Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Mr Sparkle on April 25, 2013, 09:46:30 am
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Hi guys,
I'm finding it more difficult to pick up new customers than it was about 5 years ago.
I'm finding i get about 1 new customer per about 750 leaflets.
5 years ago i would ay i was getting 1 new customer every 100 leaflets.
Anyone else finding these statistics?
Are we over run with competion? OR is it the recession?
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its wfp, and i think its only going to get worse
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Noticed a total lack of walk ups from last year - I'm getting about 0.4 % from 1000 leaflets at moment but spending Sat canvassing.
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were picking up a nice steady stream of customers ive leafletted quite heavily over the last six months tho so cud be calls backs from these drops previously
pick up a nice amount from facebook also
will begin a little bit of canvassing as its silly not to this time of year but will be making sure no messer get signed up using terms and conditions as canvassed work is poor
good luck hope it picks up
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Richy do you leaflet areas twice within a certain time frame or do you only leaflet an area once . Mike
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To be honest i have never found it so easy to pick up work as i am now... Im full up to the brim struggling to get the days work done, had to chop canvassing on the head as far too much work to cope with.
Stuff doing rubish leaflet drops, every windowcleaner and there nan does that, go and canvass doors and get rich with good compact customers instead of posting leaflets waiting for the phone to ring on a crap spread out work from return of 1 per 250-1000 leaflets struggling to make a living!. Build quick canvass! Build slow leaflet..
As years go on all will get harder and harder so if i was you id go about it the easy way! Chase the work yourself instead of letti g it find you.
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Thing is Mick you are a top canvasser not everybody finds it as easy as yourself to do.
I have got some new leaflets going out this week which will grab peoples attention and tell them what they need to know in 4 lines of text and i think this will be key to picking up custys via leaflets .
Plus i have a special offer on reverse of leaflet i intend to drop 5000 over the next 2 weeks only targeting the areas i want myself .
I am and always will be a sole trader so just looking to add a few more custys . Mike
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There is definitely less work out there than a few years back.You cannot just keep more newbies coming in and shrinking market something has to give.
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If you are a sole trader and have been going 5 years the books should be full and 'walk ups' should be sufficient to keep topped up. If you employ or are looking to then you need to consider what growth is possible in your area. Many will find that rapid growth is not possible.
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My books are pretty full , But their is always better work out their and and in order to maximize my profit i intend to gain better priced work than some work i have and will look to sell some work on .
Their is currently 6 new housing developments been built fairly local to me i aint going to let the newbies have it all now am i ;D ;D ;D .
Plus bought a house in a new area 6 months ago so looking to build a round closer to home , Had a load of calls and picked up a fair few houses and businesses , Because the majority of window cleaners round here do a crap job and are un-reliable . Mike
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My books are pretty full , But their is always better work out their and and in order to maximize my profit i intend to gain better priced work than some work i have and will look to sell some work on .
Their is currently 6 new housing developments been built fairly local to me i aint going to let the newbies have it all now am i ;D ;D ;D .
Plus bought a house in a new area 6 months ago so looking to build a round closer to home , Had a load of calls and picked up a fair few houses and businesses , Because the majority of window cleaners round here do a crap job and are un-reliable . Mike
I stay well away from new housing estates, customers are the worst breed known to man i find with newbuilds over the last 3-5 years! Full up with housing association tennants and first time buyers with no spare cash who realy havnt got a pot to urinate in. Maybe different where you live but i stay clear round my area.
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I'm with Mick Kent on new builds. I would say when established you add on high end jobs.
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Mick did you get any work from sand piper ??? ???
Had my customers telling me there was competition around about two weeks ago was it you ? I haven't lost any loyal customers.
Paul
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It is a little bit like that Mick but to be honest it is sometimes more the older people had someone ask me for a quote a few weeks back and she nearly fainted when i told her the price .
Next time i was round her hubby was pressure washing the window's then using a shammy leather to dry them off LOL .
I am targeting some established estates of which i have a bit of inside info on , I am willing to offer cleaning schedules that no other window cleaners in my area are 4-6 or 8 weekly
And new custys have been very surprised and pleased and i believe this is going to be part of a winning formula . Mike
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Mick did you get any work from sand piper ??? ???
Had my customers telling me there was competition around about two weeks ago was it you ? I haven't lost any loyal customers.
Paul
Picked up loads but only took on selected ones asloads of africans and pikeys and i refuse to do them as always near impossible to get payed but got 4 on sandpiper 2 on moorhen and a few on the outskirts that i will keep on as customers Crap to get rear access on most but hey ho, at least i know to not bother round that dump again.
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some people would never have dreamt of becoming a window cleaner if wfp was not around.now they see someone with one of them pole thingys & think i can do that its easy. would they be starting up if there was no wfp?
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I started 8 years ago, and yes im guilty of cos of WFP is why i started.
I have noticed a lot more vans about. Ive got a good round, which i call my basic wage.
I now really push conservatories and UPVC cleaning, and if priced right, theres no reason why you cant earn the same as on the windows.
