Are you looking for a way to earn extra income? Are you decided on starting a business yourself, but are not sure what kind to venture into? Why not consider starting a cleaning service, as it is not that hard to do, and you can begin this from your home? Do you want to know how to start a window washing business? Then here are some helpful tips that can get you on your way to earning extra income for you and your family.
A window washing business is actually a very profitable one, because the start up is not as costly as other types of businesses. What's great about this is that it can be started from home, with a neighborhood as the initial clientele. It can be put up with only one employee, such as yourself, and can be easily expanded by adding more employees. The initial cost of starting a window washing business will only be allotted for cleaning equipment.
So, you ask, how to start a window washing business? You must make your services well known to your target market. Make some calls or house visits, and offer your services, even for a trial period. Your clients will be able to determine if they are satisfied with your services, and will be willing to call you again for appointments. If you want to be more credible, you may get a certification for safety, and this can be given by various institutions in your state.
You must also invest on your cleaning supplies. If you don't want to spend too much on these items, but are still after durability and reliability, then you can ask around janitorial supply shops or hardware stores about reasonable prices. Among the needed tools are squeegees, buckets, scrubbers, sponges, and ladders.
Also, you should research on your competition. Find out how much they charge their customers for window cleaning services, and determine how well they are received by the general public. This can help you determine a reasonable going rate that will make your customers happy. Learn more about how to start a window washing business by doing your own research online.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Window Washing Business Tricks
Window washing can be considered as an art by many, and it can only be perfected through practice. However, many people find it a challenge, possibly because they are not informed enough about easy window washing business tricks that they can do. Though most individuals choose to hire cleaning personnel to do their window washing for them, it can sometimes be a costly choice. In this regard, more and more people are thinking about doing their own window washing with their own homemade solutions to save them the added expense. Plus, with some simple window washing tricks, you can easily accomplish the task while keeping your windows spotless.
Window washing tricks can also be done by choosing the right kind of equipment for your cleaning. These items do not have to be expensive for them to be effective. Some of the things you may need are a bucket, a spray bottle, sponges, a squeegee or a chamois, and some lint-free cloths. Also, more importantly, you should use a window cleaning solution. This can be from a commercially sold product like Windex cleaner, or even dishwashing detergent mixed with several other household ingredients. There are many recipes that you can opt to use if you are attempting to wash you windows and save money at the same time.
One easy recipe for window cleaning solution involves one half cup of white vinegar mixed with one half cup ammonia, and dissolved in a gallon of water. Other homemade remedies include two cups of water, with one fourth cup of white vinegar and half a teaspoon of dishwashing detergent. A mild cleaning solution can be made by mixing half a cup of cornstarch with two to three cups of water. You can apply this on your window, rinse, then buff to bring out the shine. Hows that for some window washing tricks.
Another of the window washing tricks is to use the right kind of applicators on your window. These can be in the form of sponges or scrubbers. Before you use them, be sure that they are clean, as you do not want to transfer more dirt on the window. You should also learn how to use a squeegee, which should be moved horizontally instead of vertically.
Window washing tricks can also be done by choosing the right kind of equipment for your cleaning. These items do not have to be expensive for them to be effective. Some of the things you may need are a bucket, a spray bottle, sponges, a squeegee or a chamois, and some lint-free cloths. Also, more importantly, you should use a window cleaning solution. This can be from a commercially sold product like Windex cleaner, or even dishwashing detergent mixed with several other household ingredients. There are many recipes that you can opt to use if you are attempting to wash you windows and save money at the same time.
One easy recipe for window cleaning solution involves one half cup of white vinegar mixed with one half cup ammonia, and dissolved in a gallon of water. Other homemade remedies include two cups of water, with one fourth cup of white vinegar and half a teaspoon of dishwashing detergent. A mild cleaning solution can be made by mixing half a cup of cornstarch with two to three cups of water. You can apply this on your window, rinse, then buff to bring out the shine. Hows that for some window washing tricks.
Another of the window washing tricks is to use the right kind of applicators on your window. These can be in the form of sponges or scrubbers. Before you use them, be sure that they are clean, as you do not want to transfer more dirt on the window. You should also learn how to use a squeegee, which should be moved horizontally instead of vertically.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
A Guide To Professional Window Washing Equipment
If you're going to start a business washing windows, it is crucially important for you to pay close attention to the tools you use. The good news about this business is that the start up costs are low, but the income which can be generated from it is very high. However, the one area where you won't want to be cheap is with the equipment you use. While you may be accustomed to using towels and wet clothes to clean your windows at home, this is a bad idea when you're running a windows cleaning business. The reason for this is because wet clothes and towels are not as efficient, they take longer, and they may leave residue or streaks.
