Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: owen james on May 02, 2006, 02:40:07 pm
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is anyone else finding the work coming in abit slow since the beginning of the year??
i know lads at 3 other cleaning companies where im from and they say the same.
jsut wondering if everyone was the same or weather its because i come from coventry where they are shutting the jaguar and peugeot factories.
ghost town ptII me thinks.
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im slow, ;D
hardly any thing this week, hence talking on here middle of day ;D
i thought must be the bank holiday, no one looking past it, as normally books come week before but never came last week :(
too many c/c out there as well does not help :( we are saturating the market.
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Charge the right money and you wont notice so much when it goes slow
Alan
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were you sent to Coventry or... ;D thats what ive been saying in another post...was getting paranoid...I think its the economy...the price of peoples mortgages and rent...and £1 a litre fuel prices may have something to do with it...this country is getting ridiculous.
Im thinking of starting up a new business that targets the less well off community....maybe selling track suits, burberry chav hats, and bling! ::)
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Hi
I think it is slowing down.
My figures for 05-06 are down on my previous year.
I can almost hear a lone wolf howling in the distance...!
The economy is slow, Petrol prices are a big factor of how the economy performs, people don't spend as much, people don't move as much, everything is slow right now, have spoken to many trades and I am hearing the same story.
Of course not every person you speak to is quiet but I feel the majority are.
Regards
Martin 8)
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martin,
my 05-06 figures were down on 04-05 also, i know i never put out as many leaflets last year though, also i was not in any directories.
maybe the housing market slowing has also contributed, not so many of those moving in/out jobs.
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Alan Brooker has the best idea. I only look for 1 maybe 2 jobs a week to do. Sometimes at a push I will clean 3 but try to avoid working 3 days as I have other interests nothing to do with cleaning. I charge so that I still get a decent 5 day income if that makes sense. I find it is always easy to find 2 or 3 jobs a week so it is never slow. Putting our prices up I know isnt always easy but it does mean you have to find less work to get the same pay. Took a few years to get there but it works for me. Best, Dave.
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Dave,
How long have you been in UK.
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Ian, of late just over a year but I travel back and forwards 2 or 3 times a year. Over my life so to speak I have lived in England off and on for 19 years and the U.S. for 24 years. Having said that inbetween I have travelled most of the world or at least places I have wanted to be at or in. Life is way too short to clean all the time but it has afforded me the chance to travel as I so enjoy........ If this helps at all, all or most of my experiences in cleaning have been in Southern California, but the principles of the way I do what are exactly the same over here as in the states. Only here there is an awful lot more money to be made. I was one if not the most expensive cleaner in California but only got 70 cents per sq ft. That is around 40p or close to a sq ft. As I charge considerably more than that here......as I said there is more money to be made here. Cheers for now, best, Dave.
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dave you have preveously said that while we consider you expensive, in the US your considered cheap ???
now your saying you was pricey in US,
which is it?
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Craig, I have never said I was cheap in California or here. So I am not sure what you mean. Maybe my previous post was just bad English in that I said I only got 70cents a sq ft. I say only 70 in comparison of what I get here. The norm in the states or at least where I lived was at most 35 cents a sq ft. Here I charge close to 2 dollars and 10 cents a square foot..........I was trying to make the point that the norm in the states is about the same as 15 to 20p a foot. So therefore as on the whole we charge quite a bit more over here, then there is more money to be made here than there. Unless I have missed something when did I or anyone else mention I was considered cheap in the states. Again I think it was me just writing badly. Best, Dave.
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maybe im wrong, im definutly not going back threw posts looking ;D
that would be silly ;D
its interesting, i would have thought it would be more over there,
is it because its so competitive over there?
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Dave what type of home do you go to on average?
have you also gone to smaller ones if they will pay the money?
Do you have a minium charge or a minimum quantity?
what is your average job ticket?
Perhaps this may give the rest of us some answers to take us forward.
The clue is in the next post from Dave, it shouldn't take much working out!
