If any of you have been cleaning windows for some time or are starting to get up there in years, you may have noticed this common pain creep up on you. It is usually a form of elbow pain and with us window cleaners it's almost always the outer elbow that begins to hurt. This condition is called tennis elbow.
Tennis elbow comes about because of either a repetitive strain to the forearm muscles, over use or simply by gripping your tool handles too tight. As a result, you get muscle knots and even adhesions (scar tissue buildup) on the forearm muscles.
Below, I have provided a video guide on how to start treating this condition before the alternatives...seeing your doctor or taking pain meds. With self directed massage therapy and muscle strengthening techniques, you can make sure you'll be working pain free for many years to come.
]]>Hey, my name is Ryan Cochrane and I run a window cleaning business named Peak Property in Ottawa, Ontario. I wanted to share how the Beautiful View has helped me grow my small business, from a summer job to a city wide cleaning business over the past 8 years.
I got started in the window cleaning business 8 years ago and the Beautiful View window cleaning store was an important support from the very start. Even before I had ever purchased anything from Beautiful View, I consumed all of Mark’s training videos on the window cleaning basics and took this information with me to my first few customers.
Once I was ready to purchase some equipment, Mark was always willing to jump on the phone with me and answer any questions I might have. You could tell he genuinely cared about me succeeding in the window cleaning business and it wasn’t just about selling more product.
If anyone reading this is thinking about starting a window cleaning business in Canada, one of our biggest obstacles is getting equipment and supplies that are only made in the US. Most dealers from the US just simply won’t ship to Canada. The Beautiful View has made getting that equipment so much easier. You only need to give Mark a call and let him know what you are looking for and he takes care of the rest.
Another benefit to working with the Beautiful View is the ongoing support they provide. It doesn’t matter if you have some questions about your new water fed pole or you’re on the job and run into something you haven’t seen before. Mark and his team are always there to support you.
Over the years Mark has helped Peak Property grow from just me to a team of 3 window cleaners. We can’t thank the Beautiful View Window Cleaning Store enough for all the support they have provided us.
Happy Window Cleaning!
A little info on DI mixed bed resin and its function.
DI standards for Dionization:
The process used for removal of all dissolved salts from water is referred to asdeionization. Deionization requires the flow of water through two ion exchange materials in order to affect the removal of all salt content.
Deionization. The terms demineralization and deionization are used somewhat interchangeably by the industry. While the term demineralization is generally better understood, deionization is especially apt.
The passage of water through the first exchange material removes the calcium and magnesium ions just as in the normal softening process. Unlike home equipment, deionization units also remove all other positive metallic ions in the process and replace them with hydrogen ions instead of sodium ions.
Mixed bed DI resin is made up of Cation beads and Anion beads.
CATION DEIONIZERS have a high capacity to remove positively charged dissolved ionic contaminants such as calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium, iron, and manganese (used in conjunction with an anion deionizer they can produce a quality in excess of 400,000 ohm/cm. ( 0.9 ppm TDS as CaCO3).
ANION BED DEIONIZERS have a high capacity to remove negatively charged dissolved ionic contaminants such as carbonate, bicarbonates, sulfates, chlorides, nitrates and silica (used in conjunction with a cation deionizer they can produce a quality in excess of 400,000 ohm/cm. ( 0.9ppm TDS as CaCO3)
It is all the mineral content in water that can cause spotting on the glass. However, DI water is water that has the minerals removed by the cation and anion charged resin beads. Resulting in spot-free results.
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I'm assuming you clicked on this blog post because you are interested in business opportunities and you should be interested. You should always be on the lookout for ways (products or services) that you can take advantage of and build a business upon. And the truth is, business opportunities are everywhere, especially when we are talking about the service industry.
The greatest thing that I learned when I opened a window cleaning business in 2007 was that, as long as there was something that you could do, that others hate to do or can't do, there is an opportunity for you to make some business.
I'll let the video example below tell the rest.
Regards,
Mark Strange - The Window Cleaning Store
]]>If you've ever asked your self, "Where can I buy a pure water window cleaning setup in Canada?" you are lucky in that you've landed on the best source for all your window cleaning needs. Here at theWindowCleaningStore.com, we have several pure water systems and water fed poles to choose from. Better than that, we also have actual experience cleaning with pure water out in the field so we will be able to give you loads of advice as you start up your water fed service.
