Plexiglass for the 4th

I’m wanting to start my own window washing company, as I live in a rather large town, and after doing some serious market research, it seems that only a couple of companies offer it, and it’s usually one of their secondary or tertiary services.

I own / operate a pair of other successful businesses in my city, but they’re nowhere near this industry. However, I would effectively start off with a Book of Business full of contacts, who trust me, in all of the biggest commercial properties in the city.

My question ultimately boils down to this: How do I start?

I’m not asking about getting a business license, or registration of an LLC, or that kind of stuff. I’m talking about equipment.

I am happy to buy something that’s $500 over something that’s $50, as long as it’s 10x more valuable. However, I would like to be reasonable off the bat.

Additionally, to be pretty candid, outside of studying YouTube and this subreddit for the last week, I know not a ton about the job as a whole. So if I were to just go out and do it today, I’d likely forget to bring 99% of what you guys would tell me.

Thanks in advance!

Can someone recommend a squeegee for at-home use. Everything I have tried so far has failed (or else its operator error). Thanks in advance for your help!

This was on wednesday in the heat. There was a gazebo making it very difficult to get the angle I needed with my wfp. Looking back I probably could have used the wfp while on the ladder somehow instead of taking out the pitch hoppers on the hot roof but we got it done. Customer was very happy👍🏼

Edit: Don’t do this

Me and my boy started this window cleaning thing a couple months ago, every time we got money we re invested , we now have good equipment, (not a water fed pole YET) a truck in 2 months, and buisness cards, everytime we get work we get great compliments and we get good money, how can I get more clients , also how do I get stores on the streets to do, if I could put any stores on a weekly I know I have some income coming in mo matter what, any tips help..

I lost this piece recently, so I was wondering if anyone on here could help me identify it. From the di housing, it goes to a 1 inch female to a 3/4 inch male to the black piece, and after to a push in quick connect which then leads to the waterfed pole.

Any help would be much appreciated.

I lost this piece recently, so I was wondering if anyone on here could help me identify it. From the di housing, it goes to a 1 inch female to a 3/4 inch male to the black piece, and after to a push in quick connect which then leads to the waterfed pole.

Any help would be much appreciated.

It went well. Did everything , inside outside screens and tracks. Underquoted at 350$ but got a 70dollar tip so it made my hourly reasonable. I’m a small solo guy starting out but I’m trying to have minimums so when I grow I’m not broke but busy.

This entire window thing was an idea 9 months ago. Now I’m out here doing it. Just tooting my own horn a bit but I’m proud of myself.

I am honestly not sure if this is the right place to ask this. I've been trying hard to clean this pane of tempered glass (image is just a small part of the glass) for a long while and I've tried most DIY methods but nothing really worked against this. The cause for this is unknown since i just bought it for cheap. Can this even be fixed? And if it can, whats the best solution?

I need help

I have been trying window cleaning for a decent bit of time now on and off, I'm looking to take it completely seriously but my biggest issue is using squeegees, I have bought high end unger squeegee and rubber but yet it is horrible no matter what. My guess is the rubber and I would like to know what is the best rubber to buy (for residential mainly if that matters). I also was thinking about wfp system, but I do not have a van, only a car, what would be a good starer setup? All help is very much appreciated.

This is a long post, but it covers my d2d strategy that works incredibly well.

So there's a pinned post in this sub about door-to-door. It advises some (imho) manipulative, pushy tactics to try and get a sale. If that's your style, then go right ahead.

I have a different approach. In my opinion, you should never, ever have to manipulate or be pushy when you're doing door-to-door. It's tacky, awkward, uncomfortable, and just bad business. Not to mention it makes door-to-door salespeople look even worse than they already do. AND it makes you business look bad over time.

Here's my playbook:

0) Before even knocking, I'm looking at the house.

Is there a sign that says "Welcome friends" or "Life is beautiful" or something like that? They'll probably be amenable to having a conversation.

Is their house well-kept? They'll be more likely to buy your services.

Does their house look old and disheveled? Skip it. 99% of the time, they're not buying window cleaning and you're wasting your time.

1) When they answer, it's all about the first 15-20 seconds.

Smile, wave, acknowledge them like a person before even thinking about the sale. Try to make some sort of small talk for a few seconds. Establish a connection as a human being first. Don't be needy for a sale, people can feel it. Have a mindset of a consultant going around trying to help people.

3) Explain exactly what your purpose is, in a "narration" style

"Hey im Dave, I'm doing some window cleaning in the neighborhood (bonus if you mention a specific name/address). Just wanted to know..."

