New Business starting soon,advice needed please on promotion

Horace

Don't waste your money on flyers - I get tons shoved through my letterbox and I don't read any of them as they go straight into the recycling box.

When I moved into this house the windows were cleaned by someone who came about every 3 months or so and he charged £6.50 - one day I came home and he had been yet there was no sign that the windows had actually been cleaned (evidenced by a large cobweb across the outside of the French door - if he had cleaned then that would have gone). Now I do my own windows downstairs and the upstairs ones have to fend for themselves.

Recently, I saw a window cleaner visiting a neighbour - he used a pole and cleaned the window frames too, I asked him for his card and he told me that he had never advertised and got all his business through word of mouth, he also guaranteed his work too so that if he had missed a bit then he would come back and clean the windows free of charge (he charges £8.50).

I would take more notice of someone knocking on my door offering me window cleaning services rather than shoving a leaflet through my door.

Opinion

Newdirection wrote: »

Short-n-sweet

Thank you for the support. I am now flyering and have done 500. I have not got anything from it yet, I started at the start of the week. Ok, someone might ring, but its been a week nearly since started and its worrying me. The flyers are really good and professional and also friendly and to the point - explaining what is on offer. I have a web site and the seo is being worke don, its not there yet on google but its only early days. I have a face book and trying to work on getting people on that, i join groups and look for people wanting a window cleaner, but nothing yet.

I am just so worried, but I can not think what else I can do. I am flyering hard and will start door knocking on Monday too. I just am so worried as I have put so much effort in in setting it all up and getting equipment in and feel I am presented well with my flyers and business cards, I suppose i just need to wait, maybe people do not ring stright away.

I hope someone can give me some tips or info they have in helping gain customers. I am determind and will put 100% effort in walkign the streets flyering and door knocking and spend lots of time online trying to seek work and posting ads on FB. I will also pt an add in paper too and put my flyers and cards in chip shops, PO, stores where they will take them.

I hope people on here can offer any advice as there are soem real clever people on here with great advice. Thank you everyone.

I don't want to sound rude but if you're worrying this much after one week you may want to reconsider your business plan. Not many businesses go from 0 to 50 overnight, it would be a bit naive thinking so. I assume you have some sort of fall back and funds in place in case things take a couple of months to get off the ground?

lincroft1710

About a month ago my windows were cleaned by a handyman who does odd jobs for me. Apart from a period of some 18 months, some 20 years ago this was the first time I have had my windows "professionally cleaned" since I became a houseowner nearly 40 years ago.

Our small street is already served by 2 possibly 3 window cleaners and I would estimate probably only 50% of the houses use their services. So you may find it a difficult market to break into.

cavework

The reason I asked about the pole fed system is because there are quite a lot of properties that now have solar panels fitted..
Any chance the OP will return to the thread?
OH and hello Horrace
xx

Newdirection

Opinion wrote: »

I don't want to sound rude but if you're worrying this much after one week you may want to reconsider your business plan. Not many businesses go from 0 to 50 overnight, it would be a bit naive thinking so. I assume you have some sort of fall back and funds in place in case things take a couple of months to get off the ground?

Hi,

No I do not have any funds at all. I was involved in a nasty accident and I have ben recovering after PTSD and have had a awful time, lost my job, everything. I have wanted to do window cleaning for years and its really the only thing i feel confident in doing as I am on my won, I have lost confidence going out working in an office again scares me now. I just feel I am getting back to myself and I planned this business very hard, done all my SWOT and brande myself well. Have a website, facebook, flyers and cards and have a good promtotional attack, its kept my mind off the thigns i think about that upset me and its been somthing to go at helping me recover too. I really am working hard flyering and door knocking now and spend alot time online networking and getting cards in to shops, stores, pubs, chippys etc.

I just feel a little desperate for somthing to go right thats all. I know this will take time and I am in it for the long haul as its all i can think of doing at present and is what I want to do, it is puttign a smile on my face for once thinking this coudl be my job full time, it would be great to get back to nomality also and work and earn and feel fee in my mind again.

I dont think anyone can attack it as hard as I am doing. I just hoped on here I might pick some brains, people whom have been there maybe or have some good ideas.

