I’ll bury this in this thread. I got more great equipment last week. I organized that in a three drawer tool box as another guy on this site did. I scrounged and found about every cleaning towel I own. Now I have about 60 pounds of great hucks and scrims in the back of my truck. I put together 2 new belts, one for inside, one for outside. I have all my chems in a nice big tray. So I go to a friends house, an old man, to see how he’s doing, and told him I started a window cleaning company. He asked what I would charge to paint the front of his house. So…I’m going to paint the front of his house this morning. I love this business.
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You uh, told him you were doing window cleaning? And then he asked for an estimate to paint his house? Did something not register? Lol. And your going to paint it? Something somewhere didn’t register. J/k. Doing whatever it takes to stay afloat is all a part of it at the start. Good on ya. Just don’t be in the position to need to repaint it when the time comes.
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It’s cash. Thanks
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Say no more.
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I’ll pressure wash the dog for cash
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I see what you did right there… Lol!
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Wait, wrong thread!
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Well, the front of the house is painted. The CHECK is in the bank. I said as a bonus I would do his double sliding patio door, it was crusty. Next he wants to teach me how to put on vinyl siding. The guy is a retired contractor. Tomorrow’s another day, maybe I’ll get to wash a window and get paid for it. 
I so have to remember this meme! LOL
lol
don’t let your services be a mile wide and an inch deep
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Thanks. It blows my mind, sorta. Told my wife to tell her co-workers I now clean windows. “Could he power wash my condo?” I can’t do that yet. Tell the old guy I started a window cleaning business. “My aluminum porch rails and vinyl siding need power washed. Do you install vinyl siding? I’ll teach you how.” Another friend of the wife,“You can clean my apartment.” What part of I’m a world class doctoral level glass working diamond polishing window cleaning machine are people not understanding here?
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What !!! it’s not buy one get one free ?
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Not sure, but you are driving the bus.
Decide what services that you want to offer and stick to it. All of your business cards, receipt/invoices, logo’d shirt, car magnetics, etc., should convey that too.
If you want to be a jack of all trades, or give that impression, then you will attract those looking for a one-stop-shop-guy. If not - then be sure to nip it in the bud from the get go. “I’m sorry, my services only include window cleaning, gutter cleaning, and screen repair”, then target that audience as if your business depends on that - which it does!
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If you want to be a jack of all trades, or give that impression, then you will attract those looking for a one-stop-shop-guy. If not - then be sure to nip it in the bud from the get go. “I’m sorry, my services only include window cleaning, gutter cleaning, and screen repair”, then target that audience as if your business depends on that - which it does!
Garry,
Yep. Great advice. Have been trying to do that. Feel like time is being stolen doing this other stuff. Guess part of it is I am versatile; so, instead of being a starving window cleaner, this other stuff has and is putting cash in my pocket. After I did a friends house, then she wanted me to clean the back yard and haul away brush. I did not do that, would have to empty the truck of ALL my mountains of window cleaning stuff. So…missed that cash job. I want to specialize on window cleaning, but then I see people as customers, and want to please the customer. It’s been a dog trying to start my window cleaning biz this time of year. So…starve, or go where the cash is? Now you see my picture? Looking forward to the day I am an established window cleaning biz, and we’ll all “remember when” over this. I am going to heed this good advice.
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You will reach a point where you proudly say - “Sorry, I just clean windows, that keeps me busy enough.” Keep at it brother and smile on the way to the back. It only gets better.
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Many of us are adding additional services, reviewing adding new services or eliminating/downsizing services. Trying to find the best fit and synergy of services keeps things interesting.
As for me, I was seriously considering adding snow removal and sanding However, after spending well over $600 to get my carpet shampooer repaired I decided to focus on leveraging the expensive equipment that I already have and improving my efficiency with marketing and providing those services.
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have you looked into VLM carpet cleankng?
Yeah, >90% of my carpet cleaning revenue this year came from dry compound cleaning. Way easier on my body and more efficient for congested areas. The shampooer is still available for the large uncongestef areas.
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look up trinity renewal systems it’ll blow dry compound cleaning out of the water
