[matt]

Window Cleaning Business Coach PART TWO

im not sure why Kevin R closed the tread

i was finding it interesting, and allways open to NEW ( and sensible ) idea's

[ronnie paton]

i would say 10%, but the percentages would go up for the more lucrative jobs.

[matt]

If your average price is £15.00 and your average number of cleans is twelve times a year your average customer is worth £180.00 excluding adhoc work.


So what would be a reasonable amount of money to spend on each new customer for marketing?


The example matt is just a hypothetical, but I would like to hear your take on the question.

for me to bring it that 15 quid house, i would be prepared to spend 15 - 30 quid

so if i spent 15 - 30 quid on a leaflet drop of say 50 houses, i would be happy with 1 house from that

so i guess you could say a leaflet drop with the offer of a free 3rd clean on them, would be worth it as in theory they would be used to having clean windows by the time i did my 3rd clean and would be more inclined to keep me on

[Oakley Windows]

Window Cleaning Business Coach PART TWO

im not sure why Kevin R closed the tread

i was finding it interesting, and allways open to NEW ( and sensible ) idea's

Yes, it was interesting.

One of the things I found didnt 'add up' was this subject on Kevin Dubroskys site regarding pricing. I became immediately sceptical of him and his approaches after reading his pricing structure for the following job

How much do you think you could charge to clean the windows of a small, 950 square feet bungalow with 8 main floor windows + 3 basement windows? And let’s say that you would also clean their eaves for them (and it would take you 10 minutes to do that) . Actually, let me go one step further, and show you the actual house I’m talking about.

Here it is:



How much would you charge to clean these windows?

Many of my competitors would price that job at $125.00 or maybe $150.00 if they’re feeling good that day.

This is not a fancy neighbourhood and this is not a fancy house.

We priced this job at $400 + tax, and the client was delighted to pay it. Delighted. Not because they’re foolish or naive, either, but because we understand what our clients want, and we operate our business in a way that focuses on satisfying these demands.

Now correct me if Im wrong, but doesnt $400.00 equate to something like £200.00 for what is a window clean and 10 more minutes work (which is what he has stated).

I dont know, but to me, and maybe Im just too soft, but realistically speaking, isn't £200.00 for 30 minutes work (the 10 minutes for the eaves and 20 minutes? for the windows) taking the p?

In this country you'd have Matt Awright on your case with those rates.

Matt

[mark dew]

Yes it was an interesting thread.
As for the pricing, we need to know more about the background.
Is this a once a year cleaning cycle? Does it include the inside windows and anything else?
How long do they work there for that $400?

I do find the marketing background interesting.

[Oakley Windows]

Yes it was an interestinmg thread.
As for the pricing, we need to know more about the background.
Is this a once a year cleaning cycle? Does it include the inside windows and anything else?
How long do they work there for that $400?

I do find the marketing background interesting.

http://windowcleaningbusinesscoach.com/coach/archives/9#respond

[matt]

Window Cleaning Business Coach PART TWO

im not sure why Kevin R closed the tread

i was finding it interesting, and allways open to NEW ( and sensible ) idea's

Yes, it was interesting.

One of the things I found didnt 'add up' was this subject on Kevin Dubroskys site regarding pricing. I became immediately sceptical of him and his approaches after reading his pricing structure for the following job

How much do you think you could charge to clean the windows of a small, 950 square feet bungalow with 8 main floor windows + 3 basement windows? And let’s say that you would also clean their eaves for them (and it would take you 10 minutes to do that) . Actually, let me go one step further, and show you the actual house I’m talking about.

Here it is:



How much would you charge to clean these windows?

Many of my competitors would price that job at $125.00 or maybe $150.00 if they’re feeling good that day.

This is not a fancy neighbourhood and this is not a fancy house.

We priced this job at $400 + tax, and the client was delighted to pay it. Delighted. Not because they’re foolish or naive, either, but because we understand what our clients want, and we operate our business in a way that focuses on satisfying these demands.

Now correct me if Im wrong, but doesnt $400.00 equate to something like £200.00 for what is a window clean and 10 more minutes work (which is what he has stated).

I dont know, but to me, and maybe Im just too soft, but realistically speaking, isn't £200.00 for 30 minutes work (the 10 minutes for the eaves and 20 minutes? for the windows) taking the p?

In this country you'd have Matt Awright on your case with those rates.

Matt

$400 is 300 quid these days

[David Slater]

i would say 10%, but the percentages would go up for the more lucrative jobs.

Thanks for that Ronnie, 10% seems high to me only because I am currently marketing at about 3% per value of customer.

I spend the money on quality business cards, leaflets and brochure etc what else do you spend the extra 7% on?

Have you included staff costs to get the flyers/brochures in front of the customer?

[peter holley]

If your average price is £15.00 and your average number of cleans is twelve times a year your average customer is worth £180.00 excluding adhoc work.


So what would be a reasonable amount of money to spend on each new customer for marketing?


The example matt is just a hypothetical, but I would like to hear your take on the question.

[williamx]

Here are a few FREE marketing tips that I can guarantee will work, and if you follow them, you will double the size of your business in 1 year or I give you double your money back.

•   Have a professional approach and look to your business, try a uniform, company name, landline telephone which diverts to your mobile so you can be contactable all the time.
•   Door-knock new areas, once a week for at least 2 hours.
•   Drop leaflets to 5 houses on each side of the customers you already clean for when you have cleaned them, saying that you already do so and so and to contact you, if they need a reliable cleaner, do this every month until they get in touch with you.
•   Advertised you business on every free web-site that you can.
•   Get some leaflets printed that advertised your services and fix them on the back of every toilet door in all the pubs in your area, most landlords will allow you to do this.
•   Also place a leaflet on every shop wall that you can do for free.
•   Ask all of you customers for 3 recommendations from their friends or family, in return you will give them a free clean on every one who takes on your services.
•   Send 50 letters to businesses every week.
•   Ask all of your friends and family to help promote your business.

