To Build a Window Cleaning Company Worthy of Some Eyebrow Raising, One Must Avoid Marketing Mistakes

(1^st in a Series)

You’ll make many mistakes as you build your window cleaning business, but don’t let marketing be one of them. Marketing is the life-blood of any company, but it’s not always an easy walk in the park. Fact is, marketing mistakes are often unavoidable, especially if you are a new aspiring window cleaning entrepreneur.

Hi. My name is Jim DuBois and I own Squeegee Pros, Inc. out of NC and am founder of WindowWashingWealth.com. Here, starting with the first in a blog series, we will point out the most common mistakes that window cleaners all over the world are making in their marketing efforts. Not only will you discover the major mistakes, but you will also learn how to avoid them or prevent them from occurring again within your business.

Mistake #1: Not Having a Unique Selling Proposition (USP).

What is a USP? Your USP is a very precise statement that explains why your company is special and why YOU can provide greater value to your clients than any other window cleaner in your area. Your USP should answer this question…

“Why should I do business with you instead of your competitors?”

Competition in our industry can be fierce and it can be difficult to differentiate one company from the next. Just take a look at an old Yellow Pages or an online search under window cleaning. You’ll notice that just about every ad says basically the same thing. If you can find a company that is able to differentiate themselves from all the clutter, then that company certainly has an advantage when it comes to attracting more clients. You must learn how to separate yourself from your competition, in all of your marketing endeavors.

In other words, when potential customers look at your company, what do they say?

“They’re just like all the rest.”  or  “Well, no one can say that…”

See what I mean? In a minute, I’m going to give you some tips on creating your USP for your company. But first let me tell you a story that demonstrates just how powerful a USP can be.

There was a student determined to pay his way through college. To do so, he and his brother decided to open a little pizza place. Brother #1 would run the store during the day while Brother #2 went to school, then run the pizza place at night. Brother #1 would go to school while Brother #2 ran the pizza joint.

After just a few months, this business was losing money and Brother #2 decided that he wanted out. So, in exchange for an old beat up Volkswagon Rabbit car, Brother #1 bought him out and ended up owning the entire business. Soon after, Brother #1 developed a USP for his pizza business that turned that business into a multi-billion dollar giant. His USP went like this:

“Fresh, hot pizza delivered in 30 minutes or less… Guaranteed!”

You most likely recognize that USP, but in case you don’t, it’s Domino’s Pizza. That’s how Tom Monohan (Brother #1) made his fortune. Today, they no longer make the 30-minute guarantee, but that’s irrelevant now. Everyone knows Domino’s Pizza. But make no mistake about it, the business was built on this USP and today that company is obviously very successful.

The important thing to remember is this USP is very simple. It does not promise all things to all people. It never mentions a homemade delicious sauce from the “old country” or even a great tasting pizza. What Tom’s USP did was hit an opportunity gap in the pizza delivery business.

Tip: You can DOMINATE a market if you

hit an opportunity gap!

How to decide on your USP…

You need to really spend some time thinking on this…don’t rush it. The key is to determine what really makes your company stand out from all of your competition.

• It could be that you, the owner of the company, are personally involved in every job that your window cleaning company
• It could be that you only provide one specific service and only offer it in a very specific area of
• It could be that you offer the strongest service guarantee in
• It could be that you use only the newest, cleanest and finest equipment
• It could be that everyone in your company speaks
• It could even be that you are the only company in town that offers a rain guarantee.
• It could even be that you are the only company in town that offers a gift card guarantee to a restaurant if they do not receive their estimate within 3 business days.
• It could be that you are number one on a specific review site in your area.

Whatever it is, make certain that your USP statement comes through in everything that you do. Scratching your head? No need to worry. Try talking to your clients. See what they really like about you and doing business with your company. Find out what else they would like from you – even find out about what they don’t like about doing business with you. This can be a very eye-opening experience and can shape your company’s future, so don’t take it lightly. Carefully consider what you learn from your clients. What is important to them and what can you learn from it? We do this by sending a survey (or accessible via our website) to every residential customer we do business with. The feedback can be surprising and is always worthy.

The key is to answer your client’s wants and needs in your USP. Then narrow it down to 1 to 3 sentences and use it in all of your marketing and promotion endeavors, and also in your everyday conversations with customers. Then, back it up and deliver, deliver, deliver. And ‘live’ your USP in all that you do.

Here is one that we use in my company:

Angie’s List – Rated #1 in “A” ratings nationwide!

A distinction no one in the state, region, or country has!

Now, go back to this phrase: “They’re just like all the rest.”  or  “Well, no one can say that…”. See how your USP begins to separate yourself from the competition? You want to become the obvious choice for your customers to call.

