Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Steve Sed on September 29, 2011, 11:49:49 am
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I can't see the point of targetting it. Apparently all the nationals are doing them for peanuts. Those people that were on Dragon's Den being a perfect example whilst I can easily make £200 a day with domestic work. Ok, round isn't full, but if I put a 9-5 in, I will easily do that and usually much more. Can someone please explain why I should be chasing commercial work when everyone on here sees it as the golden egg and is also after it?
This is a genuine question. What are you getting out of commercial work as an hourly rate? Why do you see it as the bee's wotsits?
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commercial is great if you got staff to go do it and it can be done before 8 am, other than that i would rather do domestic, i do some bamks in newquay and i have to wait till after 9 to get in and my hourly rate drops they are a waste of time
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Commercial is rubbish, all other window cleaners should stick to domestic only.
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Dave
Not on topic so I apologise but just been on the website - what have you spent £100 000 on for pressure washing?
Rob ;D
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Commercial is rubbish, all other window cleaners should stick to domestic only.
I reckon you are being patronising. But I also reckon you might not be able to price up doestic hence you think commercial is more profitable. Tell me your hourly ratefor that work, otherwise i'm perfectly happy to stick with mine. I think a well priced domestic round done two monthly will be much more worthwhile than fought over commercial work.
If my customers ever do the maths, I reckon they will n staggered. But, hey, you keep on striving for more offices.
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Dave
Not on topic so I apologise but just been on the website - what have you spent £100 000 on for pressure washing?
Rob ;D
Exactly. The amount of wcs that gofor pressure washing, gutter cleaning etc that scrap over commercial work.. Madness. Window cleaning houses is amazing money, which is why I asked the question about commercial work. Is it really over £45 an hour. A well managed domestix round will return that. It takes time to get there, and I confess I am not there 5 days a week yet, but I earn that on a full day now.
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I can't see the point of targetting it. Apparently all the nationals are doing them for peanuts. Those people that were on Dragon's Den being a perfect example whilst I can easily make £200 a day with domestic work. Ok, round isn't full, but if I put a 9-5 in, I will easily do that and usually much more. Can someone please explain why I should be chasing commercial work when everyone on here sees it as the golden egg and is also after it?
This is a genuine question. What are you getting out of commercial work as an hourly rate? Why do you see it as the bee's wotsits?
so you dont do much commercial work then or have had much experience with it on a large scale??
commercial work can make you alot of money and can double a domestic day with ease.
yes - small national shop ie HMV wont make you alot but large office blocks, schools and even local community centres can make you some good money
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Commercial is rubbish, all other window cleaners should stick to domestic only.
Very funny, I get the joke, all other window cleaners cleaners...
;D
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Steve
You did miss the joke. You need to have a look at Daves website. He runs a substantial operation. I only asked the question because pressure washing large - commercial buildings is what I do and that is a sizable investment.
Commercial pressure washing, window cleaning or anything else will only be what you make it.
If you go out for a day on residential and then I go out for a day on commercial I know where I would rather be!!!!!
Rob ;D
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Steve you need to target the right type of commercial!!!
We have 200 commercial contracts now and only 2 of them are with nationals!!! and they pay hell of a lot more than your average domestic.
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There's people on this forum and people I know who have commercial only business and if done properly like the ones I know, you can get upwards of £50 a hour per man, this isn't crap I've worked on the job with some and have seen the invoice, I'm not talking shop fronts etc but block units etc, if my memory is correct when I took my daughter to kings/eveliner hospital D.woods company was doing the windows on it, take a look on google at this place. Ask Charlie at J.V.Price if he would give up his commercial only business,
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Ok, i'm assuming that you arent all stupid. As it happens I have to give a quote for an office building. So where do I start? I really do make fantastic money on domestic, but i am prepared to be educated. Can one man earn more than £250 a day on commercial work?
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Yes
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Hi Guys
I was only teasing, all window cleaning work is profitable if priced corectly.
Rob, the £100,000 on presure washing equipment, should say £10,000
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Commercial as in offices & ind estates can be very good. For a one man band little shops can be a pain unless you get a run of them. Some only pay 3or4 quid.
Some of the nationals even do the windows for free on large cleaning jobs.
I have a few little runs of shops I do that work ok but by a large margin my best comm work is offices.
In the past I did two primarks 6 days a week some of it subbed obviously. It was good, but when you lose the work as a one man band you really notice.
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Horses for courses, I reckon.
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Mention commercial and the truth is had to find its the best kept secrete. To find out anything worth while on here about comm. work is wishful thinking. I have a reliable source with in my family and they were telling me that a lot of comm work is bought.Brown envelopes and the rest.But I am sure this will denied by so many.Its the closed circle again.
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Wizkid for sure, alot is right time, right place, who you know, connections, word of mouth. Im not sure really most large commercial jobs go through the proper channels. You can of course introduce yourself through procurement or new suppliers, but the guy at the top already knows who he is going to use, I come across it day in and day out. Spun the fluff, send in details - we will keep you on file, its already sewn up. If you want to build commercial your better looking at independent places that can make a decision on their own. They may not be massive buildings, but for a starter it would be a good way to go. Wizkid you just used a prime example there too "I have it from a source" that kinda speaks for itself really.
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Wizkid for sure, alot is right time, right place, who you know, connections, word of mouth. Im not sure really most large commercial jobs go through the proper channels. You can of course introduce yourself through procurement or new suppliers, but the guy at the top already knows who he is going to use, I come across it day in and day out. Spun the fluff, send in details - we will keep you on file, its already sewn up. If you want to build commercial your better looking at independent places that can make a decision on their own. They may not be massive buildings, but for a starter it would be a good way to go. Wizkid you just used a prime example there
too "I have it from a source" that kinda speaks for itself really.
