Whether you’re just starting your window cleaning business or have had your business for years, it is important to evaluate the market in your region. When figuring out your pricing, you have to consider your local economy while still making sure you’re charging a fair market price for your services. What is your typical demographic? Are you doing residential, commercial, or route work? Our customer base is a mix of high-end residential, small commercial, route work, and a few smaller residential homes. As we look to raise prices to keep up with the cost of living and inflation, we consider each job and how frequently they have us out for services. When evaluating your market, it is essential to look at your local and global economic trends. Have taxes increased in your area? Are customers hesitant to book services, or are they eager? We also consider whether or not our clients are retired and on a fixed income.

An important part of our evaluation in our region is the holidays. The fourth of July is a huge holiday here in the Cleveland area. We have clients who get their windows cleaned every year before the 4th. We offer minimum packages to our clients for events and holidays, which helps get more bookings throughout the year.

So instead of raising our prices significantly for each client, we increase a small amount but book for frequent services. That same idea ties into customer loyalty. Is your customer base consistently the same clients each year or turning over year after year? Building customer loyalty is essential for repeat service.

Another layer of evaluating your market is your competition. Are there a lot of other window cleaning companies in your surrounding area? What makes your business stand out from the others? What are your key marketing points? For example, in our region just outside of Cleveland, Ohio, there are many window cleaning companies; however, there is more than enough work to go around. Our business stands out because we’ve been in business since 1935 and because we are a father-daughter team. We have built a network of local window cleaners, many of which we have met in the Facebook Pro Window Cleaning Group and through our Rolling with the Window Cleaner events. Getting to know the other local window cleaners is a great way to evaluate your market. Having a casual conversation about work with other local window cleaners can help you make evaluations based on trends other folks are experiencing. Building relationships is also helpful when you have too much work to handle because you can refer to other local businesses. If they don’t have the time or ability for some work, they can pass it along to you. Evaluating your market is an essential part of running a successful business.