So i look at it as 2 income streams!!
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Window cleaning is my core business , But as Mick has said it is a good idea to push other services a lot of people neglect their gutters & fascias and it is great revenue stream if you can get them .
Any body who does not constantly re-evaluate and change to meet market demand's and push their business to be the very best of their ability is going to be left in the dark ages and lose customers . Mike
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i always remember what my bank manager asked me when i went for a business loan many years ago to buy a carpet cleaning machine.
"what are you going to do when carpets go out of fashion?"
In other words, always have a plan B ready!!!
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I started 8 years ago, and yes im guilty of cos of WFP is why i started.
I have noticed a lot more vans about. Ive got a good round, which i call my basic wage.
I now really push conservatories and UPVC cleaning, and if priced right, theres no reason why you cant earn the same as on the windows.
So i look at it as 2 income streams!!
Are you a sole trader mick? Or do you employ aswell?
You are obviously having a big push with fascias and conservatories as I did last year. If you are a sole trader and have been trading for 8 years, how on earth do you find time for the conservatory cleans? I just can't seem to find time for them this year without my regular work being affected.
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yea, im a sole trader, i have 14 days of 4 weekly window work, which is very well priced. I can always fit a connie clean in at the end of the day on the window days.
The days i dont have window work is when i do my add ons. Tomorrow i have just one connie clean, but very well priced.
Last Monday i had 2 connies. So i can always fit them in. But the secret is that i have very well priced window work.
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Deegee i know your question is not directed at me but i have been established since 2000 but life changes and circumstances change as does everything .
And for me i have reached a point in my life were i want to push my business to the absolute maximum but in the past i have never had a real need to always made a good wage .
And still do but now i want so much more from life for me and my wife much nicer house in a better area and nice vehicle . Right now i am willing to work 12-14 hrs a day 7 days a week if i have to and why not . Mike
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No worries M&M. Yes I understand that circumstances change etc, its the same for all.
My business is constantly evolving from season to season too. This time last year we had cleaned 19 non-customers conservatories and fascias/soffitts since Xmas. This year we have cleaned 4. If last year the figure was that low I'd have been skint as I relied quite heavily on the extra income that conservatory cleans bring. With my regular domestic work being a year more mature and also having added a good amount of commercial work, I really have not had the time for the conservatories this year.
I was just interested how others find the time for the add ons, especially having a well established round to look after.
*email sent Mick* :)
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Noticed a total lack of walk ups from last year - I'm getting about 0.4 % from 1000 leaflets at moment but spending Sat canvassing.
that's a lot better than i;m getting ian!
I'm about 1 client for 1000-1500 leaflets! not cost effective at all :P
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I have no time for addons either i am full to the brim with customers, i like knowing that i have the same work repeat month after month, if an existing cust wants there con roof done i do it but only customers, simply no time for addons which im glad about as nothing worse than dead working hours where nothing to do!.
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Noticed a total lack of walk ups from last year - I'm getting about 0.4 % from 1000 leaflets at moment but spending Sat canvassing.
that's a lot better than i;m getting ian!
I'm about 1 client for 1000-1500 leaflets! not cost effective at all :P
If it was only window cleaning on leaflets i wouldnt bother but on mine i have windows connies solar panels upvc pressure washing so hitting a few different angles.
Got another 19000 to get out before august but happy if get 50 ish regular window customers from that as going for the add ons to boost income so windows icing on cake as pretty full as a 1 man band with a little part time help.
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whats your minimum charge mick? How many of you canvass together?
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If wanted just window customers then be canvassing like mick the canvassing machine
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ive got lots of maintenance window cleaning work that makes me a good wage and im picking up more and more add on jobs from existing customers like conny roof/fascia/soffit/solar panel cleaning etc.
i always book these jobs in when i next clean their windows when they ask me.i always find time as i can get round my 340+ customers in around 3 weeks leaving myself a week for catching up due to weather or fitting in the add on jobs.
most of my work is monthly but got a few 2 monthly,3 monthly and large 6 monthly jobs.so it varies every month.
im picking up a steady stream of work lately from regular window cleaning to add ons just from word of mouth and recommendation.
im very organised and professional though and work hard at providing a good service all year round and it pays off year after year.
and every time i lose a job for whatever reason there always seems to be another new job around the corner!
life is good!! ;D ;D
BUT!i dont ever rest on my laurels and i continue to work hard and i dont get complacent.
im well established though with nearly 20 years of window cleaning behind me!! :o ;D ;D
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it is tougher out there now than 5 yrs back when I just started / HOWEVER its a question of digging deep in the crevices of life and the gold is still there - or at least the gold plated
I have also jus started a sideline biz in housework n ironing with 1 woman actually doing the work and found her the work without tooo much effort (these days you cant jus Wang out a 100 leaflets and sit back on yer heels ,you must dig dig and dig again
,I find I really like organizing SOMEBODY ELSES rota ,a refreshing change from organizing my own window cleaning gang .