My name is Robert and I am a recently laid off ex DHL driver. I found this messageboard via Chris as a response to my [U]NWCD[/U] posting regarding sales pitches.
I have only been laid off for couple days, but did have the time before then to get Registered & Insured. I work under the business name H2O Window Washing and live in New Hampshire.
Though I have been doing a tad of door to door sales at local shops, I have yet to really land any work.
Am I happy I made the decision to get into window cleaning? Yes
Do I have my doubts? Of Course.
Does every shop already " Have a guy "? More than likely.
But I am just in the beginning phases of my business and surfing informative sites such as this one are a great resource.
Hey Robert! Welcome to the boards. Where at in NH are you? I lived there for a little while and spent a lot of time in Claremont, as well as Salem.
I hope that if you don’t already view your layoff a blessing in disguise that you will as you succeed as a business owner.
Like you, I started my business going door to door (I went after residential accounts however.)
I am actually pretty disappointed by the layoff as it is wonderful to have continuous paychecks. I am happy I got laid off because working 55 hours per week really did not help me with my long term goals such as running my own business.
It’s feels good to have nothing really holding me back and just coming in to work in the morning and BSing with co-workers about starting a company. Now I’ve got to get out there and do it.
Thank you for the kind words. I think I will find success, but success is really what you make of it!
I live in Deerfield, Before that Manchester. I don’t recall ever going to Claremont, but there is a great pet shop in Salem called sea world that I frequent
If you can start your business in these times and survive you will do just fine. These are the times that separate men from boys in business. If when things turn around run your business by making smart decisions all the time not just in bad times.
Are you saying the time isn’t great because of the economy?
Isn’t Barack Obama supposed to fix everything?
Either way I am in it for the long run, I’ve dug myself quite the hole with equipment & insurance costs! Besides, I feel like I can make more money working for myself. At my job my salary was just under $32,000. If I can come close or exceed that amount by just a tad I’ll be a happy camper
I dont know if you were responding to me or not. I dont comment on politics.
You shouldn’t have much trouble making 32,000 a year. While you dont have a steady check like you mentioned earlier you also have the luxury of not having your salary capped either. At your last job you werent probably going to ever make more than that salary in a year. Being self employed you are in control what happens and how much you make. You control your own destiny. Good or bad mind you, but it is a wonderful thing.
Yeah sorry about that just an Inauguration day joke.
All kidding aside Thank you for the great advice. You are correct that I was close to my peak earning potential only $4000 - $5000 more and that would have been it for me for my remainder of the time with the company.
I Did over $30,000 my first year. and I cleaned windows an average of 10-15 hours per week. (spring and fall sometimes I worked 40 hours, bet there were also many weeks when I worked ZERO hours)
You can do it man, I have faith. When your making $100,000 + per year with your window cleaning business you’ll be glad DHL let your go.
Yeah - the newest and greenest WC’ers are making more than that right out of the gate, so keep your chin up, things are only going to get better for you now.
Lots of the guys on here earn $60/hr - $100+/hr just washing windows.
Yeah winter slows down a bit, even here in sunny so cal. If I could go back 1.5 years in time and give myself some advice I would tell myself this:
“1) Get a website, NOW. 2) Study all you can about marketing. The BEST window cleaners are not the ones making the most money in the shortest time. The best marketers are. 3 )put out residential flyers in the winter, you’ll be shocked by how many people hang on to them and call you in march/april.”
There are a lot of others, but those are the 3 main things that if I would have focused on more when I first started I have no doubt I could have earned at LEAST $10,000 more.
