Building Your Business
Pricing window cleaning work for a profitable business.
So, you’re a window cleaner, right? You have possibly built your business from the ground up, purchased the necessary equipment to do the job and have all your paper work in order, like insurance, risk assessments and licenses, if needed.
When all that’s done and dusted its time to go out and get some work. So, how do you go about pricing up a job whether its residential or commercial? How much is too much or too little? Well, before we get into that there is something you need to realise that you perhaps haven’t thought about. What’s that? You are a luxury service! What do we mean by that? As an example, picture a professional car valet, he or she would turn up with the correct tools, look professional and does a fantastic job. Now, if I asked you were they are a cheap service, what would you say? You might reply that they were quite expensive but they were worth it as they did a brilliant job of making your car look like new!
So, with that in mind If you were to consider that you too have the correct tools, the paper work, the knowledge and look professional, why would you not also charge accordingly for your luxury service? Don’t look down on yourself and think I’m just a window cleaner so therefore I must be cheap. No, you are professional, knowledgeable and also a business. You are out to make money!
Pricing a job
So how do we price up that work now that we think of ourselves as more than just a cleaning service but a luxury cleaning service?
Here are some tips to think of when estimating a possible job. Firstly, work out what you want to charge per hour, having this in mind will greatly help you in your estimations. Talk to some of your local window cleaners or network online to get a feel for what window cleaning companies are charging in your area. Forums and Facebook groups are also a great way to find this information.
Once you have your hourly rate in mind then its time to look at your potential job. I personally like to either view the job in person or ask the customer to take a single picture of each side of the building to be cleaned and send that to you via your website, Facebook or email.
The site visit
When you see the job, have in mind what you want to charge for a standard window on the ground floor and remember to increase the price the higher the window. So, for instance if you wanted to charge £1 for a ground floor window then the same window on the next floor up would be £1.50 etc. If the windows are awkward to do or access, charge a bit more. You can take a note on paper, your phone or something similar on how many windows there are on each floor. Once you have the number of windows counted, tally that up and see what that comes too.
If you feel that price is good and thought about how long you feel it will take (which comes with experience), then give the customer their quote. If you are unsure of an exact figure then provide them with a ball park price. So, for instance you would say “today sir your price will be between £70-£100 depending on how long it takes to do”.
Do not be afraid to stick to your price, you are worth your time and there are always more jobs to quote. At the end of the day it’s the customers choice wether they accept you or not. The last thing you need is a load of cheap jobs that you have to work hard and long at to make a decent income. Be fair but also know your worth.
Building your customer base
And finally, you can also offer a discount scheme if they recommend you to their neighbours. This can greatly help build your work in an area.
I hope this information is helpful to you and remember, you are a luxury service and worth more than you perhaps realise. Stick to your prices, know your worth and you will build a business worthy of your time!
Written by Trad-Man
Expanding the services you offer
As you build your customers, it can be worth thinking about other services you can offer your customers. For example:
- Solar panel cleaning
- Soft washing
- Pressure washing
- Gutter cleaning
- High level dusting
If you would like to expand your business, give us a call. We will be happy to talk about possible additions to your services.
