If you’ve always dreamed of being self-employed but are on a limited budget, then starting a window cleaning business could be a great idea. You’ll get to work on contracts, help businesses and private clients who may not be capable of doing the work themselves and can start with little capital. It’s also one of the best businesses if you want to keep your spiritual balance and not become a slave to your business. Here are some tips for setting up a self-employed window cleaning business.
Research Your Market
The first thing you need to do is research your market. Not only will this give you an idea of the demand for this kind of service in the area, but you’ll also be able to start checking what services other competitors are offering, and for how much.
As far as demand goes, one simple thing you could do is run a local search on Google for window cleaners. Then check the number of reviews they’ve received. If you see a handful of suppliers with tons of reviews, then you might be in a good market. Having competition is also not that much of an issue if you notice most are getting a lot of reviews. What you don’t want, however, is only a few suppliers with virtually no reviews.
Get Van Insurance
There is always a huge range of pricing and services available when you begin to look into insurance for your van. It's really important to compare van insurance to make sure you are getting the best price and everything you need for your business.
Start Budgeting
You will then need to start budgeting for equipment. Unlike domestic cleaning services, you’ll most likely have to bring your own equipment. The amount of equipment you need will depend on your scope of service.
You should also be aware that costs can run up quickly. Equipment trolleys, for instance, can cost as much £250 to £400 each. But the most important piece of equipment will be your van. You can expect to pay £3,000 at the very least for a vehicle, and that doesn’t include things like insurance.
Thankfully, there are ways that you can save money on van insurance and reduce your overall costs. Services like Quotezone, for instance, can help you find affordable van insurance fast. This site will help you find the best deal by comparing quotes from over 60 different van insurance providers. You’ll then be able to look at multiple quotes and coverage at once and apply on the spot using nothing but one simple form.
Create a Marketing Plan and Build a Reputation
Once your business is official, you will need to start working on a marketing plan and build a name for yourself in the community. For this kind of business, it would be wise to use a mix of online and traditional marketing methods. Online lead generation would be a great option. You could offer a free estimate or a special limited discount on a dedicated capture page then post Facebook ads to get traffic.
The next step is building a solid reputation in the industry and getting publicity from word of mouth. In this case, it’s important that you at least make sure that your contact information is consistent wherever it appears online and that you have a Google business page set up. This will ensure that your website is properly indexed in local searches and that you can start getting social proof through reviews, though it all starts with providing the absolute best service you can.
As you can see, starting a window cleaning business is a pretty straightforward process that is accessible to virtually anybody. If you’d like a business that will give you the freedom to work at the pace that you want, or simply want to build an additional income, then this business could be a great choice for you.
