Come up with a Business Name
Before you will be able to start taking jobs and calling yourself a business, you will need to come up with a name. Your window washing business needs a name that will garner some attention. You also want to make it as easy as possible for people to find you when going through a directory of some sort.
For this reason, you may want to consider naming your business something that starts with the letter “A.” It may seem like a trivial thing, but a business that starts with the letter A is going to show up near the top of the list of any window washing businesses in the area. This gives you a small advantage as many people will simply click or call the companies that are the easiest to find.
Naming your company should not be overly difficult. This is not the most important part of starting a window cleaning business, but it will be necessary. Coming up with something catchy will help your business to stand out, so try to come up with something that will be good for marketing purposes.
Consider What Type of Business You’re Going to Operate
You need to consider what type of business you are going to operate for tax purposes. For example, one person’s window cleaning business may operate as a sole proprietorship. Another business may be a partnership with another individual.
It is important to think about things from a tax perspective when starting out. You need to know what to expect when paying taxes and should try to set up your business accordingly. If you need specific advice about the legal structure of your business, then you should seek out professional help.
If you have access to an accounting firm or a lawyer, then this will be very helpful. They will be able to give you more information about business taxes and how you will want to set up your business.
Get the Necessary Supplies and Equipment
Gathering the necessary supplies and equipment is crucial when you are trying to establish a new business. When it comes to operating a window cleaning business, you will need to buy all of the basic tools that you will need, at the very least. This should involve purchasing things such as buckets, squeegees, scrapers, towels, ladders, and window cleaning products.
There will likely be more advanced equipment that you will want to buy once your business has become established. Many people who are starting out in the window cleaning business will simply buy the essentials at the beginning. It should be possible to get a good set of tools and supplies while spending less than $1,000.00.
Take the time to make a list of all of the things that you need. You should be able to find most of the products and supplies that you will want at local department stores. It is also possible to look for deals online to save as much money as possible.
Optional Advanced Equipment
Some of the optional advanced equipment that you may want to purchase will include expensive pressure washers. It is possible to buy electric window cleaning systems that can clean windows very efficiently. Some of these are even used to clean high windows while staying safely on the ground.
Many of the advanced window cleaning equipment options will be prohibitively expensive for those who are just starting out. Even so, having access to better equipment will prepare your business to take on more complex jobs. It may also help you to attract commercial clients who will be willing to pay more for your services.
Try to weigh the risk versus the reward when it comes to buying advanced window cleaning equipment. An electric window cleaning system may be very useful, but it has to be able to increase the profits of your business for it to be a practical purchase. Buying the essentials to start out and waiting to get better equipment is likely your best bet.
Learn How to Clean Windows Effectively
You are not going to find much success as a window cleaning business if you are not good at what you do. It is imperative that you take the time to learn how to clean windows effectively. You may not be the greatest window cleaner in the world when you are just starting out, but you can learn everything that you need to know.
Take advantage of the Internet to increase your window cleaning skills. It is going to be very simple for you to go online and find tutorials for how to clean windows. This can help you to brush up on your skills and you can try out the techniques on your own windows.
Try to become very good at cleaning windows by practicing as often as you can. When you put in the time to become good at window cleaning, you are going to get positive results. It is not really that hard to learn how to clean windows effectively, but it will take some effort on your part.
Train Employees Properly
It is also crucial to see that anyone who is working for you is trained properly. You do not want to have only some of your workers be good at cleaning windows. Take the time to train everyone who is going to be a part of your window washing business.
You want every employee to be just as good as you at washing windows. If you can spend time training them in the same window washing methods that you have learned, then you will be able to accomplish this just fine. It is simply important to always have your customer’s windows cleaned properly.
Training employees well will ensure that your customers stay happy. It will also prevent you from wasting money on extra supplies. Window washing may not be incredibly complex, but you still want to keep everyone focused and doing things in the right way.
