[cozy]

Cozy

It's not a moral high ground but a fact of life, at least
over here.
I notice your in Germany which makes a difference as well.
We get people with your attitude on here as well.
If your earning well over there all well and good or are you?
They say that the cut price people are ruining it for the rest
of us.
I also know that the expensive ones are doing the same.

John

Can you make your mind up? I'm earning well here or am I? What a load of rubbish. If anyone in UK or Germany or wherever thinks 170 quid for a full day is a "fair" days earnings, they need to get back to reality mate. 170 quid divided by 8 hours is 21.25. You think that's a good hourly rate for a self employed person do you?

And you worry about this business being ruined?? Yours sounds pretty bad already if that's a good days earnings. Rather you than me.

[Carpet Dawg]

Hi

£27,00 for a roof, what's it made of Gold?

or is it the size of a large church?

Martin

100+ year old georgian property. £250,000 was the final bill, devided by 8 residence. Heritage Scotland paid for some of the stone work. The scafolding was up for a year and half. Also got to new chimneys.

Total rip off, the F'in concil got involved too and charged us all £40k managment fee!

[dave123]

£170 /day works out to over £50,000/year, which doesn't sound bad to me ,and you are not neccesarily working 8 hours a day to earn it either .

Dave

[creighton foyle]

I know tradesmen who had to do a five year apprentiship that are lucky/happy to earn £20 ph especially in the domestic market. I cant get £170 to clean a 3 piece suit (with people only paying 3-£400 for one from dfs why would they pay that much) and i will also charge as much as i think i will get away with but in my neck of the woods it works out at between £25-£35 ph and if i had enogh work to keep me busy for 4 hrs a day i would be over the moon, as it is i am decorating today and i am not even getting £20 ph.

I am sure that with good marketing and hard work some ccrs are getting huge amounts of money for their work but i doubt they are the majority.

[cozy]

I know tradesmen who had to do a five year apprentiship that are lucky/happy to earn £20 ph especially in the domestic market. I cant get £170 to clean a 3 piece suit (with people only paying 3-£400 for one from dfs why would they pay that much) and i will also charge as much as i think i will get away with but in my neck of the woods it works out at between £25-£35 ph and if i had enogh work to keep me busy for 4 hrs a day i would be over the moon, as it is i am decorating today and i am not even getting £20 ph.

I am sure that with good marketing and hard work some ccrs are getting huge amounts of money for their work but i doubt they are the majority.

Yes, and I'm sure with that attitude I'm sure you will stay that way, happy with what a well paid job pays someone. If I went back to driving a 40 ton truck between Germany and UK, I'd be on slightly less than 17 quid an hour with expenses. That's a well paid job.
However, take your machine and chem costs off your 21 quid, your insurances, any pension you pay into, vehicle costs etc and see how much is left to pay tax on. Then see if you would stop working for someone else to go and earn that?

I don't care if you have a "I'm lucky to have a job" attitude and go through your day happy to earn a few quid. That's up to you. But if I know that people are ready to pay 170 quid to have a 3 piece cleaned and I was only charging 100, I'd be sick to my stomach.

I have custies that call and ask for a quote, and look shocked when I turn up and give a price. Expecting maybe half of what I quoted. Others say things like "Oh great, if I'd have known it was that price, I'd have had it done sooner".

What I don't do, is second guess them. I know some people buy furniture for 500 quid, and some pay over 2500 quid. I just quote what it would cost for me to clean it, not a price to fit what I think they paid for the furniture.

You are your own worst enemy mate. Get that mental block out of the way, and start quoting what the job is worth. If I'm wrong, I wouldn't get the jobs would I? Or do you think the only way to get the proper price is to threaten the custy with a shotgun? Stop under-valueing yourself.

[Steve Rothwell]

Or do you think the only way to get the proper price is to threaten the custy with a shotgun?

Hmmm do you really think that would work ??

must renew the licence   

[cozy]

By the way, if you're decorating today, at your prices, I would have thought you had too much work. What's wrong with this picture? Not meant as a joke either.

[JandS]

Cozy

Your a laugh mate.
I see the post has brought out the realists
and the "£400 a day every day" merchants.

John

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

The biggest stumbling block to achieving higher prices is often ourself.

