Window cleaning new business

Whattodo1_2

Hi all I'm after some honest advice
Dh & I are lucky enough to have 10k of my dad to do with what we want - we want to start a business & are thinking window cleaning not your show up when your skint kind of business a proper round where he shows up each month on same day ect
We are thinking window cleaning as ive been living in this area for 12 yes & never has a window cleaner knocked my door or put a leaflet through
Now dh has a job which he hates but it's a job & we know he's lucky to have one so giving up the job to window clean seems a scary thought
We think to start a week end round 1st then building up to a week round once we acquire customers

My qs are do people have their windows cleaned ??
If any window cleaners are here how long with a water fed pole does it take to clean the average terraced house ??
& how long did it take to build up your round ?? ( I was a canvasser
Before being made redundant and would get 30+ people to sign up to a well known catalogue each day )
So do u think it's viable ???

Catherine_Johnson_2

Whattodo1 wrote: »

Hi all I'm after some honest advice
Dh & I are lucky enough to have 10k of my dad to do with what we want - we want to start a business & are thinking window cleaning not your show up when your skint kind of business a proper round where he shows up each month on same day ect
We are thinking window cleaning as ive been living in this area for 12 yes & never has a window cleaner knocked my door or put a leaflet through
Now dh has a job which he hates but it's a job & we know he's lucky to have one so giving up the job to window clean seems a scary thought
We think to start a week end round 1st then building up to a week round once we acquire customers

My qs are do people have their windows cleaned ??
If any window cleaners are here how long with a water fed pole does it take to clean the average terraced house ??
& how long did it take to build up your round ?? ( I was a canvasser
Before being made redundant and would get 30+ people to sign up to a well known catalogue each day )
So do u think it's viable ???

I'm not a window cleaner but I can, perhaps, answer some of your questions....

1. No, we don't have ours cleaned, although the previous owner of our house did and cleaner asked if we wished to continue when we moved in (we said no thanks)

2. Can't answer on how long it takes to clean an average terraced house, but have to ask 'why terraced'? Are you expecting the owners to be in and, if not, how will you clean the back windows? Or will you be cleaning front windows only, which seems a bit pointless.

3. Not sure you can compare catalogues with window cleaning.


Why not give it a go at weekends, as you say. Can't see you have much to lose? There can't be much financial outlay for window cleaning, surely, though I do wonder whether you will need insurance - windows getting broken, water through open window, damage to cars or people walking past if terrace houses face onto street, are a few things to perhaps consider.

How or when will you collect the money as most people are out during the day? I can foresee problems with collecting money weeks after you have done the windows.

Personally, I can't see the point of having your windows cleaned. The rain does a pretty good job by itself. Having said that, I know people do have it done, such as the previous occupiers of our house, so there is a market. How big the market is, I wouldn't know. I wouldn't give up my day job for it though.

Antispam

I get top of my house done once a month with water fed system they charge a fiver takes about 10minutes top of work. This is for a semi 5 double windows (3 beds, 1 landing, 1 bathroom) and 1 single window bathroom. The guy employs another person, he seems to do most of houses on our street from what I sign he parks van unwraps hose wand walks up doing most of the houses. Pay cash if we miss him pay next time or send a cheque

jenie_2

Hi, my hubby and son have a small window cleaning business and found a lot of advice on specific window cleaning forums (google) when they were starting out.
Just a few pointers, you would need a decent van if you are using the water fed pole system, as you will be carrying a fair amount of water as your round grows.
Liability insurance.
The initial layout is quite high, pole machines are not cheap, and you would also require a filter machine to purify the water as these systems work on pure filtered water. Squeegees, clothes, replacement rubbers for squeegees, fuel costs (oh & ds work several villages) it all adds up.
The weather is a big thing, if its raining, you don't earn anything, and the worst thing is collecting the money in, hubby & son go out Thurs and Fri nights, and NEVER come in and say that they've collected all that they are owed.
On the other hand, they both love being self employed and being their own bosses !!!!!!!!!!

jenie_2

Just to add, they did a lot of foot work to start with, canvassing the local area. They also had leaflets printed, also got some business cards printed which they left (with permission) in local shops.
They have recently had some magnetic signs made for the van which can attract extra business. If I can think of anything else, I will post on here, hth.

Antispam

I disagree if its raining you dont earn anything, my window cleaner does windows in rain no problems the water is filtered so it leaves no marks on windows if its sunny. I clean my windows on ground floor I prefer doing it when its dull or even light rain as then I dont have to be so prefect drying windows. He does have a decent van and system is expensive to start off

s_b

Ive bought my own pole and do my own , but a proper window cleaner would be up there cleaning the window surrounds twice a year and once a year cleaning my gutters.
I dont know if health and safety or the fact most people are wussies these days but proper trades like these are dieing out
My opinion? you wont make it through the first year and blow your money because its not a job you can just walk into
As said is your husband even used to working outdoors? i am and i can tell you 9 months of the year its bally cold even on what i consider a warm day my customers shiver in front of me as if were in the artic
too much central heating in houses these days see just like too many people catch colds

best of luck by the way but i would consider other ideas too even if its building up a good betterwear? round

paulwf

Window cleaners I speak to have commercial as the backbone of their business. Maybe that's because I'm in retail so only come across them, I don't know.

Anyway, a window cleaner will build up a commercial round over many years but once you have control over the high st it seems to be good money. Send out an army of self employed cleaners at 4am when it is quiet and go along cleaning mainly large ground floor windows. My windows take 2 to 5 mins to clean and they charge a fiver a time! Finish at 9am, pop to the cafe for breakfast then go round town collecting the money when you know all the businesses are open. Some shops will get theirs done 2 or 3 times a week and make some extra money cleaning signage etc.

Commercial cleaning requires a fair sized round as you need enough people to cover for holidays and sickness. Once you can get the round to a viable size (probably takes years) I think it's good money.

property.advert

Can you just walk up anywhere though or is there still some form of protectionism where a round is "owned" ?

talltower

I'm a window cleaner in the South East and earn a decent living from it... I work in all weathers apart from really heavy rain.

It takes time to build up a good business though, I'm in my 7th year.

Startup costs can be expensive, and there is currently more and more competition with new startups because peope think it's an easy business to get in to.

PS. rain doesn't clean windows properly... you should get your windows cleaned properly from time to time including the frames and sills otherwise the whole window unit will deteriorate over time.

LianneCarlaS

You could offer a direct debit discount for people who want heir window done regularly. That way they benefit from a cheaper option and you get money even when people aren't in.

It's a valid point about it being a job your OH could do. Why not employ a window cleaner instead, someone with a little experience but would rather have a job than a business. That way you are investing in a business whilst your OH keeps his job, you stay financially secure and whilst your business profit would be lower because of the expense of having staff, all profit would be a bonus rather than being the money you need in order to survive.