Today we’d like to introduce you to Austin Perry
Hi Austin, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always dreamed of owning my own business but was never sure what path to take. Over the years, I considered everything from a New York-style food truck to a pool supply store.
After traveling the country for four years with my wife, who worked as a travel nurse, we eventually settled in South Carolina. During that time, I was a stay-at-home dad, and when we relocated, I struggled to find a job due to my employment gap.
Determined to create my own opportunity, I started researching what was missing in the local market. There were plenty of pool companies, and I quickly realized that running a food truck in the peak of summer wasn’t for me. Then it hit me—since high school, I had always had a job thanks to the man I consider my dad, who employed me in his window cleaning business.
Since 1997, he has built that business from a few wooden ladders and basic tools into a widely recognized name in the industry. With the knowledge and experience I had gained over the years, I decided to follow in his footsteps and start my own window cleaning business.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t been an easy road. For the first year and a half, I only had about three customers.
Residential work has been slow to take off, especially in the South, where pressure washing dominates the industry. While pressure washing is great for overall home maintenance, nothing compares to the precision of traditional window cleaning by hand with a mop and scraper.
Despite the challenges, I stayed focused and kept pushing forward. Handing out business cards and talking to business owners came naturally, but marketing has been the real struggle. Finding the right words to capture attention on social media, creating engaging content while working solo the majority of the time—it’s been a constant challenge.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’ll answer the questions in order, starting with “What should we know?”
1. Upstate Window Cleaning is a commercial and residential window cleaning business that also offers gutter cleaning and pressure washing for sidewalks and driveways.
2. I specialize in window and gutter cleaning for both commercial and residential properties, handling interior and exterior windows./I take pride in going the extra mile to ensure my customers are happy.
3. What sets me apart is my customer service. I’m personable and genuinely enjoy building relationships with my clients. Unlike larger window cleaning companies with multiple employees, I handle everything—from taking phone calls and providing estimates to completing the work and collecting payments. There’s no AI answering machine or rotating staff—just consistent, reliable service. I believe that strong customer relationships are key to building a trustworthy and reputable business.
4. Upstate Window Cleaning offers traditional window cleaning at an affordable price. Clean windows let you fully enjoy the view from your home, and for businesses, they create a welcoming storefront—because merchandise looks even better through sparkling glass! I offer weekly, biweekly, monthly, and as-needed services for commercial properties, as well as year-round residential services.
How do you define success?
Success is being able to provide my family with a comfortable life and still sit down together for dinner every night.
Contact Info:
