Chris, this is a great thread. I’ve read all the posts and find it very interesting to see how you all started.
I started my first real job when i was eighteen years old and stayed with that company for twenty years! Family run steel manufacturing company. Great company, good pay, nice bennies. In 1998 they sold the business to a corporate holding company and the first thing the new owners asked me to do was to take a pay cut:eek: I politely declined, they let me go with six months severance pay after twenty years and allowed me to collect PA unemployment. Gee thanx.
I did two years of mortgage brokering… and no, I am not responsible for the condition of the current housing market. In 2003 my wife said why don’t you think about starting a business. Here we are seven years later and loving every minute of it.
In 1999 I married my wife and moved to Toronto from where I was living about 45 minutes away.
I needed a new job, and was intimidated by window cleaning. I knew a lot of people doing it, but figured I was already too far behind in the learning curve, and didn’t have a lot of confidence in my abilities.
A friend explained that he had worked as a franchisee of a local little window cleaning company for 4 years, and was leaving the company to move away, and that his “route” would be coming available. He said that once I got good at it, I could realistically make $20-$25/hr as a franchisee. That sounded pretty good.
The only problem was that I would have to sign a 5-yr franchisee agreement. That was craziness to me, but I was getting desperate, and after initially turning down the offer officially, I went back to the owner of the company 2 days later and said I had changed my mind.
I signed a 5-yr contract, and immediately was given a list of 95 commercial window cleaning clients to clean every other week, or monthly, or whatever. I kept 72% of gross revenue, and all new clients I EVER got belonged to the company. The work took 3 days a week to complete, which was good because I only wanted to work part-time, ever. My parents had kindly given us a 1995 Toyota Camry station wagon as a wedding gift, and it was perfect for window cleaning.
Within about 3 years, I had the route down to just one long day per week, and was earning around $700/wk as my cut.
Along the way, I had secured some cool, lucrative brand new clients for the company, but I wasn’t very happy with the owner, and her (yup, [I]her[/I]) lack of appreciation. No ‘thank you’s’, no ‘great job’, no ‘way to go, Kevin’. I’ve often mused that if she had treated me appreciatively, I would still be working for her.
Kind of good she didn’t, although it’s weird to say that.
With four years in the books, and one year left on my franchise agreement, I found someone to replace me, who took over my route as her franchisee, and I started my own company - “Paneless Perfection” from scratch, in May 2003.
I didn’t have one client, or one lead, or one prospect.
I had nothing, but I believed I could build my very own window cleaning company if I paid attention to certain things, primarily the marketing stuff.
Turns out I was right.
That’s how I got started in window cleaning.
My story goes like this…
1998: The first time I ever held a squeegee in my hand. I had a friend that worked for a company that suggested I apply for a storefront route that was open. I though, “why not” for $18 per hour at 19 years old. I met with his boss, tried to fan a window after he showed me how to do it and absolutely could not do it. His boss very kindly said to me after that, “thanks anyway kid”.
1998-2005: So I continued to go to school for graphic design, dropping out, but ended up working in graphic design, marketing, purchasing, merchandising and I think that I even painted houses for a summer.
After living in TX for a few years, then moving back to CT and buying a house, my wife and I had it with all the jobs that we’ve had throughout the years. We weren’t happy.
Amidst all this we fell prey to a few multi-level-marketing and internet marketing programs that boasted that you could make tons of money in your sleep.
2006: So the friend that I had mentioned in the beginning had long since broke away from the company that he was working for and started his own WC’ing business and had asked me if I would be interested in cleaning the windows on a few of his stores that he had in my area of CT. He subbed the work out to me, and it was these 10-15 stores that helped me cut my teeth for my own business.
The rest was simple and yet, really scary. But my wife and I started our business with these stores, a few that we picked up on our own and our first residential postcard campaign. That started in the spring of 2006 and we have grown a little every year since.
I will agree with everyone else that has said that they would never work for someone else ever again! I wouldn’t.
