Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Shrek on May 24, 2022, 03:58:07 pm
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After working 6 days a week for the last month because I have a little too much work, I finally started saying no to new enquiries and it feels fantastic 😁.
Even though the more I work , the more I earn , there gets to a point were I get worried when my phone goes off because I don’t know where I’m gonna fit any new customers in without working even longer days (which I don’t want!).
Struggling to take holidays, days off due to heavy rain & illness weren’t what I expected when I wanted to be really busy 😅.
Anyone else got to this point?
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After working 6 days a week for the last month because I have a little too much work, I finally started saying no to new enquiries and it feels fantastic 😁.
Even though the more I work , the more I earn , there gets to a point were I get worried when my phone goes off because I don’t know where I’m gonna fit any new customers in without working even longer days (which I don’t want!).
Struggling to take holidays, days off due to heavy rain & illness weren’t what I expected when I wanted to be really busy 😅.
Anyone else got to this point?
As soon as I get past the 4 days of work per week stage, I sell off some work.
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That’s a good place to be KS, work life balance 👌
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Massive plus for me personally is being able to pick and choose when I work,within reason obviously...
My health dictates how much or how little I can achieve,but the flexibility of the job is a real plus
(And having no mortgage gives me more flex)when I do pick up extra work I sell it or pass it on...
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After working 6 days a week for the last month because I have a little too much work, I finally started saying no to new enquiries and it feels fantastic 😁.
Even though the more I work , the more I earn , there gets to a point were I get worried when my phone goes off because I don’t know where I’m gonna fit any new customers in without working even longer days (which I don’t want!).
Struggling to take holidays, days off due to heavy rain & illness weren’t what I expected when I wanted to be really busy 😅.
Anyone else got to this point?
Lol Ime in exactly the same position with 3 vans and 6 guys , but what I have started doing is take on new work at a greatly increased price and then get rid of the cheapest work we do ,and to be fair our work is already well priced , I have found this has increased turnover quite dramatically, for the same hours worked
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Massive plus for me personally is being able to pick and choose when I work,within reason obviously...
My health dictates how much or how little I can achieve,but the flexibility of the job is a real plus
(And having no mortgage gives me more flex)when I do pick up extra work I sell it or pass it on...
Having no mortgage definitely helps , the window cleaners I speak to are full too! One asked me this week if I want to buy some work from him as he’s getting old and wants to slow down a bit
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After working 6 days a week for the last month because I have a little too much work, I finally started saying no to new enquiries and it feels fantastic 😁.
Even though the more I work , the more I earn , there gets to a point were I get worried when my phone goes off because I don’t know where I’m gonna fit any new customers in without working even longer days (which I don’t want!).
Struggling to take holidays, days off due to heavy rain & illness weren’t what I expected when I wanted to be really busy 😅.
Anyone else got to this point?
Lol Ime in exactly the same position with 3 vans and 6 guys , but what I have started doing is take on new work at a greatly increased price and then get rid of the cheapest work we do ,and to be fair our work is already well priced , I have found this has increased turnover quite dramatically, for the same hours worked
That is a good idea , I just did a price increase of about 50 customers and lost one so far , a couple changed frequencies too. My ideal round would just be 3 monthly work , better rates and hardly anyone ever misses a clean 👌
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After working 6 days a week for the last month because I have a little too much work, I finally started saying no to new enquiries and it feels fantastic 😁.
Even though the more I work , the more I earn , there gets to a point were I get worried when my phone goes off because I don’t know where I’m gonna fit any new customers in without working even longer days (which I don’t want!).
Struggling to take holidays, days off due to heavy rain & illness weren’t what I expected when I wanted to be really busy 😅.
Anyone else got to this point?
I sold some work off around 15 years ago now...
I've never worked more than 30 hours a week since apart from the first few months of switching to wfp(until I was up to speed)
My advice would be always take on new work if it suits you and drop the less profitable/PITA jobs....
All our rounds are built on shifting sand....jobs don't last forever
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Just this week stopped taking on new work that isn't in streets I already work.
Only exception to this is big country houses as they are very profitable
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Same here. I'm 8 weekly, 5 days on the windows and Saturday for extra jobs and I'm packed out!
And fed up.
I have a 3 day break in Bath on 4th June (my missus had to force me to take that!) and when I come back:
1. Pay rises
2. Re-jig my round so it's only 4 days per week, Fridays will be free, and I'll have to bin off some work.
3. Any new work will only be bungalows (to replace existing work).
4. My only add on will be pressure washing (which at 58 years old, I don't find tiring).
I'm feeling quite excited about it all.
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Same here. I'm 8 weekly, 5 days on the windows and Saturday for extra jobs and I'm packed out!
And fed up.
I have a 3 day break in Bath on 4th June (my missus had to force me to take that!) and when I come back:
1. Pay rises
2. Re-jig my round so it's only 4 days per week, Fridays will be free, and I'll have to bin off some work.
3. Any new work will only be bungalows (to replace existing work).
4. My only add on will be pressure washing (which at 58 years old, I don't find tiring).
I'm feeling quite excited about it all.
Take Monday off not Friday. The drive to work 4 days and not let it slip to do work on the Saturday worked better for me when working 4 days.
Tony
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Iv always found it difficult to say ‘sorry I’m busy’ to new customers that want a quote. But after a couple of years of getting around 10 new custards a month you suddenly hit bursting point . It’s the same with doing these jobs we don’t like , I personally feel obliged to do them for our customers just in case they get someone else in to replace me on the windows.
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Once i reached a comfortable level of income for my needs with plenty of money in the bank(which took many years by the way) my desire to work more hours cleaning windows dropped off a cliff....
Work/life balance is much more important esp now im 50...
Last day today then 10 days off.... 8)
Dirty weekend at a nice hotel for 2 nights in Liverpool beckons! :D
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I prefer Monday off to Friday too......cheaper w/ends away.
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I prefer Friday off , Monday is always my most motivated day with usually best turnover then from there each day the energy drops and by Wednesday afternoon I'm ready to top myself :D (not literally but getting fed up ). Starting a week on a Tuesday is all kinds of wrong.
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I prefer Monday off to Friday too......cheaper w/ends away.
I'd take the Friday off. More motivation to get your work done for the week. Starting on a Tuesday and then getting bad weather later in the week will mean you possibly won't complete your work for the week, whereas if you start on a Monday you can finish your weeks work on the Friday if needs be.
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I love fridays off....
Today I'm off for my haircut ,a bit of washing and housework,gym this afternoon and pack my suitcase ready for the weekend....
Have a great day chaps 👍
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How’s the foot Daz? 6th June will soon be here when you can get back to work ;D
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How’s the foot Daz? 6th June will soon be here when you can get back to work ;D
Not too bad Danny.im down to 2 ibuprofen a day now....worked 4 days this week and 5 last week....
10 days off now so hopefully my foot will be even better by the 6th June...
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I prefer Fridays off too, Monday and Tuesdays are mainly commercial and I like to get them done and dusted. I
You take Monday off then the weather takes a turn for the worse for two days, then your on catch up and stressing. I get my work done first then decide whether to take a day off or not.
I will still take on new work in the streets I'm already working, and any big houses that or on my way. I like what someone said about are rounds are built on shifting sands, that's so true. I lost nearly a days work in very short sapce of time once when a big company came in and bought the customers houses and the land they lived on. That was before my round got up to speed and I took a knock but a reality check too.
Ilisten to my discs and shoulders now, if they start to flare up I know to let up a little, especially this time of year. Last two years come sept/Oct I was having to take time off and having really short days as I was in to much pain and the tablets wasn't working, and I couldn't sleep comfortably.
I'm not going there again. I've changed the way I've work now, slow down on the job a little, methodical and thorough. A bit more zen. I've been at it over 25 years now, and only in the recent years have I started to be more bolder in pricing, still about a third cheaper than the most expensive, I'm happy with what I've got though and these days won't let my round get so big that I'm bursting at the seams but neither do I take days off all the time randomly to pursue my interests (biking/hiking). I very very rarely work weekends now and as I say Friday off if I can. Work hard,full days till then. I love window cleaning though, and I love doing a good job, being reliable. I prefer working on my own, and keep it simple.
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Iv found the cupping therapy set from Amazon a godsend, once a week attach to my forearms and shoulders. Feel amazing afterwards 👌
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I’m totally stacked out too. I am sending out reminders 2 weeks ahead of myself. It really helps with getting the round and clients so close together and using less fuel. £125 to fill up the van this week hopefully it e we I’ll last a couple of weeks! I would love to do 4 days a week but still have a mortgage. I love the freedom/options window cleaning gives especially as you get older.
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I’m totally stacked out too. I am sending out reminders 2 weeks ahead of myself. It really helps with getting the round and clients so close together and using less fuel. £125 to fill up the van this week hopefully it e we I’ll last a couple of weeks! I would love to do 4 days a week but still have a mortgage. I love the freedom/options window cleaning gives especially as you get older.
ive honed/refined my round for many years so most work is within a 3 mile area...i chose this area because its in the leafy suburbs,quite rural and mainly affluent....its only a few miles from where i live too.
its costing me(roughly) an extra £40 a month in fuel since the major hike in diesel....im putting around £200 a month in now.this does power my hot water heater though as well as driving around
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I started out on my own 10 years ago on a monthly with days to spare, we've built it up to 6 weekly with two vans and 3 men that's now turning into 7 weeks and my stress levels are building big time.
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I started out on my own 10 years ago on a monthly with days to spare, we've built it up to 6 weekly with two vans and 3 men that's now turning into 7 weeks and my stress levels are building big time.
Rather you than me....I like the simple work life of a sole trader with short hour days