Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Jack Judd on September 08, 2013, 09:29:51 pm

Title: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: Jack Judd on September 08, 2013, 09:29:51 pm
I have been to all the ionics training for when I first started.  It was great and really helped me.  I have been really unimpressed with their poles though with one having four separate issues within 4 months.  However Craig (owner of Ionics) gave some good advice at working for a £1 a minute.  I try to stick to this.  This is with reference to the post for the guy who was dumped for his £9 a house after being told he got paid more than a surgeon.  I have a £10 minimum in place and if you offer a good service, eg plan your week, phone ahead, written quotes people are prepared to pay.  We turn up with our carbon fibre poles, our di-ionised water, why should we charge less than a £10 per house.  I only have 3 £10 houses.  The rest are £15 -80.  We should hold our prices and always look to add value.

Can anybody recommend a good brand of pole
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: LBWCS on September 08, 2013, 09:39:49 pm
Well said Jack. I think the comments to follow will overwhelmingly recommend Gardiners poles. And rightly so.
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: ben M on September 08, 2013, 09:41:18 pm
do you earn £60 per hour?
a good brand of pole? if you earn so much money you should know the best company!
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: Jack Judd on September 08, 2013, 09:44:53 pm
its not all about the product, it's what you do with it that matters.  All this talk about ppm and ppb.  Good pure water and good hard work.  However fed up with using poop poles and making do.  If I had the time I would design my own pole.
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: ben M on September 08, 2013, 09:48:52 pm
can you answer my question please? Do you earn £60 per hour?
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: Jack Judd on September 08, 2013, 09:52:59 pm
I try to aim for that but obviously not always able to get it.  £28 for a half an hour job x 2, but have to travel.  3 bed semi £18, 20 mins work.  Don't understand these £8 jobs
 
I have only been going 2 years, but my philosophy from day 1 was, my books are full and you are lucky to get me rather than, I am just beginning and am desperate for any job.  A tough 2 years but now paying off.  Perception is reality!!!  and to the national contractors who nicked my hard earned contracts watch out, here I come.
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: Archer on September 08, 2013, 10:10:03 pm


Don't understand the £8.00 jobs, I understand them perfectly well to be honest and don't see anything wrong with them, but that's just my opinion.

 

Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: ben M on September 08, 2013, 10:15:46 pm


Don't understand the £8.00 jobs, I understand them perfectly well to be honest and don't see anything wrong with them, but that's just my opinion.

 


+1
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: Jack Judd on September 08, 2013, 10:19:13 pm
Why not just turn the £8 job into a £10 job and have that as a minimum.  Or if the £8 job is a monthly clean, turn it into a £12 bi-monthly clean and increase the number of customers accordingly. 
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: George P on September 08, 2013, 10:20:03 pm
area can also dictate the price, but good point to aim high in business, the old adage think little - you always will be, but think big - and you may just be big, wether thats in businesss or happiness or life in general
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: Archer on September 08, 2013, 10:21:22 pm

why not turn your £80.00 job into a £100.00 job ?

its pretty much the same,

just because it is £8.00 doesn't mean it is no good
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: Jack Judd on September 08, 2013, 10:33:45 pm
not quite a £10 minimum is not the same as a £100 minimum, same % percentage increase yes, but percentages are relative. I could swallow a £2 increase on my bi monthly window clean but when the buyer on my 200000 house wants 40k off the price he can think again.  As you said just your opinion and I respect that.  Just wanted to see people would accept thinking differently, just a thought and really I should be getting on with my planning.
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: Jack Judd on September 08, 2013, 10:35:56 pm
Actually I would turn my £80 customer into a £100 customer, put them on a bi-monthly clean and look to get another customer
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: Archer on September 08, 2013, 10:37:20 pm

what exactly is your planning, as you so put it  ?

If you put your £80.00 customer bi monthly, that would take some serious time to achieve this with all the work you must have, which in turn would surely lose you work

the £80 per month would give you £960 per year

compared to the £100.00 bi monthly giving you £600.00 per year

I would say that's pretty poor business skills.
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: PoleKing on September 08, 2013, 10:53:45 pm

what exactly is your planning, as you so put it  ?

If you put your £80.00 customer bi monthly, that would take some serious time to achieve this with all the work you must have, which in turn would surely lose you work

the £80 per month would give you £960 per year

compared to the £100.00 bi monthly giving you £600.00 per year

I would say that's pretty poor business skills.

