I started off doing that. You can do lots of windows early in the am or late in afternoon. Gives you time to grow your business and still have steady income and insurance
I have only been in business 9 months. I am still working a fulltime retail job and like you I work all hours and shifts. It has been a real pain in the a**! I am counting on this Spring being the end to working for someone else. Giving 40 hours of my time is way to big of a chunk of that time and not even close to the hourly rate I make doing windows. So for me it’s a no brainer! [SIZE=“5”]:D[/SIZE]
How do you do it eric, the days im off is a thursday and sunday and sundays is my CHURCH day and i only have one late shift and the rest r open or mid shifts!! I love what I do but I dont feel real stable there. They are always trying to stream line so i just need something that i can go back to if it ever happens!! I also cleaned carpets in So. Cal and i made some good money but out here in Ga its cut throat like the window washing is!! I worked night crew so it was easy to clean carpets. Thanks for the feed back Eric and if u have any tips for me bring them on!!!LOL
I felt that way when I first started too. I was worried that there would be no money comming in at all and was scared to fail, so I was working as a window cleaner for another company and doing my thing on the side on the weekends or after my day was done. The problem (in hindsight) was that I did not have the time or energy to put my all into both. My time for marketing myself was being used up working for someone else.
When the lady fired me, I HAD NO CHOICE. I lowered my bills by changing cell phone carriers to one that was unlimited for 35 bucks a month. Cable…gone. Going out to dinners/movies…gone. Bag lunchs, wife makes breakfast for me…buy food from Food for Less, etc…
What I found was, when my back was to the wall and I knew that I had no other choice but to make it, I found a way.
There IS no other stronger motivating force than having a family and being broke. When that happens, you WILL find a way to make it work. You will spend all day doing it, you will find so many different ways that you will amaze yourself.
My advice to you,
set a start date. Make it…say…May 1st. Save up all your money and cut all expenses from now untill then. Talk to the wife, and tell her what you plan to do, and let her know you need her, and you need her support or THIS WONT WORK…and by support, I mean run ALL ideas by her, and get the nod or there will be fights and just that little bit of stress from that fight will crush your spirit (if youre single, you got all the power you need).
Give your 2 week notice before your start date, and on May 1st, get out there and implement your plan. Your plan will change every single day untill you find what works for you.
YOU WILL MAKE IT. Never stop untill you are so tired from the day that you cant walk anymore. Start again EARLY in the morning and dont stop untill late at night.
My point is, for me, what was holding me back was fear of leaving my comfort zone. I needed that job so I felt secure. Nothing is secure in this world and that security is only an illusion. Create your own security with the confidence that you will have by doing this.
I have been with the company for 16yrs so its not that easy to give it up, but i hear what you r saying about just making a date and letting go!! I am going to start off slow and work my way up. You are so right about being secure!! I felt secure 8yrs ago but not now with the way things are going around here, Thank you so much Tony for your reply!!! I used to live in Temecula so I wasnt far from you!!
Yomike. The only advice I can give is the same advice Tory did. I am at that stage where it is time to let go.
Owning a business has been the most challenging thing I have ever done in my life, and I will never turn back. As for you, I don’t think that you are at that stage. So, for now learn the trade, do a few jobs for friends and family and even a few of their friends and see if this is a business you could see yourself in for the long haul.
One question? After devoting 16 years of your life to someone elses company, should you have to be in fear of streamlining? For me that would be PRISON!
I know its not easy, it will NEVER be easy. What is easy is having a 9 to 5 and just shutting your brain off at the end of your shift. Owning and running a business is full time man, you will eat, sleep, and DREAM about your company.
My friend, starting slow and working your way up in my opinion is a recipe for failure, and I will tell you why:
You dont have a plan. You are running your new business on luck. Your security blanket is suffocating you. You cant slave for 2 masters my friend.
Let me ask you, if after 16 long years of loyal, honest work…you dont think your boss or the owner of the company you work for wont respect what you plan to do, and would never take you back? I did not want to say that because if that thought is always in the back of your mind, that “security” is still there and I am telling you from experience that that “security” ruins your drive to succeed.
Talk to other successful window cleaners in your area, and if they are jerks and dont want to help you, go just outside your area and ask them if you can pick their brain…or even get some phone numbers here, mine is (619)634-9580…everyone on this forum would be more than happy to help you with your questions and with advice. There are some very successful owners here, I only started 3 years ago and my customer base is small compared to most…but its a constant growing process. I knew NOTHING about running a business when I started, and I am constantly learning more and more…search my posts and you can actually see that when I first got on this forum I was asking rookie questions and my attitude was horrible about certain things.
My point is, I made it despite of my being a novice. One of the reasons why is because of the fellas here on this forum that helped me see my mistakes and change the way I ran things.
There are plenty of windows for everyone to clean. You can do this man, you just have to pour your heart into it. Be passionate about it. Act like this business is like your very first love. Do you remember her? Do you remember how you used to think of new ways to impress her, and all the time you spent with her? This is your new love my man. Treat her well, and she will treat you well.
