Are other cleaning companies finding it slow

« **on:** July 15, 2008, 11:50:52 am »

Just wondered, with the way the economic climate is at the moment if other cleaning companies are finding it slow.

What about cleaning quotes have they slowed down?

Are you recieving the same amount of enquiries for work?

I have seen a few firms are laying people off!

Dapper

« **Reply #1 on:** July 15, 2008, 12:33:30 pm »

Anyone who may be interested in quoting in the following areas email me

Nottingham, Wakefield, Gateshead, Durham, Bolton,
Brentwood, Bridgend, Bridgewater, Haydock, Hull, Iver,Liverpool,
Milton Keynes, Peterborough, Preston, Bellshill and Sevenoaks,

small portacabins right up to large offices....

« **Reply #2 on:** July 15, 2008, 04:01:23 pm »

i guess not, but when you say bridgend, is that wales?

« **Reply #3 on:** July 15, 2008, 04:10:00 pm »

Thats the one

« **Reply #4 on:** July 15, 2008, 06:15:20 pm »

just starting to slow down with the credit crunch and recession on the horizon, also the kidsa are on holiday soon so parents money is tied up.

winter looming too!

« **Reply #5 on:** July 15, 2008, 08:18:09 pm »

Well, guess others are not finding it too slow then!

Yes we have work, I just noticed as we keep records.
That the enquiries have dropped.

Althou they have dropped, we atill have a steady increase so I guess we cannot complain.

S congrats to everyone that is making it throu the ression.

Dapper

« **Reply #6 on:** July 16, 2008, 12:24:30 pm »

It seems quite a few companies are asking for quotes, poss there are more enquiries than usual, but many businesses are taking longer than usual to make a decision, which maybe that they are doing a wait and see.

Or IMO it could be many companies are looking to reduce prices which means more enquiries, if you can keep your costs back right back (bearing in mind the financial implications of the min wage/statuatory hols increases in oct that will affect payroll costs) poss it's opportunity to pick up more work.

« **Reply #7 on:** July 16, 2008, 04:53:24 pm »

Quote from: millhouse on July 16, 2008, 12:24:30 pm

It seems quite a few companies are asking for quotes, poss there are more enquiries than usual, but many businesses are taking longer than usual to make a decision, which maybe that they are doing a wait and see.

Or IMO it could be many companies are looking to reduce prices which means more enquiries, if you can keep your costs back right back (bearing in mind the financial implications of the min wage/statuatory hols increases in oct that will affect payroll costs) poss it's opportunity to pick up more work.

i think you are right, i have seen an upturn in enquiries and quoting a bit more office cleaning work, but like you said they are taking a few weeks to make a desision,

i have noticed that the retail side of business is taking more of the hit at the moment and the service sector is getting better a bit,

won a contract from a well known cleaning firm worth over £40,000 a year, i noticed that they were pumping up the cost of the hiring of equipment in the washrooms, i eliminated the outstaning cost of the hiring and saved them over £4000 a year, but i dont know how much i saved them in the overall quote.

so just hold on you lot i think these companies are fed up with the big companies now and want a bit of the personal touch for their money, they dont want to talk with a secretary that will call a manager then the manager will call the area manager and so on,

thanx jonny

« **Reply #8 on:** July 17, 2008, 07:27:37 am »

Yes I have found we have had lots of domestic calls too.

Not that we do domestic cleans. I found they were too much hassle. So I have been turning them away.

Have been getting lots of work from property management companies recently which is good.

We have also I think its in November yellow pages comes out, we have a big advert in there... we have found thompson useless for commercial work.

We will soon do a large mail shot as well.. to local companies hopefully win some work off of our competitors down here.

« **Reply #9 on:** July 18, 2008, 03:55:12 pm »

Started to get alot of bookings ,booked solid till 8 aug and waiting for the nod on a big steam cleaning job will take best part of two weeks, picking up a few commercial custys at the mo but not looking forward to november as not busy last year at that time

« **Reply #10 on:** July 19, 2008, 07:18:00 pm »

Clinton carpet cleaning is picking up on the commercial side, in the last two months have picked up 12 nursing homes 5 nurserys and an head office for a food company but not to much dommestic but i keep trying , i think theres more money in carpet cleaning than pressure washing and alot less effort dont feel as exausted when i get in dont get me wrong c/c still hard work.

« **Reply #11 on:** July 20, 2008, 10:26:35 am »

think im going to change my name to 'carpet surgeon' seems to be more work doing carpets, especially on the commercial side, and its indoors, and all year round work, sounds well better than pressure washing. got me thinking big time,

« **Reply #12 on:** July 20, 2008, 11:19:07 am »

i like the idea of thre vac but sum gutters are really hard to get to with a ladder or vac, and some gutters have the roof tiles over hanging the gutter that much that you cant even get the vac in, thats from my experience.

« **Reply #13 on:** July 24, 2008, 10:43:09 am »

last two weeks has been slow compared to previous months. you??

« **Reply #14 on:** July 24, 2008, 12:52:03 pm »

Just had a fax from Barrett Homes. They have suspended weekly cleans on their showhomes, canteens, site offices and site toilets. Pity the person who has to go in and clean them after a week or so, bogs will be heaving.

« **Reply #15 on:** July 24, 2008, 06:36:12 pm »

Hi

Can't keep up at the moment.

52 jobs so far this month.

