Karl Robinson's Extraordinary Blog

http://robinson-solutions.blogspot.com

As most of you who read this blog knows, Karl has a great blog of all the world of window cleaning. He is able to pull up so much articles, that even Google can't match.

By checking his blog out daily, you will be fully informed of window cleaner safety, the latest videos available on the internet that are internet related, window cleaner news, and much more.

He also has a regular assortment, of funny videos, and articles, so not only is reading the blog enlightening, it is also entertaining.

I just wanted to thank him for his favourable mention in his blog

Thanks.

Check out his blog daily at http://robinson-solutions.blogspot.com

Paul's great marketing blog

Paul McQuillan, a lively,passionate, and great contributing forum member, of Window Cleaning Resource and National Window Cleaning Directory, has turned his passion and ability in marketing into a book:

Onslaught Marketing "How You Can Survive the Economic Crisis and Emerge 10x Stronger Than Your Competition"

His website address is: http://onslaughtmarketing.com

And he authours a very interesting and informative marketing blog - http://jointheonslaught.blogspot.com

He has brought up an important missed opportunity. Forced Continuity, or putting customers on a schedule. It has inspired me, and led me to share and agree with his point about forced continuity. Here is the blog posting:

http://jointheonslaught.blogspot.com/2009/02/window-cleaners-take-heed.html

Forced continuity is regularly scheduled window cleaning on a indefinte frequency. Whether that is every two weeks, four weeks, eight weeks, or twice a year.

As Paul goes on to say, many residential window cleaners fail to offer regularly scheduled cleans for their residential customers.

This has inspired me to think of offering this service to residential customers I will attain this spring. The only issue would be to make sure that one can make enough money to drive there, stop, get equipment off truck and clean windows. So an important factor is setting the price at a reasonable level. His suggestion of $80 sounds reasonable.

If you could get many customers to go for this service, a route could be made, causing certain efficiencies to develop and lowering your costs (gas, marketing, etc) per customer.

As an example, Mr Squeegee, aka Tony Evans, anewviewia.com has a winter route, where he cleans some of the windows on certain houses once a month, and has a regular route, which enables him to make some money during a hard time for many residential window cleaners - winter.

Having forced continuity, or putting residential customers on a regular schedule would enable you to make more money per customer. would enable you to get through slow seasons better, and enable you to have a little more of a predictable income.

This is why I enjoy cleaning commercial glass. Everything I do is on a schedule. I can predict how much my company will gross per year, I can schedule my customers for the most efficient way of cleaning them to minimize wasted driving time. I'm cleaning relatively clean glass, and I'm not always forced to market like crazy, since one customer will gross me thousands of dollars a year, for an indefinite period of time, perhaps years. Instead of just making a few hundred bucks, and then trying to get another customer.

Putting customers on a schedule makes a lot of sense. So think about ways you can implement that for your business.

And check out Paul's blog for other great marketing ideas.

Overcoming Barriers to getting customers

As the month of February progress I'm thinking more and more of spring. Not that in Toronto spring ever comes early, but soon warm weather will be here and people will be thinking of getting their houses cleaned.

Our company, while our focus is on commercial, I enjoy getting some residential clients and would like to grow that part of the business more this year.

So I've thought of ways to increase the residential calls I will get in the spring.

I have been paying more attention to my website. Very briefly, my website was on page one of Google when searching the term: Toronto window cleaning. However, I wasted that opportunity, and now it's back to page three. So I've been working on updating my website more, and tweaking it to improve my listing.

Secondly, I've been looking at my commercial customers, and the people that work at their stores as a way to cross-market. They have trust in me, a relationship with me, and I have a free opportunity to sell them on cleaning their house. Many people that work at the store see me cleaning the windows, and know I do a good job, am cleancut, reliable, and friendly.

However, this is important - many think that window cleaning by a professional window cleaner for their own house is something only rich homeowners can afford to pay for. They may feel that it is too expensive.

So if you keep that in mind, you can overcome that objection right away. And open up many more opportunities and get many more customers this spring.

As it was, I spoke to an associate in the store, and gave my card. She said it's probably too expensive. So I said, no, it's quite affordable, and I'll give you a good price. I said that window cleaning starts from just $80 if you have a small house, and are doing the outsides. I said I would give her many options, including cleaning only the outside, or only the first floor windows. Her whole outlook, and demeanor chaged, she enthusiastically said sure, she will definitely call me. She was suprised she could afford window cleaning and an objection was overcome.

So think about common misconceptions and barriers to people hiring window cleaners, or whatever business you are in. Overcome those objections first, because, the customer may just politely take your card, and not call you, because they think it is too expensive or they have some other unstated misconception.

What Is an Independant Operator? And dealing with WSIB

Many small companies subcontract work. They do this without much thought. They might have the same guy do all their work, for many hours each week, using your tools, getting explicit direction and this person earns all their income from you.

In your eyes he his your hardworking subcontractor. Unfortunately in the eyes of many Government Insurance boards, this person is your employee. As such you would be required to register and pay workers compensation insurance. In the event of an injury, or an audit from workers compensation, you may face a fine, years of premiums due, a possible lawsuit from the injured worker for negligence. This would be of course, destructive for your business, causing you much sleep loss, anxiety, and possible bankruptcy to your small business.

So it is essential to find out how your workers compensation board views the relationship you have with your employee, make any corrections you need to to your relationship, or in the worst case begin paying exorbitant premiums to cover your employee, and your butt.

In Ontario, where I live, you have several options. You can seek, the government agency responsible to make a ruling on your relationship, or possible relationship.

I had to fill out this form for a janitorial company. To determine the relationship we would have, and whether I would be an employee (in their eyes), or an independent operator (who is not legally required to take out WSIB coverage).

Fortunately I was viewed as an independent operator for this instance. This is the form you fill out with the contractor, or if you are the contractor, you would fill this out with your subcontractor. You would sign it, and bring it to WSIB with the subcontractors invoices for other jobs he did, his business registration, a copule of invoices of supllies he bought, showing that he buys his own tools/supplies.

I did that an brought it to 200 Front St, Downtown Toronto. This is the form.

http://www.wsib.on.ca/wsib/wsibsite.nsf/LookupFiles/DownloadableFileIndependentOperator/$File/1158.pdf


What exactly is an independant operator in Ontario. This pamphlet, prepared for construction contractors, clearly shows what makes one an independent operator.


http://www.wsib.on.ca/wsib/wsibsite.nsf/LookupFiles/DownloadableFileConstructionIndependentOperators/$File/ConstIndOp.pdf

So what is an independent operator in Ontario?
offers services to various firms
• reports to the government
as a self employed business (Canada Revenue
Agency/GST)
• owns and operates his/her equipment.


I know this post may look only relevant to Ontario residents but it is vitally important to make sure that if you hire subcontractors that your government's workplace insurance board views it as such. If not, you may face crippling fines, and possible bankruptcy.