The heart of your window washing tools should always be the squeegee. The squeegee is a special cleaning tool that comes with a blade made of rubber, and this blade will generally be flat and smooth. The squeegee is very useful because it can be used to alter the flow of liquid from a surface which is flat. In addition to cleaning, the squeegee is often used for printing as well. The squeegee first begin to be used by window washers during the 20th century, and the tool was heavy with rubber blades. Since that time, the squeegee has continued to be used as an effective tool for cleaning windows.
The type of squeegee that is most often used to clean windows today is the window squeegee. This is used primarily to take off the cleaning liquid from the flat service. The soapy liquid will function as a lubricant, and it will break down the dirt. Once the dirt has been broken down, the squeegee will then draw the dirt/water mixture from the glass and leave a surface which is very clean. The two methods which are used by most window washers is the fan method and the swivel method. If you want to run a professional window washing business, you must get a squeegee, and a very good one.
The heart of your window washing tools should always be the squeegee. The squeegee is a special cleaning tool that comes with a blade made of rubber, and this blade will generally be flat and smooth. The squeegee is very useful because it can be used to alter the flow of liquid from a surface which is flat. In addition to cleaning, the squeegee is often used for printing as well. The squeegee first begin to be used by window washers during the 20th century, and the tool was heavy with rubber blades. Since that time, the squeegee has continued to be used as an effective tool for cleaning windows.
The type of squeegee that is most often used to clean windows today is the window squeegee. This is used primarily to take off the cleaning liquid from the flat service. The soapy liquid will function as a lubricant, and it will break down the dirt. Once the dirt has been broken down, the squeegee will then draw the dirt/water mixture from the glass and leave a surface which is very clean. The two methods which are used by most window washers is the fan method and the swivel method. If you want to run a professional window washing business, you must get a squeegee, and a very good one.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Window Cleaning Tip - Using the Right Equipment for the Job
Window Cleaning is not rocket science. For the most part it requires only the most basic of planning skills to complete a job. Now granted, the level of planning and thought needed to under taken before starting a job increases exponentially as the height from the ground increases.
But even then, it is more a look at safety, how to be efficient, and the window cleaning equipment you will need to complete the job.
That being said, many window cleaners have a tendency to overcomplicate the window cleaning job, which results in hassles, inefficiency, and lost profit on the job.
The other day I saw a picture on the internet of a classic example of overcomplicated window cleaning.
The picture was of a window cleaner using a 25 or 30 foot rented boom lift to reach a set of second floor windows on a five story building that could easily be reached by using a water fed pole, a traditional extension pole or even ladders.
Renting boom lifts for window cleaning jobs can be very expensive. Rental price ranges from around $300 to upwards of $2000 per day depending on the size of the boom.
The boom lift being used in the picture is all wrong for that building, as it’s not necessary for the windows he is cleaning and the lift is too small to reach the windows above the 3rd floor and it looks like it might not even be able to reach all the 3rd floor windows.
By cleaning the building's windows in this manner the window cleaner has made the job more expensive to the building owner and inefficient and expensive for himself. A much better way to clean this building would be (assuming the building is no more than 4 floors) to use a water fed pole system to clean all of the buildings windows from the ground. This method would allow the window cleaner to very efficiently clean all of the buildings windows safely, very quickly and for a much lower price, while still making exceptional money for himself.
If the building is over four stories tall or some of the windows couldn't be reached with a water fed pole system, the best method would be to rent an appropriately sized boom lift just long enough to clean all the windows above the 3rd floor and then use a water fed pole to clean the remaining lower stories windows.
In conclusion, when you go out to bid your window cleaning jobs, take an extra minute or two to see if there is a more efficient way to clean the windows than you originally thought or if the method you've chosen to use could be simplified or streamlined. Doing this will save you time, money, frustration and keep your customers happy.
But even then, it is more a look at safety, how to be efficient, and the window cleaning equipment you will need to complete the job.
That being said, many window cleaners have a tendency to overcomplicate the window cleaning job, which results in hassles, inefficiency, and lost profit on the job.
The other day I saw a picture on the internet of a classic example of overcomplicated window cleaning.
The picture was of a window cleaner using a 25 or 30 foot rented boom lift to reach a set of second floor windows on a five story building that could easily be reached by using a water fed pole, a traditional extension pole or even ladders.
Renting boom lifts for window cleaning jobs can be very expensive. Rental price ranges from around $300 to upwards of $2000 per day depending on the size of the boom.