+1.
Get everyone on monthly (if you can)
I'm moving all if my quarterlies over to 2 monthly slowly now.
Won't get most if my 2mth to monthly though-shame.
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: Archer on September 08, 2013, 10:59:55 pm

I was actually wanting Jack Judd to let me know what exactly is his planning ?

Surely charging £80.00 x however many customers doesn't need much planning,

and also one thing to remember before comparing an £8.00 job to an £80.00 job, is just how long do they take to clean x by how many can be cleaned in the day.

Maybe the £8.00 jobs may prove more profitable over the course of the day
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: windiewasher on September 08, 2013, 11:06:18 pm
I think the op is just the usual millionaire that says he doesn't work for small prices!
Hes another £500 a day window cleaner whos finished by 2pm.
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: Archer on September 08, 2013, 11:12:07 pm

I am just very interested in what the op means, when in his conversation he says "really I should be getting on with my planning"

I just wanted to see what his intentions are with the way he wants to take his business, as we ALL can plan, but I just found it quite odd saying that, as if the conversation I was having with him didn't really mean anything, as I had stated I could see nothing wrong with an £8.00 job

Maybe its just me  :-[
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: wpclean on September 08, 2013, 11:17:50 pm
Boring  ::)roll
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: rosskesava on September 08, 2013, 11:27:41 pm
I can't work out what this thread is about or what the point being made in the original posting is.

It reads a bit unreal to me.

Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: Archer on September 08, 2013, 11:30:07 pm


all I can work out is that £8.00 jobs must be pointless, and when its questioned he has no time, because he is better getting off, to go planning

new one on me
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: KS Cleaning on September 08, 2013, 11:31:14 pm
I have been to all the ionics training for when I first started.  It was great and really helped me.  I have been really unimpressed with their poles though with one having four separate issues within 4 months.  However Craig (owner of Ionics) gave some good advice at working for a £1 a minute.  I try to stick to this.  This is with reference to the post for the guy who was dumped for his £9 a house after being told he got paid more than a surgeon.  I have a £10 minimum in place and if you offer a good service, eg plan your week, phone ahead, written quotes people are prepared to pay.  We turn up with our carbon fibre poles, our di-ionised water, why should we charge less than a £10 per house.  I only have 3 £10 houses.  The rest are £15 -80.  We should hold our prices and always look to add value.

Can anybody recommend a good brand of pole
I don't get the connection of  planning your week = people are prepared to pay ???
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: G Griffin on September 08, 2013, 11:31:37 pm
Planning= butties and flask?
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: windiewasher on September 08, 2013, 11:37:16 pm
Hes saying he may aswell charge £100 instead of £80 bi-monthly and add another at the same price and that way hes even richer than he already is.
Next Friday he will have a large fish and chips and peas aswell! ;D
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: Archer on September 08, 2013, 11:37:47 pm
 Why should we charge less than £10.00 per house ?


Quite simple really, you charge what you are happy to clean a job for, and also sometimes depending on areas, and amount of other window cleaners in those areas, things like this can dictate what can be charged.

I however agree we should value ourselves as to how good of a job we believe we do, but my point is you can earn more charging £8.00 for a job rather than charging more, as the smaller jobs may total money over the course of the day, giving you a better hourly rate when it is divided by the amount of hours worked

Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: Archer on September 08, 2013, 11:41:21 pm

It clearly would not work charging £100.00 bi monthly, as that answer is not really the kind of logic to take the business forward.

The £80.00 he would charge is clearly the top end of what he must charge which leaves the 3 x £10, and the lower priced jobs still there, like £15.00 jobs.
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: windiewasher on September 08, 2013, 11:41:49 pm
Why should we charge less than £10.00 per house ?


Quite simple really, you charge what you are happy to clean a job for, and also sometimes depending on areas, and amount of other window cleaners in those areas, things like this can dictate what can be charged.

