Hi, I actually still own a window cleaning business amoung other online and 0ff-line companies I own. I must say that it took me so long to get a client base that net me $500 per week. That was not because I didn't do a quality job but because they already had the same window cleaner for years or they are under contract with a cleaning company or they make their employees do it. Granted this is a bsuines that requires very little investment only about $100 or less. This bsuiness can be hard to start, sure you can pick up a few mom and pop storefronts or a pizza shop or two, but they have such a large overhead and expenses (GAS and FUEL) that they cannot usually afford to hire someone. Even in big cities the skyscrapers only get cleaned once a year. Plus, insurance can cost a lot and only cover a little. It's best to talk to your auto or life insurance company and ask about business insurance because for instance if you are cleaning a window and some of your water falls on the ground and it's winter andit freezes and someone falls on it you are in very BIG trouble if you are not covered. and most large chain stores like McDonalds already have a network of cleaning companies they use.
But there is hope. I have met other cleaners on location and asked them how business was going and told them that I was in the same business and they offered to sell me their contracts some worth nice money per month and have had the same cleaner for many years. Also advertising this service can be really cheap. I started my bsuiness at the age of 16 part-time and at my other job they had a copy machine so I just made an ad using windows publisher tools and got some gold colored paper and some orange paper and coppied my flyer with phone number about 5,000 times and at night when i was done with my regular job I picked a part of town and blanketed the area with my flyers. I put one under every businesses door andeither called them or visited them the same week. That was the best way to advertise for me.
Eventually I got more clients because I got old enough to start bidding on contracts with the city and just took not from all of the places I contacted and asked when the contract ran out for the other window cleaners and made my bid. I best way to find out what a cleaner is getting paid is to ask one of the youngest people in the store or business what they pay the cleaning because usually the cleaners get paid at the customer service desck when they are finished.
Finally, I think this can be a good business to start be realize that in most cases it takes a long time to get established. Lear as much as you can read as much as you can and practice a lot because, sometimes the cleaning chemical that you use can look good in the day a streak at night. Just do all of your homeworj before you approach your first client because if you don't know much you will be cheated, fired or sued.