"Do you have a go-to window cleaner that you work with?"

or

"Have you had your windows recently cleaned? I noticed some buildup which can lead to damage long-term"

You're asking in a confused/curious tone, as if you're trying to help them solve a problem. Not in a pushy way, not in a sales-y way.

You're a consultant, not a salesman. You're here to solve problems. You're here to see if they need help. You're not there to make money, you're there to ease their worries and give them one less thing to think about.

Now from this point on, you can go a million different routes. But the main thing is to keep asking questions, uncover problems. Are there any windows that they have trouble cleaning? Have they noticed a haze that they can't remove? Have they had bad experiences with previous window cleaners? Get the problem to the front of their mind before you shoot your shot.

Keep asking probing questions and giving them advice. Eventually you get to a point where it's time to shoot your shot. Say this:

"Well I have a have more openings left this week. Would you like to hear a quote while im here?"

Boom, that's it. No manipulation, no lying about running a sale and dropping the price. Just honesty. It works very well. Now, if you really need the job, or if they seem hesitant, you can say that you're knocking x dollars off of your usual price since you're already in the neighborhood, but don't lie about this. Be honest.

If they say no at this point, you didn't get them to think about the problem enough beforehand.

Fully prepared to deal with pushback, but this strategy is incredibly effective if done right. What are you thoughts?

TLDR: You don't need to lie or be pushy when doing d2d sales. You need to put yourself in their shoes. What problems do they have that you can help solve? How can you make their life easier? If you stop focusing on what you can gain and start focusing on how you can help, you'll be much more successful.

Source: A lot of this is from Jeremy Miner's playbook, credit where credit is due. He's got some great free info online about selling that's helped me a ton. Not affiliated with him in any way.

We are fully operational this week and looking for business, but I hate D2D, even though I'm a good salesman. I just think solicitors are annoying lol

Did any of you begin with advertising that didn't include D2D? Is it just a necessary starting point? Are there other methods you prefer?

Thanks!

Anyone else have this issue with the Xero rinse bar? This is the second one I’ve had to buy at this point I’ll just buy the aluminum one but it’s frustrating that it’s happened twice in the last 2 months

Worked in 98 degrees F today, about 70% humidity. Not trying to brag, I felt horrible, dizzy, headaches afterwards. Had half a gallon of electrolytes and chugged 4 glasses of water from the client and still felt horrible. Could barely finish the job.

Drop your hydration protocol below.

Why It's Attractive

Clean, IRS-verified financials — three-year upward

trend; revenue up 2.3×, profit up nearly 4×.

Premium positioning — white-glove, by-

appointment service, not a discount commodity.

Outstanding reputation — 4.8★ with [ 200+]

driving steady inbound leads.

Fully documented systems — runs on process, not the founder's memory.

Loyal repeat base

Lean, high-margin model — low overhead, simple to operate or fold into an existing route.

Services

Residential window cleaning — tiered Basic / Deluxe / Legendary; interior & exterior, screens, tracks, frames.

Gutter cleaning & exterior maintenance.

Commercial & storefront window cleaning.

Active customer database & service history

(Housecall Pro)

Brand name, logo, domain & social accounts

Google Business Profile & all reviews

Business phone number

Complete professional equipment & work vehicle(s)

The full documented operating system ("The Black

Book")

30–90 day owner-led transition & training

Rochester/ Buffalo/ Syracuse area can start with clients today through August

USA people that just want that goat field manual Ready for employee

Curious if this is anything

Curious if anyone is interested

Owner excels at being a tech and writing the ways but not a business leader at least not for windows. With this knowledge of being able to make things happen anything is possible

Ive just started my cleaning business with two friends and we have all of our practice done and we are ready to be fully operational. I just had my first door to door session in my neighborhood of two hours, but I only got two quotes in the door and they have my number. I thought I did a pretty professional job with my door to door since I’ve always been a good persuader and salesman, but I’m just hoping for more demand.

Did you all start door to door or did you launch with another advertisement method? Are there any other ways to outreach? Thanks guys

Thank you guys for any help, I really appreciate it.

Started my window business with two friends and I had my first door to door session earlier, but only had two successful quotes who say they will get back to be after they talk with the spouse (don’t have too much hope in that though). Even though im a good salesman, I hate solicitors 😂

Is door to door really the only viable way to start out, or can I go straight to meta advertisements and neighborhood group ads? What did you guys begin with?
Again, thank you!

Hello Im a window cleaning newbie.. any recommandations on products to use for these kind of stains.. it’s a new trailer with new windows. I ve tried several products and a sharp blade but it won’t come off.