The first thing you are going to need to think about before purchasing a set up is how frequently you'll need to use your system, the water quality in your area and to what height do you plan on cleaning the majority of time. If you don't know what the water quality is in your area, you can call up your local city/township and ask what the TDS (total dissolved solids) level is in your area. You want to know the number in ppm's (part per million) In Toronto we have an average TDS level of 160 ppm's. This gives us an idea on the mineral content in the water. It's the minerals in the water that will cause spots on the glass so this is the purpose of a pure water system. The lower the TDS level, the less chance of spotting. 000 ppm's is most ideal but many will clean with tds levels as high as 015-020 ppm.
What your TDS level is in your area in combination with how often you plan on cleaning with your setup will be used to determine what type of pure water system you should buy. For areas with soft water (TDS less than 100 ppm's) or for those not requiring to use their system daily, a DI system may fit the bill. A DI system uses charged mixed bed resin beads to attract minerals in the water. It holds them back and allows only pure water to be released. But, it will only do this for a limited time. The lower the incoming water's TDS level, the longer the DI resin will last. Di systems like the Unger Hydropower usually starts at around $500. Replacement resin bags at $85 a pop. And like I said, if you live in a low TDS area or only plan to use your system occasionally, DI is the way to go.
The other style of system, a multi stage system usually has an RO (reverse osmosis membrane) that will remove up to 95-98% of the impurities before it even hits the DI. These systems will also have a sediment filter, carbon filter (or combined sediment filter/carbon filter) to block chlorine which is harmful to RO membranes and any physical particles in the water, down to about 5 microns. RO/DI multi stage systems cost a fair bit more than DI systems but will produce pure what at a much cheaper rate. Down to about 3-4 cents a gallon. Luckily the RO membrane usually lasts a few years (depending on usage, incoming water quality, and care). In recent years the Wash-iT Pro and Tucker RO/DI cart have become quite popular. As they arrive to you, they are capable of supplying one water fed pole up to 3 stories on average. To operate a second pole off these system or to reach 4, 5 or 6 stories, you will also need a booster pump to go before the RO.
Water fed poles come in a wide variety from aluminum, fibreglass, hybrid (mixed fibreglass and carbon fibre), full carbon fibre and High Modulus carbon fibre. Price ranges go from a few hundred to a few thousand depending on the length of the pole and quality of build material. The carbon and high modulus carbon fibre poles cost the most but their value comes from their stiffness and light weight. A pole that is easier to operate will always pay for itself through more productivity.
To assist you even further, we have collected a series of videos from different sources that will help you get your mind around the techniques needed to achieve spot free results in your pure water window cleaning. https://www.thewindowcleaningstore.com/pages/how-to-clean-with-pure-water-and-water-fed-poles
Feel free to talk to Mark from The Window Cleaning about all your water fed questions and he'll be happy to assist you. Thanks for stopping by.
The Window Cleaning Store
]]>Probably one of the greatest mysteries for the new self employed window cleaner is knowing what to charge for your window cleaning services. First you must remember that you are becoming a business and as such, your earnings go towards the cost of running a business as well as putting food on your kitchen table and a roof over your head. Now I've told many window cleaners that you should be earning $50/hr and up but you may be wondering how one prices actual jobs so that you can earn this kind of money from them.
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Target Earning GoalI usually tell beginners to set an earning goal of around 50$/hr for their first few months (up to a year) in the biz. If a new window cleaner can achieve this consistently then they are well on their way to earning $60-$70/hr by their second year. Here's why. Even after you've calculated what to charge per window/job in order for you to achieve the return of $50/hr, you will be earning this as an unskilled window cleaner. That's right, until you've been cleaning windows for a while, technically you're still unskilled. But after you've acquired the skills to clean windows more professionally and quickly, your hourly return rate will increase.
