Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Dean Taberner on September 17, 2012, 08:55:50 pm
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Hello,
I've just been flicking through the sky channels trying to avoid words like corrie and eastenders and I came across the word "recession" and it got me thinking.
Have any of you on here suffered during the recession? I know at least 2 of my good friends who are one their backsides and on the brink of having their houses reposessed.
My business is doing ok as a company and and it appears that we all are holding our own from reading posts on here.
It begs the question, is running a window cleaning business recession proof?
What are everyones thoughts?
Dean.
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Ive lost a couple of customers to the recession i think, but ive gained alot more than ive lost.
My brother in law however works for the council and has been told they are selling his department off as a business (staff & equipment). They are trying to not pay them a redundancy, but there is nothing to sell other than equipment and the guys as the work they do has no contracts. There is no brand either as it was just a council department.
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I think the only people that are recession proof
Are under takers and mid wives!
If must sv got you somewhere dean? Commercials
Going from weekly to monthly etc?
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I think there are a fair number of people setting up on the back of redundancy pay-offs etc.
Can't say I blame them, but as is often the case when people first set up they don't charge enough, so this has eroded some prices.
But I still make a living, so I can't complain. :)
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I think the only people that are recession proof
Are under takers and mid wives!
If must sv got you somewhere dean? Commercials
Going from weekly to monthly etc?
undertakers are like any business they need good cash flow,there income comes from two main sources,insurance pay out and the council
The council,like all business tend to now hang on to there money longer and this in turns puts pressure on undertakers
and insurance companies tend to pay out to relatives,who may not pay the undertakers straight away
Nothing is recession proof,it may just depend on the severity of the recession has to who gets more effected
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i think the crap weather this year has affected business more than the recession
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nope.
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I am a window cleaner bEcause of, not in spite of this so called 'recession'. Loving it too.
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There hasn't been a recession for the rich. For them, it's business as normal and for most affluent people, these are the best of times.
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We have not noticed the recession at all, but like Gary 999 says .... it's the bloody weather that hurts us the most
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I think that fuel prices are the killer with businesses like mine.
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Yep defo more effected by bad weather this year.
Lack of walk up new customers and conny roof jobs.
Kids go back ... sun comes out .. new customers ... lots of connie roofs done - 2 every Saturday for next 3 weeks booked in
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Recession has hit us on our commercial side, companies being too mean, head offices cutting cleaning budgets and the increasing numbers of them going over to central contracts or getting the staff to clean them plus the emergence of ''New Starters'' who's only aim is to undercut prices and do a shoddy job....In this economic climate, window cleaning is way down on their list of priorities ::)
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All the recession does is make the rich richer and the poor poorer.
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I think that fuel prices are the killer with businesses like mine.
Fuel bills are distressingn Dean.
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I am a window cleaner bEcause of, not in spite of this so called 'recession'. Loving it too.
Exactly the same for me - being made redundant twice in 3 years gave me the kick up the 'arris to sell the car, buy a van and start door knocking. I'm finally in charge of my own destiny, life and work hours and can't tell you how much less pressure I feel.
On the WC front, I have lost less than 5 in the last six months due to cutting back/no money/redundancy so it has had a very small impact. Also, I have been speaking to quite a few builders recently and they are all saying they are too busy to cope at the mo and are booked up for at least the next 6 months; I think this is a sign that things are not quite as bad as they were and may even be getting better.
Bad weather was affecting me earlier in the summer until I took the decision to get out there cleaning no matter what the weather. I used to sit at home looking through the window waiting/hoping for it to stop raining but now just get out there with the thinking that a bit of rain ain't gonna stop me earning.
Cheers
Tom
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If it wasn't for the recession I would now be a plumber instead of a window cleaner. Wether I'd be any better off is debatable.
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I don't believe any business is totally recession proof, but we need to be determined to work as hard as it takes to make it succeed.
Customers' circumstances can change, so we may lose some, but gain others. Our level of success depends on our determination to work as hard as it takes, and on the quality of work that we gain/lose.
John
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I was made redundant back in January this year and was from financial services background for nearly 20 years.
I think the window cleaning business can be effected (if only slightly) as any other business. However, if you look after your clients and do a good job i think most of them will keep paying the monthly bill as its not a huge outlay in the scheme of things. Clients also know that they can cancel it at any time and so arent too concerned - just look after your clients and they wont want to lose you, just the same as a decent plumber or electrician etc.
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Commercial wise yes!
The standards of most commercial places gas gone right down hill! Years ago windows would be cleaned very regular... Carpets to. But now it's once to three times a year on some of our big commercial jobs and some don't have it done at all!
