About Window Cleaning Businesses

Whether you start up your own window cleaning business or you buy a franchise, window cleaning businesses can earn you a consistent and steady income if you plan carefully and execute your plan thoroughly. Window cleaning businesses have relatively low start-up costs and require little or no certification or education, depending on where you live. It can be an ideal business for many reasons, especially if you are good at customer service and marketing.

Types

There are two main types of window cleaning businesses: start-ups and franchises. With a start-up, you start the business from scratch. You come up with a name for your business, register it with your state and pay fees to the Secretary of State. You handle all advertising, marketing, hiring and appointments. You purchase your own equipment and handle all customer relations. This is a lot of work, but the benefit of a start-up is that you retain all the profits. If you are unsure of your business abilities, you will want to consider a franchise. With a franchise, you buy a business from an established brand. You are purchasing name recognition, some marketing and a tried and true business formula. In addition to the additional investment, you will also pay a percentage of your earnings to the franchise each year. However, many people who buy franchises feel that the extra costs are well worth the support they receive. Each franchise is different with regard to cost, services and benefits.

Time Frame

When starting a window cleaning business, you can usually start earning money in a relatively short period of time. There is a large market for window cleaners because most businesses and some residences hire window cleaners on an ongoing basis. Most window cleaning business owners find that they make a profit by the end of the first year.

Size

Although there are some window cleaning businesses with hundreds of employees, most businesses are relatively small. Many window cleaning business owners start out independently and then hire extra crew members as their businesses grow. Window cleaning businesses that serve commercial customers generally require more employees than those that service residential customers because the jobs are much bigger.

Benefits

Since you will be scheduling your appointments, you have the flexibility to work your own schedule. If you would rather take time off during the week and work Saturdays, you have the freedom to do so. Another benefit is that once you establish a list of clients, you can usually count on repeat work because windows have to be cleaned on a regular basis. Window cleaning businesses that provide reliable service are almost guaranteed repeat business. A second benefit of window cleaning businesses is working in a variety of environments. Instead of being in the same office every day, you will be inside, outside and in a mix of homes or businesses.

Considerations

Insurance for window cleaning businesses can be expensive and eat into your profits. Because window cleaners find themselves on ladders or rooftops, there is some liability involved, and you have to expect to deal with legal issues if you have many employees.
You may also find yourself affected by a downturn in the economy, especially if you focus more on residential than commercial clients. Under normal circumstances, commercial clients still contract for cleaning services during recessions, though residential customers may not.
Consider that the initial start-up period (up to a year, in most cases) will be very demanding. To get new customers, you may have to work long and inconvenient hours at first.
You may also face high employee turnover. This is common in cleaning businesses because burnout is a factor. However, washing windows does not require special skills, so your pool of applicants will always be large.