

I now have about 45 houses on this estate, im glad i kept at it  and i have never once taken or undercut a job from another windy

How did you get those customers door knocking?.

[lcwalker]

Ic don't give up on the villages. How else do you advertise other than leaflets?
If you haven't done already, you want to be reaching out to the community oriented people. These network and most around my way has a window cleaner.
The best way is to advertise in a parish magazine that gets distributed in the villages you want to work.
You will need to ask your existing customers if they know of one or who to call. If they don't know, the vicar at the local church. The name and a ccontact number will be on the noticeboard of the church.
Also, do you use a landline number? Cos country people are fickle.

Yes i have a landline and mobile number on my leaflet, also i do have an ad running in the local magazine that come out 3 monthly and ive only got 2 jobs from that one each time it comes out.I tend to agree with most of the advice door knocking is the only way to get up to a decent amount of customers quickly thanks everyone.

[Ryan @ Transparent, Carlisle]

the first ten or so were from leaflets, that i printed a price on, as i knew the rough size of the houses.

Yes, there is some houses priced at £5, which perhaps should of been £6. but prices will be going up soon.

The rest was from door knocking & reccomendations

[chopsie]

I got 117 from november,and thats with being bone idle  I could of got a lot more by now,80% of these came from door knocking, rest from seeing me working,odd one from sign written van and workwear etc, about 4 from dropping leaflets, I keep picking up work every week for last few weeks without doing anything,picked up 2 today and got to go and quote on 4 more,all from recommedations,seing me working and 1 googled me    I really need to get my lazy arse into gear and get door knocking again, I does not bother me doing it,Its just being arsed and wanting to see mrs and kids at night

[lcwalker]

Another waste of time i went to see the woman that just wanted upstairs dont i told here id only do the lot as my partner does the downstairs, it was a big house 21 georgian windows quoted £20 the whole house even less than a £1 a window.She rang today to much she would pay £15 just to have the upstairs do but the job was to far out the way to be worth going to not worth bothering with IMO.

[lcwalker]

I went out door knocking only did a few and hated it one the woman works in my local shop i just acted as i didn't know her (her windows were filthy) anyway no on said yes they just said we have someone there was an older bloke along the road with his wfp i saw him last time i went to this village leaflet dropping i reckon he has the area covered.

There is aso another problem i have where i live all the houses differ and many have windows that aren't very easy to clean as im ot wfp this means working with a trade pole which if i can reach im not very good at it takes me so long.Im caught in 2 minds whether to buy a wfp trolley now, but i only wanted to do that when i had enough customers and the thing is i haven't got any cash at the moment so it would mean borrowing for it  .