Regards

Martin

« **Reply #16 on:** July 24, 2008, 08:15:18 pm »

Quote from: pdl on July 24, 2008, 12:52:03 pm

Just had a fax from Barrett Homes. They have suspended weekly cleans on their showhomes, canteens, site offices and site toilets. Pity the person who has to go in and clean them after a week or so, bogs will be heaving.

I know what you mean there! despite some of us having plenty of work, I think there are many that are suffering. There are too many redundancies to say we are all doing brilliant.

I guess some of us are just trying to keep up good appearences.

However there are people that will make money out of this bad economic time... sadly I dont think it will be me

« **Reply #17 on:** July 25, 2008, 07:22:44 am »

Hi Previous to this last 6 weeks I was quiet for almost 9 months, so I know where those people are coming from. I had to change the way I do business to get busy, if I'd of carried on what I was doing I would be seriously struggling.

There are always ways to make money.

Read business books and find out how other people made their money, Duncan Banatyne, Richard Branson, peter Jones, Felix dennis, Robert Kyosaki.

How can you make money from a recession? There is always money to be made, if you look for it.

Remember:

If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten

Regards

Martin

« **Reply #18 on:** July 29, 2008, 10:54:48 am »

just signed new contract for £21,125 new build cleaning this morning, made my day

« **Reply #19 on:** July 30, 2008, 08:27:13 pm »

Quote from: *Chris Browne on July 15, 2008, 12:33:30 pm

Anyone who may be interested in quoting in the following areas email me

Nottingham, Wakefield, Gateshead, Durham, Bolton,
Brentwood, Bridgend, Bridgewater, Haydock, Hull, Iver,Liverpool,
Milton Keynes, Peterborough, Preston, Bellshill and Sevenoaks,

small portacabins right up to large offices....

We would be very interested - we are in Bolton Area

« **Reply #20 on:** August 06, 2008, 09:57:35 pm »

all you pressure washing guys gone quiet??

« **Reply #21 on:** August 07, 2008, 07:18:16 am »

hello
not feeling like this getting a lot's form all the area .

« **Reply #22 on:** August 07, 2008, 09:47:27 am »

Quote from: pdl on July 29, 2008, 10:54:48 am

just signed new contract for £21,125 new build cleaning this morning, made my day

nice one!. Did you contact them or did they find you, and why do you think you got the contract rather than other companies? This is the work we have been seeking for last eighteen months biggest contract we had was for £4000 and even though we did a brilliant job it was only a small builder who doesnt really have dealings with bigger builders so cant recommend us.

« **Reply #23 on:** August 07, 2008, 03:37:58 pm »

We've been in this game now for 5 years and this is the fourth phase of this building project, each phase is about the same price. (Large site). We have been with this client since phase 1 and we also do other sites for them. This is hard work and payments take between 45-90 days, so you need to be pretty well established and have the cashflow necessary to pay wages etc.

Prices have also got to be competitive when submitting your tender.

You MUST have all the necessary documentation (H & S/Method Statements etc)

But the most important thing is to get onto the clients approved tender list. This will involve a full H & S audit by your prospective client and you normally have to score 80%+
and supply references and outside referees, good credit rating etc. I could go on and on, but once you have become an approved supplier and attained your position on the approved tender list, then all you have to do is be competive when submitting the tender.

It's not always the case of being the cheapest, it about giving value for money, and past performance.

« **Reply #24 on:** August 07, 2008, 03:44:09 pm »

Forgot to mention, the other key thing to getting this type of work is to have well trained, well paid and motivated staff/teams headed up by great chargehands and of course decent vehicles/vans and equipment. You will also need to be flexible and be able to respond to the clients needs usually at short notice.

« **Reply #25 on:** August 10, 2008, 12:36:46 pm »

I was waiting to see my bank manager a few weeks ago and picked up a booklet all about the current financial market. Retail, property, building etc all set to fall big time. Services was the only market expected to have an increase in work. Looks like we are in the right business for the recession!

We will loose some wok in the building trade but if house sales are falling then lettings will increase meaning more work there instead.

Things will always get dirty and need cleaning so chin up guys we will still be in work by the end of it all!

« **Reply #26 on:** August 10, 2008, 01:06:26 pm »

Quote from: *Chris Browne on July 15, 2008, 12:33:30 pm

Anyone who may be interested in quoting in the following areas email me

Nottingham, Wakefield, Gateshead, Durham, Bolton,
Brentwood, Bridgend, Bridgewater, Haydock, Hull, Iver,Liverpool,
Milton Keynes, Peterborough, Preston, Bellshill and Sevenoaks,

small portacabins right up to large offices....

Hey honey
would be interested in quoting for Nottingham my email is june-hamilton@hotmail.co.uk

« **Reply #27 on:** August 10, 2008, 05:37:03 pm »

Quote from: pdl on July 24, 2008, 12:52:03 pm

Just had a fax from Barrett Homes. They have suspended weekly cleans on their showhomes, canteens, site offices and site toilets. Pity the person who has to go in and clean them after a week or so, bogs will be heaving.

Yeah the firm whose show homes and offices we clean has just been bought out by barratt homes and I've heard they are stopping builds all thougether in out area once the next current phase is completed

« **Reply #28 on:** August 11, 2008, 03:59:11 pm »

hiya chris we would also be interested in nottingham did send you an email but its dodgy at mo just got fixed hopefully haha so if you have any work needing to be quoted up in notts or surrounding areas please let us know thanks chris im dave my email is david.wharmby33@ntlworld.com or 077172941668 hope to hear from you soon