Thanks
Shaun
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Dave,
What I am amazed at is that we have some very good cleaners in this country with loads of knowledge, been at it years and this Guy from Southern California, (sounds like beach boy territory ;D) starts up and some how gets these upmarket jobs working on the most expensive carpets in the Country, in British Stately Homes ad Mansions.
So in the time you were flying in an out of this country you must have met our top interior designers. ??? ??? ???
Or maybee you have known them for years and saw an opportunity. ??? ???
I would suggest
In the States the properties are bigger I believe hense you have more clear space to clean and makes it easier to move funiture, so job value ends up being as high as in this country.
Is it true its not the norm to clean under the bed in the states.
Also did you bring a complete truck from the states. ;D ;D
In other words how did you break in to this lucrative market where price is not an issue.
I presume you are certified.
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we have started a push on carpet cleaning we always have done this,but we noticed it droped off from november :-\ and it has not picked up ??? every one we talk to are doing not very much,its quite scary because we do adds in a lot of areas, we are thinking of doing flyers in a big way local,anyone find this works :-\
we plan on doing 10,000 to start with
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I have to agree with most of what is being said,yes it is bloody slow, my figures are down on the previous 2 yrs,
it slowed down in November for us and just hasnt picked up since, just about every trade that i speak to says pretty much the same,its quite,
Dave
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Oh my goodness, loads of questions. I am happy to discuss anything about what I do but it would be much easier by phone so my number is 07947 620 495. Other than that I will try to answer as best I can. My only ommission is what I charge as it causes to much agro on here but will happily talk about it on the phone. ...... Shaun, on the whole it isnt the size of the house although most of what I clean is larger than normal. It is more to do with what textiles I am cleaning and of course what has been paid for the same........Minimum charge is 125:00 but dont have to use it that much as usually I clean more than the 125 would suggest.......... At this point I add, in most cases I charge the designer or whoever is arranging what I have to clean. They then charge the initial customer whatever they do. Some cases they just add 10% some actually double what I charge, anyway...........Craig, the reason in my opinion, I would think, that as it is so much more competitive in the states is pure volume of carpet cleaners. When I started in 1993 there were 6500 I.I.C.R.C. qualified cleaners in and around Southern California. Add with that all the bait and switch people then obviously considerably more. The advantage in the states as to over here is that the public are far more aware that they need their carpets cleaned and in some cases carpet shops are stating that if they dont have their carpets cleaned at least once a year then any guarantee would be void. Makes life so much easier for the cleaner. Obvious resullts though is that the price is so much lower but the volume is much greater. I have worked here for a little over a year and driving around I have seen two carpet cleaners, cleaning. I have seen a few on the motorways but actually cleaning just 2. My point is that where I lived and worked you would see 5 or 6 everyday. Another interesting comment is although dont quote me on this, from what I can gather, of 100 cleaners in this country there are maybe 20 truck mounts being used, maybe even less......in the staes or at least California of 100 cleaners close to 80 have truck mounts. (this isnt a debate on what machines are or should be used just an obseravtion I think you would want to know)...... On to Ians questions......... With regards your first paragraph......please note I have been cleaning for 13 years so even though I have only just stared here I have that experience behind me already. So why would I want to start at entry level again so to speak. As to the cleaners here from what I have gathered you are correct in that there are some very good ones and by the looks of things as with Doug, far superior knowledge than I have in certain fields. To a degree it has nothing to do with ability, (although being good helps) but where and for whom you want to clean for. My point is, a mate of mine in the states was much more experienced than I was and poss even better, however he didnt want the market that I cleaned at as he was happy cleaning for who he wanted to. Some cleaners I know here are good enough cleaning wise but dont have the dangly bits to go after what we would say better clients. MORE THAN THAT THEY DONT HAVE THE MIND SET !!!!!!!!!.
