Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Neil Grainger on September 06, 2006, 04:16:57 pm
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I find this industry frustrating at times.
July and August booking two weeks out, hit September and the phones stop ringing. Same happened last year for me.
Anyone else hit problems for September.
Think that I have finaly hit the good times and it suddenly drops off again. Sometime makes me want to go back to the bad old days of sitting in the office earning someone else loads of money.
Neil
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Nope im booked for another 2weeks solid ;D
Wicked 8)
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Neil
I had great July and mega Aug ( double last year).
I am still booked about a week in front ( never get ahead more than 2 weeks).
The phone has quietened down over the last week.
And speaking to a few other guys they say the same thing.
Should start to kick in at the end of this month with xmas bookings.
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I am probably worrying about nothing as I am booked untill next week but have only taken one job this week and had about 5 phone calls.
When it goes quiet on the phones it just makes all the old worries come out again.
Think I need a kick up the arse to go out and get more commercial work, been relying on domestic to much i think.
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I,ve found the same had a very good May, June, July and was fully booked for August at the end of June. Now It has gone a little quite was hoping with the kids back up school nows the time for mums to get the house cleaned.
O well only need to fill 2 days next week and you know how it can be you can all of a sudden get a surge of calls.
Rob.
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ive gone slow this week.
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whole summer has just gone mad for me. Fully booked until 1st week in October and still getting 10-20 calls a day. Help!!!
Clive
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Got a job booked in for every working day in September ;D Have done since the 4th, cant belive it myself ???
At this rate i should have the whole of october booked up before it even starts.
Done 10 quotes Monday and booked in 9 ;D and booked 2 repeats
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Some real bO**cks put on here some times.
Im really booked up till Feb 2009 ::)
Get real guys especially those of you who have only been going 5 minutes
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whole summer has just gone mad for me. Fully booked until 1st week in October and still getting 10-20 calls a day. Help!!!
Clive
Where do you think most of your work is coming from then Clive? Do you spend loads on advertising etc?
Regards
Damian.
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Im booked up untill im 65 in2039 ::)
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Paul_moss, iv devised a simple way of telling who on here talks out of there backside and who is genuine.
Its easy, call them and pose as a customer.
No ones stupid enough to miss out on a real job, just to act big on a internet forum.
If you were to ring me and ask for a morning appointment in September i wouldnt be able to do it, unless i put you in on a evening or weekend. (if you dont belive me test me)
How long you have been in buisness shouldnt allways mean a great deal to how many jobs you do a month, someone in buisness a few years will be making more profit as repeats and refferalls cost nothing in advertising.
But im sure anyone could come into the industry, and do 10,000 leaflets a week, get on google adwords, get half page y/p and thompsons and be fully booked from day 1.
Iv got loads of work on but i spend £800 a month on advertising, and im pushing that up by about another £400 to bring work for my new t/m.
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Red as i have said before well done you are doing it the right way by working very hard and investing as much as you can afford in the business
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What gets me is those who say Im booked until Oct but then they only work 3 days a week or only book jobs for the mornings of charge £20 for a suite.
Personally Id hate to be booked 4 weeks in advance as Id let too many repeat customers down who want it done within a week to 10 days and also emergency work. I think if your booked 4 weeks ahead then you need employees.
Mark
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But im sure anyone could come into the industry, and do 10,000 leaflets a week, get on google adwords, get half page y/p and thompsons and be fully booked from day 1.
Red
I wish it was that easy.
Many come into this business every year doing just that and thinking the same thing and 80% go out of business the next year.
It takes time building up a client base.
And there are very,very few cleaners out there that are booked up 4 weeks ahead with residential cleans.
Different if it is commercial though.
And yes Last year I did the same trick on 2 people on the forum who said they were booked up weeks ahead,and when I phoned wanting a job that week, guess what they had free slots.
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thats crap, i book 2 jobs a day or maybe 3, even if im booked for 2 weeks i still sqeeze in my letting agents on there rush jobs, so only if you book work 9 til 5 could you not fit a job in.
if said people could fit you in sooner does not mean there lieing.
unless its just me finishs at 3.00 everyday ???
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I try to work a 4 day week cleaning. tue, wed, thu, fri
1 day doing quotes mon
and 2 mornings leaflets, sat, sun
really wanna drop the weekends as this should be my family time >:(
just got a new guy to do my leaflets who seems very reliable, hes only had 3500 but seems great, so hopefully my weekends will be my own again soon ::)
At the minute im squezing as much in these 4 cleaning days as possible often finishing at 6-7-8-9 at night , and doing the odd job on the monday morning or weekend.
But im just trying to build up enough work to justify my new t/m and i wanna take someone on as well, so iv gotta make sure the work is there for them both.