Why compare us with someone who is working for a company, they have none of the pressures of being in business and therefore deserve none of the rewards.

Remember if you aim low, don't expect to hit high.

Cheers

doug

[Colin Day]

I've seriously been considering putting bargain basement prices in the local rag, 'Helston Advertiser' (Which should be re-named 'Carpet Cleaners Advertiser' )

I work so much more efficiently and effortlessly than I did when I started up, I have invested in the best equipment, chemicals and time to achieve what I have.

A repeat customer told me today that she was happy to pay my prices and since she's been using me for over 3 years, she'd dread to take a chance with another carpet cleaner, especially when they seem to come and go. When I first did her carpets they took me over 4 hours to clean. Today it took under 2 hours, the ticket price was still the same. She commented on how quick, yet how cleaner/drier the carpets were and she paid up no problem. So I'm sticking to my guns, I have more than enough work and to me, repeat customers are worth their weight in gold.

Some other mug can clean for peanuts, they are welcome to the price-wary, greedy and usually disloyal and dissatisfied customers.

[wynne jones]

I've seriously been considering putting bargain basement prices in the local rag, 'Helston Advertiser' (Which should be re-named 'Carpet Cleaners Advertiser' )

I work so much more efficiently and effortlessly than I did when I started up, I have invested in the best equipment, chemicals and time to achieve what I have.

A repeat customer told me today that she was happy to pay my prices and since she's been using me for over 3 years, she'd dread to take a chance with another carpet cleaner, especially when they seem to come and go. When I first did her carpets they took me over 4 hours to clean. Today it took under 2 hours, the ticket price was still the same. She commented on how quick, yet how cleaner/drier the carpets were and she paid up no problem. So I'm sticking to my guns, I have more than enough work and to me, repeat customers are worth their weight in gold.

Some other mug can clean for peanuts, they are welcome to the price-wary, greedy and usually disloyal and dissatisfied customers.

You're on the right track Colin, the easiest thing to do is just sell on price but it takes patience, investmet and skill to build up a  loyal following who will come back time and time again and pay you well.

So long as you find people you can offer greater value than the price you charge you will do well and no one can argue with that because it's your customers who ultimately prove you right or wrong. 

[Phillip Mold]

I work so much more efficiently and effortlessly than I did when I started up, I have invested in the best equipment, chemicals and time to achieve what I have.

A repeat customer told me today that she was happy to pay my prices and since she's been using me for over 3 years, she'd dread to take a chance with another carpet cleaner, especially when they seem to come and go. When I first did her carpets they took me over 4 hours to clean. Today it took under 2 hours, the ticket price was still the same. She commented on how quick, yet how cleaner/drier the carpets were and she paid up no problem. So I'm sticking to my guns, I have more than enough work and to me, repeat customers are worth their weight in gold.

Some other mug can clean for peanuts, they are welcome to the price-wary, greedy and usually disloyal and dissatisfied customers.



I'm finding the same thing, fitting in an extra job in the day compared to a couple of years ago yet getting better results.

[cozy]

Cozy

Your a laugh mate.
I see the post has brought out the realists
and the "£400 a day every day" merchants.

John

Years ago, I was in one of those multi level marketing things, Amway. They had a system for self improvement, book s and tapes for self motivation. Really strange stuff some people thought. I found it really useful though. I read one of the books about limits. There was a small experiment done in some university somewhere, and they put fleas in a glass jar with a lid on it. The fleas would try to jump out of the jar to get away. When they did this, they’d bang their heads on the lid, that must have been painful.
 After a time, the lid was removed. Guess what, the fleas only jumped as high as the  non existent lid, because they had become used to the lid being there, they only jumped to that height.

People can be like that. They set mental barriers. Whether it’s physical limits or earning limits. Some people have got to the stage where they think 170 quid a day is the limit.

These people need to take the lid off their jar.

If you always have these self-imposed limits, you could live in the middle of London, and you’d have problems earning more than 170 a day. There are too many carpet cleaners here. There are too many cheap furniture shops selling cheap furniture, there are too many carpet cleaners charging a tenner for a sofa here, I haven’t got time to clean enough sofas because I have to decorate etc etc etc.

Take the lid off your jar.

