Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Smudgeoff Cleaning Services on May 09, 2010, 07:37:01 pm
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Hello all,
I am thinking about starting in the window cleaning sector and have been told that the best payers are the commercial contracts...
A. Is this true?
B. How is the best way to get these contracts?
Many Thanks....
Darren ::)
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no its a mare 1 no loyalty some one comes in your out no mater how long
you been on the job.
2 tupe law may apply loads of dosh down the pan;
3 evry one has same idea
4 you have to think outside the box i didnt get where i am to day by not thinking outside the box ;D
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Thanks David,
So what would you advise thinking outside the box. Please help as I would love this business to succeed...
Thanks again mate... ;)
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my advice is walk before you can run m8!
Thanks David,
So what would you advise thinking outside the box. Please help as I would love this business to succeed...
Thanks again mate... ;)
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Thanks clee windows.... You are right of course so where is the best place to start.
mate many thanks :)
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1 you go leafleting you pick up all the crap off evryone else so
2 adverts you need to get in papers or yell . com
3 maybe villages near by that are overlooked
4 takes time good signwriten van or stick on ones on car
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i know some people have lost commercial contracts and it has left a big hole in there month
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by commercial contracts do u mean 1 shop or all the b and q in london type thing
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Nearly all my commercial work contacted me through my website. I've gotten a couple of contracts by sending letters out to prime candidates and new stores/offices that have just opened.
In my experience commercial work does pay very well,.. but its also the first to go in a recession & the first that will be targeted by your competitors. I like commercial work but I have a good mix of domestic work too,.. never keep all your eggs in one basket!
Also worth noting is that chain stores (B&Q, Currys, PC world etc etc) usually are handled by national contractors & subbed out to local guys. The prices for these are silly (£50 for any size store was offered to me) and often wouldn't even cover diesel & travel time. This work suits those who employ, but isn't worth chasing as a sole trader.
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Thanks to all of you. You are all so very helpful :D
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I guy I know from this site ran an 'Introduce me to your workplace' scheme where he offered free cleans when his domestic customers recommended him to their workplace to provide a quote.
He said it worked well.
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That sounds like a great idea. thanks tosh.... ;D
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oh dear oh dear! if you think that commercial work is the best payers then im affraid thats not the case.
commercial work has changed so much over the years.
years ago big shops,offices and so on would have plenty of money and have windows cleaned in and out all the time, carpets cleaned ....... and use local companies.
but now its all sub work in general, dont get me wrong there are some big companies still paying out good money and often but that is getting smaller and smaller.
now its windows every so many months and no extras, the account depts of each company try and hold on to the money for as long as they can, i know everyone says i have a 30 day policy but they will still hold on to it for as long as they can.
i do work for B&Q,ATS,AHF,Starbucks,Punch Pub Company ............ a mix of both is prob best.
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i know some one who use to supply ici, and ici turned around to them and said either you go on 90 payments or we get some one else and would only pay on the last day
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ive done a big job for Anglia which is part of the CO OP group, so on the 30th day i rang up to chase the invoice - was told yes we have that invoice on our system and we shall look into putting it on the list for payments to be considered! :-X :-X :-\
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ive done a big job for Anglia which is part of the CO OP group, so on the 30th day i rang up to chase the invoice - was told yes we have that invoice on our system and we shall look into putting it on the list for payments to be considered! :-X :-X :-\
this is what is putting me off going after commercial jobs, been asked to quote a docs surgery, but am going to find out payment terms before i do it as can do jobs on domestic and wait to get paid lol
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that may come from them or payment from your local council so maybe ok - its more bigger companies that mess you about.
bigger the company, bigger the job, bigger the price you charge and def bigger the headache!
we once worked on a new uni for two months - got paid last - so the suppliers, builders,plumbers and so on got paid before use - took 3 months to see a penny off them.
ive done jobs behind on 3 months of payments and when you chase it up you get a chq for the middle clean and not the other two months! :-\
but hey apart from that its great! :P >:(
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Commercial work is cr*p you are better of doing domestic.............
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that may come from them or payment from your local council so maybe ok - its more bigger companies that mess you about.
bigger the company, bigger the job, bigger the price you charge and def bigger the headache!
we once worked on a new uni for two months - got paid last - so the suppliers, builders,plumbers and so on got paid before use - took 3 months to see a penny off them.
ive done jobs behind on 3 months of payments and when you chase it up you get a chq for the middle clean and not the other two months! :-\
but hey apart from that its great! :P >:(
3 Months? your lucky that would be early for us, Dave's right stick to domestic you know where you are then.
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We still have some custies that owe from Feb.
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I think that the bigger commercial work is fine as long as you don't need the mony straight away!!!
Some times you work all day and pick up nothing; it's all invoice work.
Small commercial stuff like pubs and small shops are great as they pay there and then and are cleaned what ever the weather.
Swings and roundabouts I'm afraid!!
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I'd say a mix of 60%-40% domestic-commercial is the best option.
This should best go up to as high as 80%-20% if econmy is bad
and go down to 40%-60% if the economy is good.
With the economic situation, anything high on domestic percentage is a good
idea... IMO
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Odd shops, small firms ( no more than a couple of hours work at most ) are pretty safe payers. Good to have a few of them. Depends how big you want to get. I had the British Army's contract for all toplights on the barracks here in the 90's. Over here they set prices by square mtrs. The Army measured it themselves and made the mistake of counting both sides of the glass. Gave a normal price and they accepted, DOUBLE MONEY lol!!!
With bigger companies, they usually go with the cheapest IMO. Loyalty doesn't seem to come into it. Lost a batch of Schools because a firm quoted 3 cents cheaper than we were charging before.
As for paying, Army and local councils here pay in theory after 90 days, more like after 120 days though in reality. Shops and small businesses vary. Some chain stores wanted an invoice after 90 days, then took upto 120 to pay.
It's good posture over here to give a 30 day to pay invoice though. In the end I look at it like this;
If I have a few hundred domestic custies, it would be unusual to lose more than 1 or 2 a month. If I have 20 big commercial jobs and lost only 1 of them, I would feel that at once. Big numbers, big mistakes, small numbers, small mistakes. I prefer less stress and safety, but that's just me.
Hope this helps.