Category: Business Mentor

Every successful window cleaning business starts in exactly the same place. One person. One van. A handful of customers. And a dream of building something bigger. Over the last 30 years, I have met hundreds of window cleaners across the UK. Although every business is different, most owners follow a very similar journey. Some make it all the way to Stage 5. Many never get past Stage 2. The good news is that once you understand the stages, you can start moving forward with purpose. So, which stage are you in? Stage 1 – The One-Man Band This is where…

Running a business will test you. Some days feel smooth. Customers are happy. Phones ring. Money lands in the bank. You look like a genius. Then come the other days. A team member calls in sick. A van breaks down. Rain stops the work. A customer complains about something that was perfect yesterday. Suddenly, the world feels less friendly. This is where many business owners meet what I call the Red line. You cannot always control what happens. However, you can control how you respond. The Morning It Went Wrong Years ago, I arrived at work to one of those…

Every year thousands of people start a window cleaning business. The barriers to entry are low. a ladder, a bucket, pure water back pack and a Spotless Water Account and a bit of determination will get you going. However, many of those businesses stay small for years. Some never grow at all and some never make it through the first winter. Over the last thirty years I have watched this happen again and again. I started exactly the same way. In 1996 I was knocking doors with a wooden ladder on my shoulder. At the time it felt like the…

Time management is one of the biggest challenges for any exterior cleaning company owner. In the early days, it often feels manageable. You are on the tools, answering the phone, doing quotes in the evenings, and fitting paperwork in wherever you can. However, as the business grows, that approach starts to creak. More importantly, poor time management does not just affect you. It affects your team, family, your customers, and ultimately your profit. So, let’s look at time management the way a long-established exterior cleaning business should. Practical. Traditional. Proven. From working in the business to working on it At…