[Mike Halliday]

I've been steady since the start of the year nothing really exciting but now it seams everything is getting back to normal

perhaps the winter badtimes has come to an end, although another batch of snow might kill it

hows work for you lot, anyone booked up until August

[Colin Day]

I'm booked up 'til August.... 2011 I wish.

I have worked every day for the last 3 weeks (Not including my week away) but things seem to be slowing down slightly.... End of the month is here though (Pay day) which usually gets plenty of people ringing......

[richy27]

fits and starts feb was pretty good though enquiries have slowed down somewhat

[Jon Oldham]

Jan and Feb were worst 2 months i have ever had. Still quiet now. Have 2 mornings work booked in for this week and I am tacking up plaster boards tomorrow for my dad's mate. Thought I'd take the days work.

Things can only get better.

Regards

Jon

[Joe H]

January a bit quiter then last year but Feb a lot up, and I did my first tile and grout.
March starting off a bit slow but plenty time to go.

[Dennis]

January was deadly, the first 2 -3 weeks with the snow were the worst start to a new year in 20 years. February was so so but bookings and enquiries have picked up a lot in the last week or so.

[Neil Williams]

Booked up to August? I'd settle for April.........I'm fully booked up until 3pm tomorrow with nothing else on the schedule board

[Steve. Taylor]

Booked up to august no

BOOKED UP IN AUGUST SOUTHWEST FRANCE NICE

Booked for 3 days this week leaving tuesday free to sign on

[derek west]

nothing booked in for monday tuesday and wednesday, for obvious reasons,

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Started off with quite a bit of work then with the snow the phone went quiet but still kept getting a few calls although I couldn't get out to do them, but I have been cramming work because we are buying another dry cleaners so need the cash for that but not as busy as last year the phone isn't as free flowing.

Not had any days where I have finished before 3pm though and I like to start at about 8-8.30 and this week coming is no exception apart from only a 4 day week then my holidays, Sidiothorpe this year can't wait

Shaun

[Dennis]

Where's Sidiothorpe? 

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Sorry dennis lost me on that one.

Shaun

[Dennis]

Not had any days where I have finished before 3pm though and I like to start at about 8-8.30 and this week coming is no exception apart from only a 4 day week then my holidays, Sidiothorpe this year can't wait

Shaun

[Shaun_Ashmore]

See it now I typed Scun t horpe, see my error or should I say the softwares error now ha ha.

Shaun

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

"See it now  I typed Scun t horpe, see my error or should I say the softwares error now ha ha.

Shaun"



You may not believe this but I've heard if from various independent sources but when The Vikings invaded these islands back in c800AD they apparently couldn't pronounce the city of Snottingham and so shortened the name to one that they could pronounce....Nottingham.

Good job they didn't invade Sidiothorpe.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Perhaps they'd changed the name to Mary like Les Dawson used to now Cockermouth that's a different story better ask Colin about those salty sea......dogs 

Shaun

[M.Acorn]

Dead as a dodo here,one quote to do this morning,clean and protect a large lounge, + h/s/l,one job booked this Sat ! Nowt from the letting agy`s.
Not looking like a good start to the year really,place where i did office clean has closed,they had been running since 1970,not good.
Just hope it starts picking up now the sun is coming out a bit

[Michael Smallwood]

Work is up and down - generally quieter than I would like. 

Hence time to post here.

Mike

[JandS]

Same here, poor start to the year.
One small job booked in this afternoon and one Wednesday and that's it.

John

[Colin Day]

I've been seriously thinking about dropping the carpet cleaning because most of my work comes from the oven cleaning If I was just carpet cleaning, I would be gone by now, working over seas on whirly birds...

Anyone wanna buy my Rug Doctor?

[Jim_77]

The least said about Jan and Feb the better!

March starting to look OK now, have been doing some mailshots which always fills the diary up.  But still slow.

