Hey everyone, I’m Nick and I started WashCycle LLC a few months ago. I figured since I’ve gained so much insight and inspiration from you guys and gals, I would finally introduce myself.
WashCycle is a bicycle based window cleaning company based in Portland, Oregon specializing in the storefront, restaurant and single story residential (no ladders) markets. We aim to be as environmentally friendly as possible by using non-toxic, biodegradable, fragrance and dye free soaps and by cutting out all carbon emissions from our commutes. This saves us a ton of money on fuel, car insurance, vehicle maintenance, registration fees, emission testing, and licensing fees and even health care in the long term.
From what I’ve seen in the storefront market here in Portland, there is ample room for a professional looking and acting WC company here since most of the competition are casually dressed cleaners doing it for the extra cash.
We’ve been steadily growing since we officially launched a few weeks ago and have a few monthly accounts and a couple residential jobs on schedule already. I’m excited to see what is in store for us this year and I can’t thank you all enough for all the help you’ve given me so far.
We recently launched our website at http://www.washcyclewindows.com and I would love any feedback or recommendations you have.
Luckily I have an appointment with a friend who has a fancy camera later this week to get some good shots of my setup and of me hard at work! Thanks for your input
Your text from your post would sound really good on your About page on your site. This is absolutely weird enough to make work in Portland. Just try your best to keep a tight route cause it’s gonna be frustrating running jobs from SW to SE and then up to NE all in a day. And that ride up over Tillicum Crossing or the sketchy crossing over the Sellwood Bridge can’t be a picnic.
Keep an eye out for piscene windows cleaners there. They along with some other cut rate companies have driven storefront pricing to ridiculously low levels. You’d look good cruising down Hawthorne and 23rd though. I’d think some of the flat nicer neighborhoods like Sellwood and Hawthorne would be good to pick up some 1-story residential work. You’d definitely get talked about, maybe even a cameo on Portlandia.
There’s a guy down in the Eugene area that set up a bike for his tight storefront route. Not sure if he’s on here. @JimOrdway or @BeckonCall. http://beckoncallservices.com/ Might be a good idea to reach out to him if you want to see how he makes his bike setup work.
I have seen the same in the downtown core of my city a guy on a bike, small trailer, pole, bucket, water dispensing jug, tool box, taillight and even christmas lights (was december). The weather was very bad and I was quite amazed. I should have stopped and said hi!
Love the idea and the logo. You should position yourself as premium professional green friendly service and charge a higher price than your competitors! Put sticker on windows with logo and “people powered window cleaning” message, list them on your website to show the world they are extremely green friendly, donate to green friendly charity. Get a local news station or paper to interview you for free advertising. Could eventually get a van and employees and drop employees and bike setup off in area to do their 5 hour day or so and then pick them up.
Do you not use a truck or van at all. I like the idea but the market for storefronts are the toughest and I feel like ou’d be missing out on alot of commercial, and residential by not being able to travel there.
You will go broke because you can not wash as many properties in one day as you could if you had a vehicle to get to each job quickly.
Plus you do not mention all the evil oil based products used for the creation and manufacturing of a bicycle such as tires, tubes, frames, gears, cables, seat material, etc… And the electricity used to keep those manufacturing plants in business, OMG, if you’re gonna push “green” and “environmentally friendly”, you’d better start walking. And dont forget your shoes are made with rubber products (oil based) so you better start making all your clothing from hemp. But there are animals that eat hemp so you will be infringing on their environment, I cant believe what an evil, inconsiderate, self centered person you are because you take food out of the mouths of animals, just plain mean…
Your concept is solid man… There may be a couple fo pain points on your delivery… but you have a solid solid foundation for greatness with your concept.
