You really can’t beat it. I had no idea that there was such a huge industry where people invite you into their homes. Some of these homes you couldn’t get into the neighborhood even if you wanted to, and while cleaning, you get to hang out in their huge mansion, and see all kinds of things.

There are a ton of myths out there; most of the gurus will tell you all kinds of myths to take your money. One of my favorite myths has to be that water-fed window cleaning doesn’t work. I’m going to assume that if you are reading this article, you know what water-fed pure water window cleaning is, so we’ll just hop right over that. I know guys who still climb forty-foot ladders because, “water fed doesn’t work.” I’ve been cleaning with pure water for YEARS. I use it on first-time cleans, residential, and commercial. You name it; I clean it with water fed. I would go as far as to say I clean 90 percent of my glass with water fed. If you haven’t dove into the pure water game, this year is the year to do it! You can clean faster safely from the ground, and I firmly believe water-fed is more forgiving when it comes to cleaning.

Another big myth would be that you can’t make a good living cleaning windows. I know guys with hundred thousand dollar work trucks cleaning glass. You can make a very good life cleaning windows solo or running a company. When it comes to pricing, set your price. This is a luxury service, so don’t lowball yourself; don’t be the 99-dollar guy. There are plenty of people out there that can afford your window cleaning service and others that can’t; so set the standard and charge what you are worth.

Another prime-time myth would be that you must buy ten thousand dollars worth of gear the first day you start. I know a big name in the industry that started his business with 90 dollars worth of tools and grew it into a massive company. If you have the money, it’s nice to start with water-fed right out of the gate, but you don’t have to. You can start small and build from there. I am a firm believer that you are only as good as your gear. Although, equipment isn’t everything. You also need to have print marketing, digital marketing, a website, and a lot of other things that cost money to help your business. You can have 50 grand worth of tools in your truck, but if you have no customers to service, it is kind of pointless. 

Another myth would be you have to run your business a certain way. I know guys that have completely changed the game when it comes to scheduling their business. You can work seven days a week or you can work two days a week. You can run only residential or you can run only storefront. Heck, I know guys that do month route on residential homes. The options are endless. You can scale the business to run ten trucks with employees or work by yourself for the whole duration of your company. You can clean with just scrubbers and squeegees or run exterior only and all water fed; the ball is in your court.

I would suggest having fun with it. At the end of the day, it is a business and needs to be profitable, but don’t let other people influence you on how to run your business. As long as you put food on the table for your family, and you love what you do, that is all that matters in my book.