All of these methods have worked, so feel free to try them.
Remember to more your “name” is known the more business you will attract.

[mark dew]

just read that but it didn't give an indication of the background of this job. I assume the 10 minutes mentioned was about cleaning the eaves as well?
Or was that for the whole job?  
How many men?
His point about there being a market for every type of price is a good one. Though i would swap price for service.
Unless we are prepared to travel anywhere, i think most of us are restricted or managed at least, by the areas we operate. And the prices that are dictated by this.  

very interesting reading 'can do' posts anyway.

[David Slater]

i would say 10%, but the percentages would go up for the more lucrative jobs.

Thanks for that Ronnie, 10% seems high to me only because I am currently marketing at about 3% per value of customer.

I spend the money on quality business cards, leaflets and brochure etc what else do you spend the extra 7% on?

Have you included staff costs to get the flyers/brochures in front of the customer?

Sole trader, so I do a lot of the other jobs as well.

Ewan,

Stand back for just one moment and look at what you've written.

You cant clean windows AND deliver leaflets at the same time. If you dont build in realistic costs, then your model is flawed.

At some point in time, you need to outsource/delegate work (such as employing an acountant). If you dont build that cost into your model how are you going to pay for it?

[David Slater]

Thanks for your concern

When I have employed (sub contracted) it’s been for production (window cleaning) not for any other basic office/business based work.

I’m hoping to delegate all my production work!


Just to clarify 3% is to every potential customer.

You employ/sub contract window cleaners to do the cleaning? Then go out delivering leaflets that you could get delivered for less than £5.00 per hour?

ermmm....

Wouldnt you be better to clean a few windows and pay some kid £5.00 an hour to deliver leaflets???

Its an intersting approach you're using thats for sure!

Not sure its one I'd follow.

 

[Oakley Windows]

To be honest, if you guys spent as much time on marketing as you do on this forum you would do much better for yourselves. :

'Ay, its Christmas 

[Oakley Windows]

Can you re-explain that please?

[Clive McDonald]

Good to see you taking part in this Matt. In any sphere it's very difficult to have wholly original ideas.

Mcdonalds have a special kitchen that works on recipes for new products but the ones that get adopted very often come from an employee or one outlet in one country that becomes a success and then enjoys a wider audience.

Richard branson has a team that does nothing at all apart from asses new business ideas. If they meet certain criteria they get to him. The model is normaly an individual with expertise in the field, a third party to lend money, and the virgin brand and business know how.

I'm a fan of mcd's strawberry sundae, this is ice cream with strawberry jam at 99p.Perhaps they didn't invent this, but they have made it theirs.The point being that even if the good idea is someone elses' then it should still be used.

A lot of the ideas i have don't work, but some of them do, maybe 60%. So 40% of the time i am wrong. Wrong about marketing that is.

My marketing budget is currently £700 a year. I prefer to spend this money than spend my time.

[Oakley Windows]

Richard branson has a team that does nothing at all apart from asses

I hope you dont ever go on Dragons Den and make a statement like that, you'll be hung drawn and quartered 

[Clive McDonald]

apart from my spelling, yes nothing at all, as in a team of about a dozen doing sweet nothing apart from this, and the process is very similar to dragons den apart from the fact that he brings his brand.

He considers his core business to be starting, adding value, and then exiting businesses.

Did he think of this himself? no. Was it painfull to sell off all his record shops that no longer made fabulous returns?yes.
Does he now consider it a mistake to hang on to them as long as he did? yes.

On the dragons den(or with any private equity) the idea is to invest and build with a view to selling for a big return inside of two to five years.

We wouldn't get far on dragons den because there is not enough money in what we do. They look for a 35% return on capital per year as a benchmark, we can't, even the best of us (ahem) hit anything near this.

[David Slater]

David Slater, Going around delivering leaflets is something I did when I first started, and will most likely use this marketing style alone someday in the future.

But I am a lot more focused now broad sweeps are to time consuming and there returns are not good enough for me.

How much I spend on marketing each potential customer I couldn’t afford to market many thousands of potential customers. Instead I market fewer but get much better returns.

Hope that makes sense.

Not really. Would you care to give examples?

Are you saying you're a salesman and not a window cleaner? Thats fair enough....if you have deep pockets and are able to concentrate soley on marketing while subsidising the window cleaning workers/vehicles/equipment while the business develops.

I presume you do subsidise the window cleaners while you're developing the work? Unless you're saying your strike rate and prices are so effective that you can hit parity in one clean?

[matt]

Thanks for your concern

When I have employed (sub contracted) it’s been for production (window cleaning) not for any other basic office/business based work.

I’m hoping to delegate all my production work!


Just to clarify 3% is to every potential customer.

You employ/sub contract window cleaners to do the cleaning? Then go out delivering leaflets that you could get delivered for less than £5.00 per hour?

ermmm....

Wouldnt you be better to clean a few windows and pay some kid £5.00 an hour to deliver leaflets???


 

without sounding like i am defending ewan ( because that is the furthest thing from my mind )

have you thought that he ( and others ) might just deliver the leaflets in a evening when its dark and they cannot clean windows, so why pay a lad 5 quid a hour to deliver when you can do it yourself for free ?  ? ? ??