Company Branding and Maps
Now that’s a weird title, but it’s actually two different subjects discussed in two different emails that were sent to me, so I posted ‘em both below. Enjoy!
A branding question:
Hi Steve:
I read on line somewhere that it is a good idea to brand your bussiness. Was wondering your thoughts on this and if have any ideas on branding? Thanks Larry Grant.
My Response:
Hi Larry:
Good to hear from you. Yes…it is important to brand your company without a doubt. You’ll soon see the brand/image/"look" that I created for my company as you go through my materials when they arrive. From business cards to letterhead to signage to flyers to postcards, etc etc., it was all the same overall "look". If you do something similar for your company, it’s only a matter of time before you have a big advantage over many of your competitors. Because while other window cleaners are buying the $12 business cards with the usual clipart on the card, you’ll have your own signature look that will be instantly recognizable. It works.
Take care for now. Talk soon.
Regards,
Steve
A Map Tip
Hi Steve:
I just wanted to comment on something. I have been using a Google Earth type of map but through windows which I think to be better, it is called "Live Search Map". At the start of this business I had a really hard time deciding where to drop off flyers. I found it really hard finding the "right" neighborhoods. I had already downloaded this software but did not really take advantage of it. Then a light bulb lit in my head, "why don’t I use this software to drive around virtually?".
So I tried it and to my surprise I was driving around virtually checking the neighborhoods looking at the houses deciding if they were the right market without spending any gas, thus saving time and of course money. It took a little getting used to at first but It definitely paid off. I started from my house and just "drove around" this way I did not distribute flyers to neighborhoods that were too far when I could find neighborhoods that were closer. Basically this is how I am running things now, start as close as home as possible and expand from there. By the time I have gone far it will be time to redo the close neighborhoods again. I don’t see how I can go wrong. Anyways, I thought maybe your could give this advice to others in your blog that maybe are going through what I went, it might help them.
I have to say that I am thankful for all the information I got from your book and are still getting. You’re a window cleaning guru.
Thanks,
Marvin Duran
p.s. By the way, the download is free.
My Response:
<blushing>. No guru status please. I’m just a dude who wants to see folks build successful window cleaning businesses. 
Thanks much for your map tip. I appreciate it and I’m sure other window cleaners will too.
And don’t forget that the "right" neighorhoods also include retirement homes. They’re generally smaller type homes, but you can do ‘em lickety split and the word spreads like wildfire in these communities. Our wealther, big home type of customers who are out there working, running businesses, etc, are busier than our retired clients. So our retired customers have nothing to do but talk. So do a good job for these folks and you’ll be running around all over the place cleaning their windows.
I think it’s an underserved market since many window cleaners are focusing solely on "big" homes. Again, the retirement type homes will be a bit smaller and many of them are single story, but I thoroughly enjoyed doing them. In and out in 2 hours, the hourly pay is better because you can do a healthy "bump-up" (read chapter 7), and then you move on to the next. There were situations where I literally parked my car in one place, did one customer, moved across the street to do another, and then moved next door to do another.
One final note: You should always display your yard sign for every job you do because it generates great exposure/activity, but a yard sign placed in customer’s yards who were in retirement communities really seemed to generate outstanding interest. The early morning walkers walk by, see your sign, want an estimate, etc. etc.
Anyway…have a great weekend and thanks again for the map tip.
Steve
Window Cleaning Responses?
Hey Guys and Gals:
Figured I’d post a post on feb 29th. Won’t be able to do it again for four years so I might as well take advantage of it. 
.
Anyway here’s an email recently received. Just some miscellaneous chitchat about a little of this and a little of that. Oh…and I’ve got a super post that’ll be up in a couple of days about this dude who pulled in $8,000 in january just in gutter cleaning, not counting his window cleaning profits. Ah life is good. So definitely stop back and check that out. Here we go:
Hey Steve. Thank you for putting out this program at a reasonable price. I’ve already started the research and in the process of getting started. I got the idea from a guy cleaning windows at an account that I was servicing. He told me that he made about 85,000.00 the year before, I started to laugh. That’s when he asked me why I was laughing. My response was –I’ve been at my company for 12 years and I only make 45.000.00 a year. I’m only making the company the big money not myself.
