[MAX Carpets]

Hi Guys

Just wondered how trade is out there. May is always our worst month, slumped this May!! The start of the year was great. Should pick up in June.

Cheers

Justin

[wayne zabel]

Been going 20 months full time and been quite happy with the way things have gone - but end of April and May have been dead,cant get the phone to ring.First time Ive started to worry a little.

[Simon Gerrard]

Wayne,
I wouldn't worry too much, people are paying for the holidays this time of year so money is tight.

Simon

[Ian Gourlay]

Been going 20 months full time and been quite happy with the way things have gone - but end of April and May have been dead,cant get the phone to ring.First time Ive started to worry a little.

This is where you need to study the old time salesmen . As Norman Tebbutt said at a business lecture in silly Suffolk this week if you want business you have got to get on your bike and go looking for it. Nobody said Small Business is easy and the biggest culture shock is you have to go out and sell
Amazingly lots of Small Business people do not like selling.

Top Cleaners like the Major must have gone out and sold their Cruise Ship Cleaning I doubt it fell to him on a plate.

How many of us have submitted a bid for the Million Pound Carpet Cleaning Contract?

[JandS]

Wayne

This week is the worst week I've had since starting
in 04/08.
Got a stain job this evening and a full day tomorrow
and that's it.

John

[MAX Carpets]

My phone has'nt rung all day. Cant remember that happening since the late 80s /early 90s !!!

[Steve Rothwell]

Perhaps you should pay the bill then Justin... 

Then you may get re-connected and it might ring again... 







Just sayin like 

[Jamie Lindsay]

its because of groupon me thinks

[John Kelly]

No its not Groupon, its quiet right across the country at every customer level. Goes through patches like this then picks up again.

[Mike Halliday]

i don't like to answer post like this because it sounds like bragging but a slow period to me is being booked 4 days in advance instead 7 it make no difference...... every day i have work for the next  day.

 being booked up  5 days in advance is actually better than being booked up a month in advance,

[Andrew Briscoe]

Those that have been established for 10yrs plus will be having a better time than the newer start ups, this is where a good customer base comes in.

We are steady, we get quiet weeks and busy weeks, but I like to go by figures at the end of the year.

Being cleaners of other things, ie office/contract cleans etc, gives us a monthly income.

Andrew

[Steve Gunn]

Not flat out but have work for every day waiting to go out and do an office at 6 was out a 7 this morning doing a pub with rugs in between at the unit

[davep]

Busy here, running at approx 60% repeat and referals, not much new work

[Alan falconer]

i don't like to answer post like this because it sounds like bragging but a slow period to me is being booked 4 days in advance instead 7 it make no difference...... every day i have work for the next  day.

 being booked up  5 days in advance is actually better than being booked up a month in advance,

I need to know your secrets !!!!

[Alan falconer]

Was on gumtree earlier looking to sell some tickets and noticed a lot of carpet cleaners using it too advertise but the prices are crazy I think one was as low as £27 for two carpets I was tempted to book him just to see how he does it !

[clinton]

Steady here and with over 20 years of clients and repeats and rec,s thankfully.

Getting a steady flow from my web sites too..

Alan is right with very low prices mind..

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Most of my work is recommened and past work like it should be after 20 odd years but as I drive around there's not much traffic on the road does seem quiet it's all bad news in the media which slows down the economy.

Shaun

[Paul Moss]

Totally agree with the 2 above posts.

[M.Acorn]

Been the worst few months ever for me, really really slow, until today when the phone rang constantly done 3 quotes this eve 2 booked and 1 will confirm when the have move out date, booked another 2 next week  2 that I have done previously and they saw my sticker under the sink, Very weird how it all seems to come at once.

[mark_roberts]

Its the news on TV at the moment re Greece etc.  Ive noticed over the past few years when theres doom and gloom on the news re the economy the phone goes quiet. 

Mark

[Elfyn]

Mark, your absolutely right. Most of the problem is gloom and doom.
I have a friend who says - the BBC have got us into a right mess.
In my oppinion, the things that greedy men in suits get up to has very little to do with the economy, it's just the gloom factor that comes with it.

