Keeping that mentality towards business will assure that you will never have to worry about being one of the “big guys”.
Also… I’ll help anyone, WRC member or not. BUT… If your customer calls ME because they’re unhappy with your service, well, game on.
Yeah, there’s a big difference between me “stealing” your customer and me picking up the client that you lost.
Other than buying out other company’s that are throwing up the white flag, it doesn’t look like “Big Company” is doing anything you couldn’t. Remember he started small too. But he kept after it a long time and now is this big company you seem to be envious over.
Spend more time worrying about what you can do for yourself and not what others have done for themselves…
This is a very kind forum. In any of the other forums I’m involved in, with your feel sorry for me attitude, you would been outcasted and chased away by now. People are here to give you Priceless advice and help you, but they aren’t going to do it for you.
AGAIN - WINDOW CLEANING IS NOT DEAD unless you make it so.
NO, NO, please don’t feel sorry for me I am just learning and taking notes from any situations or angle of this business, I am very thankfull for any piece of information from this forum. No answer or question is irrelevant.
There are lots of fellow Members learning from this thread. Anytime anybody logs into this forum cost $300hr worth infomation for free.
That’s a good attitude Enviro, keep it up.
With respect to the “stealing clients” comment, I think you’ll find this little article helpful:
WindowCleaningBusinessCoach.com » Blog Archive » To Steal Or Not To Steal
I am praying for you. Miracles do happen
[B][SIZE=“3”][COLOR="#a0522d"]Your Impressive Thread ![/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]
Howdy Mr En-Vi- Ro,
I’m Dange ,
I must say your thread here has become quite fantastic…It is really , really bringing out a lot of wonderful advice that can really make a difference.
I think just by the fact that you were able to conjure up so much of the community here, shows you are diffidently a man of means ! Apply what many of the people here are saying along with your own wit, and I think you’ll have the where with-all to achieve much in our industry !
Keep a level head and don’t let things in the negative bring you down but let it make you strive harder ! Before you know it you’ll be at full steam ahead.
Good luck to you, and PLEASE BE SAFE ! Safety Starts With How We Think !!
Dangerous Dave / Who is greatly impressed with all that everyone has said here!
Man, I was just getting ready to go walk in front of a train. I was so depressed! Thank Goodness for all the other window cleaners on here that have inspired me to walk on! I would say walk away brother! Life is too short to have such a sad outlook.
I made a research on Window Cleaning Business lots of pontential:
“According to the US Department of Commerce, window cleaning services has grown into a 10 billion dollar a year industry and that by the end of 2008, 70% of two income households will be using a window washing service”
Thats interesting can you view this online somewhere? Could you hook up a link?
So 7 out of every 10 homes that has a duel income are getting their windows cleaned?
Too bad they left out the 40% of my customers that have only one big income…
Its safe to say this information is crap and will never be traced back to the Department
of Commerce.
I think Larry found the true ‘source’ of this fictional tale
2000 US Census says there are roughly 105,000,000 households in the US
70% of that is, lets say, 70,000,000
"…10 billion dollar a year industry "
=$142 a year budgeted per year per household
Seems a little low, my average resi job is more like $250-300
And the $10B number provided does not mention whether it includes commercial and storefront, which together probably far eclipse residential
So the numbers are fudged somewhere
In my time running my business, Greenearth Window Services we have done nothing but grow. I have also done nothing but hustle, I put a good percentage of income into the development of the business, Water Fed Poles, Tanks, Insurance, Advertising and when I am not out working with my employees I am in the office making calls to existing customers. It takes work, I call construction companies, realtors etc.
Watching the news will poison your mind and do nothing but turn you into a bozo, if you listen to and believe all the BS. Target people who have money as your clients, not deadbeats who want something for nothing. Just because the economy is slow does not mean you need to end up eating catfood and top ramen…Work hard and eat some SKRIMP AND STEAK
He is very pessimistic. I doubled my business from 2009 - 2010.
Im more worried about the amount of unsettled weather we are having.
As for the state of the economy, well its not as good as it has been and its getting worse,
I think the main problem is now the amount of people jumping on the band wagon and killing the business with fly by small companys, well if you wanna call them companys with there pethetic prices that my 5 year old son would turn down
And there is so many sales reps out there swallowing it all up and selling it on a a high price
[FONT=“Comic Sans MS”][SIZE=“3”]:D[/SIZE][/FONT] We are continuing to gain more jobs, even getting calls from people who just arent pleased with the work from their current w/c co. Doing a job well done will keep you working, even in bad times
How can you say that big window cleaning companies are loosing business to smaller companies when it is the other way round. I used to clean all the hotels, pubs, banks building socities in my town plus the local branches of multi chains such as WH Smith etc.and now not a single one is decided by the local manager but by head office who get in a large firm. This means they now pay more to get in most cases a bad job done and the branch looses the personal touch, but head office say it is cheaper when quite plainly it costs more. The only saving is that instead of all the banks getting a good clean each fortnight they now get a quick flash over once a month but of course the head office doesnt see that and the local managers just seem to have the attitude that it is out of their hands. The problem with the answer that there is loads of residential work is true but the hourly rate is lower. Rant over
As bad as I want to respond to this, I’m going to bite my tongue and leave it at - Resi Hourly rate is what you make it. Who’s dictating your prices? You or someone else? I personally get what I want and my hourly is thriving…
Different market, Justin (prolly UK.)