What a great thread Chris. I’ve read everyone myself. I’ve enjoyed reading so many of them. Keep them coming for some reason I can’t get enough of these stories.
I was told " You see this squeegee son? Learn to use it and the world is yours! Also, learn to use it or your grounded and no soup for you!" Yep, born into the business, seen so much window cleaning in my life that I literally dream that I am at a house cleaning windows all night. Wake up and am tired from working all night. I love the occupation. There are alot of nut job window cleaners out there, but there is also alot of mutual admiration when you see someone doing it and doing it good.
My wife told (I mean asked) me to clean the windows on our home. After purchasing some Unger equipment at a local janitorial supply company and cleaning the windows, she was pleased with the results and told (I mean asked) me to do the same at my in-laws.
I was working as a business analyst for a local government and began cleaning residential customers’ homes on weekends and during evening hours through referrals. I truly enjoyed the process, people, and work environment. Researching window cleaning on the interweb, I found that owning my own window cleaning business was a reachable alternative to working for others (I had previously worked at a bank while in high school, as a supervisor and trader in the industrial scrap recycling industry, and as a manager at Intel Corporation of a geographically-dispersed team of about 60 technicians providing hardware (PCs, laptops, servers, etc.) installation and desk-side repair support for North America company employees.
With a handful of initial customers and a few tools of the trade, I resigned my position (my wife asked [I mean told] me to come home every day with $300!) and started growing my business.
Fun topic.
I’m 23 now and started four years ago. Same window cleaning story, couldn’t find any work. So took on anything i could find. Started with an old guy doing straight pulls all day. ended up tolerating it, so i moved companies for more pay. The new company showed me how to work faster and fan a window, Chair work, pole work, gutters, PW. All this time im in school studying business, why work for someone else. So i thought psshhh peace out. Here i come
Tell my first winter came and im so slow i had to get a part time job. haha
Got my start right next door to MV on Nantucket cleaning for my buddy’s company. Let me tell you, there’s some MO-NEY to be made up on those Islands.
To quote a book -
“You’ve obviously spent time on Nantucket if… your window cleaner makes more than your attorney”
Well, long story short, I came back to the Dirty Jerz and picked up a part timer with Fish. Worked for them for about 2 weeks before I decided to go out on my own. Developed a nice little storefront route which fed me plenty of residential work simply from being seen on the street with a squeegee.
Well, at the time (5 years ago) I was also managing an upscale restaurant full time, and eventually let the w2indow cleaning business slip.
January 26th, 2010 I walked into work (at another restaurant, as a waiter). As was standing in that empty restaurant, weighing my options on getting out of the foodservice industry in such a crappy job market, I looked out the window, then focused on the window for about 5 seconds.
I quit that job, literally, 5 minutes later. Went to Home Depot on the drive home, bought some equip and self-print business cards.
7 weeks later, even with that horrible snowy February we had, I stand here with a $1500+ a month storefront route, and my phone ringing off the hook this past week with residential queries:) 1 3/4 months in the biz and I already make more than I made as a waiter and bartender, per day. Business is blowing up too… I haven’t even started my marketing yet 
Needless to say, I also, will never work for anyone again… EVER!!!
Im just starting out, hoping WC can help change my situation. This is a seriously influential post !
Originally started back in 1999 when a friend needed help cleaning some windows and chandeliers for hotels. I notice that it was simple and fun, made some fliers as business cards and got resi clients very easily.
During the same time I worked for a bank PT and then in 2001 my manager at the bank wanted me to go full time.
Work in banking and real estate business till 2012 when I got laid off. Now I wonder what would have happen If I would have stayed in the business since 1999.
Took some time off (1 year) when I decided to get back in the WC business. I just new that I didn’t want to go work for someone else.
Been going full time since August 2013.
Would love to hear from y’all
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no one mentioned probationary community service
Pretty cool thread guys! Makes me want to get started right now