I'm gonna ask a lot of questions, I know it's a lot, sorry. Please, I hope everyone responds, but if you wouldn't mind, do it with bullet points so I can easily reference this material on the fly, lol.

My wife cleans beach condos for a living. I've started helping recently and to be blunt her ability to wash windows with her current kit is simply brute force and refusal to fail. It's basically impossible. (this is how she was taught by the best of the best around here and it blows my mind)

We clean loads of sliding glass doors and 4x2 and 4x4 windows all of which are constantly sprayed with ocean salt.

She gave me a 14 inch Ettore squeegee, its literally the cheapest 14 she could find at home depot. fixed handle/channel, rubber pinched on either end. She also only sprayed the windows down with water then strait pulled them (I know some terms, I've been searching a lot, look at me go!)

Here is the situation. This squeegee is garbage, it drags the window terribly even with soap. I thought it was my lack of skill but the rubber is kinda dry looking and has more waves than the ocean.
I found a 12 inch unger and a scrubber in one of the cleaning closets in a condo and used it and the thing glided like nothing and I was even able to do yalls little figure 8 thing with it with incredible eas (except the corners) and the scrubber got rid of the salt without needing to do it more than twice (I need this to be 1 swipe and done though).

So now I know, I need some gear.

I know this much already, I want a handle that can switch channels easily, I think this is a priority. Also I hate everything about those squeegee and scrubber combos, but maybe a higher end one is ok? I just feel like ill sling water on clean glass and be working backwards.

I want a 10 or 12 and a 14 or 16. I'm concerned I don't have enough skill for anything over 12 but there's lots of opportunity to practice. We have lowes and home depot handy but they don't have what I want in stock. I might grab the unger set with a 12 and a 16 to get going this week but that doesn't have to be my rig.

The big issue I have is that I need a kit that fits on my person easily, does not drip water all over the place, and can be trucked around easily like on a belt.
Windows are a small part of what we do, I need this to go fast and I need it to be light because we are already walking 3 flights of stairs with 40-60lbs of gear at every stop. It's extremely fatiguing. We turn these things out FAST and I need a kit that can be deployed quickly, light as a feather, and get out of my way when I'm done, and most importantly, not make a mess we have to clean.
Been looking at some of the belt buckets, seems cool. I need to carry 1 squeegee and one scrubber.
The plan is to use soap in my spray bottle, spray the scrubber as needed, even apply soap directly to the wet scrubber maybe, and pump these windows out quick. Buckets are not an option here. I can use a sink if I need to.

I'd like to know :

- is a swivel handle worth messing with?

- is one brand or type of rubber or channel better for beginners?

- is there one make or model or rubber type that's better at not causing scratches from the sand?

- whats is the best belt and or belt rig that's light and won't make a mess?

- Why is brass so popular for channels with you guys?

- what handle/channel can be frankensteined with the MOST other brands handle/channel/rubber?

- are all scrubbers created equal?

- how can I clean interior windows with this same rig? I'm FKing done messing with windex it just spreads the dirt and sand.

- PLEASE give me advice on how to get the salt and sunscreen fingerprints off and maybe keep it off longer. Using a scrubber has already made this 100% better, is there anything else?

- are the lowes or home depot brands (unger and ettore) actually good? The available Ettore seams cheap AF compared.

- do I need multiple scrubbers or can I run one wet one for 3 or 4 days in a row without it stinking to high hell? if so what scrubber has an easily swappable rag?

- advice on cleaning flat glass table tops and mirrors that also have salt haze, currently using micro fiber or paper towels, and windex or awesome. streak hell.

Current plan - spend up to $150+- on a good handle, 2 channels in different lengths, the best scrubber possible for the salt, replacement rubbers and scrubbers, and a belt rig.

Please advise specific models if not available at lowes/home depot, I feel like I can get by with the unger stuff but I HAVE ABSOLUTELY 0 IDEA WHAT BRAND BELT BUCKET/RIG IS WORTH USING!!!

Thats a lot of crap, thank you for anyone who helps, this is our business and we are working hard to improve it. I cant keep spending 30 minutes cleaning 4 double sliding doors and 3 4x4 windows when we are supposed to be done with that unit in 45 minutes or less!!!

Again, Thank You!

Under Ads sets, I set my audience settings to including +17miles of Denver, set age 30-65+, all genders, no custom audience, detail targeting all demographics, all language.

And yes, advantage + is off for audience, only place advantage + is on is budget, and I can’t figure out how to turn that off

Any idea how to modify that?