I just got started in the business. Im no stranger to hard work and dedication as a retired Army veteran. I have spent the better part of 20 years in customer service including for the Federal, state and private sector.
My plan is to build a solid foundation built on values and good work ethics.
My philosophy is never to leave a customer behind. If someone takes the time out of their day to answer the door… They are going to be my customer even if they get the best deal on the block!
I would rather make $250 on a house that took me two hours than walk away from someone that wanted the service. And if that is too high… Well I am not leaving that home until we make a deal. Even if that means I am giving them a great price and returning a few months down the road
The I Power Wash Texas Promise: Exceeding Your Expectations, Every Wash
Optimized for Houston TX. You can put in your inputs in the areas that are light grey. It is based on the model of owner operator, one truck. Breaks everything down all the way to your take home pay. Taxes are Texas specific. know your numbers. when all is said and done. It’s all numbers.
Depends on the type of work being done. We are a father and son dual member LLC. Storefront work and residential is a percentage of pay post-constructoon is a percentage of each man hour charged.
I don’t do the independent contractor route because, it is in my opinion wrong todo and pretty much illegal in my state. You will find another upload of a spreadsheet that breaks down a comparison employee and independent contractor model with the breakdown to takehome pay for both with the same imputs. All decisions and what and how we pay ourselves go through the bank and are known both by our accountant and CPA.
So what do you recommend to minimize your income and does it pass the IRS test? Do you use independent contractors? What kind of write-offs do you suggest? What works best for you?
We were all gung ho at some point in the beginning of our window cleaning journeys. Heck, I’m trying to figure out how to catch that “fire” with my new business as well.
The problem with being too pushy and not taking no for an answer is that its a bad look. There’s a national pest control company that invades our area in this manner every year. You can always tell because there’s a half dozen posts in every Facebook group complaining about it. Door to door is one thing, but aggressive door to door will get the cops called quickly.
The other problem is once you cave in and do the job at any cost (low), you now have a customer for life, and that’s not necessarily a good thing if you lowballed yourself to begin with. Its not scalable or maintainable. It may feel good to make $125 per man hour when you’re solo and have no real expenses, but fast forward a few years and you’ll be taking a loss on all those nickel and dime customers.
I was just talking with a buddy of mine, and we both said , Thank god for our reoccurring customers.
we wouldn’t be saying that if these reoccurring customers were begged into becoming our customers.
You don’t want reoccurring customers that are not good paying customers.
Persistence pays off! Today, after an hour and a half of knocking doors, I almost missed a golden opportunity. One homeowner initially declined my offer, but after mentioning his solar panels and skylights to his wife, he realized they needed cleaning too! We met at the end of his driveway, assessed the job, and even identified some clogged gutters and a metal roof in need of attention. He initially offered $500, but after negotiation, we settled on $800 for the complete package – solar panels, skylights, gutters, and the roof. That’s not all! We also discussed his windows, which definitely could use some TLC, and agreed on an additional $200 to include them in the service, bringing the total to $1,000. I’m excited to return this Sunday and tackle this project!
Down the street, I encountered another homeowner who was initially concerned about just a few windows on his back patio. However, the condition of his driveway, sidewalk, and front patio immediately caught my eye. These flat concrete surfaces could definitely benefit from a professional cleaning. Based on my experience, I’m confident that during our conversation on Sunday, I can convince him to address all his windows alongside the exterior cleaning project. The total for that job should be around $500. This would be a win-win situation, ensuring a sparkling clean home from top to bottom!
So next Sunday should be a great day!
Oh and on Saturday I have 3 homes with various services with a total of $700… One of those customers got me some work from his neighbor, so I reduced my fees for his service.
Absolutely, learning and earning on the job! By next season, my expertise will translate to even better results for them, justifying any adjustments in pricing. During negotiations, a little trick I learned in the Army always helps: ensure everyone feels they’ve gained something. Army Recruiting and years as an Interrogator finally paid off by doing work that feels natural.
Spot on with negotiation. The point of it is to get a good deal for the parties involved. It’s not just about arriving at a deal.
Sounds like you already know this. If you can’t get a yes now because the price is too high, rather than offering a steep discount, offer some discount in exchange for a referral, and you can make it sound even better by proposing the next time they need cleaning, you’ll honor the same discount.
This helps you get further away from pricing discussions and competitors.
Your client is getting a cleaner place, at a discount, twice. And for you, you’re potentially getting a referral and a recurring client!
Also, be sure to get some reviews after your initial jobs. Those should set you up for organic growth and future referrals.