The boom lift being used in the picture is all wrong for that building, as it’s not necessary for the windows he is cleaning and the lift is too small to reach the windows above the 3rd floor and it looks like it might not even be able to reach all the 3rd floor windows.
By cleaning the building's windows in this manner the window cleaner has made the job more expensive to the building owner and inefficient and expensive for himself. A much better way to clean this building would be (assuming the building is no more than 4 floors) to use a water fed pole system to clean all of the buildings windows from the ground. This method would allow the window cleaner to very efficiently clean all of the buildings windows safely, very quickly and for a much lower price, while still making exceptional money for himself.
If the building is over four stories tall or some of the windows couldn't be reached with a water fed pole system, the best method would be to rent an appropriately sized boom lift just long enough to clean all the windows above the 3rd floor and then use a water fed pole to clean the remaining lower stories windows.
In conclusion, when you go out to bid your window cleaning jobs, take an extra minute or two to see if there is a more efficient way to clean the windows than you originally thought or if the method you've chosen to use could be simplified or streamlined. Doing this will save you time, money, frustration and keep your customers happy.
How Squeegee Size Affects a Window Cleaning Businesses Bottom Line
In terms of equipment needed to run a company, a window cleaning service requires the least amount of equipment of almost any business I can think of except perhaps the guy who walks around your neighborhood with a paintbrush and stencils and repaints the house numbers on your sidewalk. In fact, the limited amount of tools needed is one of the most attractive benefits people consider when looking to start their own window cleaning business.
However, just because you can get by with a limited amount of equipment, doesn’t mean you can run a profitable and successful window cleaning business by being a cheap skate.
Earlier this week while I was checking up on one of my crews as they cleaned a large strip mall I noticed another window cleaner who I didn’t recognize cleaning a building across the street. On the way over to introduce myself I saw that he was using a pole and a 12” squeegee to clean some huge 6’ x 8’ storefront windows.
The man was clearly an experience window cleaner, so I thought it was a little strange for him to be using such a small squeegee on a large piece of glass. After talking with the man for a bit I casually inquired as to why he wasn’t using a larger squeegee.
What he said threw me for a loop and is the reason I wrote this article.
He told me, that he had been cleaning windows for over 10 years and a 12 “ squeegee was all you needed because larger squeegees couldn’t clean any more efficiently than your basic twelve incher.
Let me clear this up right now. The above statement is completely and absolutely untrue! Common sense should tell you that, but let me give you a basic example to demonstrate how wrong this window cleaner is.
Let’s use the same piece of glass mentioned above. A 6 foot x 8 foot (or 72 inches x 96 inches) window. And We’ll clean the same window with a pole and three popular sized squeegees: 12”, 18” and 24”. And remember you must clean the squeegee blade of excess water between each stroke. There are a variety of methods for doing this, and the method doesn’t matter, all we need to know is that this step of the cleaning process must be repeated for every stroke and that it takes up time.
- Using a 12” squeegee you would have to make 6 vertical strokes with your pole to clean the window. (72 / 12 = 6)
- Using a 18” squeegee you would have to make 4 vertical strokes with your pole to clean the window. (72 / 18 = 4)
- Using a 24” squeegee you would have to make 3 vertical strokes with your pole to clean the window. (72 / 24 = 3)
So, in this simple example you can see that by using a 24” squeegee instead of a 12” squeegee to clean the same window you cut the amount of strokes needed by 50%. That’s 3 less strokes and 3 less times you need to remove excess water from the blade for each same sized window you clean.
As the saying goes ‘Time equals money.” This is especially true when running a window cleaning business. Therefore anything you can do to speed up your efficiency on the job directly impacts your bottom line.
For example if it took you 4 minutes to clean the same window with a 12” squeegee, you could cut that time down to 2 minutes by using a 24” squeegee instead. So if you charged $4.00 to clean that window you would have increased your earnings per minute from $1/per minute to $2/per minute. Think of how this increase of efficiency could add up over the entire job? The entire day?
Hopefully now you understand how having the optimum equipment and the proper tools for the job can boost your efficiency and put more money into your pocket.
However, just because you can get by with a limited amount of equipment, doesn’t mean you can run a profitable and successful window cleaning business by being a cheap skate.
Earlier this week while I was checking up on one of my crews as they cleaned a large strip mall I noticed another window cleaner who I didn’t recognize cleaning a building across the street. On the way over to introduce myself I saw that he was using a pole and a 12” squeegee to clean some huge 6’ x 8’ storefront windows.
The man was clearly an experience window cleaner, so I thought it was a little strange for him to be using such a small squeegee on a large piece of glass. After talking with the man for a bit I casually inquired as to why he wasn’t using a larger squeegee.
