kevinpatten

  • Posts: 7
What to do........
« on: November 06, 2014, 09:37:37 pm »
Well I have been giving this a lot of serious thought, but I am on the verge of wrapping up my business.  Was flat out in summer but now I have nowt and aint had nowt for nearly a month. Every one in my neck of the woods dont want to know. Cant see any other option but to try to get a job.  :'(  :'(  :'(  :'(

Smudger

  • Posts: 13234
Re: What to do........
« Reply #1 on: November 06, 2014, 10:02:16 pm »
Sorry to hear that, how long you been going?

Darran
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

www.oddbodscleaning.co.uk

Jettaway

  • Posts: 521
Re: What to do........
« Reply #2 on: November 06, 2014, 10:31:33 pm »
I feel for you buddy. I think we've all been there.

What kind of advertising do you do?
What services do you offer.  Could you expand somehow?

kevinpatten

  • Posts: 7
Re: What to do........
« Reply #3 on: November 06, 2014, 10:41:24 pm »
Been going just under a year.
We offer everything from carpet washing to full top to toe cleans, I have even tried to do a bit of decorating as well, but to no avail.

Dont know where us best to advertise, and who to target anymore. I would be happy with a couple of gutter cleans a week, that would cheer me up a bit.

Jettaway

  • Posts: 521
Re: What to do........
« Reply #4 on: November 06, 2014, 11:28:29 pm »
Its early days,  don't beat yourself up too much.

Surely the carpets will pick up in the run up to Xmas?

Just keep putting yourself out there!

To quote Waynes World 2 "if you build it, they will come"

Ian101

  • Posts: 7887
Re: What to do........
« Reply #5 on: November 07, 2014, 05:36:04 am »
You ask "what to do"

Have you done all of the following if not then no time like now to start

Web Site
Optimised website for keywords
Ran a Google Adwords campaign
Got a free £75 Adwords voucher off Google (easy to search for)
Set up a You Tube account
Done some videos of your work for You Tube
Constantly dropped 2000 leaflets a week ..... every week ... week in week out for last year
Advertised in local parish magazines / local business pages that get dropped door to door
Gone door to door canvassing
Set up a Facebook page
Joined some local buy and sell Facebook groups
Paid for a small ad campaign on Facebook
Sign written van or car
Asked customers for referrals
Got a free listing on yell.com with photos and a good description / write up with webpage link and customer feedback
Got a free listing on Thompson Local
Got a free listing on Free Index

There is probably more but these off top of my head.

A lot of these are passive campaigns so work 24 hours a day with little input from you once they're up and running ... some require hard work like door to door canvassing and dropping 2000 leaflets a week (you can easy do 500 a day if there is no work booked in.

chris scott

  • Posts: 3414
Re: What to do........
« Reply #6 on: November 07, 2014, 06:55:08 am »
I have PDF files  of our leaflets I can send you...they work for us. Convert them and put your own tel number on.
We get 40,000 colour leaflets done for £450...I can put you in touch with the printer.
The gutter cards work well at this time of year.
www.cleaning-service.uk.com
www.render-cleaning.co
https://www.cleaning-service.uk.com/bromoco-systems/
Exterior cleaning specialists covering Merseyside,Lancashire and Cheshire. TEL 08000 933267

Jettaway

  • Posts: 521
Re: What to do........
« Reply #7 on: November 07, 2014, 07:25:18 am »
Could you send me a copy Chris please.
 Im looking at rehauling my leaflets over the winter.
Could do with some inspiration.

Rob_Mac

Re: What to do........
« Reply #8 on: November 07, 2014, 07:34:17 am »
Could I have a copy please?

Rob ;D

BDCS

  • Posts: 4777
Re: What to do........
« Reply #9 on: November 07, 2014, 08:36:04 am »
Go out when its raining and bang doors - " there is water pessing out of your gutter making your home damp, I can rectify that for you, would you like a price ?" If you can't get at least one gutter job per road then you won't get a job either.

kevinpatten

  • Posts: 7
Re: What to do........
« Reply #10 on: November 07, 2014, 09:58:16 am »
I have PDF files  of our leaflets I can send you...they work for us. Convert them and put your own tel number on.
We get 40,000 colour leaflets done for £450...I can put you in touch with the printer.
The gutter cards work well at this time of year.

Hi that would be brill, thanks for your support. You can email them to powercleanwales@hotmail.com
Thanks.
Kevin.

Smudger

  • Posts: 13234
Re: What to do........
« Reply #11 on: November 07, 2014, 10:53:18 am »
Me too pls

ob1@btinternet.com

Darran
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

www.oddbodscleaning.co.uk

Rob@Blast off

  • Posts: 875
Re: What to do........
« Reply #12 on: November 07, 2014, 11:25:25 am »

Matt Gibson

  • Posts: 2482
Re: What to do........
« Reply #13 on: November 07, 2014, 11:44:16 am »
Chris, Stick your leaflets up your ar$e  ;D

AndyDS

  • Posts: 35
Re: What to do........
« Reply #14 on: November 07, 2014, 12:07:05 pm »
Please copy me in.
Thank you
kerbappeal@mail.com

Stoots

  • Posts: 6049
Re: What to do........
« Reply #15 on: November 07, 2014, 12:47:37 pm »
What i would do, start again, remember you havent quit untio you give in so this is not quitting

Go the window cleaning route to get your regular work, then you can build carpets/pressure washing/valeting/whatever from there

1. get full time job
2 save up over winter buy all your gear and get a website or two built
3. get a 30 hr per week job, sign up to fb/twitter/free advertising and do it everyday
4. 10 hrs a week canvass, then start cleaning
5. when you have built up work on your "off days"..
6.Get a 16 hour per week job, at this point you should be able to save a couple of grand for a canvasser
7. employ said canvasser and quit job
8. if you have  asite for w/cleaning and a site for carpet cleaning that rank high you should get at least 2 enquirys a week poss up to 10.
9. You should have enough regular wc work say 500 pw by now plus phone calls
10. canvass like a bitch/advertise like a mofo until youre brimming then employ someone to help you on a zero hours contract, that way if work falls off you can get rid over next winter.