I wonder how many new starts in the last 12 months will be falling by the wayside...

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I started a job this morning at 7.30 got done early but have another job at 2,30pm and I'm now bored as I have a big hole in the middle of the day.

Jim do you still go out and quote old customers?

Shaun

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

January seemed busy, but only because I was catching up on the work postponed due to the snow.

February was bloody awful !

Phone and e-mail enquiries have picked up over the last week.


Steve

[Jim_77]

Same here Shaun, I'm out and in 3 times today, got a morning's work spread over the entire day and scattered all over the countryside :

Still, I get to have a nice lunch at home in front of the telly

With the old custys booking from a mailshot, most of them just book me in and I'll price up on arrival.  Some of them want to know beforehand, so I'll give them an estimate and they're happy with confirming when I get there.

I do choose to actually go and look at a few jobs, the ones that sound like they might be awkward!

[chrisjohn]

February has been pretty good for me,but all of a sudden the phone has stopped ringing,and work has come to a grinding halt.Only 2 jobs booked in for this week.


Chris

[MAX Carpets]

very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very quite! Not been like this sine we first started (1988) Whats going on??

[Shaun_Ashmore]

as the saying goes "if you do nothing you get nothing" be like Derek and pro active, I am atm by drinking tea and watching Carol Vordermans clevage (well there's not much on TV) but I'm going to start putting letters in envelopes for an hour.

Shaun

[MAX Carpets]

Shaun

Just done this months mailshot..........................................

[Steve. Taylor]

Just got home cup of tea & sarnie going out now should drop 400 leaflets thats me for today
spoke to agent this morning 2 EOT NEXT WEEK and the start of 16 2 bed newbuild flats are starting to sale so the girls will be busy polishing them up for viewers. Apart from that crystal ball time

might have a look at the tea leaves and see whats in store

[clinton]

The bad weather has taken its toll on us all i think.

Picking up for march mind you.

Where are all the cleaners who get 10 to 20 calls a day

[derek west]

jan, trippled takings on last year but thats not saying anything as last jan was near non existant.
february was my second best month on record,

75% of work for this year was repeats and referals so i'm doing something right, obviously my wit and charm

booked up (and i use that term loosely) half day wednesday and most of thur fri this week. one job next week so see how it all goes, phones ringing 2 to 3 times a day so still a lot of work to do but to say i'm optimistic is an understatement.
2011 is gonna big massive. and 2012 see's derek buying a titan. arrrrroooooooggggaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[Simon Gerrard]

I think the quiet times are all par for the course and if you use them correctly you can actually do a lot of good for your business. It's no good sitting there bitching about it though, you have to do some things that help you be more distinctive in the market place. The trouble is lots of carpet cleaners have a sort of crowd mentality and advertise in the same places, with the same style and type of ads, instead of studying what your competitors do, not just in advertising, but in everything they do and seek out ways to do it better so that eventually you stand out from the crowd and if you can do that you will get recognised a lot more. So my advice, for what it's worth, is use the quiet times to your advantage and develop your business so that when business picks up you're in the box seat.

Simon

[Jon Oldham]

Joe

How did you get on with your first tile clean. Did you use your Rotovac? I haven't used mine for tile and grout yet.

Regards

Jon

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Today have had 7 enquiries, 3 have booked and 1 was a total waste infact I don't think he was on the same planet (from Doncaster enough said) and 3 have said that they will call back when they are ready which means they aren't ready or looking around but 1 was an old customer the 3 who booked were all old customers but all wanted decent and half decent work doing.

Shaun

[Jason Ryan]

Jan-so so, Feb-awful . By the sounds of everyone else i think (and i hope i wrong) that 2010 will be a hard year. 2009 nowhere as bad as predicted, ok infact.

Using the quiet times to market, market, market.