Yes, but how do you price itL
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Gosh I dont know Steve, anyone I send on an appointment I leave it to them. I get asked sometimes for instance how much to clean this hotel/nursing home, I just say Im afraid we cant do a quote over the phone, somebody will have to come and look at the building, dependent on windows, finishing, access etc. Sure somebody will come along with regards to pricing
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Gosh I dont know Steve, anyone I send on an appointment I leave it to them. I get asked sometimes for instance how much to clean this hotel/nursing home, I just say Im afraid we cant do a quote over the phone, somebody will have to come and look at the building, dependent on windows, finishing, access etc.
You are missing my point. Hourly, is it more or less than domestic? Assuming £40 an hour for domestic.
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Gosh I dont know Steve, anyone I send on an appointment I leave it to them. I get asked sometimes for instance how much to clean this hotel/nursing home, I just say Im afraid we cant do a quote over the phone, somebody will have to come and look at the building, dependent on windows, finishing, access etc.
You are missing my point. Hourly, is it more or less than domestic? Assuming £40 an hour for domestic.
steve she isn't a window cleaner so won't know (not having a go BTW), but I will attempt to answer your question, commercial can pay more than domestic and vice versa, it depends who does the pricing on both occasions,
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Steve I make appointments for Commercial cleaners. What they do with the lead is upto them.
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i think the problem here is what is being classed as commercial, is it a shop front, or a care home, i got some care homes which are a good rate but shop fronts are a joke sometimes
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Ori, shop front, care home its all commercial. I agree a shop window is not going to bring in much unless you have the whole lot in your area, but it is however a commercial building. I ask my chaps to write down as they go around what buildings they would like me to call. So its quite targetted backed up with local data in the area. So we do a bit of both, we have a data list, backed up by personal targets.
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i know what you are saying, but i think a lot get confused with commercial when people say i earn £50 ph, they think its all shop fronts
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Ori Im afraid I cant answer that. I get the data in, call the most obvious, which is nursing homes, residential care, rest and retirement, Hotels, pubs/bars/restos, golf clubs, distribution, housing assocations - I leave it upto the guys to do their own quotes. Yep I do understand about shop fronts, think people are talking about blocks and larger buildings
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I can give a detailed insight into commercial works.
I have developed a window cleaning business, from nothing to a regional level but now have a solely commercial business.
As an individual business you could get a foot in the door but it is more likely that you would be filed and then dismissed. The works I do utilise the same contractors on every time. Some are good and some are bad but they are there and the works get completed.
From my perspective there was no real external cleaning service provided, we were invited onto the programme and started to show a different level of service, I personally saw the opportunity and realised very quickly that it could be captured and my business could be the sole service provider.
That is roughly where we are at, there is work to do and I have by no means arrived. I get asked for, by name and have excellent relationships with several Directors of various Principle contractors, and all levels underneath them.
M-CLEAN UK have shown an exceptional set of standards that have been proven over the last five years, reliability, gettting the job done, doing what is required, communicating, there is a level of drive and appreciation in where I have taken the business.
I do not sit back I continue to look for the angle, continue to see how it can be improved. An opportunity presented itself and the platform was wide open.
Look beyond what can be earned and build a solid business that can justify the prices charged, when you have all things in order the prices are easily achievable and some!!!
Look at Daves website as an example, he isn't working on weekly or monthly accounts and worrying about money coming in he has commercial premises of substantial metres squared that are being cleaned daily.
He didn't get them by chance, he had everything in place and then it was easy to supply the service.
Look outside of the box.
Don't limit yourself on costings!!
Rob ;D
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M-CLEAN was it you that posted a pic of your van that has a bed and little kitchen in it, sure it was a lwb high top trafic/vivaro?
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So what was your marketing strategy MK and how did you get to the level that you are?
Regards
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Yes it was me - the business is seeing real growth in all directions at the moment and that worked for the time but will not be used next year. I need all the space I can get in the vans for working out of.
Marketing strategy is easy - be very, very good at what you do!
Rob ;D
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cool
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So do you do walk inns? the majority of your business is gained through...............? Mk marketing strategy dosent really cover " be good at what you do" can you list what you do? Im asking cos Im willing to learn
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Catherine
I am no better than the next man, we had a website that pointed someone in our direction when they were looking for pressure washers in our area. This led to national works.
I am focused and determined and I can communicate with all levels. That is a big part.
I want some work with Arcus FM (who look after the facilities for Sainsbury's), maintenance cleaning.
At a store last week I saw someone with one of their badges on, in a very smart suit, not your standard employee. Turns out he was the regional manager. I walked up to him, I was working, dripping in pressure washing slurry and unshaven, introduced myself and the business and now my details are with their buying department!!!
Rob ;D
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Thats great. You must follow that up though Rob.
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I see opportunity everywhere. Although I am personally no better than anyone I have a superb product and if I am being blunt there are a lot of idiots who think they have a good product, when in reality it is barely mediocre. This makes our service stand out!!
I will do whatever it takes to work with the people I want as clients, to the point that I will do free work to prove our worth!!!
Rob ;D
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Your certainly enthusiastic, good luck to you, and great for going up to the guy, I did the same in a Travel lodge the other day - but youve got to follow it through Rob I would say Monday, call the guy - did you get his mobile?
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The business card is in my wallet and it will be followed up. ;)
I am looking for another in for another principle contractor and happened to stumble across a website listing every single major building development going up to 2018. I am going to be busy now!!!
Rob ;D
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As long as you follow it up Rob.
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Thing is, I have spent 30 years in chasing blue chip sales. I love my life life now. No suits!
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Done all that Steve must be great working for yourself