Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Doug Holloway on May 22, 2010, 04:57:01 pm

Title: Current Trading
Post by: Doug Holloway on May 22, 2010, 04:57:01 pm
Hi Guys

A poll to see how we are managing in the recession.

Cheers

Doug
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: M.Acorn on May 22, 2010, 05:05:35 pm
Good for me,next week got a couple of spaces,in the afternoons,and week after also looking healthy.It`s also helping me to push up prices,as i am not skint,so feel much more confident,and have more of a take it or leave it attitude,example,doing a small 2 bed on Friday £165
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: Carpet Dawg on May 22, 2010, 05:27:50 pm
good for me :) even tho i had three cancleation this week! One tomorrow which was a £250 :( and lost my wallet with 150 in it  >:(
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: richy27 on May 22, 2010, 05:44:12 pm
although this is only my 20th month trading. i can only compare this year against last but for the 1 st 5 months of 2010 i have doubled turnover from 2009
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: Mike_Roper on May 22, 2010, 06:11:23 pm
Best year ( financial upto april) in 20 yrs last year for me . I thinks its purely because Whitby is still booming so most work is holiday trade related . Bookings for b &b 's is apparently slower so far this year so who knows. Still draw the same modest wage so that money stays in business to cover unforseen occurrence that could befall us all .
Mike
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: md_cleaning on May 22, 2010, 06:32:22 pm
Fairly busy, slightly down on last year, but May's been manic and June's looking good to, most work comming in is friends of current customers.
Dave
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: Neil Williams on May 22, 2010, 07:49:23 pm
If we're talking about what's on the board at present then it's ok
But overall since 1st January it's poor compared to previous years.
I've been in this business for 10 years and for the previous 9 years things tend to run between slightly busy to slightly quiet, in other words steady with the odd manic moment. This year it's been running DEAD......flat out.....DEAD....flat out etc.
Previous years I made a point of no working Saturdays but this year I've been doing them to counteract the dead days during the week.
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: JandS on May 23, 2010, 11:21:36 am
Same here Neil.

John
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: Simon@arenaclean on May 23, 2010, 07:39:11 pm
Just having a look at the results, I wonder if there is a geographical reason, not sure how you could find out ???
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: bennymon on May 23, 2010, 08:48:39 pm
absolute poope only 1 job booked in for this week  :( :(
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: Michael Smallwood on May 23, 2010, 08:57:11 pm
2009/10 is 20% down on 2008/09.
 :(
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: The Great One on May 23, 2010, 09:02:10 pm
Hi

So far this year I have been well up but has recently gone dead, didn't help I had to fork out an extra grand this month and didn't work for the whole of April.

Regards

Martin 8)
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: derek west on May 23, 2010, 09:03:03 pm
up 100% on last year but that doesn't mean i'm doing well. away 3 days this coming week and fully booked for thurs fri, just need to keep the last 2 weeks going as theyve been brill but thats easier said than done.
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: elliott cleaning on May 23, 2010, 09:16:47 pm
Guess it's like anything - if you started yesterday and did zilch  - then after cleaning a broom cupboard  today - you're ahead of your game.   If you've been at it for a hundred years, you'll find that things are becoming tougher.

Recession for the last year plus!- and struggling?.   You haven't seen anything yet.
You'll find ca half a million public sector workers appearing on the unemployment register & the knock-on effect in the private sector will have an effect on your business.

It all depends on your client mix.   If you deal mainly with one end of the spectrum - you won't have any problems with maintaining or increasing your turnover.   If however the bulk of your business comes from the other half of the spectrum - don't plan to put your name down for a new 'Roller'
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: clinton on May 23, 2010, 09:23:20 pm
New roller ;D

My client base is what i call the john lewis customer and always has been.

Also thankfully i have a lot of commercial clients who have not cut back( as yet ;D).

Have had a good may and think it will be good in june hopefully...

Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: happy mondays on May 23, 2010, 09:56:13 pm
absolute poope only 1 job booked in for this week  :( :(

Hey Bennymon, give blackberry a bell they need to spell gallery right on your nav bar!

Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: happy mondays on May 23, 2010, 11:19:26 pm
Even worse just spotted this one  ::)

Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: Magic Dry Perth on May 24, 2010, 02:27:57 am
For myself it's hard to say out here in oz its from July to end of June.  From July till end of Febuary it was up about 20% but then got ill so haven't work for 4 months just starting again now.  I think it would of been up but didn't work so will never know.  The  work for the next couple of weeks is booked to what I want to work so looking good again, but until I come back working 5 full days aweek its still hard to say.
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: Doug Holloway on May 24, 2010, 07:51:42 am
Hi Guys

Interesting poll which suggests that allowing for positive thinking that most are coping quite well but a number are in trouble.

Hopefully the market will pick up into June which is traditional but I do believe we are in for tough trading conditions for another 2 years or so.