Marketing IS your business, not simply one aspect of it. You must change your thinking if you are not managing your business with marketing at the fore-front. Not sure which way to turn with your marketing? Click Here for window cleaning business building ideas.

In review: Your USP has an impact on your company’s marketing. Start working on yours today and see how it changes things. Call me at 704-451-0409 if you have any questions. Take control and become your own marketing expert or let my team help you, and your business will boom. Until next time…

Jim DuBois is founder of Squeegee Pros, Inc. out of Mooresville, NC. He is the creator of WindowWashingWealth.com, which specializes in aggressive marketing tactics, the importance of internal company systems, and how to dominate your window cleaning marketplace. All things a serial window cleaning entrepreneur should know to build a huge business. Visit the site for a Free marketing report. Feel free to send any questions or comments to jim@squeegeepros.com.

https://www.osha.gov/alliances/national/iwca_agreement_20200521

IWCA – Ambassador Document – May 21, 2020

There is a lot volatility going on now around the country and we as employers need to be careful on all counts.

Sadly, but true, small business are sued every day by prospective, current, and former employees – for discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination and more. These claims involve restaurants, retailers, medical offices, contractors, and other businesses who also thought they would never be sued by an employee. Many business owners say, “It will never happen to me.”

Most do not know there’s a specific type of insurance coverage that you might want to consider to help protect your business.

EPLI covers businesses against claims by workers that their legal rights as employees of the company have been violated.

The number of lawsuits filed by employees against their employers has been rising. While most suits are filed against large corporations, no company is immune to such lawsuits. Recognizing that smaller companies now need this kind of protection, some insurers provide this coverage as an endorsement to their Businessowners Policy (BOP). An endorsement changes the terms and conditions of the policy. Other companies offer EPLI as a stand-alone coverage.

EPLI provides protection against many kinds of employee lawsuits, including claims of:

• Sexual harassment
• Discrimination
• Wrongful termination
• Breach of employment contract
• Negligent evaluation
• Failure to employ or promote
• Wrongful discipline
• Deprivation of career opportunity
• Wrongful infliction of emotional distress
• Mismanagement of employee benefit plans

An employee feels they did not get a promote and it was due to age. Suit was filed and they received $45,000.

A pregnant employee was fired due to attendance. A suit was filed, and she received $35,000.

A male supervisor made a sexual joke to female co-worker. A suit was filed, and she received $75,000.

This happens everyday no matter the size of your business.

The cost of EPLI coverage depends on your type of business, the number of employees you have and various risk factors such as whether your company has been sued over employment practices in the past. The policies will reimburse your company against the costs of defending a lawsuit in court and for judgments and settlements. The policy covers legal costs, whether your company wins or loses the suit. Policies also typically do not pay for punitive damages or civil or criminal fines. Liabilities covered by other insurance policies such as workers compensation are excluded from EPLI policies.

To prevent employee lawsuits, educate your managers and employees so that you minimize problems in the first place:

• Create effective hiring and screening programs to avoid discrimination in hiring.
• Post corporate policies throughout the workplace and place them in employee handbooks so policies are clear to everyone.
• Show employees what steps to take if they are the object of sexual harassment or discrimination by a supervisor. Make sure supervisors know where the company stands on what behaviors are not permissible.
• Document everything that occurs and the steps your company is taking to prevent and solve employee disputes.

It is your job as a business owner to protect your employees and your business.

Reach out to your current insurance agent to see about EPLI coverage.

There is so much going on, we wanted to give you a post with everything in it to review.

Cody Thomas with GlassRenu and The Store Front Strong Campaign

Interview with Cody talking through the Program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkha_H4nY_c

Store Front Strong Website to Sign Up:  https://storefrontstrong.org/

Mask Webinar with Steve Blyth from J.Racenstein: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B7WMEW2vZs

PowerPoint Presentation is available for download in Campus IWCA for all Members: https://iwca.site-ym.com/mpage/CampusIWCA

Friday June 19th, 1pm CT, Respirator Certificate Course Live with PWNA and Mike Draper – Members Only and you can sign up here: https://iwca.site-ym.com/events/register.aspx?id=1389868

The Entire Live Video Course, Exam, and Certificate will be available in Campus IWCA after Friday’s Webinar for all members to take for Free.

Tuesday June 23rd Jobber Live Webinar, 1pm EST “Scaling Up Your Window Cleaning Business” – Registration will be up soon!

Jobber also offers all members a 15% discount now as a member benefit so take advantage of it! getjobber.com/iwca

The PWNA and Mike Draper will give the IWCA Members a live certificate of training course for Respirators. After the course, each attendee will be given access to the test via Campus IWCA to pass and earn a Certificate of Training. Please register below and make sure you sign in prior.