I did however think I may have some more customers, but it will come, I just worry now about everything its since my accident so take that comment with a pinch of salt.:)

Linecroft1710 - That is good news for me as 50% that dont have a service means people are available to try to gain. I agree its will be hard to break, but I have got close to people on a window cleaning forum whom are honest and very helpful and say that it will work, work will come you just have to be proactive, so on there advice I feel more confident. I talked face to face with other window cleaners and one started 2 year ago and has a full round now and is doing well, he started slow but worked hard, so it can be done of course, there will be lots of new window cleaners starting soon and in the future that will build up. Many whom I have spoke to have started in the last 2-4 years.

CAVEWORK - Hi, no I am using traditional methods, I did look at WFP systems but I think nothing is better than being up close to the glass. I asked a few people whom have WFP cleaning and they said its good as frames get done etc but the water runs down the front of the house and is dirty and blackens the white exterior, also is slippy on floor with water coming down in winter and turn icey. Plus the paint marks and ingrained dirt you can not see it from down there. I was rellly lookign into doing it but have been put off. I have a tradtional carbon fibre pole for windows that are hard to get to, with a squeegee and aplicator that attach to it.

My aim was to earn anough and go water fed pole route but I think I will stick to traditional methods. You can do everything from a ladder, may take little longer to do frames etc but not much really. I just think ladder option is best and you can be face to face with glass. Everyone is different, I changed my view after listenign to window cleaners and online information and it is still the best way.... So going with that.

Thank you for everyone whom has responded and the PM's really apprciate your time, very kind. Thank you.

Newdirection

Horace wrote: »

Don't waste your money on flyers - I get tons shoved through my letterbox and I don't read any of them as they go straight into the recycling box.

When I moved into this house the windows were cleaned by someone who came about every 3 months or so and he charged £6.50 - one day I came home and he had been yet there was no sign that the windows had actually been cleaned (evidenced by a large cobweb across the outside of the French door - if he had cleaned then that would have gone). Now I do my own windows downstairs and the upstairs ones have to fend for themselves.

Recently, I saw a window cleaner visiting a neighbour - he used a pole and cleaned the window frames too, I asked him for his card and he told me that he had never advertised and got all his business through word of mouth, he also guaranteed his work too so that if he had missed a bit then he would come back and clean the windows free of charge (he charges £8.50).

I would take more notice of someone knocking on my door offering me window cleaning services rather than shoving a leaflet through my door.

I will flyer ad get the word out, can only help. But you are so right, its the door knocking and offering a service. I am going to up the attack on door knocking. There are 6 window cleaners advertised in my area and the target area has well over 30,000 homes, plus I am going to widen my target area as its not that far out. Each window cleaner will have no more than 450 customers, so 2700 homes are done. So huge amount of homes to target. Ok there will be some other window cleaners, but I have really tried hard to find them 6 and can find no more.

Your right and thats inspired me, thank you very much for your words.

It is just going to take some time. I speak to other cleaners whom have set up in recent years just like me and no different and they ae now at full capacity. They all say go for it and the work will come, just have to work hard and wait some time for it to grow. Which I will do. I wont fail for trying really hard.

Thank you again, it is nice to see people are kind enough to lend an opinion and advice.

lincroft1710

Newdirection wrote: »

Linecroft1710 - That is good news for me as 50% that dont have a service means people are available to try to gain. I agree its will be hard to break, but I have got close to people on a window cleaning forum whom are honest and very helpful and say that it will work, work will come you just have to be proactive, so on there advice I feel more confident. I talked face to face with other window cleaners and one started 2 year ago and has a full round now and is doing well, he started slow but worked hard, so it can be done of course, there will be lots of new window cleaners starting soon and in the future that will build up. Many whom I have spoke to have started in the last 2-4 years.

Unfortunately, I think you've missed the point, the 50% don't have a window cleaner, because they don't want one.

But, depending on the area you are targetting, you may strike lucky. And getting contracts on commercial premises can be very lucrative.

PlutoinCapricorn

I have often noticed posters advertising services stuck on the windows of bus shelters. They have tear-off strips with contact numbers on and many are always missing, like teeth or piano keys.

lamb1102

What happened to your gardening start-up that you were taking loads of advice on a few months ago?
Did you give it up or not start at all ?

cleaninggenie

I hope you are also implementing a method of tracking whats working and whats not because honestly if you sent out 500 flyers and get only a handful of jobs then it may not be the most viable way to go. Can you include your website url so I can have a look and see if I can make suggestions etc. Good luck