What he said threw me for a loop and is the reason I wrote this article.
He told me, that he had been cleaning windows for over 10 years and a 12 “ squeegee was all you needed because larger squeegees couldn’t clean any more efficiently than your basic twelve incher.
Let me clear this up right now. The above statement is completely and absolutely untrue! Common sense should tell you that, but let me give you a basic example to demonstrate how wrong this window cleaner is.
Let’s use the same piece of glass mentioned above. A 6 foot x 8 foot (or 72 inches x 96 inches) window. And We’ll clean the same window with a pole and three popular sized squeegees: 12”, 18” and 24”. And remember you must clean the squeegee blade of excess water between each stroke. There are a variety of methods for doing this, and the method doesn’t matter, all we need to know is that this step of the cleaning process must be repeated for every stroke and that it takes up time.
- Using a 12” squeegee you would have to make 6 vertical strokes with your pole to clean the window. (72 / 12 = 6)
- Using a 18” squeegee you would have to make 4 vertical strokes with your pole to clean the window. (72 / 18 = 4)
- Using a 24” squeegee you would have to make 3 vertical strokes with your pole to clean the window. (72 / 24 = 3)
So, in this simple example you can see that by using a 24” squeegee instead of a 12” squeegee to clean the same window you cut the amount of strokes needed by 50%. That’s 3 less strokes and 3 less times you need to remove excess water from the blade for each same sized window you clean.
As the saying goes ‘Time equals money.” This is especially true when running a window cleaning business. Therefore anything you can do to speed up your efficiency on the job directly impacts your bottom line.
For example if it took you 4 minutes to clean the same window with a 12” squeegee, you could cut that time down to 2 minutes by using a 24” squeegee instead. So if you charged $4.00 to clean that window you would have increased your earnings per minute from $1/per minute to $2/per minute. Think of how this increase of efficiency could add up over the entire job? The entire day?
Hopefully now you understand how having the optimum equipment and the proper tools for the job can boost your efficiency and put more money into your pocket.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Earn Big MoneyWith Your Own Part Time Window Cleaning Business
Money makes the world go round. Whether we like to admit it or not, we live in a capitalistic society those little slips of greenish paper have the ability to rule our lives. It affects where we live, what we eat, what we wear, what we drive, and what we do.
Therefore it is no wonder that people all across the world are starting their own small part time businesses to help make ends meet and enjoy a more comfortable lifestyle.
It is also no wonder that many people are turning to a window cleaning business for their additional part time income.
Why?
Because a window cleaning business meets the majority of the criteria people consider when looking starting a part time business.
A window cleaning business is:
-Affordable to start
-Low overhead
-Has a short learning curve
-Does not require any extensive or specialized training
-No Inventory
-Requires very little equipment to operate
-Large and growing market of potential customers
-Ability to work as much or as little as you want
-Highly profitable
A window cleaning business has all that to offer and much more. And it’s a part time business that can grow as large or stay as small as you want it and the money is not bad either. Many full time window cleaners routinely make around $500 a day with 3 or 4 decent sized jobs.
Part time window cleaners typically do not want to work full days or only want to do jobs here and there for extra money. Even still most part time window cleaners still bring in between $150 and $250 a day with only one or two jobs.
Do you see the potential of starting your own part time window cleaning business? If you cleaned windows part time one day a week and made $250 per day, you will have added an additional $6,250 to your yearly income. Could you use an extra $6k a year?
It is not unheard of for people who work a full time job and run a part time window cleaning business on the side to bring in an additional $20,000 or $30,000 per year of extra income.
Therefore it is no wonder that people all across the world are starting their own small part time businesses to help make ends meet and enjoy a more comfortable lifestyle.
It is also no wonder that many people are turning to a window cleaning business for their additional part time income.
Why?
Because a window cleaning business meets the majority of the criteria people consider when looking starting a part time business.
A window cleaning business is:
-Affordable to start
-Low overhead
-Has a short learning curve
-Does not require any extensive or specialized training
-No Inventory
-Requires very little equipment to operate
-Large and growing market of potential customers
-Ability to work as much or as little as you want
-Highly profitable
A window cleaning business has all that to offer and much more. And it’s a part time business that can grow as large or stay as small as you want it and the money is not bad either. Many full time window cleaners routinely make around $500 a day with 3 or 4 decent sized jobs.
Part time window cleaners typically do not want to work full days or only want to do jobs here and there for extra money. Even still most part time window cleaners still bring in between $150 and $250 a day with only one or two jobs.
