Starting a window cleaning business is, hands down, one of the best businesses to start - and also one of the most enjoyable. The work is fun, the money is good (if you are a speedy window cleaner) and best of all, it requires little capital compared to other businesses. There are several ways to get started. The two main ways are: learning from an old pro, and just jumping in with no prior experience. I chose the latter because I had no one to teach me, and because I needed work pronto - that is if I wanted a roof over my head, anyways. Learning something on your own has it's benefits, but believe me when I say that I have made all the mistakes you can make in the window cleaning biz. This article will let you take a shortcut. Instead of having to make all the mistakes I have made, you can cut straight to the head of the class and start learning the advanced material. Mistake: Not recognizing tempered glass. This one's a doozy. When I first started cleaning windows, I mainly did storefronts. What I didn't know, and would soon come to find out, is the existence of tempered glass. You see, tempered glass is a special kind of glass that is supposed to be more safe. Instead of breaking into large shards, which could potentially impale someone, it will bust up into a million tiny pieces. It is primarily installed on front doors and the panels to either side. This is done in case someone trips while they are leaving and slams into the glass. The relevance to window cleaning is that this special kind of glass needs to be handled differently from sturdier forms of glass. For instance, it cannot be safely scraped with a razor blade, or scrubbed with steel wool. Fortunately, it is marked with a sticker indicating it is tempered. Unfortunately, the sticker is very small and can be entirely overlooked. Fortunately, you can usually figure out which panels are tempered because they include the storefronts door and the panels immediately adjacent to the door. Remember, there is a million small ways this is communicated. Company uniform, company vehicle, logo, website, slogan, elevator pitch etc. Get the details right, and make sure they are working together to create a consistent image. Ask for feedback from customers, friends and family, even total strangers if you have to. Ask them what they think of your logo - what does it evoke? What do they think of your company name? Objective, third party feedback is your best source of information on how the public perceives you. A good image is crafted slowly over time.
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