For those in the cleaning industry, window cleaning is an opportunity that you should not pass up when expanding your business for future growth.

In three simple words, the window cleaning industry is a “Window Of Opportunity”. For those in the cleaning industry, window cleaning is an opportunity that you should not pass up when expanding your business for future growth. The profit margins are much higher in window cleaning compared to other sectors of the cleaning industry due to two main variables. First, the rates per hour are typically double the rates of janitorial services. Secondly, the equipment is typically inexpensive and lasts many, many years, resulting in lower costs & higher profits. The current market condition is also in a very ripe position where many windows have been neglected over the past years due to the bad economy & consumer cutbacks. Now is the time to capture those additional revenues and make this Window of Opportunity a reality.

 

Here are ‘5 Simple Starter Steps’ to follow in order to start a window cleaning division or business:

 

1)  KNOW YOUR MARKET – Determine what market you would like to service whether residential, retail, commercial low rise or commercial high rise. I highly recommend starting with lower level window cleaning projects first before considering high rise widow cleaning projects due to the complexity, the specialized equipment required & the strict safety regulations that must be adhered to.

 

2)  LEARN – Knowledge is power so learn as much as you can about how to perform window cleaning services from several great resources such as IWCA.org.  YouTube videos are an excellent resource on just about every window cleaning scenario you can think of.

 

3)  GET ACCOUNTS – I always recommend getting a few accounts first before you get your equipment so that you know what equipment to order & so you don’t get yourself into a ‘putting the cart before the horse’ scenario where you order equipment that is unnecessary and sits in inventory. 

 

4)  GET EQUIPMENT – Find a window cleaning equipment supplier. There are several great ones out there such as J. Racenstein Co., which has west coast & east coast distribution centers to help reduce shipping costs.

 

5)  GROW – Work on growing your business rather than working in your business. You might start out doing some of the window cleaning yourself in order to master the skill, but you should hire an experienced window cleaner who can perform the services while you are selling and developing new accounts.

 

Once you have completed Step 1, you’ll be better able to focus and navigate the rest of the steps, making each step in the process much easier. Avoid getting caught up with all of the other options for learning or with the many equipment choices. Just start out with the basics that pertain to the market that you are pursuing. This will help you stay focused so everything else will fall into place and you won’t get overwhelmed.

  

Garry Jalowka served on the board of directors for IWCA (International Window Cleaning Association) and was the owner of Mr. Window Cleaning. He now is a consultant for new & current businesses looking to expand in the window cleaning sector.