Domestic wise sort of
A lot more wc about now, few years back I'd see about three different wc companies a week, now see about 5 or 6 a day! Yes wfp has helped a lot more wc start up. The one annoying thing I found with domestic customers thinking of saving a few pounds- they cancel the windows as trying to cut back on spending etc but within 6 months they realise they can't do it themselves and end up getting another wc and with so many about it's just the luck of the draw in which wc they see down the road on say a random day off the customer has etc ... I find doing the odd Saturday helps, I've done certain roads for years and never picked up a certain house in a road, put flyers in it etc ... But doing the odd sat on most customers days off always pays off and they see you or the van in the road and come over for a chat about the windows, normally get the normal line from them - been looking for a wc for months, did know we had one in the road etc ...
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I think that fuel prices are the killer with businesses like mine.
Fuel bills are distressingn Dean.
only if your top end is wrong simon, although they are a bummer on profits, I did 000's of miles this month
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One of the side effects of recession is that the housing market slows down. One of the biggest causes of lost work in this industry is people moving home, hence we dont lose work at such a fast rate as pre recesion days. Dont think anyone could ever say wc is recession proof, but we have one massive thing going for us... People dont like cleaning windows, recession or not. :)
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Dean
Fuel will not be a killer if you price up the work right.
To me fuel is quite cheap at about £1.43 per litre - its much cheaper than many bottled waters for sale and certainly a lot cheaper than 568 ml of beer at my local pub which is circa £3
Most new businesses look at turnover rather than profit, it's far better to turnover 100 grand and make 90 grand profit than say turnover 200 grand and only make 20 grand profit.
Better still have a big turnover with a huge percentage of profit!
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Dean
Fuel will not be a killer if you price up the work right.
To me fuel is quite cheap at about £1.43 per litre - its much cheaper than many bottled waters for sale and certainly a lot cheaper than 568 ml of beer at my local pub which is circa £3
Most new businesses look at turnover rather than profit, it's far better to turnover 100 grand and make 90 grand profit than say turnover 200 grand and only make 20 grand profit.
Better still have a big turnover with a huge percentage of profit!
I second that :)
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maybe a bit like re-branding a product and selling it at 4X the original cost and diluting it 8X as well :o :o - just to increase the profit. ;D ;D ;D
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Cosmetics are recession proof, and chocolate
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good topic :)
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Is there a recession ?
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I think the only people that are recession proof
Are under takers and mid wives!
I don't agree , My wife is a midwife, they are over worked, and they are not employing as many as they should. I believe it to be 4500 short, because of cut backs....
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I see HMRC are (not) laying off.
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Dean
Fuel will not be a killer if you price up the work right.
To me fuel is quite cheap at about £1.43 per litre - its much cheaper than many bottled waters for sale and certainly a lot cheaper than 568 ml of beer at my local pub which is circa £3
Most new businesses look at turnover rather than profit, it's far better to turnover 100 grand and make 90 grand profit than say turnover 200 grand and only make 20 grand profit.
Better still have a big turnover with a huge percentage of profit!
How long does a pint last you Darran?
I have mentioned it before that window cleaning can be very distressing at times, and that still stands.
Employee's are the biggest problem overall though above fuel in my opinion, infact they can be so bad at times that you do actually get the urge to strangle them.
Dean.
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Dean
Fuel will not be a killer if you price up the work right.
To me fuel is quite cheap at about £1.43 per litre - its much cheaper than many bottled waters for sale and certainly a lot cheaper than 568 ml of beer at my local pub which is circa £3
Most new businesses look at turnover rather than profit, it's far better to turnover 100 grand and make 90 grand profit than say turnover 200 grand and only make 20 grand profit.
Better still have a big turnover with a huge percentage of profit!
How long does a pint last you Darran?
I have mentioned it before that window cleaning can be very distressing at times, and that still stands.
Employee's are the biggest problem overall though above fuel in my opinion, infact they can be so bad at times that you do actually get the urge to strangle them.
Dean.
Haha! Funny you say that about staff....one of mine nearly got thrown through a window the other day!
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Dean
Fuel will not be a killer if you price up the work right.
To me fuel is quite cheap at about £1.43 per litre - its much cheaper than many bottled waters for sale and certainly a lot cheaper than 568 ml of beer at my local pub which is circa £3
Most new businesses look at turnover rather than profit, it's far better to turnover 100 grand and make 90 grand profit than say turnover 200 grand and only make 20 grand profit.
Better still have a big turnover with a huge percentage of profit!
How long does a pint last you Darran?
I have mentioned it before that window cleaning can be very distressing at times, and that still stands.
Employee's are the biggest problem overall though above fuel in my opinion, infact they can be so bad at times that you do actually get the urge to strangle them.
Dean.
Haha! Funny you say that about staff....one of mine nearly got thrown through a window the other day!
You get a bit of that with window cleaning, it is common practice. :-).