It's important to look at your costs and most of all don't fall for the 'can you take on more work' calls of which I had several last week, which are only ever likely to reduce your bank balance.

Cheers

Doug
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: M.Acorn on May 24, 2010, 03:01:31 pm
Well today my first job cancelled,after i drove there and called to see what was going on,was going to text and check yesterday,as i was thinking he might do this.Oh sorry mate,one of my relatives did it,and i thought i called you over the weekend and said don`t come !
And another reg custy,who called me on Fri eve to book for June,has postponed me,last time i cleaned for her she rearranged me about 4 times,ahhhh
So got some spaces now this week,but if it`s like this outside then i am not too bothered
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on May 24, 2010, 03:13:04 pm
My phone's steady now it was quiet then went busy now steady, it's my bowels that aren't as I went to a BBQ yesterday and I have to keep popping home to see a man about a dog luckily the jobs today are all local! computer is always in in our house so I type this from the little boys room ;D

Shaun
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: Steve. Taylor on May 24, 2010, 03:50:34 pm
Shaun sounds like your right in the sh*t hope things clean up & clear up soon you wouldnt want a long run of it. ;D
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: Doctor Carpet (Ret'd) on May 24, 2010, 05:23:14 pm
Sounds like Shaun is being driven round the bend! ;D

Probably he's a bit flushed by now!! ;D ;D
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: Jim_77 on May 24, 2010, 05:27:50 pm
Shaun I know you said you were trying to have a clear out but I didn't think you meant like that!
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on May 24, 2010, 06:28:27 pm
Need some Ultrapac to get rid of all of that carbon in me!

Bloody toilet humour!!

Shaun
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: markpowell on May 24, 2010, 09:17:22 pm
 ;D ;D
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: Joe H on May 27, 2010, 04:18:59 pm
My turnover for May will be about £400 up on May last year.

However the average job ticket has dropped from £100 to £90 - people not spending as much, but thankfully still spending.
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: rich hand on May 27, 2010, 08:06:57 pm
Ha, thats funny Joe, i've just posted on another thread that average job prices have soared!
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: derek west on May 27, 2010, 08:17:53 pm
my job average last year was 92 and this year its 106 i think? not checked for a few weeks.
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: Gerry Styles on May 27, 2010, 08:29:50 pm
2 jobs this week total 6 hours. got ads in local press and leaflets out
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: Dave_Lee on May 31, 2010, 07:44:42 pm
This is the truth. After checking on performance this year to date compared with last year I am 25% down on job numbers and takings. Never had a drop like that in the 30 years in this business. I always do better in the second part of the year so here's looking to June onwards.
Dave.
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: Andrew Briscoe on May 31, 2010, 07:48:02 pm
This is the truth. After checking on performance this year to date compared with last year I am 25% down on job numbers and takings. Never had a drop like that in the 30 years in this business. I always do better in the second part of the year so here's looking to June onwards.
Dave.

Thats quite a drop Dave, do you just put it down to the resession.
I was down 3k in Jan, but seem to have got it back, and up a few hundred quid.

Andrew
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: clinton on May 31, 2010, 09:01:48 pm
People are shopping around for the best prices as well an some are maybe keeping money back in these uncertain times..Will drop off from next week when the football starts i think ..
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: feldon on May 31, 2010, 10:01:28 pm
Be interesting to know whether its geoghraphic ie north / south divide etc.
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: markpowell on May 31, 2010, 10:08:18 pm
May quieter than usuall but June looking good already got a few good bookings already.
Mark
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: Dave_Lee on June 01, 2010, 01:44:21 pm
This is the truth. After checking on performance this year to date compared with last year I am 25% down on job numbers and takings. Never had a drop like that in the 30 years in this business. I always do better in the second part of the year so here's looking to June onwards.
Dave.

Thats quite a drop Dave, do you just put it down to the resession.
I was down 3k in Jan, but seem to have got it back, and up a few hundred quid.

Andrew

Not sure Andrew, I am still telling myself it's the weather. Things have picked up the last couple of weeks, but it's not flowing along like it should. The fact that YP got my telephone wrong this year wont help, but to what extent who knows.
Dave.
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: Andrew Briscoe on June 01, 2010, 02:25:11 pm
I cant comprehend how quickly things change, been good last few weeks,
worked most of this weekend, now have an empty diary, except hard floor and a few carpets next week, and a pub booked for last week in September.

You just cant predict it at the moment, thankfully i have a lot of contract cleaning monthly.

Andrew

ps, spending quality time with my 5 week old bucket boy  :)
Title: Re: Current Trading
Post by: derek west on June 01, 2010, 05:24:28 pm
effin mental at the mo, but i'm sure this post will be the kiss of death ;D

hard floors are slowly coming in, slate and tile and grout today, 2 quotes for carpet and hardfloor mix tomorrow,

ps... still not fully booked though, don't think i ever will be.