I however agree we should value ourselves as to how good of a job we believe we do, but my point is you can earn more charging £8.00 for a job rather than charging more, as the smaller jobs may total money over the course of the day, giving you a better hourly rate when it is divided by the amount of hours worked


Exactly mate,charge what your happy with at a hourly rate your happy with at a price that your customers are happy equating in more work.
No point charging over the odds and not getting the work to earn the money you want to earn at the end of the day,week or year!
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: Archer on September 08, 2013, 11:44:36 pm

I actually have jobs at £4.00 and I am happy with them also, so don't know what he would think about them
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: rosskesava on September 09, 2013, 12:01:22 am
Maybe the point being made is that if you charge more money then you make more money...............
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: windiewasher on September 09, 2013, 12:06:20 am

I actually have jobs at £4.00 and I am happy with them also, so don't know what he would think about them
Its about what your happy with.theres always people saying they charge 3 times the amount of others.
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: Archer on September 09, 2013, 12:09:33 am

correct, I also think I have some prices that are big amounts also, a bit more than £80.00 like the op says he has  ;)

I was just trying to make a point of saying the smaller prices are the bread and butter jobs and also valuable in themselves
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: windiewasher on September 09, 2013, 12:13:24 am

correct, I also think I have some prices that are big amounts also, a bit more than £80.00 like the op says he has  ;)

I was just trying to make a point of saying the smaller prices are the bread and butter jobs and also valuable in themselves
Too right im the same i have commercials at ridicolously high prices and have jobs on domestics at ok prices but its about having continous work.
 day in day out work brings the reddies home.
 a good mix of commercial and domestics at a overall good hourly rate.
 
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: home6442 on September 09, 2013, 12:16:19 am
I think what he means is that he wont work for less than a £1 per minute so an £80
property will take 80 minutes to complete.
Not much different than most claim to be earning on here.
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: windiewasher on September 09, 2013, 12:20:42 am

Yes I agree,

but they come on here slating people who do charge smaller prices which in my opinion is wrong.

Just for the record the dearest house I clean is £850.00, but still have £4.00 ones
Fair play thats a fantastic price
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: Archer on September 09, 2013, 12:21:53 am

would you believe we used to clean it every 2 weeks, monthly now
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: windiewasher on September 09, 2013, 12:26:35 am

would you believe we used to clean it every 2 weeks, monthly now
Very nice at monthly but every 2 weeks must have been brilliant.must be a footballers?
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: home6442 on September 09, 2013, 12:28:38 am

Yes I agree,

but they come on here slating people who do charge smaller prices which in my opinion is wrong.

Just for the record the dearest house I clean is £850.00, but still have £4.00 ones


Couldn't agree more its up to each of us what we want to charge.
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: rosskesava on September 09, 2013, 12:51:26 am
I think what he means is that he wont work for less than a £1 per minute so an £80
property will take 80 minutes to complete.
Not much different than most claim to be earning on here.

7 hour day = 420 minutes = £420 per day.

8 hour day = £480 per day

5 day week = £2 400

6 day week = £2 880

4 weeks a month = £11 520

Yeah sure. Of course. Right on and an £850 house which at a pound a minute takes 14 hours to do?

Is this a willy waving thread?
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: Archer on September 09, 2013, 12:46:13 pm

Rosskesava,

not sure if the willy waving is aimed at me ?

if you read the replies I state that £8.00 and £4.00 are good and that's what I am happy with, but for some it is poor prices, and I have read on many topics people belittling lower prices.

I made my point initially saying if you are happy and charging what you are happy with then that's all that matters.

I then decide to show a good price, and for that reason it is trying to show off, which is totally untrue.

Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: Ste M on September 09, 2013, 01:35:31 pm
A £850 house, which i believe as i can more or less guarantee its not a mid terrace with extra cash added due to bad access, will more than likely mean he has more than one person on it, ive got some stupidly priced work but also like chris i have some £4 work, the thing is I have the whole street and its worth my while as we'll move the van 2 or 3 times in a day.

why are people bothered by what others min charge is, i have a min charge but it doesn't always apply, it only applies when i have no more work in the road
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: Archer on September 09, 2013, 02:23:08 pm

Ste M,

I could not have worded it better myself, quite right.

Them £4.00 ones soon add up and can be very profitable, that was what I was trying to explain, but obviously I have some big work.

You are right again, it is not a terraced house and I have 2 lads on it, although on a couple of occasions 1 lad does it, needless to say it is quite posh  ;)
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: rosskesava on September 09, 2013, 03:22:45 pm

Rosskesava,

not sure if the willy waving is aimed at me ?

if you read the replies I state that £8.00 and £4.00 are good and that's what I am happy with, but for some it is poor prices, and I have read on many topics people belittling lower prices.

