Please see the Update…
Add me to that list. Family of three? Sole source of income? You’re going to have your entire (multiple) routes stocked and scheduled in two weeks?
Get ready to starve…for a few months or years. Not saying you won’t make it. But you’ll want to reread this post in a couple of years time. It’ll be great for a laugh. And the way things go in this business - you’re gonna need some laughter.
Otherwise - best wishes on your endeavor and welcome to the forum. I’m sure someone here managed to build their entire business for the first time in a couple of weeks. Maybe they can share the magic…
8 Likes
Wow, thank you for all the negative support… I was totally looking forward to that… I never said its going to be easy, but I have been utilizing my time for the last 4 months on the clock to build my plan, I have miles and miles of heart and a devised the best plan I could now just do it… I have 20 Store front routes planned to keep money generating. I live in Central NJ with a lot of stuff around. Each Route has about 250-500 Store fronts. If I have a 5% sales success rate which isn’t very good, I will fill my route, if not I drive till its filled. I say I can fill it in 14 days. Its actually 20 days, but I will start doing the route before their all sold ( the last six)… I will still be getting paid the first 14 days from my old job. So day 1, Route A. I literally start driving and selling at 9am, and continue selling my route until the grid is full ( 9am, 930, 10am, 1030am, 11am, 1130am , etc, etc)… I fill the grid before I drive to the end, than awesome. If not I drive a little farther until I do complete the route, then Tuesday I drive and fill and sell Route B, then route C, etc. etc…
And no not family of 3… Family of 5, yes I’m the sole income
Right now you should be going round to these store fronts and trying to sign them up. “Hi I have just recently moved to the area, would you like a window cleaning quote?”.
Sign them up before you even start.
You have time just start. The hardest thing is getting started. You can never plan it not really.
People will always put you down. Chin up
2 Likes
Yes, but I feel somewhat strange saying hey im new to the area blah blah blah, and sell it… Then, not be able to actually service the routes for 4 weeks? I want to devote 100% time and energy April 16th and not stop, and actually be available to service my clients
I felt the same honestly. People over complicate cleaning windows it’s quite funny. I am one of those people.
“Hi I’m taking names for my company, we are moving Into the area in four weeks. Would you be interested if I come back in four weeks. We are just gathering interest”.
You’d probably sign some up all ready. No harm in doing a few at the weekends either.
I don’t believe Tex was being negative but rather realistic.
you asked what you would average your first year he answered, get ready too starve! lol
we all have sat down and ran numbers like you have. I don’t particularly like sales but im pretty good at sales and there’s just valleys and mountains in everything that you do.
working many many hours and then selling just has a way of wearing a man out.
then how are you supposed too continue selling while working 50-60hrs?
Apologies if you felt it was negative. I consider it realistic. Simply put, this ain’t easy. It’s not easy to start. It’s not easy to maintain. It’s not easy in the dead heat of August nor the frigid temps of January.
You’ve watched some videos and researched some comments. But I’m not so sure that you’re a listener. If so, you would be picking up on how many guys just like yourself transitioned into the business.
Instead of posting your grand scheme of how you are going to accomplish in weeks what many here have taken years to do, seek out input from others that have been in your situation. Then listen to the advice. Ponder it and see how it may (or may not) benefit yourself.
If you were just a guy that was single or with a wife - different story. Or if you had lost your job and had to start from scratch with nothing to lose, that be great. That’s how some of us started. But with kids and a good paying job - you’ve got everything to lose. And in case you’ve not noticed, the economy is a bit unstable right now. Things can change in a hurry. They might be changing as we speak, but we are unaware. That’s what 2008 was like.
That said I wish you the best. We are rooting for you and hope the consequences of walking away from a solid source of income aren’t too great.
7 Likes
I’m not sure if I’m misunderstanding but the way it sounds is as if you think you will have similar income as your job as an employee your 1st year.
To start off with immediate income similar to what you have is very unlikely, possible although.
Your 1st 3 years will be that toughest from there things get much easier as you establish a customer base and build on to it each year.
It’s not unheard of to do close to 100000 a year so long but keep in mind you are self employed and will have all the expenses taxes everything that goes with it so your take home will likely be less than what you’re currently making as an employee.
Your very well planned, my not be realistic but my inout is intended as realistic not negtive neccessarily.
Thats alot of storefronts and even 5% my be a high close rate.
Im sure youll do fine and it is good to have goals.
3 Likes
Welcome! If you need exposure before launching you can do pro bono for non profits.
hey HBM off topic here but too you have separate business name for your carpet cleaning?
sorry OP for derail
Best wishes.
