Can you guys help with starting out?
Do i need a van?
I need to know what’s CCU?
How many squeegees you keep?
How long pole should be?
Do I need water filtration system for $800?
Do I need one bucket or two?
Is $10 per small window is fair charge or it’s too low?
Do you charge to clean windowsills?
Do you offer high pressure concrete or anything cleaning?
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Get a job as a window cleaner. You’re being lazy. Asking the internet to apprentecize you. Go put in work.
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Mind your own business and don’t get into mine. I don’t need a job I have my own business and I’m looking to expand it.
Maybe the lazy one here is you.
If you “have your own business” that you are looking to expand then you should already have the answers to those questions that you ask. Take a moment to drop some answers to those questions to better explain the extent of your business.
[quote=“Ericguest, post:1, topic:50349, full:true”]
Can you guys help with starting out? Yes
Do i need a van? No
I need to know what’s CCU?
How many squeegees you keep? A bunch more than I actually need.
How long pole should be? For a beginner ground story poling only need about 6’.
Do I need water filtration system for $800? Wait till you start getting resi and/or comm customers.
Do you charge to clean windowsills? No
Do you offer high pressure concrete or anything cleaning? Probably going to get into house washing next week.
[quote=“Ericguest, post:1, topic:50349”]
Is $10 per small window is fair charge or it’s too low?
[/quote] Totally depends on your market.
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Thank you. By getting more answers to my questions I am getting more confidence. That’s how I started maid services not knowing sh$t. Customers ask me to do windows, clean their driveway etc and they want it for free. And we actually were doing it without charging extra $$ because saying no to them is getting automatically 1 star review.
Every answer is appreciated
!!! You get 1 Star Reviews because you charge customers for services rendered?
Managing our boundaries and clearly communicating the scope of work are critical for not getting stuck with additional “favors.” The specific tasks that we do needs to be spoken with confidence and clarity, almost a mantra.
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I speak to my customers with respect as I am thankful for their business, but I treat them as an equal. They see the way I carry myself and that I am a business owner, and most treat me back as an equal. These are drs, lawyers, other business owners, etc. So, you may need to either rebrand and reprice your service so you get better customers, or you may need to learn to stand your ground better. Likely a bit of both from what you have written. You can not do these things and still be profitable, but not as much and growth will be harder. Also, some people won’t respect you or your time if they take advantage of you. I don’t know you so I could be wrong, but I wanted throw it out there to hopefully help you. Best of luck!
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I agree with you but there is more to it.
I am in Los Angeles market. I give our rates and other information over the phone, yelp messages or websites. We started out as a low priced cleaning company just to get customers and get some yelp reviews etc. at that time we were charging $42/hour for two maids. Me and my fiancee would go there and those cheap customers would just take advantage of being Yelper. Not all of them but a lot of them.
As of today I charge $70/hour for two maids, windows and carpet cleaning is extra and I state so in the quote. Just today one girl asked me if carpet cleaning was included in $70/hour. Yelp customer seem spoiled to me that is why I am investing money into SEO, ask for more google reviews and trying to get away from Yelp.
You need to figure out your business plan and how to pick your market. I won’t use Yelp because too many bad things said about them and I can do better on my own. Go out into the field where you want to work and get your name out there by post cards, door hangers, flyers, etc. Eventually word of mouth will kick in and do some of that “acquiring customers” for you. Charge fair prices that pay your bills, not what someone looking for cheap bargains is willing part with. Sorry, there is no quick over night success in this. You have to go out and get it, not wait for the phone to ring or Yelp to get a hit. It is a numbers game; the more that know about you the more chances you have a landing a job. Someone looking for $75 or $100 tops is not your customer base if you want to make a good living off this. Change your game plan and try different things. When you get solid leads and hits, pat yourself on the back and repeat.
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Another option would be to work for a while as a full time window cleaner. WC companies are always looking for employees with a good work ethic.
Just be straight up and tell prospective employers that you want to start your own WC business .
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You don’t even have to tell anyone your plans. It is a free country and people start businesses every day. The hamburger flipper who learns the business from the ground up then opens his own hamburger joint doesn’t have to tell anyone his plans.
Gain some experience at anything you are going to do whether it be a gem merchant, a plant nursery, a furniture builder, or a shoe store. But you can’t expect to earn what you didn’t work for.