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When I started cleaning over here it took me 4 months to get my first customer. I cleaned 400 square meters of carpeting for a hotel in mayfair and charged £11:50 a square meter to "rescue" the carpet. Not much work for 4 months but not bad for a days work either....... Before I cleaned anything here Ian I met up with 3 what I was hoping to be top designers, as it has turned out if not top, they have given me plenty of work. Work that averages over £1000 per job. I know a lot of people question what and how I do things but if nothing else I am not stupid. ..... As to the opportunity, you are absolutely correct, but from what I have seen and I put the question to those who are reading this, how many of you target top designers, top carpet shops, top rug dealers, architects etcetera etcetera. There is a gentlman on here whos name escapes me but also cleans to shall we say very high end clients. I am sure he has similar ideas to how I do what but also maybe not as each of us to our own. However and most important is he and I both target maybe what most of us here on the forum dont.......the size of the houses as you say are bigger in the states so yes that does help your average cleaner stateside.
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sorry i keep posting but i lose the connection without knowing sometimes...... As to cleaning under the beds, I havent any idea. I clean under the beds by moving them or if I cant move them I try to clean under them the best I can, an upholstery tool can reach quite a way.....Yes I brought everything over with me apart from the van itself for obvious reasons...........Air movers I bought over here but I have a few machines that are 110 volt so just use a transformer..........With ref your question on breaking into a lucrative market, I didnt break into it I just went and asked for it.......... Not that I question anyones way of doing things, ok maybe a little but hoping in a helpful way, but by cleaning 5 rooms for the price of 4, or free hallway, or clean for free if the customer isnt happy etcetera etcetera will not get you into what it is you are calling a lucrative market. I am sure it works to the market that that appeals to but again the high end market wouldnt use you...this is just my experience and opinion........ Last thing, Craig, sorry for any confusion mate, wasnt any intention to be so.... As far as I know I have always said I was bloody expensive, thats why I dont work near where I live and travel all over the British Isles. ...........One more thing as a helpful suggestion.......go find the largest house or mansion or whatever it is that you want to clean...... go up to the door, knock on the bleedin' thing and explain to them what you do and that you are the best service available for them and their textiles. You may well indeed get a door in the face but you also may not..... Hope this all helps, again feel free to ask questions, best, Dave.
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Ian, sorry mate I forgot. Yes I am qualified. Since I started back in 93 in the I.I.C.R.C. and this last year in the N.C.C.A. Also various other organizations but they are to do with the states so not much good here. I am qualified in all fields concerned of what I clean and fit. Best, Dave.
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Hi Dave, very interseting reading,I emailed you some weeks ago-why do the brits find it so hard to make money-?Goodness knows living on this tiny island must now be the most expensive place for most people any where! I want a professional wage for my efforts and to be able to pay my tech a decent rate if needed-some guy on the other site is so pleased that he charged £80 for a suite when a franchise wanted £400 -real smart work yourself to death and earn nothing -our window cleaner wants £13.00 for a bungalow and 10/12 mins work-no investment -no repairs-come on guys lets grow up -you never know we might get a real industry going and ,make a profit and grow proper businesses-.hey guess what happens when you cant do the work om your own ? illness or age-nothing -no income -no service for your clients.This is a business and has to have staff to enable it to grow , stop apologising for your charges and do the service and work quality to justify your charges
Best Nick Brown 8)
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Nick, the only e-mail I have now is kleenrte@tiscali.co.uk....... cant get the other one to work....best, Dave.
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dave 400 sqm at £11.50
is £4,600
and you done that in a day :o
i want your customers ;D
ps. i did job in widcomb, bath recently do you know it?
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yes I know where that is.....regards having my customers, they arent mine, they are everyones, I just go and get them......that was one hotel in London, how many more do you think there are??...400m in a day isnt that much carpet to clean.....The reason they paid what they did is that they had paid 3 other times to have it cleaned with no satisfactory results. I cleaned it for a little more than it would normally cost because I was following a non extraction cleaner (s) so had to clean their residue out before I could clean it, we will say a different way....best, Dave.
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the, 'and you done that in a day' was refering to the money :o not area, i did'nt make clear sorry,
the job i did in bath was for a guy whom had many properties in bath, i saw 2 of them that day, great mansions of bath, wow :o all my time in this job i not seen propertys like that before, skirting boards came foot and half up the wall made of bath stone, skirting that is not just building ;D
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I am glad you saw the buildings, they are out there.......and you wonder why I work in Bath amongst other places.