UK Floor Cleaning Forum > Carpet Cleaning Forum
Minimum charge...
Elfyn:
This has very little to do with how long you've been in the business and more to do with the type of customer, area you work in and your own business model.
If I had a set minimum charge or a minimum number of rooms I would have gone out of business many years ago. My area tends to have very cautious, but very loyal people - some of my customers go back over 20 years.
Each to his own and whatever works for them.
Robin Ray:
What is the purpose of a minimum charge?
For me a minimum charge is the minimum i am willing to earn doing a job. As even the smallest job will take a certain amount of time, taking in to consideration driving to the job, looking at the area, talking to the customer about what they require, offloading equipment, setting it up, doing the job, collecting payment, loading equipment back in to the van, collecting payment, processing payment, driving to the next job. Not to mention, owing the van, equipment, chemicals, obtaining the knowledge to be able to do the job, advertising, insurances and the umpteen other things i cant think of at the moment.
What should that minimum be set at?
That means knowing how much it really costs to run your business and turn a profit. Unfortunately many people don't know the answer to that question. This isnt always the case, but i think many under value themselves and as a result go out of business prematurely.
Mike Halliday:
Knowing your numbers is really important, but you need to separate what are fixed cost and what are cost of doing the job.
Business insurances, cost of equipment, training, advertising are fixed, they cost the same whether you spend the day sat in front of the TV watching Jeremy Kyle or are out cleaning carpets. Chemical costs, diesel & machine depreciation are the cost of cleaning the carpet.
So if you have no work on Monday you will pay (eg ) £15 in business cost even though you have not left the house, if you go out and clean a couple of carpet it might be an extra £10 so if you make £50 you are in profit and have £25 more in your pocket than you did at 8am ( which might pay for the kids cinema tickets at the weekend)
we all live at different levels, to a new starter (who is struggling to find work) knowing when he picks his kids up from his x wife at the weekend he can treat them to go see the latest cinema release it’s worth going out and earning £25.
I’m lucky I have work constantly coming in, if I looses a single Room Job, I know I will later in the day or week pick up a bigger job to fill in that space so I don’t worry, I actually look forward to not getting calls and being slow for a time as it lets me do other stuff I have to do
Jonathan Evans:
Hi Elfyn that's really interesting and something I have often thought about trying although never been brave enough. I guess if I did that I would still have a min charge which would be £50.
In reality what does that equate to for you. If you don't mind me asking. If you do sorry just ignore me.....Most do lll
Elfyn:
I'm not sure I know what you wish to know, Jonathan. ???
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