I’ve been in customer service for about 13 yrs. for a local linen company here is Las Vegas. I will still keep my job with this company, until I start to see the window cleaning business take off. I already have been speaking with a lot of my customers about cleaning their windows, I’ve got a lot of good response. This is Vegas, the weather is always warm. So I should not have a slow time with the business. I’ve already started with the business cards and flyers.
Oh and one thing, I’ve got a business partner. I know you are not to keen on that idea. But my buddy has been my partner on a couple of things and it has worked out. We eventually want to grow this into something big. Our company name is <deleted for privacy> pretty catchy huh. Any ways I just want to say Thank You Again.
Joe Hepler
My Response:
Hi Joe:
Good morning. And it’s good to hear from you.
I appreciate your comments.
Exactly…the window cleaning business is a very profitable business, so I look forward to seeing you making that 85k or more.
Good idea on keeping your current job though at least until you get the ball rolling. You will find that once things are in place and you follow what I talk about in my manual, the calls will come and the customers will find you. So it’ll grow pretty quickly. Just take some good strong initial action to get it rolling. I know it’s a bit tougher for someone like yourself who has another job, but if you plan your time properly, you’ll definitely be able to do it.
When you mentioned that you’ve gotten good response already, that’s the exact reason why I got into the business to begin with. I use to have a mobile oil change business and I was looking to get out of it. So I began to ask some of my oil change customers (the ones who were in my target market-not all oil customers were in my target market of window cleaning customers) their thoughts on getting their windows cleaned. The response was overwhelmingly positive. I mean who likes to spend their weekends doing windows when we can go in there and do it for ‘em for 2-300 bucks or so (or more).
Right…not a big fan of business partnerships, but it’s only my opinion. You may have the greatest partner in the world over there. So that’s good. I’ve just seen so much happen to partnerships. I had a guy in colorado call me recently telling me his nightmare story with what happened to him and his childhood friend. Long story short…they’re not friends anymore. But again, you may be associated with a great guy. Just make sure that you both work equally. The probs I see pop up is when one guy in the business pushes and the other guy is more of the worker/technician. Resentments can begin to kick in on occasion. And make sure you agree on the important details like how you’re both going to get paid for the jobs. Some partnerships go 50/50 right down the line on all jobs regardless who might have gotten the job. Other partnerships are arranged where the person who brings in the customer gets the majority of that job’s profits. I personally would go 50/50. Actually what I would do is hire someone to distribute flyers/promote and keep 100% of the profits for the company. 
)
I like your company name. Very nice. I’m sure a nice logo can be created around that. Maybe do a caricature (similar to my logo) with the 2 of you in the logo. That’ll be very unique.
Take care joe. Have a great weekend.
Regards,
Steve
The Power of Relationships…
This is a post to encourage every window cleaner out there in window cleaning land to take advantage of the power of relationships with "like" businesses who already have existing customer bases. To bring this point home, I posted a previous post on this blog asking for a window cleaner in the baltimore, md area to contact me because a window treatment dealer in that area was looking for a window cleaner to work with. So I got a call from a window cleaner in the area, he contacted the window treatment dealer, and bingo! They’re meeting next week to talk turkey. But this should be a lucrative arrangement indeed for andy.
Now let’s look at your window cleaning business…can you imagine having 3, 4, 5, or more similar service businesses working for you basically sending you customers without you spending any money advertising for those customers? This is the power of relationships. It gives you numbers in a big, big way.
Normally we go out and distribute 500 flyers. Great. Or we’ll pump out 1000 postcards. Excellent. But that’s 500 or 1000 people that we are investing money and time into over and over again. Nothing wrong with that. It’s all good. But how exciting is it to not have to invest anything into a prospect and be able to get calls on a regular basis from people already sold on your services because you were recommended by someone they already know like the window treatment dealer mentioned above or whoever. Very exciting!
In my case, I worked closely with maid services. I also had relationships with a couple of carpet cleaning companies, a pressure washing company, and every single service business belonging to the Breakfast Club (read chapter 7 in manual for more details).
The next best thing to working the referrals is to go after securing relationships with "like" businesses. Sure, it might take a little bit of initial effort to sew up a relationship. But once you have ‘em on board, they can be worth their weight in gold to your bottom line profits!
Have a great weekend…
Steve
