Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: geefree on September 06, 2006, 12:41:23 am

Title: BUILDING A ROUND-AROUND-A ROUND
Post by: geefree on September 06, 2006, 12:41:23 am

Hi guys,...(here we go i hear you think lol)

As you know , us new lads are working hard, but struggling to build our rounds up,

although you know we appreciate all the help we get from this forum, and would be lost without it.

Can someone help me here with my thoughts?

To build a round, in an area where possibly two or more window cleaners currently operate is going to be very hard indeed,

But we are advised to get in there and blanket canvass,

That in real terms means we may pick up a bad customer who does not pay, or a clean once- only,

If we are lucky we may catch a customer who the other two w/cs have missed,

so to build a round , around a round or two has got to be a slog, involving nipping from area to area, to get some work.

So my point is,

How will my round grow in an area covered nearly totally with other w/cs?

Also.... how did they manage to have all the houses  on nearly every street,

and if i was also to get an odd customer , how hard will it be to build via customers asking for theirs doing when its covered

How will i ever  eventually have a compact round.?


Gary.

Title: Re: BUILDING A ROUND-AROUND-A ROUND
Post by: david68 on September 06, 2006, 12:48:25 am

Sorry Gazza i have not an answer for you.

But you make a good point as always.

I have attached magnetic logo signs to my van to show more of a professional look, as the window cleaners i come across in my area only drive estate cars.

But again what a tough question to answer

Dave... :o

Title: Re: BUILDING A ROUND-AROUND-A ROUND
Post by: Pat Purcell on September 06, 2006, 12:50:00 am

People move in and out , window cleaners move on, people change service providers for the darndest things,also a lot of startups canvass new housing that nobody cleans yet. it just seems to happen eventually

Title: Re: BUILDING A ROUND-AROUND-A ROUND
Post by: david68 on September 06, 2006, 12:52:05 am

Maybe this is why i estimate that it will take around 3 years to build a round to make a good income.

Dave

Title: Re: BUILDING A ROUND-AROUND-A ROUND
Post by: geefree on September 06, 2006, 12:59:39 am

My thoughts exactly dave -although good comments by pat , and you are right pat, is that how you established guys have done  it...to have your area covered?-by you.

dave i have them magnetic signs for my van too.....

Only mine are for pressure washing lol :D... so i take them off when i clean windows,

and leave them on when i canvass and the van is parked up at the end of the road.

i may get some for w/c now,... could have one on the door and one on the panel lol. kidding!

did you pursue the offer of extra work in b,ham.:

Title: Re: BUILDING A ROUND-AROUND-A ROUND
Post by: david68 on September 06, 2006, 01:01:42 am

Check my new reply on that post for Birmingham Cleaners

Dave  ;)

Title: Re: BUILDING A ROUND-AROUND-A ROUND
Post by: Moderator David@stives on September 06, 2006, 08:55:47 am

Gazza

I have been saying them very points for a long time but no one seems to listen.

The best way is to buy a small round and build from there, thats what i did.

Dave

Title: Re: BUILDING A ROUND-AROUND-A ROUND
Post by: williamx on September 06, 2006, 10:21:22 am

Gazza

When you doorknock an area kept a list of all the houses that are for sale or are not in, so when the house is sold you can recanvass the house with the new owner, with the houses that no one was at home keep on calling until you have seen them.

Ask all of your customers to speak to their neighbours, friends, work mates and family about getting new customers.

Explain to your customers that you are new to the area and you are having trouble in getting established in the area, most will try to help especially if come across as a friendly sort of chap.

Advertise on the side of your van, ask you local chip shop, takeaway, shops, pub or club that you use if you can put up a poster.

Have a word with the local taxi firms if they will carry you cards in their cabs, also when they card an area if they will drop off your cards at the same time or whether you can advertise on the back of their cards.

Always mention to anyone you meet, that you are a window cleaner, and do they know anyone who wants one.

Kept on door knocking and leafleting, (many a time a customers neighbour has stopped me saying they have been looking for a window cleaner for years and how long have I been in their area. Which is normally for the last 3 years)

Also change the day and times when you do clean, this can mean you meeting people who are either out at work or shopping etc

Move to different areas, don't try to kept all your business in one area.

Try to offer other services than the other cleaners in your area.