I often tell new window cleaners in Canada a story of when I first started out window cleaning and priced out a job where I ended up only making around $35/hr. The following year I returned to do a repeat clean at the same bid price but because of the improvements in my technique, my earnings on that job increased to $70/hr. Simply because I was now cleaning more windows per hour. This page of squeegee tutorials offer many tips and techniques for cleaning windows more efficiently and accurately resulting in more windows cleaned per hour.
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How To Price Window Cleaning JobsAfter studying price ranges (for residential) across the Canadian market, I have determined that window cleaning companies charge anywhere from $4 per basic window in/out on the low end to $8 per window on the high end. Storm windows are usually priced much higher because of the amount of work, not just in cleaning them but also the time it takes to take them apart and re-assemble them. French panes (small cut ups) are often charged at $1 in/out to $1.50 in/out foreach individual pane. The two things that will determine what you charge is how your per window price meets your earning goal and also what your market will bare.
Pricing commercial work is slightly different. Usually a per window price will be lower than residential work. Reasons for this include such things as level of competition in your area, simpler window styles (usually), more frequent visits (sometimes by contract of weekly/monthly/quarterly etc.) In many cases you may be ask just to clean the outside glass only. Pricing of anywhere between $1 per pane side to $2 per pane side is quite common for ground level commercial glass but may need to be increased depending on other variables. (see below)
If you are looking at going after store front work, it is often a good idea to set a minimum per service stop because some stores may only have a few pieces of glass. If you're aiming at getting many small stores in one area location, you may want to set your min per stop at around $15 and test the waters for going up from there. The one main characteristic in doing store front work is that although you may make a smaller amount per stop, you plan to make it up in volume (number of stops per day). Some window cleaners prefer this type of work because a storefront window cleaning route of weekly/bi-weekly/monthly accounts means consistent earnings throughout the year, even in the cold winter months.
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Variables In Window Cleaning PricingAll the pricing guide info offered above is taking into consideration that the window cleaning jobs are pretty straight forward. But there are always going to be variables that may affect what you end up charging per job such as how dirty the glass is, what is the access to the glass like, do you need to use ladders or extension poles, any obstacles to make cleaning difficult, any stains or hard water spots to remove? etc.. In time you will even come across glass that is so corroded due to neglect that the only option is replacement. Just remember, whatever extra work you face on the job, make sure you charge for it.
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Is Your Pricing Too Low/High?A window cleaner who had been in the business for many years once told me that you should aim for landing around 70-80% of your bids. If you consistently win more bids than that then your prices are probably too low. Likewise, if you consistently land fewer bids than 70% then your prices may be too high. I would say this is very true when it comes to residential jobs and larger commercial jobs. The only time one should ignore this rule is when bidding store front. Store front is the most competitive area in window cleaning and many small businesses are price shoppers so be prepared to hear a lot of "no's" while canvassing for clients. Home owners can be price shoppers too but don't feel bad if you lower your price to land some jobs in the early stages of your business. You gotta eat right? Plus, you can chalk everything up to experience in the long run.
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Last WordsDon't be afraid to network with other local window cleaning companies. The good ones won't be afraid to share information with you and will encourage a healthy marketplace for everyone. But stay clear of those competitors that offer rock bottom prices. They may appear to be constantly busy but what's the point if they're not profitable, right?
We'd like to take this time to thank all of you who have shopped at The Window Cleaning Store over this past year and we welcome all new customers and look forward to providing the best products along with the best customer service in the industry.
The Management
]]>The only downside to these resources is that most of the information and interaction is coming from outside of Canada. Example: how can a contractor in southern California advise you on the best way to clean gutters in late December in Canada? Or what is the value of of using OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) as our safety and labour guide when we have our own specific laws in Canada as well as province to province?
The good news is that there is now a Canadian Window Cleaners Group on Facebook where you can discuss and network with other Canadian contractors such as yourself. This is a closed group and only members can see posts and discussion. The good news is that any window cleaner or window cleaning business owner can join free and participate or just observe.
I certainly hope you will join us online and I look forward to sharing info and networking with you.
Regards,
Mark Strange
]]>If you live in Ontario and are a self employed window cleaner or tradesperson then you've probably been trying to sort out what to do about the WSIB rules that came out in 2013 and are now being enforced in 2014. Up until 2013 a self employed contractor didn't need to have WSIB coverage and could get by with their own private insurance to put clients at ease.