Do you see the potential of starting your own part time window cleaning business? If you cleaned windows part time one day a week and made $250 per day, you will have added an additional $6,250 to your yearly income. Could you use an extra $6k a year?
It is not unheard of for people who work a full time job and run a part time window cleaning business on the side to bring in an additional $20,000 or $30,000 per year of extra income.
6 Time Saving Window Cleaning Business Tips
Window cleaning by itself is a profitably enterprise but there are always things that can be done to improve your company’s profitability. Since time equals money in the window cleaning biz anything that you can do to improve your efficiency while on the job will directly impact your bottom line. Below you will find several tips for helping a window cleaning business save time on the job.
1. If you have several windows in a row, scrub them all first and then wash them all together. By doing it like an assembly line, you save a lot of time switching hands with equipment or setting it down and picking it back up again later. As long as the windows remain wet for you to squeegee them you will be in good shape. On hot days you may only be able to do one at time because the sun will dry the water before you have time to squeegee them.
2. Take all of your equipment with you as you work your way around a job. Do not leave your bucket or towels in one spot. Keep them with you at all times and move everything around the house as you clean to avoid walking back and forth all day long.
3. Be sure to wash your towels every night before working the next day. If you use dirty rags, you will leave lint and dirt on your just-cleaned windows.
4. On jobs where you are washing windows inside and outside check to see if you can roll out the windows and wash the outside from the inside of the house. Before setting up your ladder and washing the upper windows be sure to see if you can wash them without needing the ladder by rolling them out from the inside. This tip will save you an incredible amount of time. Plus, it minimizes your need for ladder work and that is always a good thing!
5. If you are setting up your ladder to do upper windows, try to set your ladder so you can do more than one window if possible. Make sure you have a safe ladder set and do not set the ladder so you need to lean to far to either side, but when possible try to minimize the amount of times you move the ladder. For example, if there are two upper windows that are close together, you can set the ladder right between the two for cleaning both of them without having to move the ladder and climb up and down the ladder twice.
6. Using your telescopic pole can be one of the biggest timesavers. You can use it to get windows without having to climb through bushes or dangle off a stepladder. Use the same cleaning process for pole work. You will hook your scrubber to the pole, scrub the window, then hook your squeegee to the end of the pole and swoop it in steady motion with constant pressure. After swooping it, you drape your dry towel over the top of the pole and dry the top and sides of the window. With practice, your pole becomes your best friend. It is also crucial for use on ladders when the windows are just out of reach and cannot be done from the inside by rolling the window out.
I have just shared 6 expert window cleaning secrets that should allow you to become more efficient on the job which in turn means that you will make more money for every hour you work than you previously did.
1. If you have several windows in a row, scrub them all first and then wash them all together. By doing it like an assembly line, you save a lot of time switching hands with equipment or setting it down and picking it back up again later. As long as the windows remain wet for you to squeegee them you will be in good shape. On hot days you may only be able to do one at time because the sun will dry the water before you have time to squeegee them.
2. Take all of your equipment with you as you work your way around a job. Do not leave your bucket or towels in one spot. Keep them with you at all times and move everything around the house as you clean to avoid walking back and forth all day long.
3. Be sure to wash your towels every night before working the next day. If you use dirty rags, you will leave lint and dirt on your just-cleaned windows.
4. On jobs where you are washing windows inside and outside check to see if you can roll out the windows and wash the outside from the inside of the house. Before setting up your ladder and washing the upper windows be sure to see if you can wash them without needing the ladder by rolling them out from the inside. This tip will save you an incredible amount of time. Plus, it minimizes your need for ladder work and that is always a good thing!
5. If you are setting up your ladder to do upper windows, try to set your ladder so you can do more than one window if possible. Make sure you have a safe ladder set and do not set the ladder so you need to lean to far to either side, but when possible try to minimize the amount of times you move the ladder. For example, if there are two upper windows that are close together, you can set the ladder right between the two for cleaning both of them without having to move the ladder and climb up and down the ladder twice.
6. Using your telescopic pole can be one of the biggest timesavers. You can use it to get windows without having to climb through bushes or dangle off a stepladder. Use the same cleaning process for pole work. You will hook your scrubber to the pole, scrub the window, then hook your squeegee to the end of the pole and swoop it in steady motion with constant pressure. After swooping it, you drape your dry towel over the top of the pole and dry the top and sides of the window. With practice, your pole becomes your best friend. It is also crucial for use on ladders when the windows are just out of reach and cannot be done from the inside by rolling the window out.
I have just shared 6 expert window cleaning secrets that should allow you to become more efficient on the job which in turn means that you will make more money for every hour you work than you previously did.
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