Come up with a Customer Service Policy
Customer service is among the most important parts of any business. If you are going to become a successful window cleaning operation, then you have to treat your customers right. It is going to be very important to come up with a good customer service policy and to commit to treating all customers with the utmost respect.
People are going to be more likely to want to make use of your services if you have a good reputation. Building up a good reputation in the community will be possible when you have a commitment to providing top-notch customer service. Try to outline your specific policies and make things as customer friendly as you possibly can.
Set Your Prices
Next, you are going to need to determine your overall pricing structure. You want to make as much money as you can, but it is also important to keep your prices at reasonable levels. Charging enough money to make a good profit, while still giving your customers a good deal, is going to be the best way to go about things.
Determining the best rates to charge your customers will not always be simple, though. Some companies prefer to charge customers by the hour and others will charge a certain rate per window. You have to figure out what is going to work out best for you and your customers.
There may be other factors to consider when pricing a job, too. For example, sometimes, there may be trees or shrubs that are obstructing a window. You may want to charge extra for windows that will be difficult to access.
Take the time to put thought into the way that you price out your jobs. Your customers will appreciate it and you will be able to enjoy repeat customers if you offer fair prices.
Look for Customers
Looking for customers when you are starting out will not always be simple. You may want to start out small and try to build up some positive buzz in the community. Turning to friends and family members as your first customers is always a good idea.
Once you have established yourself a bit as a good window cleaning business, it will be possible to have customers reach out to you. In the meantime, you can drum up business by handing out flyers. Try to go to neighborhoods that will be able to afford window cleaning services.
Printing off several hundred flyers will not cost you much money and it could wind up paying off for you big time. Putting some effort into getting your name out there initially is always a good idea. It will lead to you getting some more jobs and your business will slowly start to build up a client list.
If you do excellent work, then the word is going to spread about your window cleaning services. This will allow you to get even more customers because people are going to tell their friends about you.
Consider Offering Add-on Services
You may also want to consider offering add-on services. Many companies that clean windows will also offer to clean their customer’s gutters. This is a very convenient thing for many people and it may help you to get more business.
Cleaning gutters is not an overly difficult task. All you really need to clean gutters is a ladder and some gloves. This can increase your profits and make your business more desirable overall.
Other examples of potential add-on services include lawn mowing, leaf raking, and pressure washing. Depending on what type of equipment you have access to, you could wind up making just as much money through add-on services that you do through window cleaning.
Maintain a Schedule
Staying organized is very important in the business world. You do not want to give your customers the impression that you do not know what you are doing. Keeping detailed records and having a scheduling system is critical to finding success in this business.
You want to make sure that you always arrive on time. If your customer has requested that you come to clean their windows at 12:00 PM, then you need to make sure that you are there on time or very slightly early. Showing up at 12:15 PM is going to look very unprofessional.
This is another situation where you need to make sure that your employees are doing a good job, too. If you have multiple people working with you in this window cleaning business, then everyone needs to be on the same page. Keep things organized and ensure that the schedule is strictly adhered to.
Even doing something simple, such as keeping a digital spreadsheet with appointments on your computer, is going to be good. This will allow you to keep track of things fairly easily. You can also program dates into your phone and set reminders.
Some people like to keep a physical calendar in their office area to have a visual idea of what is in store for the day. Do whatever is going to work the best for you. You also want to keep a detailed list of your clients so that you can stay in touch to follow up on when they will need to have their windows cleaned again.
Consider Advertising
Advertising will be a very good idea for a business that is looking to attract more customers. If you do not have many people who want to make use of your services, then you will need to continue to get your name out there. Advertising is an effective way to increase interest in your window washing business.
There are many different ways that you can go about advertising, too. You could decide to make use of traditional advertisements, such as print ads in the newspaper or commercials on television. It might be more cost effective to go for a social media marketing campaign online, though.
Try to get your company’s name out there as much as possible. Creating an online presence for your business will help you to advertise your services without having to spend too much money. If you are starting your business upon a very limited budget, then this is going to be the recommended route to take.