Paul, your bo**cks comment obviously reffered to me or clive as were the only ones who said we were doing ok ???
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Hi Nick,
That makes you 32 :o :o :o
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Red
My only thought about your business is if you are packed out working 4 days a week and turning over £4500 a month. Why dont you put your prices up.
3 jobs a day four days a week cleaning for 5 hours a day. You could be turning over £2000 a week, if you've got so much work. By putting your prices up I bet you wouldn't lose that much business but would make more money.
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My thoughts exactly.
But why stop there?
Im putting prices up, and getting a t/m and a helper to speed things up ;D
no reason why i shouldnt double turnover ;)
Just waiting on the t/m before i increase price that way i can justify it to myself and my customers.
Ps, less of the £4500 its £4880 ;D
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Craig, hows the new t/m?
does it really feel like you have retired? or is that a myth?
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In twenty odd years in the business I have never been booked more than 2 weeks ahead.
like Mark I would be very worried if I was booked too far in front,
1, because you can be taken ill at any time and
2, Like this week I had a funeral to attend.
Clients will only wait so long before they ask someone else to clean their carpets.
I have found that when I'm asked to clean a carpet the client means this week and at a push they'll go for next week.
3 weeks time is really pushing it up here by then they have gone off the idea.
So Paul if you would like to give me a call I'll fit you in next week! ;)
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Dont get me wrong i dont wanna be booked up this far ahead it makes life hard, but as i say getting t/m and staff and just wanna make sure the work is there so have upped the advertising.
Hopefully things will settle down soon, all im saying is its there if you want it, your marketing should be a tap you can turn on and of at your own convenience, you shouldnt be chasing jobs. not after the first couple months or year.
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If I am 3 weeks infront I put my prices up PERIOD, WHAT EVER, LOOK AT THE HAND, MINGER etc etc etc
Shaun
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Shaun you've lost me :-\
Don't worry Red when you get your new machine you'll be glad of the slow times so you can polish it ;D
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My problem is im to nice, i know i could do it, but i start to feel im ripping people off.
After all its the same job i was doing last month for £50, why does it now cost £100? with new customers its fine i just worry about repeats, thats why i feel better doing it when i get the t/m that way i have a excuse.
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Why raise your prices Red, when you get your new machine you'll do the work much faster so you'll get through more jobs in a day.
Thus having more time for your family ;)
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red you dont need repeats if you are getting so much new business.
Price is in your mind not the customers. If you do a good job they wont mind paying.
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call me gready ;D
I want more work
I want repeats
I want new customers
I want easier work
I want more money
I want more time to myself
And i wanna spend less on advertising
All of this is achievable, and i will achieve at least some of it
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Hi Damian,
I have a few ads, y.p. is very good at the moment, b.t book-same ad 1 phone call, total crap, ncca ad in thompsons, get a lot of work from checkatrade but I have been going for 20 years now so lots of reccomendations and repeat businessetc.
Mark, I know what you mean. I am starting at 8.30 am, and starting my last jobs 5.30-6.00 p.m. every day for the next 3 weeks and I simply can not fit my regulars in at the moment. I hate letting people down which is why I work such long hours.
Clive
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Red change the word want to need and you will achieve all of these things in time
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BTW you should all take a rain check.
On Monday I started at 7.30am and had made £230 by 10am but at 10.15am I slipped a disc in my back. Had to cancel all this week. Lost a £150 job but the rest have rebooked so next week (if my back is better) will be a hectic week.
Moral is get a helper before you burn out.
I have had a lot of time looking at my bedroom ceiling to contemplate where my business is taking me because at the minute I'm not taking it anywhere.
Mark
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I have over £3K booked in for Sept at the moment, but I can still accomodate people and will expect to book in a lot more throughout the month.
I dont spend nothing like £800.00 pm on advertising and I dont normally work more than about 5/6 hours a day.
Once you are established in this business you can't fail, I must admit red your turnover is good considering you have only been going less than a year, do you have a big commercial contract in there.
Clive, the answer to your problem is in your last word, you need some help, get another van on the road and put your prices up!
Phil
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red, no it does not feel like im retired, must be a myth :(
its still hard work but faster! so your at custys less time.
i do work fast anyway i do HSL and throu. lounge in an hour with TM, and yes to good standard.
its great not messing with buckets, it does cost more to run though, i got guzzling 2.8TD van plus TM takes £35 to fill up, so to fill both from empty can mean spending £75 at station, so you got to charge more really.
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Hi
Well, I have gone quiet like most, if those of you that say youbare busy really are, then sweet well done.
Mark, if you back injury is genuine then you are looking at a minimum of 6 weeks on the floor, never mind the bed (far to painful to go there) plus another year of treatment and pain!
7 years ago, prolapsed L5 :'(
Regards
Martin 8)