1pm CT on Friday June 19th, 2020

https://iwca.site-ym.com/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1389868

Are you looking for that company with ALL 5 Star Reviews…well DON’T!

Have you every had that one family member you cannot please, or have you ever forgot a task your wife/husband asked you to do? I am sure you answered yes to these questions.

The same issues happen in a business.  No matter how hard anyone tries, not every transaction can go 100% and sometimes that is just an issue beyond anyone’s control. We have had a machine break down or even the interstate being shut down due to an accident and no matter, the customer is quick to write a bad review.

As a company it is how you handle the situation and the customer. Always, reply to the review, be professional, and state how you tried to fix the issue.  Make sure you are honest and polite even if the review is harsh and rude. How you handle the situation is a reflection on you and your company.

There is nothing wrong with reaching out to the customer and saying “Ms. Jones, we understand we were late, and it was beyond our control, and you left us less than a 5 Star Review. We gave you a $50 credit on your invoice. Could you please change your review? We are not asking for 5 Stars; we are just asking you to be fair.” Let the customer hear your side. Maybe the 1 Star will now go to a 3 Star and that is ok.  Remember no one is perfect.

Customers are just looking for an HONEST company. If a company has all positive and no negative reviews, something is wrong. 68% of people are more likely to trust you if you have both negative and positive reviews.   People who seek out bad reviews stay much longer on your site than normal visitors, and view almost four times as many pages. 95% of people suspect censorship or faked reviews when they do not see negative reviews.

This is the same for Employment websites. If an employee’s demands are not met, and they quit, or are terminated, they can post a review. Yes, you want to respond however, be careful. The employee is looking for a reaction. How you react could go against you with an Unemployment Claim, the Labor Board, or even worse, a lawsuit. State the facts in the response and be professional.

It is how we react and respond to the situation that counts.  Use the negative reviews as a learning tool. How can we improve, what could we have done differently, and how are we going to change going forward? Just remember we are all human and we make mistakes. No one person or company is perfect.

Join us Friday June 12th via Zoom at 4pm EST as Steve Blyth from J.Racenstein trains through the different types of Masks & Respirators we need as Window Cleaners! Members can sign in and register here: https://iwca.site-ym.com/events/register.aspx?id=1389079

Candle Test Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXHWnw7UdXE

Why Cheaper Is Not Always Better?

Do you ever see the ads on Facebook or Next Door “Will pressure wash any size home for $99”?  I see these ads every spring & summer.

$99 sounds great until something goes wrong. I would say most not all low-cost ad the business is not licensed, bonded, or insured. Maybe it is not a business at all, it could just be an individual trying to make extra money. Don’t get me wrong we all want to help our neighbor, however at the same time we need to protect ourselves.

Making sure that anyone that does work at your home is properly insured should be very important to any homeowner. As a homeowner if anyone gets hurts or damages your property you are responsible.

What if the technician falls off a ladder?  What if water gets in your outlet outside and shorts out the electrical in your house or even worse a fire gets started? If the company is not properly insured, you as the homeowner will be liable. The technician could even file your homeowner’s insurance for a medical claim if he was to get hurt on your property. Let’s be honest there are some people in this world, just waiting for this to happen or even planning it.

I am writing this from one homeowner to another as I had this happen to me. Do your research, verify insurance, and read reviews.  Any company with all 5 stars and no bad reviews beware. No business is going to make everyone 100% happy. We will save that topic for another blog.

Title:                How to properly assess surface damage on glass for Professional Window Cleaners.

Date:               6/2/2020

Time:               3pm EST (12 noon PST)

WHERE:          Zoom Conference Call

Description:    

                                    As Professional Window Cleaners our customers look to us as experts in glass cleaning and restoration.  Whether the cleaning is routine or non-routine cleaning it is important that you understand how to assess different surface damage on the glass and understand the different methodologies available to remove it.  We will be discussing damage ranging from hard water staining and building run-off to deep scratch tag graffiti and everything in between.  This seminar is set for a 30 min lecture and 30 min of open Q&A on any glass restoration topic.  Join us and learn how to expand your glass restoration service offerings.

Who:   This seminar will be led by Cody Thomas, founder of GlassRenu and IWCA member.

Cost:    FREE to IWCA members

Certificate: Certificate of Completion on sign in and full attendance of the live webinar. Verification will be per sign in with zoom’s attendee tracking. Should a member company sit multiple employees around one computer they will need to email info@iwca.org prior with names and send a photo verification during the webinar to the same email. Confirmed Certificates will email a few days later.

Registration Required: https://iwca.site-ym.com/events/register.aspx?id=1382826