J

[Joe H]

Jon
Hope to get the machine Wed this week.
Did the job in Jan using a 15" rotary along with STS and black XR scrub pad from Solutions, grout brush and hard floor wand/brush connected to Prowler.
Came up well but wasnt really bad.
T&G is an area I want to expand this year.

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

I haven't found it that bad, in fact today booked 5 jobs, turned down 2 others because too far west and about 4 quotes I didn't get.

I advertise through my web network over a large area and pick whether to travel depending on my work volume, so this time of year I will travel more than in say June.

I know others are finding it tough and I used to this time of year, there were a couple of times I seriously considered getting a proper job as my mum used to say, she wasn't that impressed that I packed up being a Chemist and became a CC!

During the last recession I put on smart clothes and went selling, it was the difference between surviving and not. I called commercial nursing homes, pubs, clubs, shops etc.

Cheers

Doug

[Nigel_W]

The bad weather has taken its toll on us all i think.

Picking up for march mind you.

Where are all the cleaners who get 10 to 20 calls a day

Clinton

Maybe like me they are keeping quiet because some will immediately question their validity and it seems rude to wax lyrical about your full order book when others are finding it hard going. There are plenty of people who are busy.

Nigel
www.designcare.co.uk

[mark_roberts]

When climbing today.  Best snow conditions Ive ever seen in the Mournes.  Clear blue skies to boot.

Why do you all want to work.

10 years cleaning carpets tomorrow.  I remember now why I like being self employed.

Mark

[Ricky M]

Jan good Feb ok but steady work booked all through the year.
spent the last 2 years dormant just seeing what comes in from non active marketing BUT April will see the opening of the 1st office with unit for off site work and a Big push for pro active marketing, caners planned for sept , have new Tech on board who is a very skilled flooring fitter and now adding 3 new services and another biz .

Ive spent some time watching listening and learning now is the time to see if I can do as well for myself as Ive done for others.

If not back to the old trade of the late 90's  oo ye wrong wrong but very right   

after the personal stab from   its made me really push even more so Thank you and just watch us grow.   

at this point I would like to thank: Shaun ash , Dave L/A , Stu Clem, sweeny todd, kev Loomes ( banned ??), Paul Moss (really opened my eyes to leather and added an extra 7k to last years takings kerr ching) , Andy Foster ( this guy really showed me how to diversify and expand ) Ian the lion heart, John Kelly of RESTomate ( top bloke )  My mum   
peace to all 

[Matt Lindus]

People are panicing at moment and trying to pay off the ankle biting loans and debts.
The future of the UK economy is very un-certain at the moment and people need to try and place themselves correctly for what could be a bankrupt country.

It's very sad to see what used to be prospering country, heading for the same situation as 90s Soviet Russia.

Matt

[CleanToGo1]

We started up a year ago now and up to now been ok , one munute really busy next minute not so busy ! but the past 2 months have been the worst, especially February, not sure we can carry on if it stays this quiet.

[richy27]

People are panicing at moment and trying to pay off the ankle biting loans and debts.
The future of the UK economy is very un-certain at the moment and people need to try and place themselves correctly for what could be a bankrupt country.

It's very sad to see what used to be prospering country, heading for the same situation as 90s Soviet Russia.

Matt

your spot on matt

[Hilton]

I think the quiet times are all par for the course and if you use them correctly you can actually do a lot of good for your business. It's no good sitting there bitching about it though, you have to do some things that help you be more distinctive in the market place. The trouble is lots of carpet cleaners have a sort of crowd mentality and advertise in the same places, with the same style and type of ads, instead of studying what your competitors do, not just in advertising, but in everything they do and seek out ways to do it better so that eventually you stand out from the crowd and if you can do that you will get recognised a lot more. So my advice, for what it's worth, is use the quiet times to your advantage and develop your business so that when business picks up you're in the box seat.

