[Total shine cleaning services]

Hi guys,can anyone tell me the best trusted method to get a small amount of commercial work,I have tried canvassing and a couple of mail shots but no look as yet,I managed to get one quote into a sainsburys local and I know I was the 1st in with a quote, I put in a welcome letter,printed quote and a site specific risk assessment/method statement, it did look quite professional but nothing back so think I may have been undercut,I quoted £25 for inside and out at a time that suits them on a weekly clean-any advice please

[Paul Coleman]

I would say leave the risk assessment out of the initial quoting unless the customer requires it.  Do keep the actual quotation looking professional though.
Bear in mind that the person looking at the quotations is a busy person and although lots of paperwork looks more pro, it is tempting for them just to go for the printed sheet that says that the windows will be cleaned once per week at £xx .  It's quite possible that they did get it cheaper too.  Work like this can be more competitive than houses.

[Total shine cleaning services]

Thanks Paul,keep canvassing then..?

[Mike_G]

Dont waste your time with the big supermarkets, I would think they are all done by national contract.

[rscleaningservices]

commercial work is soooooooooooo hard to get I mainly do it and its has taken a good 12 years + to build it up make sure you definately have liability Insurance as thats a must !!!!!!! Good Luck !!!!!!!!!

[mlscontractcleaner]

I don't know about others on here but to be honest a large percentage of my commercial work has come out of the blue, either from someone who knows someone or just by being in the right place at the right time.

It is far more competetive than domestic, some times stupidly so, but it's good to have when the weather is bad as it's guaranteed income ( until someone cheaper comes along anyway lol ).

[Smudger]

I second MLS - be careful what you widh for as most commercial work seems to be priced to the bone.

we have a reasonable ammount of commercail that pays well - all are independant type companies ( not chain stores )
and i quote what i want rather than trying to go in low just to get it.

look at nursing homes - hotels - b&b's - independant retailers

I tried a few times canvassing/cold calling - all drew a blank - commercial just seems to pop up from the oddest
of places - approached on the street ( seen van )  an employee of the company who i do windows for - rec a friend scheme and loads off the old web..

personally i'd concentrate on domestic work

Darran

[Paul Coleman]

I don't know about others on here but to be honest a large percentage of my commercial work has come out of the blue, either from someone who knows someone or just by being in the right place at the right time.

It is far more competetive than domestic, some times stupidly so, but it's good to have when the weather is bad as it's guaranteed income ( until someone cheaper comes along anyway lol ).

I don't think I've canvassed commercial work either.
Sometimes get a phone call from an internet ad - though no-one ever seems to remember which one.
Some quality commercial work has come via other window cleaners who haven't got WFP.  I always make it worth someone's while if I retain the job for a few cleans or more as this is behaviour I like to encourage  .
The majority is done via the subcontract route though.  It can sometimes squeeze the price a bit but it is worth having.  I'm not prepared to go into general cleaning but get some of the work from certain general cleaning companies.  It suits us both.  They have the job and want to make a bit out of it but don't want the hassle of investing in WFP.  I have WFP but don't want the hassle of going into general cleaning.  The downsides can be the price being squeezed a bit as there's an extra profit margin to consider plus sometimes, I'm not able to work exactly how I want to work and have to fit in with others' schedules.  So long as I earn OK and fitting in isn't too restrictive, then no problem.
Being in the right place at the right time certainly helps.  Back in 91/92 I landed my first reasonable sized commercial because I was in the janitorial shop when a particular guy walked in.  We had never met before.  Got chatting and was asked to view a job.  Had that one a few years.
Another time I had been cleaning a house and the guy next door had a cleaning company.  He asked if I could do 4-storey work.  Landed a twice yearly clean at a large place (outsides only was 2.5 days). Eventually ended up doing regular maintenance cleans on various mid sized commercial jobs and one rather large one.
There are several other jobs I do for some guy I've known a bit since we were kids.  He does general cleaning and windows but doesn't want to get involved with WFP.  No problem.
WFP really has changed my whole outlook on what can and can't be done.

[LHill]

I think they would want a little more than just a risk assessment/method statement.

Lets face it 99% of us are coyboys and that's why we don't get commercial work.

Sure we can clean windows but can we do it safely, probably not!

There is a lot of law involved with commercial cleaning and it's isn't all about WAHR 2005 which is the only legislations I see posted on here.

I'm currently doing the impact43 training course and after someone posted "who ever goes on these course are MUGS!" (It just reminds me of the "mugs" I've worked for, and the "mug" I've been for working for them).

The impact43 course has definitely push me in the right direction and will help with the way I run my business, and without a doubt gain more work from it.

[weetot]

It took me 28 years to build up a commercial round, now its all disappearing to Nationals.

Hey Ho there ya go.
Building up a reasonable domestic round now, cos IMO commercials had it.

[Total shine cleaning services]

Hi have completed impact 43 course and have more ladder/harness experience than most through various job roles I have had,I have a close friend who also helps with the h and s side of things but just want a foot in the door for the experience alone,I am in this for the long run and really do appreciate all the info I get off you guys.
Admittedly the commercial stuff seems very difficult to get but this won't stop me as i am relentless in my pursuit of better quality all year round work.
Thanks a lot guys as I have picked up no end of help from this forum.

Graham

[weetot]

All the best mate, good luck and I hope it works out for you.

[bobby p]

whats to be gained by trying for commercial versus domestic?  all i hear is its low price stuff


 do you class macdonalds or high street bookies as commercial?

[LHill]

It took me 28 years to build up a commercial round, now its all disappearing to Nationals.

Hey Ho there ya go.
Building up a reasonable domestic round now, cos IMO commercials had it.

It may go back the other way when the complaints get back to the ones in charge.
We all know what a poor job they're doing, so do the managers that I've spoke to.

[LHill]

whats to be gained by trying for commercial versus domestic?  all i hear is its low price stuff


 do you class macdonalds or high street bookies as commercial?

Light Commercial - Yes.

[bobby p]

whats to be gained by trying for commercial versus domestic?  all i hear is its low price stuff


 do you class macdonalds or high street bookies as commercial?

Light Commercial - Yes.   

is heavy commercial(whatever that is?)   decent money? 

[LHill]

I also think we need to stop sub contracting.

If they have bitten of more than they can chew, let them deal with it (don't bail them out).

I have stopped subbing now.

why should I accept a pay cut when I can earn more elsewhere.

[weetot]

It took me 28 years to build up a commercial round, now its all disappearing to Nationals.

Hey Ho there ya go.
Building up a reasonable domestic round now, cos IMO commercials had it.

It may go back the other way when the complaints get back to the ones in charge.

Sorry to be negative, but it will never go back to what it was in the 80's, 90's because its all about 1 invoice with 300 stores on it, done by 1 national company and 1 payment to that company, as opposed to 300 cheques or B.A.C.S payments to 300 town windowcleaners!
 it doesnt really matter what the job looks like when they're finished, cos the work Ive seen from nationals is horrendous, but they employ knuckle-dragging monkeys who get paid peanuts.

Oh I do hope I aint upset too many nationals.

[LHill]

whats to be gained by trying for commercial versus domestic?  all i hear is its low price stuff


 do you class macdonalds or high street bookies as commercial?

Light Commercial - Yes.   

is heavy commercial(whatever that is?)   decent money? 

Just think about the company's who have the big contracts and all the overheads they have to pay. But yet the man at the top isn't struggling, of course it's decent money.

But they ones who do the work won't see much of it.

[Total shine cleaning services]

Would it bot be an idea for some of the smaller companies and one man bands to tie into each other and start up an umbrella company to take on the nationals