[Paul Moss]

Ian is a good lad, we have talked about prices over the years and he has tried loads of stuff to grow his business. From my point of view the prices are too low and Ian knows my view on that but if he has found a winning formula in this area by doing this and getting plenty og volume then well done the lad.
I dont know any one over the years who has worked harder on the marketing side of their business, he has had a few failures over the years but he never gives up and thats what its all about.
Pitty he does not come on here any more, used to like his banter.

[james roffey]

Southend is not a low population area and is the eighth biggest town in England and Westcliff where i am just down the road is very high population i have two well known guys near me Doug and Ian, Doug charges considerably more and does well. as has been mentioned Ian seems a nice guy fell out with him a little with his "negative" marketing that i thought customers may think it was me he was talking about, it wasn't but thats in the past. , the prices i just don't understand for what he is offering i think  he should expect more he bangs on out being the only city and guilds carpet cleaner in the area which is good marketing so why the prices  

[robert meldrum]

I suspect Ian is having a good laugh at the comments on here  as he happily  empties his pockets at night and counts his earnings...........I.m guessing around £300 per day and achieved at considerably less cost than many who claim to charge a lot more but are not busy on a regular basis  so probably earn less than Ian or many others with similar charges.

[james roffey]

Possibly but if he is rushed off his feet surely he could double his prices do half the work make the same money and have some time off. i intend to watch the snooker this afternoon got a decent job this morning at a fair price. I am not trying to sound smug i can be a lazy git, but i do a job thoroughly and expect to be paid for it.

If he is making £300 a day that is about 8 lounges+ HSL in 8 different locations, if i did that i would pass out before i could count my £300

[robert meldrum]

What makes you think he's RUSHED OFF HIS FEET and as I've said over the years .......people who charge high prices to laze around ARE most definitely the industries cowboys / con merchants / call them what you like.

There's nothing ethical in pretending to the public or your self, that you are worth a lot more than others who treat their business as full time and build credibility.

[robert meldrum]

Just looked at your web site James and it appears you are NOT IN THE HIGH CHARGING CLUB as your site in a slightly ambiguous way says you will charge much the same as Ian.

[james roffey]

Robert when i am in a customers home i am professional and thorough it would be impossible for me to charge those prices because i am thorough i like to take my time to do what i consider to be the very best job for a customer and that make me a cowboy ! I am not ripping people off either i charge around £50 for a standard lounge and that is reduced the more i clean, considerably less that franchises and some of the guys on here. i don't intend turning this into a slanging match i simply suggested that Ian is worth a dam sight more than £39.50 for a lounge HSL

[james roffey]

Just looked at your web site James and it appears you are NOT IN THE HIGH CHARGING CLUB as your site in a slightly ambiguous way says you will charge much the same as Ian.

Never said i was, i charge considerably more than Ian though my prices do come down if i did a whole house i might do a bedroom for free, i am doing a lounge HSL and just looked on cleanersmate the last time i did it i charged £200

[garry22]

A friend of mine is a self made multi millionaire.

He probably does on average, an hour a day.

He has built the company up from scratch to function whether he is there or not. He thinks I am mad to be "on the tools". Having been laid off following an operation, I have to totally agree with him. This ties in with Jamie's thread about manual labour.

[stuart_clark]

I couldn't care less what other folk are making, if Ian is happy charging the prices he charges, who are we to critisise ? I am only concearned what i make at the end of the day! Iv't been in the business for over twenty years and when i started i was very, very cheap, but that changed as soon as i became a member of the NCCA  and did loads of marketing courses, These days 80% of my work is regular comercial maintenance contracts and i can see a time in the not long distant future when i dont do any domestic whatsoever !

stuart

[Hilton]

I couldn't care less what other folk are making, if Ian is happy charging the prices he charges, who are we to critisise ? I am only concearned what i make at the end of the day! Iv't been in the business for over twenty years and when i started i was very, very cheap, but that changed as soon as i became a member of the NCCA  and did loads of marketing courses, These days 80% of my work is regular comercial maintenance contracts and i can see a time in the not long distant future when i dont do any domestic whatsoever !

stuart

You are deluding yourself if you dont think people on here care what other people earn....

It seems if you are one of the cheapies out there then you are mocked and told they wont last 5 minutes, however if they know you then you are jolly decent chap doing your best in a tough market place.......

Your right though who cares 

I completely agree about passive income, its the very best there is and its 24hrs seven days a week......I have just been invited to Florida to a friends 5 bed villa which he has just bought it a place called Destin... he only has an online business and does not handle any stock what so ever, he business has just been valued at 2 million....Luvly jubbly

[jim mca]

I my have picked it up wrong but Ian's prices are for new business so people give him a try which is a marketing ploy looking for repeat custom much the same as doing groupon

[stuart_clark]

Hillton

I very much doubt you can match what i earn !!