Try cleaning on Saturdays and Sundays as well, this is ideal for meeting those who work all week.

Don't worry to much about picking up customers who don't pay.  You can just as easily put the dirt back onto the windows, alos charge 50% or 100% more on a first clean, this does seem to stop the once only cleans.

And finally explain to all your new customers that you are not a "mickey Mouse" cleaner and you will be cleaning their windows every 2 or 4 weeks from now on.

Title: Re: BUILDING A ROUND-AROUND-A ROUND
Post by: Ian_Giles on September 06, 2006, 01:37:24 pm

totally agree with William there, just keep plugging away.

Don't worry about having a compact round, it isn't needed to make a good living I assure you.
If you live in a city, take a hike to the outlying towns and villages, and all the big houses in between.
If you have to travel 25 miles down the road to find work then big deal, half a dozen well priced jobs will soon cover your costs, and along that route you should also be able to fill in more work.
There are always lanes and side roads along the way, and there are always places to call on.
Also, when you do get just the odd one in this street, and the odd one in that street, over time you will gradually pick up others, and some of the areas you work will become more and more compact.

As to how long it will take yo uto build up your round to a decent paying one, well, that depends entirely on you.
It may take you 6 months or it may take you 6 times as long.

But the very best of luck to you!

Ian

Title: Re: BUILDING A ROUND-AROUND-A ROUND
Post by: LSB on September 06, 2006, 02:49:35 pm

It depends how good the other two w/cs are ! do they work all year round ? could you ask them if they have any work that they dont want ? my round is very compact now , but it wasnt to begin with !!  good luck  , lloyd

Title: Re: BUILDING A ROUND-AROUND-A ROUND
Post by: Dick on September 06, 2006, 03:08:32 pm

There is  no "magic" solution to getting new customers, I stared 2 years ago with about 70 customers inherited from a retiring cleaner, I now have 200+ all gained by various means. Mainly recommendations, but some by just being there working, rattling your ladders (if you use them, which I do), try Saturdays, Sundays if you must, but I'm sure it will expand, as most people are crying out for a good window cleaner. Soon you'll be turning work down as you'll be too busy. Then you can weed the bad uns out, don't be afraid to price accordingly, you wont get every one but at least some will accept the price.
Good Luck
Dick

Title: Re: BUILDING A ROUND-AROUND-A ROUND
Post by: L plate on September 06, 2006, 04:25:52 pm

Customer loyalty can be a problem when building a new round

I have picket up around 10 new costumers in the lasts two months 

Who have only just realized they have been dropped

Their previous w/c has taken on a lot of comical work

They waited for him to call for over 4 months.

So stay positive some customers may be looking for a good window cleaner

They just don’t know it yet   :)

Lplate

Title: Re: BUILDING A ROUND-AROUND-A ROUND
Post by: geefree on September 06, 2006, 04:50:28 pm

What fantastic advice from all of you , just nipped in and out , but i will look at all of these helpful replies later

but i will be pushing the boat out further afield from tomorrow.

Thanks everyone for your input and taking time out to help.

Gary.

Title: Re: BUILDING A ROUND-AROUND-A ROUND
Post by: matt on September 07, 2006, 09:56:13 am

i do a new estate by me, well im 1 of SEVEN window cleaners who i know who work on this smallish part of the estate

Now, ive done these for about 3 years, every now and then i put a flyer through some doors a couple of house either side of the houses i do

now yesterday, i picked up two new houses, these have had my flyer put though the doors a couple of times, YET not phoned, they saw me cleaning windows yesterday and stoped and asked me

now im at a point where i am 100% full, i only take on VERY well paid work, i gave them both a price (a GOOD price) and they both agree'd

funny thing was, opposite me was another WC'er working off his ladder (a nice enough cap, i spoke to him and we had a chat, i dont go in for this "they are rivals, thus i cannot speak to them") , now why they both came and asked me, i dont know, but they did

1 even compalined they have been in the house for 18 months and cannot find a WC'er (strange this un, as she has had atleast 3 of my glossy flyers)

the moral of the post, get out there and work, people will see you working and they will stop you if they need a WC'er

oh and i dont like to agree with Dave @st-ives as he never does with me, BUT ask around your fellow WC'ers if they have any spare work (sure it will be the stuff they dont want, too far away, poorly priced, awkward access etc etc, BUT its a start intill you have enough work to pass it on to some1 else

Title: Re: BUILDING A ROUND-AROUND-A ROUND
Post by: pylofm on September 07, 2006, 10:45:46 am

Hi Guys...I am finding leafting works for me at the moment....for every 200 ish leaflets out...I appear at present to be getting 1 customer...so it appear that it is just a numbers game.

