Hello all you WCR using fiends! Hopefully I will be on this site quite a bit more. I’ve found almost all these threads to be useful.
I recently worked for another window cleaning company doing about $400 of work a day, but i only got 33%. Whatever that comes out to be. So I have the experience and speed to do my work effieciently.
I just recently started (or hope to get started) a new little business in my hometown, southeast of Houston. I haven’t found any local competitors, except on the other side of Houston. I just had a few questions and wanted you guys’ feedback.
Commercial or residential? Commercial is more regular, but residential pays more. Ideas?
I know the going rate for commercial is about $2-$4 and $4-$8 for residential I/O, depending on size/cleanliness. If I plan on $2 for commercial and $6 for residential with free screens and tracks, is that ok to start out at?
What has been the most efficient way of obtaining new customers, both residential and commercial? Door to door? Fliers?
Any other tips or ideas for someone starting their own personal business?
1- depends on how you want to structure your business.
2- don’t know your market but it seems too low. If you start too low, you will have to raise your prices as you grow and will prob lose all of your existing customers. Much easier to start high and come down if your market can’t take it.
3- there isnt just one answer. Get your name out there any way you can. I would get a website started immediately. You can talk to anya from ambidextrous services for that.
4- join wcra and take advantage of every benefit you can. Great way to get things rolling and save a ton of money in the long run.
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[MENTION=36558]ahm915[/MENTION], as you’ve probably seen reading through previous threads, people have very different opinions on the questions you’ve asked.
First, I’d like to comment, 33% is a pretty good commission rate. Perhaps the total production amount was a little low- it’d be nicer to complete $500-$600/day- but that likely was due to pricing being a little low. Now you have the freedom to set you own pricing, and get a little bigger piece of the pie
$4-$8 per pane seems to be the going rate across the nation. I would start at $6 and see what happens (that would make a double hung $12 in and out). I would also recommend offering screen cleaning and sill wipe for free.
My general suggestions for someone starting in this business:
0-Choose and register a business name you can live with for the rest of the foreseeable future.
1-As soon as you can possibly afford it, get liability insurance (you may want to do step 2 first, to get a discount on this)
2-Join the WCRA- you’ll get all kinds of great discounts and insider knowledge
3-Print up business cards, a few lawn signs, and flyers. Only print as many flyers as you can pass out in a couple days (at least to start). You’ll want to tweak the design as you go along and see what gets the best reaction
4-If you vehicle is ‘presentable’ (doesn’t have to be a fancy work van, just not a rust bucket), get magnets printed at esigns.com. Get the largest signs that will fit on your door panels. If you’re creative, you can save a little by printing a couple signs on a larger sheet of magnet, and cut them with an x-acto knife when you get them. Two signs for the price of one! You’ll probably need to upload your own design to pull that off.
5-Flyer neighborhoods like crazy. Research the soliciting laws in your town, and get a license if you need to. You can really up your close rate if you’re able to knock on doors and give a good presentation.
6-Talk up your new venture to your friends and family. Don’t be obnoxious, but let people know about what you’re doing. Ignore the naysayers.
7-Build a wordpress website. Buy your own domain and hosting. Find a good looking, responsive theme for your page, and then start to fill it with quality content. Do your research on SEO, and keep on top of it.
Commercial VS. Residential… So many pros and cons to both. Personally, I’m starting to move towards the idea of almost exclusively residential, and then focusing on an entirely different revenue stream during the off months. I’ll keep the two routes I have, but won’t actively pursue expanding them. We’re offering snow removal for the first time this year, and its working out pretty well. I’m also researching a couple possibilities for indoor services we can offer during the winter months.
I was thinking about doing mostly residential to start out with, and move on to store-front if I get the business. I already have a job. I work sun. - Thurs and was going to see what my luck would be doing residential on Fridays and Saturdays. I think those would be good days, being the weekend and all.
[MENTION=36558]ahm915[/MENTION], one further thought on storefronts. It can be awesome publicity. Get nice shirts printed, and put on a big smile. People ask for cards all the time when I’m cleaning storefronts, and I get a fair amount of Residential jobs from it each year. Not to mention, every once in awhile a newspaper reporter will be looking for a photo-opp for a filler story…
Alex, thanks for your reply. Are people more apt to accept a service if it has a business name to it compared to if it is just my own personal service?
I have ordered business cards. They should be here within the next week. I just started a Facebook page to get my name out there a bit. I started it like, 2 days ago and already have almost 70 likes! lol.
If I am offering these services personally, without a business name, do you think I still need to get insured and all that?
Also, I just bought a brand new Ford Escape, so my vehicle is presentable to put magnets and such on. I’ll have to check out that magnet website.
Personally, I feel like having a business name helps to differentiate you from the competition. It puts you in a somewhat different league, and can allow you to have higher prices. I don’t have any empirical data on this, but I think people started to see my business differently when I adopted our current name a few years ago. Plus, if you build your business to the point that you want to sell it one day, its a little easier if your name isn’t attached to it directly, like “John’s Window Cleaning”.
Even if you don’t get a business name, Insurance is a must. A customer will still want to know that they’re protected if something goes wrong while you’re cleaning. And it protects you and you’re reputation, as well.
Ford Escape- Nice looking vehicle. If its feasible, you should look into getting it wrapped! Even a 2/3 wrap can attract a lot of positive attention. You’ll want to be an extra courteous driver, of course
What if I just worked as my own person for a while before adopting a “business name”? Since I am only available on Fridays and Saturdays atm. I think I should start with residential with this schedule. This is starting off as more of a side-thing than a full time job. I have a different job sun-thurs.
I started out working weekends too. Still need to act and represent yourself as a legit company. Get everything squared away now before you start. You dont want to change everything after you already have yourself established.
Are you still working for the window cleaning company?
No. I worked for the window cleaning company while I was in college as a part time job. Now that I moved out, I’m looking to do this as a side-job kinda thing. To supplement my current salary. I have ordered business cards already, so those should be arriving this week some time. I have been thinking about what “Business name” I would give it, if that is what I had to do. I have already made a Facebook page and set up emails and started working on fliers.
I started exactly the same way you did and built my business into way more than I ever imagined. Your first couple of years is a good way to get a feel for the market and where the money can be made. I never focused on commercial starting out because of my limited time to work weekends, there are plenty of people around on the weekends who will want you to come clean their windows. To make a name for yourself you need to work on getting referrals and more referrals! It is amazing how many people are looking for a window cleaner, but they still obviously don’t use a phone book or internet searches, why I believe you need referrals. Get used to interacting with your customers and building relationships, don’t just show up to collect money for your service. There is no method of advertising in this business that is better than selling yourself.
And did you have a business name when your first started on weekends? Or did you just do it as yourself and then make it later on when business picked up? Am I ok doing residential as me for a while? Is that acceptable?
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You should be insured before you start your first job.
I started out with as much in place as I could. My business name, insurance, etc…
What is acceptable isnt up to you, this forum or myself. What is acceptable is up to the customer. Do whatever you can to portray an acceptable image in your customers eyes
True. The customer is the one paying into the service. It just seems like a gamble to go get insured right off the bat, and then not get much business, if at all. I guess that all depends on how well advertisment is and such.
