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Ok I was wondering if anyone can offer advice on the following

Do window cleaners have a patch of there own thats all legal like fromt eh council or something or is it just sold window cleaner to window cleaner unofficial?

 

I wondering as the window cleaner in our area sometimes bothers to come around ONCE a month if that and when he does its a poor job Maybe of posting a few leaflets in the area and askijng ppl if they would liek a more regaul service and cheeper. the prices im sure i could make a VERY good living at this ?

 

anyone any thoughts etc?>?

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You can set up as a window cleaner without any regulations to stop you although I would strongly advise getting insured

Generaly rounds are bought off other window cleaners as good ones tend to keep expanding .

Leaflets posted may get you a few customers but will this be enough to start a business.

Then there is winter to think about sounds a nice little earner in the summer but would you fancy it in the cold .

You also have to allocate time for collecting payment and be sure to keep records for tax purposes (yes the taxman will want to see your records )

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You can set up as a window cleaner without any regulations to stop you although I would strongly advise getting insured

Generaly rounds are bought off other window cleaners as good ones tend to keep expanding .

Leaflets posted may get you a few customers but will this be enough to start a business.

Then there is winter to think about sounds a nice little earner in the summer but would you fancy it in the cold .

You also have to allocate time for collecting payment and be sure to keep records for tax purposes (yes the taxman will want to see your records )

 

What he said. My old man has done the job for years, and does fairly well out of it, but having done it through out my student years, and even still occasionally for a bit of top up cash, its a bloody hard job.

 

Dont go just jumping on people's rounds as you can guarantee you wont get a favourable reception. Best and fairest way is to buy a round off someone. Think on about the other option, because if and when it happens back to you, you won't like it. That said, some people, if you steal their customers, will find other ways I'm sure to show their dissatisfaction. I've heard many stories.

 

Also, the winter is a real swine. I remember days getting up at 6am in winter to go to various commercial premises, deep in snow, sticking my hands in hot water to wash cloths etc, then cleaning a window at -5 degrees, only to have the cloth literally freeze to the window, or the window just shatter. I can go on for days. In summer it's a great job. In winter, it's evil.

 

You mentioned that yours only comes once a month. From my experience, about 90% of people only want them doing once a month, sometimes less. Its rare that people want them every two weeks. You have to remember that a window cleaner's round might not give them time to pop to the other end of the city to do say 2 customers every two weeks, when everything else is once a month.

 

Summary:- Hard job, can be fun, sucks in winter, don't steal people's work.

 

:thumbsup:

 

PS What's he charging, seeing as you're looking at undercutting him? It's not as quick as you think to clean all the windows on a house properly. After your expenses (petrol, equipment etc - decent cloths can cost £15 each), you have to make a fair bit to break even till you get established, so if you're looking to do it cheaper than someone, you have to do a fair few houses per hour to make a decent living.

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Well the way i see it is If i post leaflets on other window cleaners areas "giving people the option" to switch to me its not stealing business more giving ppl choice just like any other business would

Our cleaner at the minute charges £4.50 per house

lots of houses in our area that wished to be cleaned more often

so looks like a potential winner if theres no legal arguments

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Well the way i see it is If i post leaflets on other window cleaners areas "giving people the option" to switch to me its not stealing business more giving ppl choice just like any other business would

Our cleaner at the minute charges £4.50 per house

lots of houses in our area that wished to be cleaned more often

so looks like a potential winner if theres no legal arguments

 

Ok, so say you undercut him

 

First bear in mind you have to be better, which, given you've not done this before as far as I can see, you're unlikely to be. Its not just a case of "ooh I'll wash this". Its actually a bit tougher than that, particularly to keep it up over a day.

 

That aside, say you charge £4 a house, which is fair enough. On average, it will take you, alone, 20 minutes per house, at least. Bigger houses, or ones with more awkward windows, where people talk to you etc, could take you longer. So you might do three an hour alone. Based on a 7 hour day, thats say 20 houses, so £80 a day. £400 a week - not too shabby!

 

You have to pay tax and so on, so take that down to around say £280 a week - still fairly good. Petrol will eat into that, as will buying your initial equipment (very expensive). Dont forget your public liability insurance (not cheap with ladders since the Work at Height Regulations came in). Still though, on a full 40 hour week, you could look at £200 a week or so. Nice.

 

But - in winter and when it rains, you earn nothing. A big zero. You can't sign on, because you're not "available for work". If it rains for a full week, which it often does, that's a week of no money. If it's cold, and you cant be bothered in the -4 temperatures, again, no money. Unless you're very lucky, you wont have enough work every week for a full 40 hour week, particularly at the start. After several years, it gets better, much better, but those first few years can be very lean indeed.

 

That said, its a great job in summer, but as with anything, I think its very helpful to have someone give you the worst case scenario, and the real downsides before you take it on full time. :thumbsup:

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Ok, so say you undercut him

 

First bear in mind you have to be better, which, given you've not done this before as far as I can see, you're unlikely to be. Its not just a case of "ooh I'll wash this". Its actually a bit tougher than that, particularly to keep it up over a day.

 

That aside, say you charge £4 a house, which is fair enough. On average, it will take you, alone, 20 minutes per house, at least. Bigger houses, or ones with more awkward windows, where people talk to you etc, could take you longer. So you might do three an hour alone. Based on a 7 hour day, thats say 20 houses, so £80 a day. £400 a week - not too shabby!

 

You have to pay tax and so on, so take that down to around say £280 a week - still fairly good. Petrol will eat into that, as will buying your initial equipment (very expensive). Dont forget your public liability insurance (not cheap with ladders since the Work at Height Regulations came in). Still though, on a full 40 hour week, you could look at £200 a week or so. Nice.

 

But - in winter and when it rains, you earn nothing. A big zero. You can't sign on, because you're not "available for work". If it rains for a full week, which it often does, that's a week of no money. If it's cold, and you cant be bothered in the -4 temperatures, again, no money. Unless you're very lucky, you wont have enough work every week for a full 40 hour week, particularly at the start. After several years, it gets better, much better, but those first few years can be very lean indeed.

 

That said, its a great job in summer, but as with anything, I think its very helpful to have someone give you the worst case scenario, and the real downsides before you take it on full time. :thumbsup:

 

Haha! Moosey you've got it spot on mate! :clap:

 

 

I'm coming to the end of my first year of window cleaning in Sheffield (moved up here a year ago) and its freaking nasty up North in the winter! As i'm used to the southern coastal climates!

 

If you persevere through it though your customers will appreciate it.

 

Start up fees are tough, about £100 for equipment, minus ladders.

Or £1000 minimum for the reach n wash system.

 

You have to have get up n go to do the job, plus you have to be in a fit condition to maintain a good speed throughout the day, especially if you're looking to go as cheap as £4 a house.

 

Personally I wouldn't recommend under-cutting window cleaners as they dont take to kindly to that, i've heard of people getting bricks through car windows, tyre slashing and expanding foam up the exhaust before... :(

 

But if you want to give window cleaning a go, all the best to you mate!

By the second year you'll be doing alright from it!

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