Now that has all changed. A self employed window cleaner needs to have WSIB if they are going on any ladder (even a foot stool) when cleaning windows for businesses or as a sub contractor. If your business is solely residential you are still able to carry on without WSIB…but for how long is anyones' guess.
In the last several weeks I have been swamped with calls and visits to my shop inquiring about waterfed cleaning supplies and a great number of these inquiries are coming from the self employed contractor. I'm guessing for some this is the loophole to get around the WSIB issue for now. Keep your feet on the ground and you're good to go, right? Only time will tell if this is a long term solution.
If you're new to waterfed pole cleaning, you must remember that this isn't a magic wand. It's really just another tool in your arsenal. With the right technique, quality equipment and dedication to learn the variables you can make it a powerful addition to your business. And who knows, maybe permanently keep those WSIB folks at bay.
The Management
]]>Many in the window cleaning industry predict that there will be a mad rush once the weather turns. Are you ready for the onslaught? What does it mean to be ready anyways? There's a lot more to operating a window cleaning business besides having all your tools in order. Sometimes I believe that the majority of work in this business is all in the back office. Creating and maintaining estimate forms, advertising in place and where it's most affective, employee training including health and safety and on and on.
At this stage in March (March 5th), I'd say everything is set to explode by April 1st. That's going to give a maximum of 3 weeks to prepare. Now is the time to make sure all your systems are in place, vehicle(s) are in good working order, customer mailers prepared and ready to send out.
As we go into the 2014 window cleaning season, we here at The Window Cleaning Store wish you all the success. And remember…stay safe.
The Management
]]>But let's get back to talking about the residential window cleaner for a minute. Now like many out there, I hated cleaning windows in the cold and seeing that I was mostly a residential window cleaner for 6 years, I was often in the position to come up with creative ways to earn a living between December and March. Now I've done everything from snow removal to newspaper delivery (horrible decision) but one of the easiest add ons to my business was dryer vent cleaning. After some research I came across the Linteater Dryer Vent Cleaning System and was pleasantly surprised to find that this product had a 5 star rating on Amazon.com
Dryer vent cleaning service can be performed year round and is usually no more than a half hour to 45 min job. You simply connect the rod and brush kit to your existing cordless drill to snake your way through the vent system. You can either use the forced air from the dryer to blow out the loosened lint or connect a shopVac on the inside of the vent, behind the dryer.
So as you can see, with a low cost investment you can provide a valuable add on service or even start up a complete side business.
Certainly worth looking into don't you think?
Regards,
Mark The Window Cleaner
]]>So the question is, "have we seen the last of window cleaning tool innovation?" There have been some other twists in window cleaning tools such as the Karcher Vacuum Squeegee but most products like these come off more as late night infomercial gimmicks.
The successfulness of any new product is usually based on its effectiveness to solve problems or improve performance. Most would admit that the original Ettore design is really hard to improve upon. But still, look at YouTube or any popular window cleaning forum and you'll spot window cleaner DIY'ers posting daily on their latest innovations.
So again I ponder, "can existing window cleaning tools really be improved upon?"
Hmmm...
The Management
]]>Unlike many squeegee handles, the Wagtail has a constant 'loose' pivot setup allowing you to easily fan/swirl a window or reach at awkward angles. It's also quite superior when it comes to pole work.
Although not too popular in Canada...yet, it has been gaining in popularity across Europe, Asia and the US markets. Now it is being sold in Canada by The Window Cleaning Store where Mark The Window Cleaner is eager to show you all the different models of Wagtail gear and how best to use them.
Drop by The Window Cleaning Store or view our Videos section for more information on the line of Wagtail Pivoting Tools.
The Management
]]>Mark Strange (also known as Mark The Window Cleaner) has recently opened up a window cleaning supply store in Toronto. His online shop The Window Cleaning Store is available to help you as well.
Besides carrying the latest tools used by professionals, Mark will also be stepping up the customer service game by providing helpful info and how-to videos to help you get the most out of your tools or make better buying decisions.
So please visit us online or call us at 416-748-9393 and we would be more than happy to assist you with your window cleaning needs.
The Management
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