Let’s face it, whether you are running a window cleaning business with multiple team members or a one-person venture, there will be no income without safety. It is crucial to prioritize safety from the start of your company, consider the planning techniques you use, and even some tools! Let’s discuss four things you can proactively do to help keep you and your team safe.
- Pick the right speed.
Often times, in a service business, the focus becomes about how quickly jobs can be completed. From a basic math standpoint, if you spend less time on the jobs will mean more jobs completed and more revenue per hour in any given day. However, while efficiency is important trying to avoid wasting time, there is a realistic amount of time to be spent on each job site. The revenue will follow after having satisfied customers. If you find that you are forcing too much pressure for your services to take less time in order to make a job profitable, you more likely have a pricing problem which could lead to injuries or mistakes on the job! Keep in mind, not everything always works out like you expect it to on a job.
If your pricing is based only on the best-case scenario, you will not be making as much profit on jobs with difficulties. Build up your pricing methods based on your experience and formula. It is not intuitive to be proactive about issues on the job, but it is critical for pricing to help create a safe work environment for you or your team. The goal is to pick a pace of work that allows continuous awareness of the areas of concern on the job.
- Make a plan and execute service.
Think ahead and make a plan for how you are going clean the windows on the job site. The bigger, busier or more exposed the job sit, the better documented the plan needs to be. But even on a “simple” job, train your brain and team to think about the steps you are going to follow to clean the glass. Here are a few things pro window cleaners tend to consider:
- Create a habit or process of where you start providing service. For instance, always start at a common point and work in the same direction around a property. Or even easier, always left to right, tops first, etc.
- Make a specific plan for areas of more concern. Address the highest windows, multi season rooms, or other special areas of concern with more attention. Even pick when they will be serviced based on sunshine, wind, and maybe consider break times. Whenever you and your team are going to be sharpest is when you should be shinning the most challenging glass, most likely first moments on the job.
- Think about where the window bucket will be placed, how and where to get more water. Plan for special tools (like Ledgers for example) you will want for certain spots, and what poles or ladders will be needed. For really difficult jobs, consider specialty chemicals, such as hard water stain removers, needed and be well informed about the directions given.
- Try to get direct access to every window so you avoid leaning and stretching to reach. Working around floor beds, bushes, and trees? Move items when you are able or plan how to work around obstacles. Consider what is the best way to work around the items.
- If you are using a pure water system, plan where your hoses will lay out. Be aware of any place the hose will cross sidewalks, doorways, driveways, parking lots and streets. Check out the yellow water pole hose, just to help it to stand out to prevent injuries of employees, customers or pedestrians.
- Know the job site, preferably a walk around before service is started. A few extra moments to identify and clear up unnecessary risks is time well spent. If a bid was provided, take a look at any notes from when the bid was given.
- Think in terms of risk.
Keep safety “top of mind” as they say. It is easy to slip into automatic mode. Practice to always keep safety as part of your conscious focus. If sending out teams to service clients, make them aware of how important safety is to the company and to them. Like stated earlier, without safety there will be no revenue!
- Shop window cleaning tools accordingly.
Select the right tools, based on what they are designed for and their quality. On large job or ones with pedestrians around, consider items which emphasize people are at work. Have safety cones around the tools you are using, or started before with the hose, bright colors that will draw attention. With high rise work, pick out the right harnesses and helmets, maybe with bring colors as well.
If you enter client’s homes, wear shoe covers, safer to keep your shoes on in case anything is left on the ground. Have masks and gloves readily available if needed, especially if chemicals are needed on the job.
Ladders may be needed on the job, make sure you use the right height and move it as needed to prevent workers leaning. Even better, for outside window cleaning, consider a pure water system. They not only prove to be effective at cleaning windows, but helps keep crews off ladders and safe on the ground.
Safety should be a part of the decision making for EVERY part of your window cleaning business. Cleaning glass for customers requires so much more than just squeegeeing to a spot free shine. Make safety incentives part of your training, compensation, bidding and marketing. Price properly, plan well, educate team members and customers, spread the word and shop smart. One job for a profit does not make a window cleaning company or a career! With safety as a top priority, your window cleaning business and career can span decades and provide great professional window cleaning service to 1,000’s of customers.
To shop tools to keep your crew safe on the job, shop at Detroit Sponge. Shop all our products at www.detroitsponge.com. We want to help your crew be proactive and successful. With questions feel free to comment or give us a call at 1-800-535-6394.