Owning An Window Cleaning Franchise

When Lgb Vision reached the point of being unable to service anymore customers we decided to investigate the various ways to expand.

Employment or sub contracting are the obvious solutions for an owner/operator window cleaning business but this comes with a few cons. A different window cleaner will turn up each time, he/she will have no incentive to do a good job and no interest in the customer, this all leads to the personal touch being lost and in some cases the trust. Sub contracting is a bit of a grey area similar to the hairdressing trade when it comes to window cleaning. We wanted a business that is recognised by the appropriate authorities as a legitimate way of running a big company.

We looked at all the pro’s and con’s of every expansion route and although it may work for some window cleaners employment and sub contracting wasn’t for us. If making the most amount of profit was our main concern then we would have chosen the employment route to expand our business. The main reasons we decided to franchise our business was down to two previous experiences with employment. High staff turnover, hours of administration, vehicle issues, broken equipment, pension plans, holidays and sickness all send shivers down the spine!   

We decided on franchising our window cleaning business as it was the only expansion plan that made perfect sense, in a nut shell the franchisee takes the lion share of what he/she earns and the franchiser can take pride in building an empire with the satisfaction of knowing the cleaning will be done safely and to a high standard. We are not interested in squeezing every last drop of cash out of our window cleaning franchisees, we want them to be happy like we are when they are at work and at home.

The introduction of the water fed pole system to the window cleaning industry has attracted a lot more new window cleaners. The cost of start up is massive compared to traditional window cleaning but the rewards come tax assessment time are worth the investment. The risk is the window cleaning market will become saturated and price wars may start. 

Most potential window cleaning franchisees will be thinking surely i could just setup my own window cleaning business, well yes you can and nothing is stopping you! Buy a van, research how to clean windows, buy the equipment and start getting customers. Sounds simple doesn’t it? Well it is simple to start up a window cleaning business but the big difference is running a profitable and successful one. To build a round takes years and with increased competition it will take even longer. However... imagine knocking on a door and already having a head start, a foot in the door if you like. You can explain who you are, how you run your business and have a solid brand behind you not just “Oh I am just starting out and i think that's how you clean that.....”

So Why Would Franchising A Window Cleaning Company Be A Good Idea?

Imagine going into your favourite fast food restaurant or getting you parcel delivered by your usual online market place, 9 times out of 10 you know what you're going to get and it will be the same each time. That's what we have managed to achieve, a standardised franchised window cleaning service. Every franchisee sings from the same hymn sheet, none of the franchisee's want to loose work and they know 24/7 support is available from us regardless of the issue. The franchisee is not guaranteed to be an instant success as it still requires hard work and motivation but you will have a massive head start if you were to consider franchising with us. Our first franchisee was 80% full within 6 months then we started to fine tune his round and increase his profit margins without him having to work harder.

Most new window cleaners start in a car or a plain van due to the costs of setting up a small business and we ourselves have been through several van liveries before we decided on our current design. This is why our brand is a huge success as each van is a rolling advert for you and not just us. A van 20 miles away may spark an interest for a customer who is out shopping and returns to your area to see another van with the same logo and design, this is brand awareness and cannot be replicated.  

Lgb Vision window cleaning franchisees do not compete with each other (except tax assessment time), they help each other. We are able to shape each business to whatever the franchisee requires, whether its a compact round, village work with lots of driving or just simply a well priced part time round. Don't get us wrong a one man band is great when its firing on all 4 cylinders but a simple hiccup can destroy your business and all your hard work. A network of window cleaning franchisee's in a local area is a great pool of resources because a twisted ankle, gearbox issue or a cheeky extra holiday needn’t be a huge worry. 

You will receive our advice, knowledge and experience to shape you into a well refined window cleaner. The owner has over 15 years of experience and has had some of the smartest and revolutionary water fed pole setups of all time. We have tried to create a family and that is what you will be investing into. The idea was to take all the stress out of running a one man band company and to make it possible for anyone to be their own boss.

Sounds Good But I Will Earn More Money On My Own!

That may well be true for some people as these sort of people have the drive, determination and savings to start a window cleaning business from scratch. We can honestly say if we had to start from scratch again tomorrow we wouldn't. There is far more competition for window cleaners now and it will only get harder. The main reason for franchising is risk vs reward.

What Do You Need To Bring With You

You need to be ready for hard work, be motivated, willing to listen, follow instructions, be organised and friendly. We speak to prospective window cleaning franchisees almost on a weekly basis but some simple questions point out they may not be ready or may never be ready for the self employed world.

Is A Window Cleaning Franchise Legal?

Of course it is, I have read and chuckled at many threads/topics and listened to pub chats about franchising and window cleaning. It’s no different to McDonalds, oven cleaning or DPD parcel delivery and simply put you're using our brand and window cleaning franchise system to build a customer base.  The starting base of customers is up to you and is governed by your level of investment. 

Why Does Franchising And Window Cleaning Work So Well?

A lot of new businesses fail in the first year due to not having a business plan and poor management of cash flow. We will hold your hand, show you how to do it and before you have even cleaned your first window you will have the following;

• Business account opened.

• Direct debit account set up.

• Planning system linked to iphone or ipad.

• Mature website which ranks on google on page one.

• Meeting with accountant.

• Professional stationary printed. 

• Van with professionally installed system and wrapped with the Lgb Vision window cleaning livery.

• Full uniform.

Some things you can’t buy but are included for every Lgb Vision window cleaning franchisee. The top three perks included for you are the brand, experience and the system.