Curious to see how many have started their window cleaning business from nothing or bought a pre existing or franchise. How many years?
I started from nothing and have been in business for 19years.
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started with a “franchise”, horrible selfish franchisor i left after 1 year and started on my own. fortunately it was not a real franchise so my investment was low and i did make money. would still be there if he wasn’t such a jerk.
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Started from nothing, but was already experienced.
The first two months were horrible. I wanted to give up. Just 4 jobs, equaling $604.25.
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My wife and I bought a business nearly 5 years ago. The previous owners had it for 15 years. For the first few years I was getting a grasp of running the business (basically just letting the calls come in with no marketing) Last year we doubled the previous year. Several factors lead to the jump, and this year we’re hoping to do that again.
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Started from nothing twice but had five years experience working for another guy in another state.
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from nothing.
one day i will always remember i was only a few days in and i drove into a particularly grim part of town to find work,
as i gazed up at the evil lookin homes ,my thoughts were “has it really come to this”
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I would feel dishonest saying I started from “nothing”, since I built my business from a healthy savings account and a few seasons of prior experience as a tech in someone else’s company. Nothing like those guys who started with two squeegees and a mop from Home Depot and worked their way up. Much respect for the real self-made entrepreneurs.
Been in business for myself 1 year now.
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I started from nothing. I had researched, planned, bought a few essentials with the intent of start up for September 2008; I was in devastating mountain bike crash at the end of August 2008 and suffered a compression fracture of my T-8 vertebra (luckily no surgery needed). After 4 months of a back brace and very simple living, December 24th 2008 was my first job, $96.00. Went home, popped some pain meds, mostly stayed in bed for the next week, then went back out drumming up business. It sucked the first two years. It really sucked the first two years, in case I wasn’t completely clear about that. Progressively it got better, both in business coming in and my physical ability to actually work mostly pain free. I dropped insurance the second year and picked it back up again on year three as I could once again afford it. I found it easy to collect loyal repeat customers because those folks realized the value of good quality window cleaning service, and I was determined to give the service they expected. Tire kickers and curious shoppers abound, but the real customers - the ones who care about, understand, and desire good home maintenance service - are the life blood of this business. Many times I questioned my sanity about this endeavor but I could see the viability of owning my own business and making it profitable. By five years later (2013) profits were showing and bills were getting paid! September 2013 I was in a bad auto accident; broke 8 ribs, torn rotator cuff, dislocated clavicle, partial lung collapse. The week after Christmas 2013 I’m back to limited work for a couple of months, then April 2014 I’m in the hospital after a few weeks of illness that is progressively getting worse. They tell me I’ll be staying at the hospital overnight for observation, that turned into 42 days in the hospital and near death with a bacteria infection of my aortic valve. By first week of June I was home with visits from a home healthcare nurse. Mid July worked two jobs and back to the hospital, they did a sonogram and said “You need open heart surgery right away, your aortic valve is dead and non functioning.” July 22, 2014 surgery done and another week in the hospital. Funny, September 2014 was my return to work - original plan, only 6 years later! LOL
Hit the ground running as best I could and last year (2016) was my best year so far, and this year is looking equally as well a start if not better!.
So yea, started my business from scratch, and scratch again, then scratch again. Never give up!
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- Bought existing business
- Built from scratch
0 voters
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You didn’t have a non-compete agreement through that franchise? Or did you restart up in a new area?
in canada there are very specific laws re franchises that i do not beleive he followed. my legal advice told me i could “RESCIND” the entire agreement because of this which i did.
i then started calling customers. when they found out they sent me an email syaing stop which i forwarded to the lawyer who had told me it was ok and he then said it was not ok…thanks a lot a___wipe.
so i then stopped calling “their” customers but continued knocking on new doors for the remainder of the year (length of the noncompete)
interestingly all customers that paid their bills belonged to him…but if someone did not pay them they did not pay me claiming "YOUR CUSTOMER hasn’t paid"
an awful company.
Started from nothing…22 years.
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Been a grunt in the commercial cleaning industry off and on for a while, doing almost exclusively glass for the last year or so. As of next Friday … I start my own business, from virtually nothing, just: a bit of experience and basic equipment. 
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Wow! That’s what I call determination. Saying that you got off to a rough start is an understatement. You’ve been through a lot and I applaud you sir for never giving up!
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This is an inspiring thread for me. We all have that entrepreneurial bent that drives us to go out there and make it for ourselves.
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Had a franchise for 2.5 months, it was a disaster, and they were stealing my money, so I got lucky enough and they bought it back. Built my business from scratch over the last 2 weeks. Up and running and had my first job today. From all accounts the common thread I see so far is that it takes years to build steady business. I knew it would be a grind.
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I started from scratch in 1999. I ran that business in a small mountain town of 5000 people for eight years. Then we moved to Sacramento and I have been here for eight years. The business just keeps growing every year
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