As for canvassing it would that it is really frowned upon here in Holland....Also I find in the area that I am in...many houses have signs that state they will not open the door after 18:00.

So leaflets are the way to go...I put my ipod on and

'walk the miles and get the smiles'

Cheers
Dave.

Title: Re: BUILDING A ROUND-AROUND-A ROUND
Post by: gaza on September 07, 2006, 11:14:32 am

That sounds double Dutch to me,working 200 to one,should bbe 10% at least if you hit a right seam. cold calling is it banned in Holland? Go on do it face to face better the devil you know, push a bit of British up um.after all we are in the Common Market and sales methods must be used as one sees fit.

 gaz  [not to be confused with an immittation]  ;D ;D ;D ;D

Title: Re: BUILDING A ROUND-AROUND-A ROUND
Post by: geefree on September 07, 2006, 01:47:46 pm

oi,  :D....

Title: Re: BUILDING A ROUND-AROUND-A ROUND
Post by: pylofm on September 07, 2006, 02:43:58 pm

Not banned but very frowned upon, 10% hit rate...seems unlikely.... ;D

Title: Re: BUILDING A ROUND-AROUND-A ROUND
Post by: P®oPole™ on September 07, 2006, 03:46:10 pm

More like 4 or 5% if your leaflets are good that is.

Title: Re: BUILDING A ROUND-AROUND-A ROUND
Post by: Moderator David@stives on September 07, 2006, 03:48:32 pm

1-2 % is the morm

Title: Re: BUILDING A ROUND-AROUND-A ROUND
Post by: pylofm on September 07, 2006, 04:43:34 pm

Well it looks like I am getting about 0.5% :'(

Title: Re: BUILDING A ROUND-AROUND-A ROUND
Post by: Moderator David@stives on September 07, 2006, 07:44:12 pm

0.5% is good it is better than 0%

I say 1-2% because that is the figure a lot of people quote, but on a well maintained area you can get a lot less.

I have had as low as 0.1%

Carpet cleaners get a lot lower return than us, so think yourself lucky

Dave

Title: Re: BUILDING A ROUND-AROUND-A ROUND
Post by: pylofm on September 07, 2006, 08:00:52 pm

Thanks Dave......I have started to re-adjust my thinking a little after getting 1 job for 45quid and another for 48....it is not such much how many customers that I am intrested in, it is the quality, price and time required that is important....

Another member on here put it into perspective and said....go for targets...this I am now doing.....I am aiming for 70 pounds of new work each week....if I get more...happy days, if not...I'll just try harder next week. :D

Title: Re: BUILDING A ROUND-AROUND-A ROUND
Post by: drew86 on September 07, 2006, 08:18:27 pm

I have not had a very good response from leaflets and my domestic round building is slow, but I'am getting 1 off jobs to fill my time by doing fascia gutter and conservatory cleans, I'am not charging silly money just trying to work on £20 an hour, people are recomending me and 1 job leads to another.
Another thing I have done is approach a local company that provide carpet and domestic cleaning gave them a load of my leaflets and i'am getting a couple of jobs a week, these guys have now recomended me to a local property managemnt company who are also giveing me 1 off cleans.
Give it a go it keeps the money comeing in while your building your round.
Drew.

Title: Re: BUILDING A ROUND-AROUND-A ROUND
Post by: simbo on September 07, 2006, 08:38:14 pm

the best way to get work is doing good work, its slow but sure. i just realised i have 207 customers now and only a few small clumps, as most are more spread out but had my best domestic day today at 160 quid and only in business 18 months now and not even a full time window cleaner as do carpets and letting stuff also.
there is work out there just go get it, do it well and keep it
good luck simbo

Title: Re: BUILDING A ROUND-AROUND-A ROUND
Post by: geefree on September 07, 2006, 11:35:39 pm

Cheers everyone for you knowledge and advice.  ;)