Can you get rich in this industry?

Ok so no I’m not new asking if I can make a living cleaning windows. But we all work towards something r for different reasons. After watching the famous show shark tank tonight and watching the investors turn people’s companies into multi million dollar revenue machines in less than a year it made me ask myself. I work my butt off every day. Is what I’m putting my time into worth it? Is there potential for a big enough outcome to make it worth it?

So that leads me to asking you this. What are your goals and what kinda wealth do you believe this business can bring you? Is it worth it? Can you get rich owning a window cleaning business? If you could do it again would you? If not what would you have rather done? Just some fun stuff to chat about :slight_smile:

I think you can, but like anything else… It would have to be multi truck company… Commission based employees…

But in this industry seems like most are owner/operator and thats how they wish to keep it…

Im all about expansion, and proud to say I have a full time employee and Im relatively new to the business, also plan on being off the truck by 2016

It’s something to do until my lottery investment pays off.

I don’t think there’s any quick 1 year and I’m rich window cleaning system. It takes time to build a stable foundation and grow it to where you want it.

Every owner will find a point where they feel comfortable and don’t want to grow beyond. It’s mainly psychological but it’s where a lot of people are happy. You can grow it to be as big as you want.

If you want to take home $100k or $150k I think it’s absolutely doable. It’s also doable to take more than that, it mainly depends on your system and your procedures for employees.

How much do you think a company has to make for the owner to take home 150k?

Maybe [MENTION=1377]Bruce[/MENTION] can shed some numbers on this Matthew.

I think with any business like others have said the sky’s the limit. I think it really depends on what your “why” is that dictates the end results.

It’s possible to get very comfortable - but RICH? I don’t think so. There is only so much catchment area for each window cleaner and other competitors to compete with - Not unless your the only guy/company around.

Not unless you invent something, build something that no one else has and someone/everyone wants to buy it from you at a big profit.

You should watch more than one episode of shark tank, there are more failures than there are winners. And pay attention to the show, the investors do not turn the companies into multimillion dollar companies, they open doors to contacts and push the people into a highly profitable direction in order to make their investment payoff.

Just because you “work your butt off everyday” (please define “working your butt off”) does not mean you will successful or even in business next year. There is a LOT more to owning a business than cleaning windows, which is probably the easiest part of the business.

The term “wealth” is different for everyone, what does it mean to you?

this industry certainly doesn’t scale as easily as the ones featured on Shark Tank. There is no easy way to quickly start selling to a nationwide or worldwide market. So if your definition of “getting rich” means building a company that nets you a personal salary in the millions, within just a few years, I don’t think you’ll find that kind of success in this business. However, there is room for fairly large margins, allowing you to build wealth if you save and invest intelligently. That, in turn, may provide you with the capital needed when you stumble upon your billion dollar idea one day.

Personally, my aspirations for our business go in a much different direction: Gainful employment that allows ample time for more important things. And keeping a ‘simple eye’ in regards to lifestyle has helped us enjoy a measure of that freedom already, despite having an income that would be considered meager in comparison to more “successful” business people.


“Everyone should eat and drink and find enjoyment for all his hard work. It is the gift of God.” -Solomon

Rich can be a pretty subjective term. I guess to me rich would be defined as - [I]Unlimited free time, with enough cash in the bank to never have to work again.[/I] Everyones definition would be different.

I have been in the industry for 15 years now… and I feel like I have met a lot of window cleaners… I know of only 1 guy that I would say " Got Rich" from window cleaning. So yes I guess its possible.

If I was to ever build another window cleaning company… I would structure it more around “free time” than making as mush as possible…

Chris nailed it

From looking at the vast majority of my customers that are “rich” I don’t envy their lives.

Close to all window cleaners will not be rich but almost all of us can be successful…depending on your definition of course :slight_smile:

This is one of the reasons i listen to Dave Ramsey. He had one caller who was a plumber and averaged 40k per year. He had over two million in investments.

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I am sure you can get rich window cleaning if you want to grow big enough and depending on location.

I am a solo operator, work part time (number of jobs) as I price high for my services. I average just shy of $100,000 a year and these days only do window cleaning, gutter cleaning and blinds while always trying to push gutter protection. Might add back pressure washing but at 51 prefer to not kill myself if i can already bring in a minimum of $75,000 a year.

I think the key to this game is to find a happy middle ground, we are all different, i like expensive living so for me anything less than $90 an hour isn’t worth it or $150 minimum job. Its a great business with its ups and downs at times but on days you have no jobs push marketing, google, bing, facebook, referrals, postcards, door hangers, website etc and skies the limit.

If working alone I am proof you can make no less than $75,000 while working virtually part time at this.

Window cleaning , Power washing ,an carpet cleaning are great business’s . If your looking to get filthy rich like Mark Cuban these industries will not get you there .
Unless you invent the screen cleaning machine .
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Umm, no. I turn my profit back into stock and every few units i turn around and give it back to the wcr store…

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Dang BALLIN!!!

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I think you definitely can, it just doesn’t come easily and takes a lot of hard work.

Rumor has it you own half those balloons in that fiesta :slight_smile:
What do you say about that Tyrone!!

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I do keep trying to get rich on my route . Everytime I had a customer a bill I say 15 million 20 30 million . One day it will work . I’ll let you know when .

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Chris, who was “the one guy” and how did he do it?

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He was scratching one if these during his lunch break

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