[Neil Williams]

Don't measure 'busy-ness' on a day by day or week by week basis, at the very least it should be on a rolling 4 week period if not longer.
I've been through numerous 'quiet' periods this year but these have been cancelled out by a few well priced unexpected jobs that just came along.

[COLIN BRIGHT]

I agree with mike about being booked up in advance, sent out some offers and by mid feb was booked solid for 5 weeks, which sounds great, but had to turn away a Hugh amount of work because people wouldn't wait that long, now I'm back to about 7 days in advance but this week started slow but after quoting on Monday it's turned out to be my best week of the year so far

[clive ware]

Like Mike, It sounds like I`m bragging but its been hectic down here the last few weeks. I had a real quiet couple of weeks in February which seems like the norm now-Ithink everyones paying their credit cards of after Christmas but since then its got busier and busier. Did 6 jobs today starting at 7am right through to 7pm. Knackered!!
It does help that I`ve been in business for over 25 years tho!
Just stick with it.Keep putting leaflets out, visit some carpet shops and I`m sure you`ll find the phone will start ringing. I do think that during a recession, people have their carpets cleaned rather than replace them.

[will_turton]

 andy locks quiet

[carpet_care]

Yes very funny busier than you mr turton :

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

I have definitely been quieter and have had to work harder at getting jobs than is usual but thats not a bad thing.

I don't believe it''s got that much to do with the wider macro economic situation, as the fact it has rained so much and been cold in the bargain.

The phone has been much busier this week and that's down to the weather improving.

May is a funny time because people will wait for better weather which they wouldn't do in January as it's too far off.

Cheers

Doug

[Linds Russell]

Record turnover last month and this month is shaping up nicely. No complaints here. The quality of our clients has increased, so average job price is up.

[Craigp]

My vans cleaner than normal.

[Ian Rochester]

Steady as always  

[MAX Carpets]

I agree with the weather theory, deffo has more impact the the economy

[Kinver_Clean]

I have in previous years booked a fortnight's work on the first really sunny March Saturday.

I think these b..  Olympics are going to muck things up, I have a mind to take the caravan up to the north of Scotland with no telly

[Steve Fortt]

i seem to be ticking over nicely at the moment.

[William Sharpe]

Remember guys loads of people will be off soon on summer holidays and saving for that now so domestic work will drop off a bit HOWEVER the schools, creches are my targets and have 3 major school jobs now already booked for July _carpets-vinyl flooring-office furniture, stage & common areas now i'm targeting factories that shut down for maintenance over July/August - loads of work out there guys just waiting for you to call on them ££££££££££!

[Terry_Burrows]

have to say its been pretty dead all this year for carpets,the phone stoped ringing back end of last year,
and as soon as a job comes in,machine goes wrong again,got 2 small jobs today then its back to ashbys!
nothing booked up at all!its been the worst year ever,

[Richard Basey-Fisher]

trade has been awfull this week phone has not rung once .  mind you i have been in hospital since wed with my wife having a baby . lovely 8lb baby girl. 

[Kinver_Clean]

Well done your wife-- now your troubles really start. My kids are in their 40s now and I still get 'Daaaad ' plus the grandchildren. Wouldn't be without them.

[Andrew Briscoe]

Weather has changed here today, clear skies and hot, phone not stopped ringing all day and booked a weeks work from it.

Thank god for the hole in the ozone.   

[clinton]

Lovley weather here too and took a good few jobs here today..

May is usually a good month here for us..

[clive ware]

Congratulations Richard-great news!!

[Carpet Dawg]

Congrats Richard! and good luck!

Got lots of calls today! Last week was a strange one, busy mon, tues and wed and quite (for me) thurs and friday and saturday, still had work though. Phone hardley rang those days either (again strange for me) picked up over the weekend and today.

May has been a good month so far though, that glintch was probably the calm before the storm!  

[will_turton]

 well done richard, hope mum and baby are doing well, my little menace is fast approaching 11 months,

[Richard Joyce]

Not to bad for me things are starting to pick up nicely

[dave123]

This last 6 weeks have been the worst time ever for me in 12 years . What work I have had has been  small ones . 

Dave

[bennymon]

Really quiet here