Simon

All good advice, the only thing I would add is to do your marketing while your busy, don't wait till it falls off,

As my old boss used to say, fix the roof while the suns shining    

[M.Acorn]

Had a call to clean a 3 story town house tomorrow  20 mins later ,sorry not going ahead now  Gutted

[cleanability]

Well I feel alot better after reading this post  There are people as quiet as me. Had my busiest December ever followed by my quietest January ever. Very strange.

PS      Read a piece in paper on Saturday that people are ditching their Yellow Pages in their thousands for the internet and overwhelming the recycle companies.

Chris

[M.Acorn]

On the subject of yellow pages,they called me last month to say they were doing a different type of book,one that it very very cut down,don`t think that will be through choice though.
Have cut my advert by a third,going to concentrate on.com instead

[clinton]

Mark

I dropped out of y pages three years ago now and put the money into an account and it has built up into a nice tydy sum.

I also have generated more new clients from web sites rather than paying out on an outdated directory..

[terrymaloy]

Jan / Feb as a rule are generally poor months...and the severe winter has hit hard.
I always take my annual holidays in Jan/Feb to warmer climates...makes sense !

ps Thailands nice this time of year 

[Nigel Cole]

Just picking up on this thread guys.
Around here in Sunny Wolverhampton I advertise in all of the local trade books/ parish mags etc ........ yes Jan & Feb were quiet (ish) but these books are invaluable IMO.
Google, business maps listing are god send for me as well.....
Phone ringing off the hook the last few days, maybe the local Wolves fans are selling their remaining season tickets ...... and treating their Missus to a carpet clean she's been nagging on about for ages LOL
 

[Neil Mc Anulty]

Not for me
Practically unemployed, just hoping the better weather will make people get things done. Also an explosion of new cleaning companies started up which does not help the situation one bit.

[M.Acorn]

Just been bumped off a 2 bed i had booked,i had quoted £110 inc flea treat,which is pretty cheap for me,just called and asked if i could match £94.nope sorry.
Just done a 2 hr round trip to quote another commercial,gone in lower than normal,in the hope i get it.One job this week ! One booked for next,nearly a month of not doing anything now,well work wise,re listed the 6 boxes of hardcore maths / physics books i have on Amazon,sold loads of rubbish on e bay,and got my veg patch sorted and planted loads of seeds in my greenhouse 

[Aquakleen Restoration Services]

Mark Ive been in the same boat as you! January was surprisingly good, Feb was diabolical! March is picking up but hardly chocka block! Done a few good quotes recently and waiting to hear back. Got 3 half decent jobs booked in for next week with hopefully more to come!

[Matt Lindus]

I have shut up shop (so to speak) on carpet and upholstery cleaning until May. No point paying someone a wage to go out to clean some d**k h**ds rug at min call out. He could go out and do 7 Aerials in one area per day.
We had someone call today wanting a HSL doing, told them to call back at the open of the cleaning season.

Matt

[MAX Carpets]

All I can say is.....................Shocking! Never known it this bad! I think the snow must of cost this country dearly, almost to breaking point!

[Simon Gerrard]

I'm not sure that if I had so little work in I'd turn down a job for only £16 less than I had quoted. A job's a job and money is money. Carpet cleaning is a 'make hay while the sun shines business' and when it's quiet you take what you can get when you can get it.

Simon

[M.Acorn]

I'm not sure that if I had so little work in I'd turn down a job for only £16 less than I had quoted

Honestly,because they were a pain in the arse !!! Booked me for Nov last year,poxy 2 bed place,which i quoted over the phone,only young,wanted to know the ins and outs of everything,so and so said he could do it for this price,blah blah,so i said yes will match that £110 quote you got,then they cancled me.
Then 4 months later get asked if i can do it for last years price,so said yes !
Booked it for end of march,then  got call asking if i would match lower price,by this time i had had enough,hence why i said no

[davep]

Dont understand those saying Jan was good when the 1st 2 weeks where a snow blizzard and no one could get out?