[creighton foyle]

cozy you must be living in eutopia , tradesmen who work for companies are lucky to earn £10 ph (just take a look at the jobcentre website) so why should'nt i think to get double that is good money as a self employed decorator, i could big it up on here with the better rates i have been able to get for myself but they are not the norm, and i have not got a "working for a company attitude" i just know my local market and what it will pay to a one man band like me. and as for being inundated with work at my prices , i count myself very lucky to be doing anything as i know a number of good trades whom i have never known to be out of work before who are now scratching around for work as it just is not out there

[cozy]

Yeah, you're right. Think yourself "lucky" to have any work. You just hunker down and graft for a "fair" days rate mate. I'm just dreaming. It's all just bluff. Most carpet cleaners knock out about 15 quid an hour. Don't believe any of that old dross about 40 and 60 quid an hour jobs. Just concentrate on what I've posted and ignore all the rest of the posters on this thread. You show the world mate.

If I go out with a dolly and squeegy to clean windows, I'd be sick as a pig to bring home less than 300 quid for a full 8 hours window cleaning, and you reckon CC's should be happy earning less than that, with all the kit and vehicle costs?

I've just got back from cleaning a 3,2,1 in a nearby town for some squaddie. Took 30 mins to get there, two and a quarter hours to clean and half hour to get back home. Average job, paid €235, about 200 quid.

There are blokes on CIU that I know earn at least that on the same sort of job.

Looks like you don't. No point in trying to make me look like I'm bluffing, read what your own posters on here write, they are in the same boat as you. I don't give a monkey's if you believe what I post about earnings or not. I'm not bragging. I think I earn an average amount compared to other CC's. You're the one on your limit. Not me.

Not trying to look clever or take the mick, I've got nothing against you mate.Take the lid off your jar.

[Tony Gill Carpet Smart]

John why is it a problem if someone charges £170 to clean a suite I don't understand you. Are you saying if you could get that amount to clean a suite you would not charge that amount because YOU think it is to much.

Tony

p.s. I served my time took me from 15 to the age of 21 six years in all. Now I'm carpet cleaning wonder why
p.p.s. Run my own business decorating for over 20 years wish I'd known about carpet cleaning then

[Paul W Jones]

I think the simple answer is that, like in all walks of life, some people will earn more than others.  You set your own pricing structure and work accordingly.  If that means charging £50.00, £150.00 or £250.00 for a sofa then fine.  If you get the jobs at your prices and you and your customers are happy then I can't see a problem. 

[cozy]

I agree. Well put.

[Tony Gill Carpet Smart]

Spot on m8

[John Kelly]

It certainly is a mental thing. I did exactly the same when I started as a carpet cleaner 18 years ago, 1 advertised £12 per carpet because thats what all the other clowns were advertising in the local paper. I got dribs and drabs of work and the phone never rang. I put the price down doh. It still never rang. Then I met a few guys at suppliers, no effective internet then, and changed my ways. Put the price straight up to £35 minimum and suites up to £75 and it went ballistic. Gradually crept the prices over next 2 years  up to £56 minimum and £117.50 for suites. Average job was £90. That was in 1996. Ended up with a cracking customer base of mainly middle class people with nice homes who had things cleaned regularly so they were never that dirty. In fact it was a relief to clean the odd minger that did come along. Threw it all away when I became involved in the fire & flood restoration industry. The two did marry well together as you have to drop everything when a flood or fire comes in so had to cancel cleaning jobs and trade gradually dwindled away. The rewards are there if you want them. I see the full spectrum of cleaners at my unit. The ones working out of the back of a family car to the ones with new vans every couple of years and then the multi faceted companies who do a range of things such as window cleaning, carpet cleaning, grounds maintenance etc. Each to their own. But guess which ones are driving the Audis, Mercs and BM's. People come into business for all sorts of reasons and some are quite happy toddling along making a resonable living, nothing wrong with that and as long as ther're happy. But my opinion is that its a hard life so if you are going to do it get the bloody rewards from it. If you are running a business and you can't pull money out the bank to go out and buy a new machine when you need too then I can't see the point. To me the whole point is to be financially secure, not rich, but to have enough that at the end of the day you know you've done a good days works and reaped the benefits of the hard graft. I did that when I was cleaning carpets.