I came up with what I think is a pretty brilliant idea today. My wife and I live in St. Louis so we have darn cold winters. Neither of us like the winter very much at all. I have 2 sets of very close friends that live in Phoenix Arizona. I was thinking about possibly moving out to Phoenix for November through February during the slowest parts of the winter. What I would do is try to get my best window cleaner (my brother) to go with me and shack up with my wife and I in a rented house. We would try to kill residential window cleaning out there for these months. So, I would send hella marketing pieces out in early October. When we start getting calls, I would book them for November when we get out there. This may be a solution to our winter slow down in residential. The main reason we would do it though is cause we hate the winter. What are your thoughts?
I know holiday lighting is huge in Arizona. I believe a couple of guys do what you are taking about out of NY.
Hey man, I love St. Charles MO. Fell for a girl from there and she took me to RT weilers…my dog is now proudly on their wall. Again, love that town.
Man Kurt I think about that move all the time. Only thing is getting settled in and paying the price. They can be hard on snow birds Phoenix likes all that money they bring in. Find a target area. and go for it man. Try to find a reasonable place and stay. Myself I’d want to play golf all the time and there fees are outrageous.
Paul
Show Me Cleaning Window Cleaning Kansas City, Missouri, Mo. Kansas City, Kansas, Ks
I have a full year to think about it but I’m telling ya, I have friends out there begging me to go out there. The wife it totally stoked too. I actually spoke with my brother today and he is willing to do it. Since he cleans windows for me he wants to have work during the winter anyway. Me, My Wife and my bro would just split a place 3 ways. I may have a baby on the way though. We’ll see. I’m stoked though to get out of this winter environment here.
RT Weilers, fun place. That’s about 20 min from me in the city. Not sure how familiar you are with St. Charles but I’m over by O’fallon.
i think this is the first year ive really thought about moving someplace warmer for the winter… i have family in boca raton florida and they have a window treatment business, so id have an in… now its just talking the woman into it 
Ah gez man another snow ball comin to town. We see and hear about them ALL the time. They escape the snow country and come here then lower their prices to just get the work and leave once early spring hits. the “company” melts away just like a snowball. For what’s it worth. Just move here full time and and make a good living most of the time. But to just be here for several months and not be here for the residential for the rest of the year they will call someone else and your “client base” is gone.
Not many on the Christmas lights this year as it was years before.
Thats all I got to say about that…
Hey Paul. Yah gonna make it for spring training games?
Ha Ha Show ball coming to Phoenix. To be honest if it wasn’t for those show birds what would Phoenix do? Oh yea and spring training? I no it would be fine. But had to throw that at you Ken. Cold here in Missouri. Bad winter. Ok guess I could be east coast crying. I understand what Kurt is saying. Those months are Beauitful for working out there.
Alright Spring Training. Hey and I could book my own job to do while I was there. LOL Had a client I picked up last summer. Goes out there in Sun City West and if I was there come and clean his windows.
I want to go now myself. No more opion Ken. Are I’ll make sure Jake shows up March 1th. LOL. Jake is a good boy.
Paul
www.showmecleaning.com
I have been running my business in Colorado for going on the 8th year.
I go to Florida every year for at least one month. I am from there and have a client base of mainly retired folk that winter down there, but some full-timers.
And almost all of them happily wait for me to come down. It has worked well for the last 5 years or so. Residential for me is down to less than 5% in the winter. I purposely just let business shut down, so I can have time off.
And for me it has worked well to just work part time during that month. It offsets all my traveling expenses and spending. And my accountant said that it can be turned into a business right off if made into a work trip.
I have found Florida a very good place to have a window cleaning business. I took my younger brother under my wing to teach him how to keep it going year round. It seems like he is finally getting it! Realizing he can potentially make $50+/hour. He is just starting out and will most likely stay small for a little while.
But man, the day I was driving out I got a call for the biggest residential job I was ever contacted for down there. I underbid at $750 for the outside. It should have been $1000+. ( my bad, i went on the window count my bro give me, but it turned out to be super difficult w/ all cutups.)
Anyway, a few days later he is making pretty decent $$ working at a mansion on the beach amidst the palm trees and tropical weather. And I am driving through a blizzard to arrive back to freezing temps and no work.
What about insurance? What happens when the customer wants the windows cleanead in November and then Again in March or April after you’ve left? It’s like the one night stand of window cleaning.
“one night stand window cleaning”… sounds like it could be the name of the business 
Arizona is nice.
TO me it sound unprofessional unless you have someone in that other place to represent you while you’re out. Don’t advertise there, or at least for the period of time you won’t be there, you can have someone part-time there, or a relative maybe.
If you tell your customers before hand what’s the deal I think it might be better, but as mentioned, if they call you for a quick touch up or they’re having an event and need a few windows cleaned, you can get away saying you’re out of town, but if every time they call you’re not able to service them they will move on to someone else.
Is pretty crappy around here in TX even with no such extreme weather, but I’m thinking about moving back to my country I’m not really thinking about next winter, but if I decided to stay I’d look for some other business that can bring you some money during the WC slow times.
But each one’s situation is different and call for different actions, so you’ll never be wrong if you do what you want to do.
Yeah, those are all concerns and why I haven’t ever considered growing a business in Florida unless I was to be there full time. It is somewhat of a unique situation that I have been doing. There are a group of snowbirds that go to florida december or january until summer. They understand that I will only be around in mid december through january, and I clean their windows and they are super happy. And I have made it clear, 'don’t wait around for me if you need your windows cleaned.'
It has worked out well for me. Not sure if I will continue next year, my dad just died today:(
Sorry to hear about your Dad. Hang in there.
Thank you Eric. And I appreciate the scripture message on your signature. It is true. And that is the saddest part about my dad, the not knowing.
I have considered setting up a second operation in Texas, most of my current clients are second homeowners from there, but I would definitely want to set up a permanent second operation for year round operations, so that I had atleast a skeleton crew in each location. Probably a couple of guys permanent in their chosen cities (married types that can’t pack up for seasonal work) and then some free spirits that don’t mind moving for seasonal work (ski bum types), housing would be an initial issue, but real estate is swinging back to becoming a good investment, so company housing could become an option.
Of course this is “In a perfect world” scenarios, but it never hurts to dream;)
My chosen spot would be within a 5 hour drive from my current location, and if I was from Missouri, I would be looking at Northwest Arkansas or probably Hot Springs/Hot Springs Village instead of a cross country move, there’s big money and retirement money in those spots and the winters are actually mild in comparison.
I have thought about doing that kind of thing for a long time … but I haven’t taken the plunge … I think I’ll probably start another business this year that thrives in winter, like snow removal.
Hey Kurt,
I sent you a PM.
Keep in touch.
Have to agree…you build up your client base, then leave, youd have to rebuild your base every year, I dont think customers would appreciate that (jmo) if your considering it I would move there, do it before your kids get in school and when your young. When I sell my business, I’m moving somewhere warm and relaxing :D. Another option: set up another company there and have your bro run it yr round there, or keep him in your city to run that one & u and your wife run the warm weather company.