[Carpet Dawg]

depends where you live. Plus if you really wanted to work you would have gotten out.... :

[Nigel Cole]

Come on guys, let's stay positive - there is work out there, it will come...
 

[davep]

Gotten out?  Erm it must have been cracking the flags where you live Tony but everyone was off work and kids where off school here, roads where empty due to ice 

[derek west]

can't really say i'm bothered if someone believes me or not.
someone asks a question so we all answer it. some might lie some tell the truth. does it really matter. you take what you take. the fact is, ive done fantastic in jan and feb "BY MY STANDARDS" . this could be absolutely dire to someone else.

for all that have done well first part of this year, hats off to yas.

for all those that haven't, chin up guys.

[davep]

Better get my chin up then 

[nevil]

I'm pretty darn busy.

Feb wasn't great but march has been decent so far with plenty coming in over the last few days in particular. One of them is especially good as it half fills my diary until the end of March and at good rates. 

April is never a very good month for me but come May things should pick up and stay rosy right through until Christmas. My long term aim is to attract more high end work so that when the good times come the profits increase.

[MAX Carpets]

I'm in my 21st year, and ir feels like my 1st month. Yes I am being pro-active, very.

[dave123]

Davep One job can change the whole month for you .Like a lot of us i was quiet for the first two weeks of January, then got a big job that changed a bad month into quite a good one for January anyways . Also getting a few contracts for quarterly cleans (commercial) Have to admit though it is my regulars that have helped me a lot by passing my name onto friends. One of them sent an email to all her friends about me and i got  6 calls from them . So for me not too bad overall .

Dave

[CarPete Cleaning]

Business was very slow for me in Jan & Feb (after a good December).  But things are really picking up now (yippee!!).  Hoping for a good 'spring clean'.

[Simon Gerrard]

Guy's,

Could I offer some advice.
If you're quiet and the phone isn't ringing:

Don't panic
DO NOT increase your advertising
Cut every possible overhead and just ride it out.
The truth is that you cannot change the situation but you can make it a whole lot worse by panicking and spending more money on advertising when the reality is that people aren't buying carpet cleaning services at the moment.
What you can do are the things that cost you little or nothing, do mail shots, go out leafleting, door knocking, cold calling. If you can't find customers for today then find customers for the future.
In the face of adversity - you find yourself!

Simon

[Colin Day]

Good post Simon....

I've only had 4 jobs this week but I've caught the phone ringing a lot with custys, so next 2 weeks are nice and full..... ( mainly oven cleaning though , shouldn't complain though!)

[JandS]

Cut your advertising and you will definitely be quiet.

John

[derek west]

i think the idea is to cut what isn't as effective and spend more on what is, for instance,if glossy mags pay for them selves then ditch them for a while, if ad words is working well then increase your keywords and areas etc....

thats prividing you monitor where your work is coming from, and if you don't, well........ more fool you.

[jasonl]

Another  cure for lack of work is to diversify ,, I have worked with several people from this board lately who have approached me for help with water damage situations. There is a high chance that every letting agent in the country has had an escape of water in a void property this winter , if you are hooked up with them ,do they know you can deal with it effectively ?
Also hard floor cleaning is very lucrative at times for me.

Depth and breadth will get  people through the next couple of years , dont kid yourselves that recession is over ,, once the election is done , you can expect the next government to make massive budget cuts, and blame it all on Gordon. Times are getting harder, and only the eco friendly and the willing to change and diversify will survive.

[Paul W Jones]

Pretty busy at the moment....touch wood.

[Nigel Cole]

Cut your advertising and you will definitely be quiet.

John

Agree here with ya buddy - do not cut your advertising - stay prominent, I do and it works for me !
 

[Mike Halliday]

I've got my first 7 day week of the year this week. fullday P/W tomorrow and a chinesse restuerant on sunday.

hopefully this will be the start of getting back to normal.

[Nigel Cole]

Nice one Mike - fully booked myself for next week - wahooooooooo