Finally either stay where you are or build from here
Job done

Neil Jones

  • Posts: 1592
Re: What to do........
« Reply #16 on: November 07, 2014, 01:05:19 pm »
£450 for 40,000. Double what I pay. Shop around Chris lad.

chris scott

  • Posts: 3414
Re: What to do........
« Reply #17 on: November 07, 2014, 02:11:14 pm »
Chris, Stick your leaflets up your ar$e  ;D

What all 40,000 or just a few? ;D
www.cleaning-service.uk.com
www.render-cleaning.co
https://www.cleaning-service.uk.com/bromoco-systems/
Exterior cleaning specialists covering Merseyside,Lancashire and Cheshire. TEL 08000 933267

chris scott

  • Posts: 3414
Re: What to do........
« Reply #18 on: November 07, 2014, 02:12:28 pm »
£450 for 40,000. Double what I pay. Shop around Chris lad.
I thought that was quite a good price ...full colour gloss leaflet on 130 gram paper.
www.cleaning-service.uk.com
www.render-cleaning.co
https://www.cleaning-service.uk.com/bromoco-systems/
Exterior cleaning specialists covering Merseyside,Lancashire and Cheshire. TEL 08000 933267

mark bowditch

  • Posts: 142
Re: What to do........
« Reply #19 on: November 07, 2014, 03:29:10 pm »
Hi kevinpatten

The first thing I would do if you're sitting indoors board at night is the sort out your website its total sh?t
http://www.aberystwythcleaners.com
And if the above link is not your website my apologies
There is no page structure or anything else there is nothing wrong with the WordPress theme you are using which is Asteria Lite
As sometimes this will be your customer’s first impression of your company and first impressions count
I personally would never put prices on a website

All the best Mark
Pressure Washing and Maintenance
http://www.grimeforce.co.uk

Re: What to do........
« Reply #20 on: November 07, 2014, 03:42:04 pm »
Chris, Stick your leaflets up your ar$e  ;D
+1  ;D

chris scott

  • Posts: 3414
Re: What to do........
« Reply #21 on: November 07, 2014, 05:01:24 pm »
www.cleaning-service.uk.com
www.render-cleaning.co
https://www.cleaning-service.uk.com/bromoco-systems/
Exterior cleaning specialists covering Merseyside,Lancashire and Cheshire. TEL 08000 933267

kevinpatten

  • Posts: 7
Re: What to do........
« Reply #22 on: November 07, 2014, 05:11:30 pm »
No im not Aberystwyth cleaners

Kev Martin

  • Posts: 6954
Re: What to do........
« Reply #23 on: November 07, 2014, 05:14:43 pm »
"Natural Stone Restoration Specialists" Tel: 0121 773 9129
www.tilinglogistics.co.uk | www.marblelife.co.uk  http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Tiling-Logistics

chris scott

  • Posts: 3414
Re: What to do........
« Reply #24 on: November 07, 2014, 05:46:02 pm »
Our next leaflets will have miracle seal on them.
www.cleaning-service.uk.com
www.render-cleaning.co
https://www.cleaning-service.uk.com/bromoco-systems/
Exterior cleaning specialists covering Merseyside,Lancashire and Cheshire. TEL 08000 933267

Kev Martin

  • Posts: 6954
Re: What to do........
« Reply #25 on: November 07, 2014, 06:01:59 pm »
Our next leaflets will have miracle seal on them.

Why?  You can't get it!  Sell it! Or market it without my express permission ;D
"Natural Stone Restoration Specialists" Tel: 0121 773 9129
www.tilinglogistics.co.uk | www.marblelife.co.uk  http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Tiling-Logistics

chris scott

  • Posts: 3414
Re: What to do........
« Reply #26 on: November 07, 2014, 06:08:37 pm »
Our next leaflets will have miracle seal on them.

Why?  You can't get it!  Sell it! Or market it without my express permission ;D

No but one leaflet will do about 50 houses   ;D ;D ;D ;D
www.cleaning-service.uk.com
www.render-cleaning.co
https://www.cleaning-service.uk.com/bromoco-systems/
Exterior cleaning specialists covering Merseyside,Lancashire and Cheshire. TEL 08000 933267

Kev Martin

  • Posts: 6954
Re: What to do........
« Reply #27 on: November 07, 2014, 06:20:28 pm »
Our next leaflets will have miracle seal on them.

Why?  You can't get it!  Sell it! Or market it without my express permission ;D

No but one leaflet will do about 50 houses   ;D ;D ;D ;D

It will on the size jobs you work on ;D  That's a Litre in your case
"Natural Stone Restoration Specialists" Tel: 0121 773 9129
www.tilinglogistics.co.uk | www.marblelife.co.uk  http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Tiling-Logistics

Neil Jones

  • Posts: 1592
Re: What to do........
« Reply #28 on: November 08, 2014, 03:21:26 pm »
£450 for 40,000. Double what I pay. Shop around Chris lad.
I thought that was quite a good price ...full colour gloss leaflet on 130 gram paper.

Not quite half but £323.

drive surgeon

  • Posts: 2812
Re: What to do........
« Reply #29 on: November 10, 2014, 08:11:16 pm »
No point putting leaflets out for pressure washing now till February or March. It's the last thing people want with xmas looming and the dreaded skint month of January. Best going on holiday to Spain or offer some other service in winter. Unless you have commercial contracts