New to window cleaning

Hi, I’m Jay. I have been researching window cleaning as a business startup almost for a year before I had to start with almost no startup capital. I worked for HughesNet, averaging 60-70 hours a week, hardly ever seeing daylight at home. I had put so many miles and wear and tear on my explorer with HughesNet, it broke down on the regular, and regularly spent my only day off working on it. The last time it broke down, early December, I couldn’t afford to get it back on the road, so I had no choice but start my window cleaning business.

I had enough money to pay most bills for the rest of the month, get liability insurance, business cards and very basic window cleaning supplies. I’ve been working out of a beat up 94 Saturn that gets great gas mileage, but is a huge eyesore. Started hitting the pavement, and got very mixed results. I’ve been viewing this forum for a while and figured I should start posting to get ideas on ways for improvement.

Right now, my advertisement has been focused on Facebook, Craigslist and face to face. We can’t afford to print up flyers, or for a mailing campaign, but we are working on it.

4 Likes

Welcome! Sounds like you are hustling. Keep it up!

3 Likes

Welcome and good luck!

2 Likes

Welcome to the forum Jay!

2 Likes

Welcome aboard, sounds like you’re on the right track. Keep it up, you will get a lot of no but soon you will get more yes.

There is always something to improve on in your business. If your service can outshine your supplies soon that service will show upon new supplies… ask my favorite and first customer who saw me go from working with a crappy window cleaning company to running my own, to now setting up a full multi year contract for 3-5 cleans a year and paying all up front… vacation anyone?? Lol

Although I didn’t have the money, getting a business credit card helped out so much. But pay it off. Thankfully they come with 0apr for 6-18 months just like personal… try spark business and if you don’t already have one, use wave invoicing , it keeps tracks of customers, invoices , and all expenses and vendors etc etc… its quickbooks but free… almost more advanced, did I mention free?

2 Likes

@BlueLightning08 Thanks for the words of encouragement and the tip about wave invoicing I’m checking it out now!

1 Like

Absolutely, I will try to give you any idea or advice take it as you need it, use what you need and recycle the rest.

Get a yelp, a website, make as many free memberships with four square, dexter, yellow pages, Angie’s list free version, etc etc, get your name out there.

Use a wix.com website (or Wordpress) but I personally found wix to be much more user friendly interface, but I’ve heard Wordpress you can do more? (You can always transfer in the future when your much better off)

Get your SEO (search engine optimization) going, get known every where, print website on business cards, print common info on the front, use back for a quick estimate section.

Don’t go overboard on the fancy on yard signs or vehicle decals… get cheap basic vinyl decals that say window cleaning and phone number on your car… like $40 total…

Get a brand, a image of your company (metaphors) for me it turned out to be my kids with Squeak N Squeegee. That inspired my drawing I use as my avatar and business logo.

1 Like

Thanks. I already have a website and have it listed on my business cards. When I build my website a little bit better I’ll definitely do a SEO campaign. When I can afford to I’m definitely going to do the yard signs. The last batch of cards i made was from Vista-print and the back is blank. The next batch will definitely have a place for quick estimates on it.

I didn’t know angie’s list had a free version, good to know. Ill definitely start creating memberships in those websites.

I currently have and ad running on 36 different Facebook yard sale pages, and I bump them at least every other day, and twice a day on the weekends. One thing I have been running into a lot here is lettering removal, and I’ve been asked to clean cooler doors a lot. I should probably work at least the decal removal into my advertising.

Me and my wife have been working on figuring out a good slogan, or name that would brad us, and make us stand out. I work on computers too, so I was thinking about advertising cleaning all windows in a home, including Microsoft windows, but for now I advertise them separately. I might try a test ad campaign on Facebook next weekend and see.

These are all good ideas that fall withing my current budget. Your help is much appreciated.

Welcome to the jungle …

2 Likes

Keep them separate. At least in as many business aspects as you can. I also offer computer repair and builds. Of which I’m not a complete legal entity with my computer stuff… I do give them official invoices etc etc, but I have not created a business entity with the government.

I don’t do it as much as I used too. Glass Window Cleaning has taken over and is much easier money lol imho.

I’m not talking about having a SEO paid campaign. I’m talking about how you should use your business name and major key words all over your website and everything… mention Window cleaner windows cleaning, etc etc. make sure each page has a name and title, etc etc. wix actually has a built in program for free that ensures you have nearly perfected your basic and intermediate optimization.

1 Like

Welcome to the Window Cleaning Industry Jay. And to this forum. You can read a lot of historic post and topics to get up to speed on certain areas that might be
somewhat intimidating or where you have some uncertainty. Let me know how I can help.

Jeff ( Ohio )

3 Likes

Hello Jay and welcome to the forum!

One challenge with offering unrelated services is that each requires distinct branding. I am in a small town and have to offer multiple services (janitorial, WC, carpet cleaning) but for most WC businesses they get better branding and margins if they can specialize on just a few related services.

2 Likes

Hi Jay and welcome to this forum. I was in the same boat as you 20 years ago, working for a guy and feeling taken advantage of. Opened my own business and today it is thriving in both storefronts and residential. Words of advice on commercial: set a monthly sales goal and don’t stop. Mine was $500/m and today we turn 7-figures in commercial storefronts. Residential: get as many marketing plates spinning as possible and set a goal to add one to two techs per year - each can pull in 100k gross to your company. Go to WindowWashingWealth.com to learn more.

4 Likes

@JWilliams used to say that. Where did he ever go?

1 Like

I’m still alive. Don’t visit the forum much anymore l.

2 Likes

I miss you

I just trolled and got on peoples nerves anyway… lol

1 Like

You still working construction?

Thanks for sharing Jim, is that storefront glass only no add-on’s?

Still working as a construction inspector full time and cleaning
windows/pressure washing/gutter cleaning/alittle yard maintenance part
time. Have 7 store fronts I do every two weeks. And I get calls for resi
here and there. And I still have 5 bi weekly lawn accounts. How’s it going
with you my friend? How’s your part of Florida?

2 Likes