I made my point initially saying if you are happy and charging what you are happy with then that's all that matters.

I then decide to show a good price, and for that reason it is trying to show off, which is totally untrue.



Archer mate, that definitely wasn't aimed at you at all. I used your posting as you clarified what the original posting was about which was earning a pound a minute with a minimum charge.

The willy waving bit was about the £850 house and maybe posting what I did wasn't a good idea.

I agree totally that if someone is happy with their prices then that's what's important.
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: roundbuilder on September 09, 2013, 03:24:43 pm
Its not about min or max price its more the average throughout your business.
if an average price is £4 then that is poor and if average is £850 that would be superb.
if you have 400 customers,200 are £10 and 200 are £20 the average price of £15 would be more of what matters not the odd £4 or £850 house.

 

Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: Dave Willis on September 09, 2013, 05:08:32 pm
£60 an hour is sooo last year! It's generally thought that £70 an hour is a good starting point for new cleaners now.
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: PoleKing on September 09, 2013, 05:21:24 pm
£60 an hour is sooo last year! It's generally thought that £70 an hour is a good starting point for new cleaners now.

How can you live on that though Fuff?
I mean, surely you'd be better off on the dole.
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: ascjim on September 09, 2013, 05:23:07 pm
gardiners changed my life
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: DG Cleaning on September 09, 2013, 05:23:35 pm
My lowest paid properties are where I achieve my best hourly rate, so its all relative.
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: Archer on September 09, 2013, 05:28:23 pm
Rosskesava,

its ok mate no worries, sorry.

I was only origionally commenting as I had said I couldn't see what is wrong with jobs under £10.00, and said I have jobs at lower prices than that, but it is all about what your happy with, and don't dismiss the lower prices because added up they can be very lucrative over the course of the week.

I wasn't for one minute willy waving, I was merely making a statement that people can jump to conclusions very quickly on here with regards to lower prices, that's all.
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: Archer on September 09, 2013, 05:28:58 pm

DG Cleaning,

that is my point exactly.
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: DG Cleaning on September 09, 2013, 06:23:50 pm
Great minds Archer ;D ;D
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: G Griffin on September 09, 2013, 06:37:00 pm
gardiners changed my life

Life can seem so unfulfilled without an SLX.
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: dazmond on September 09, 2013, 07:01:14 pm
£60 an hour?yes i hit that some days but not hour after hour!6-7 hours a day!

the truth is charge what you think is a fair price for the job depending on area,your living expenses,access and whether you want to take the job on in the first place.

as for poles forget ionics and buy a 25 ft gardiners extreme as your main pole if you clean mainly domestics and small to medium commercial.you wont regret it as its a superb pole.best one ive ever used.

any higher work up to 50ft id also purchase an extreme 47.


very best wishes


dazmond
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: Sean Dyer on September 09, 2013, 07:41:32 pm


Don't understand the £8.00 jobs, I understand them perfectly well to be honest and don't see anything wrong with them, but that's just my opinion.

 



I get the feeling chris that like alot of window cleaners on here , many of whom started in recent years , his work is most likely spread out , ie one job then travel , making £8 houses hard to make money on, compact rounds are  a very rare thing now unless you have had them years and / or bought them

I have compact work of £8 houses and make as much money on them as i do on work that i have recently canvassed that is spread out and charge much more per house.

Price per house means little in the grand scheme of things as there is so much else to factor in... i spent all day today on a council estate where the prices are £4-7 each , i make the same money as i do in posh areas with much higher priced work , although it is slightly harder graft, as lots of it is fortnightly and the windows are small , very low and easy to clean .

It is what someone consistently earns hour after hour , week in and week out that would make me impressed or not, at their business , not one or two well priced houses
Title: Re: ionics pole is poop but agree with £60 per hour
Post by: Sean Dyer on September 09, 2013, 07:47:58 pm
Also - £60 an hour for a sole trader, for 6 hours a day x 5 days a week =£1800 a week

I will believe it when i see it i'm afraid... most sole traders would be extremely happy at 50% of that week after week, maybe a very exclusive bunch get close , but it definitely isn't the average window cleaning experience, it is far removed from reality to think sole traders are doing £60 an hour all week.

However the principle of aiming for it is right, shoot for the stars and you may get to the moon etc