[Hilton]

I dont care 

[Hilton]

I my have picked it up wrong but Ian's prices are for new business so people give him a try which is a marketing ploy looking for repeat custom much the same as doing groupon

If thats the case and I have no idea if it is, then in a years times when they want another clean and are quoted £400 they will tell him to take a running jump..

This form of marketing does not breed loyalty in fact far from it ,it's the reverse.

[Steve Gunn]

People need to concentrate on their own business and not worry about local competition,pricing is an emotive subject and should be left to the individual business owner

[james roffey]

I my have picked it up wrong but Ian's prices are for new business so people give him a try which is a marketing ploy looking for repeat custom much the same as doing groupon

If thats the case and I have no idea if it is, then in a years times when they want another clean and are quoted £400 they will tell him to take a running jump..

This form of marketing does not breed loyalty in fact far from it ,it's the reverse.

I agree with Hilton your finding customers that are mostly price orientated and will drop you the moment your prices go up, surely selling your higher price as value for money usually when they see what they are getting, job i did this morning a big lounge/diner and flight of stairs very nice property expensive carpet £200 took about three and a half hours cleaned for her three times now gave me a £20 as well she didn't think i was ripping her off as i did a bloody good job. there are many ways of earning a living, am i wrong to do it an easier way i have never done more than three jobs in a day and i don't want to either.

I agree we should concentrate on our own business but i didn't start the topic just contributed and all off a sudden i am a cowboy ripping people off   because i like the afternoon off to watch the snooker, which i am doing now, come on Judd Trump

[Steve Gunn]

I my have picked it up wrong but Ian's prices are for new business so people give him a try which is a marketing ploy looking for repeat custom much the same as doing groupon

If thats the case and I have no idea if it is, then in a years times when they want another clean and are quoted £400 they will tell him to take a running jump..

This form of marketing does not breed loyalty in fact far from it ,it's the reverse.

I agree with Hilton your finding customers that are mostly price orientated and will drop you the moment your prices go up, surely selling your higher price as value for money usually when they see what they are getting, job i did this morning a big lounge/diner and flight of stairs very nice property expensive carpet £200 took about three and a half hours cleaned for her three times now gave me a £20 as well she didn't think i was ripping her off as i did a bloody good job. there are many ways of earning a living, am i wrong to do it an easier way i have never done more than three jobs in a day and i don't want to either.

I agree we should concentrate on our own business but i didn't start the topic just contributed and all off a sudden i am a cowboy ripping people off   because i like the afternoon off to watch the snooker, which i am doing now, come on Judd Trump

There lies your problem watching snooker

[james roffey]

I my have picked it up wrong but Ian's prices are for new business so people give him a try which is a marketing ploy looking for repeat custom much the same as doing groupon

If thats the case and I have no idea if it is, then in a years times when they want another clean and are quoted £400 they will tell him to take a running jump..

This form of marketing does not breed loyalty in fact far from it ,it's the reverse.

I agree with Hilton your finding customers that are mostly price orientated and will drop you the moment your prices go up, surely selling your higher price as value for money usually when they see what they are getting, job i did this morning a big lounge/diner and flight of stairs very nice property expensive carpet £200 took about three and a half hours cleaned for her three times now gave me a £20 as well she didn't think i was ripping her off as i did a bloody good job. there are many ways of earning a living, am i wrong to do it an easier way i have never done more than three jobs in a day and i don't want to either.

I agree we should concentrate on our own business but i didn't start the topic just contributed and all off a sudden i am a cowboy ripping people off   because i like the afternoon off to watch the snooker, which i am doing now, come on Judd Trump

There lies your problem watching snooker

Have you been speaking to my wife 

[gwrightson]

I my have picked it up wrong but Ian's prices are for new business so people give him a try which is a marketing ploy looking for repeat custom much the same as doing groupon

If thats the case and I have no idea if it is, then in a years times when they want another clean and are quoted £400 they will tell him to take a running jump..

This form of marketing does not breed loyalty in fact far from it ,it's the reverse.

I would hate to think i was taking three and half hours to clean a lounge and a flight of stairs, even if i was getting £200. 

Geoff

I agree with Hilton your finding customers that are mostly price orientated and will drop you the moment your prices go up, surely selling your higher price as value for money usually when they see what they are getting, job i did this morning a big lounge/diner and flight of stairs very nice property expensive carpet £200 took about three and a half hours cleaned for her three times now gave me a £20 as well she didn't think i was ripping her off as i did a bloody good job. there are many ways of earning a living, am i wrong to do it an easier way i have never done more than three jobs in a day and i don't want to either.

I agree we should concentrate on our own business but i didn't start the topic just contributed and all off a sudden i am a cowboy ripping people off   because i like the afternoon off to watch the snooker, which i am doing now, come on Judd Trump