Hey man. You have the same enthusiasm as I have. I just started this month! So I can give you some insight. I have a full time job as a fireman. I can work in my window cleaning business 21 days a month if I want to. Which I do while building my business. So my first day out. My first time walking into a business I looked and felt like I was having a stroke. Just like you, while at work I had planned, structured my business and watched every dang youtube video there is. My first day I felt so ready. Dressed nicely, schedule book in my hand and nice business cards. When I walked up to my first store front I instantly forgot what I had learned lol. I had no idea how to bid the jobs. So I just started. My 25 dollars bi weekly jobs immediatly told me they had someone that did it for 10 every 2 weeks. Ok so I went and started to bid smaller store fronts. Averaged 10$ a week on these store fronts. Most told me they had someone that was charging 30 every two weeks but thanks for the offer. My first day I gave prob 15 bids. I got one job off of that for 10$ a week. My first clean there was 1.5 hrs and was 35F outside. It sucked but I was so happy I got my first job as a window cleaner. IT WAS SOOOOO HARD MAN. I do not want to be a debie downer but just prepare to embrace the suck. You will quickly realize most of these store owners will look at you like a cockroach. It feels really bad. You also run into the business owners that do not value your service. You charge 25 and they think your service is only worth 5$. If I could give you any tip that I have learned by only being in the business for 3 weeks is go try a day of selling to get a taste of it. Someone on here told me to have a minimum price. That is a very good tip. Jersey from WCR says dont step over dollars to make pennies. I have implemented this and lost a store front but I would have had to drive all the way across town to make 10$ a month. I tried to get the other store fronts around that storefront and most was very rude to me. Man I wish you the best of luck. I want you to have a bed full of money. I want that for myself but I quickly learned it is way harder then it seemed. If you have found keith kalfus Ignore his videos. That is a dream. A GREAT DREAM. But I now view him as a motivational speaker and thats all. When I want a laugh and want motivation i listen to or watch him. I love @Luke the window cleaners videos and the @TheWindowCleanse youtube videos. These are real. Stuff you can actually use. Also look up the service industry coach on youtube. And podcasts. WCR podcast and Josh latimer quick talk podcast. Keep me informed. I hope you the best man. I really do.
7 Likes
Nope. The previous owner changed the name from “Doulos Cleaning” (which was a silly name as nobody speaks Greek here and the owner he bought it from wasn’t named Doulos) to Homer Building Maintenance. I would like to have a different name but not really such a big deal.
OP, sorry for the derail.
1 Like
The business owners on this forum are using their spare time to give you the free advice that you asked for. If you only want positive reinforcement you can get that from franchise sellers.
@TexasRich wasn’t doubting your intentions but he was basically saying to “Hope for the best but prepare for the worst.” All of us have dealt with peaks and valleys.
5 Likes
Add me to that list also, (but I hope you prove us wrong)
My advice…
Take the vacation time now and start selling, just to feel out how many jobs you are going to line up. If things go according to your 20 day sales plan, then proceed with your notice. If things don’t go according to the plan, then don’t quit your day job (yet).
You shouldn’t be very hungry making 75k a year, but I have a bad feeling that the hunger pains will be starting soon.
You have the perfect setup now, except for not loving to go to your present job.
The pay is good, and that is what you need for a wife staying home with 3 kids. Your sacrifices allow her the freedom and control to raise your children instead of a babysitter, .
I am not trying to tell you what you should do, or give much advice about window cleaning, because I am new to this industry and just starting this spring also. However, I do not have children or a wife, so the only mouths I have to feed other than my own are my 8 dogs and 5 cats (plus a few strays that visit for awhile from time to time).
It sounds like you have the perfect family living the dream now, and I hate the thought of that being turned upside down should things not go according to plan. Not saying your plans won’t work out, but just wondering about the what ifs.
I wish you the best, and again, I hope you prove to everyone that your plan is solid and that you can be a success starting/owning your own window cleaning business. However, I cannot stress enough the only advice that I do have for this situation. As stated above, don’t wait to take the vacation right before you give notice, take it now. Because you may want/need to adjust that plan should your first two weeks of sales not be as promising as you are imagining. You may have to postpone the notice, and take it on the chin trudging the grind at that job for a little while longer, but your family’s security is worth it. That way you will know for sure this is going to work for you before leaving that financial security that your family depends on.
2 Likes
You want to direct your blows so as not to strike air, so here’s a recommendation.
Target chains and corporate. If you get in one, you could snag a few and that by email, after initial call, thus conserving time and energy. We’re talking strategy here.
Acquire District Manager contact info. Ask directly for it.
Chains to target:
Wendys
Burger King
Taco Bell/KFC
Firestone
Chipotle
Cricket Wireless
Verizon
Pizza Hut
Hardees
…for starters.
Corporates like these can be explosive in short time.
Use these as anchor points and then supplement with surrounding businesses.
Make sure you have copies of w9s and insurance certificates to send.
Expect 1% sales rate. 5% is actually very good for this.
5 Likes
Whoa ! I am an ambitious guy too, but I am scared for you. I started 26 years ago, so feel like I have something to contribute to topic. Having never done this before and translating " The Plan " into reality ( Income ) is about as risky of a move that I have ever seen on the forum for a new business start-up.
I wished you would have sought feedback and advice before starting on this journey. There is a treasure-trove of wisdom and mistakes made on here including the challenges of ramping up your customer base and cash flow.
Replacing a $75k salaried job does not mean securing $75k on sales. It will need to be substantially more. Did you have benefits in your Job - Insurance, 401K ? It took several years before I was making enough to justify purchasing my own Health Ins. and Starting my Self Employment Pension (SEP).
I would venture to say that the majority of us maintained our prior jobs and began building our businesses part time. I left a very good job in the building trades making good money but slowly. I would suggest if you haven’t resigned yet - RETHINK THIS ! or beg them for you position back. I hope you don’t not take this as being negative. It’s not. It’s realistic. Good Luck.
Jeff
5 Likes
I know it took me 1 1/2 years before I was consistently working 5 days a week. I was not easy, but it was worth it.
Good luck with everything!
