How long does your season run?

I’m trying to figure out if I still want to push more storefront work, or just let what I have ride. Since it is my first year in business, I know its probably going to be a little shady, money wise, in the winter. Next year, I’m not worried so much about it.

So, I’m thinking, my actual window cleaning season will run from March to December-ish. I’m debating getting a part time gig this winter instead of storefronting because honestly, storefront work is getting to the point that its taking up time on my residential schedule now, which is blowing up nicely:)

How long should I honestly expect the season to run?

We are north of you and we usually work (two crews of 3) full time into the second week of December.

I’m on the opposite side of nation, but similar weather. Holiday Lighting and gutter cleaning demand make Nov our best month of year, double any other month. Jan takes care of itself with holiday lighting removal. If we don’t clean the gutter when we put them up we clean them we take them down…some we clean at both ends.

I have zero storefront accounts. Feb/Mar are my dead months.

end of March thru November

My first year, I concentrated on residential, and I had 2 commercial accounts. One store front that payed 200 a month and the other was a clinic that payed 500 a month. In December and January, I was hurting for cash so bad I was waiting by the mailbox for that 700 bucks! It was REALLY bad.

So, I decided to concentrate on commercial accounts since they kept me fed in the winter. It payed off. Now in the winter time when the residentials slow down then I have the commercial stuff to keep my guys busy. Things are getting better…I still like to get residential work because my guys really do a great job. This is the first year that I have actually gotton emails after the job is done- really complimenting my men.
Gutter cleaning really helps too, durring the rainy season, and a month or 2 before I am gonna start marketing heavily on rain gutter cleaning…not just the clearing out of the gutters and downspouts but whitening too. Really good add on.

I get cranking late March to early April and wind down early December. If you can get in with some builders you might get a large cleaning project in the winter. I built my business early on storefronts and just kept at my routes. Even though I make better money usually in residential now, I’m kind of glad to have weekly routes good for a couple days a week anyway, besides office cleaning accts.

We have pretty much the same time frame! We also have a few dozen monthly house outs to get thru the winter.

I really need to mention that more myself.

Here its typically late March (depending on the weather) until January with xmas take down and the odd gutter cleaning.
However I have added additional services and will be adding some new stuff this year so should help income hopefully more…

I’ve found that I am busy every year up until Christmas break time in the schools, around Dec 23 or so. Then it is real slow until mid March.

I would highly recogment that you get some commercial work. It has not been that long ago that the weather was miserable and residential dies with bad weather. A route will give you good income in the winter. Your business is new and a bad winter could be devastating to you.

All year.

California here we come lol

I am in Missouri, I start with Residential in March but about April 15th it starts to pick up in a big way. (Sometimes it can snow here till the end of April). I was cleaning windows last year the first week of December, but it all depends on the weather. Rain, Snow, Cold Weather scares people off.

I would love nice year round weather but MI definitely doesn’t have that. I’ve gotten to the point where I hate cold winters and hot summers. Fall is my favorite season. This heat and humidity crap stinks.

I hear that Greg! It was over 90 here today and the humidity was awful as well.

Yea, same here. To make matters worse the AC in my truck is acting up. I was sweating like crazy today. Supposed to cool down a little bit next week. The crazy thing is I just finished paying $450 heat bills from winter and now I got the AC cranking already. Usually I get a couple month break but not this year. We went from winter to summer. Isn’t spring supposed to be in there some where, lol?

I have heard here on the forums that in the midwest, it slows down during July and August. Is that correct? How much does it slow down? Is it something to worry about?

July and August are about half income months for us. It’s a welcome break after the all go no stop of spring though.

My experience has been that July/Aug are slower as well. Aug in particular with all the families on vacation and moms don’t want to spend money/think about getting work done until the kiddies are back in school.

Typically my last big push is just before July 4th. I use to fight it and call and call, but it is what it is. I’ll send out a letter my client list, pop a few thousand fliers out and get caught up on personal projects.