Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Aquakleen Restoration Services on August 28, 2008, 09:56:28 pm
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I must admit Im snowed under with work at the moment and am making best part of £1000 a week. How is everyone else doing?
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According to Mr Kelly's chart, you are in the top 5% income bracket. ;D
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I've been inundated all year I can't complain at all, mostly past custom and recommends but they don't usually come quick and fast like this.
Doing more leather does help and curtain cleaning onsite although I set off at a sprint with it I'm down to a jog ATM but I'm not pushing it hard enough.
Shaun
PS I'm in the bottom 5% but I'm from Yorkshire does that count?
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Busy! This year is up on last year's.
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Kev is that because of leather? I don't reckon I could do £800 with the Speedster even if I had the opportunity.
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No just carpets Mike. 2 jobs today one with prot. First one was a referral and thew other a repeat. Tomorrow via website and an empty tudor mini mansion. Leather not that busy at the mo.
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That's great Kev, never mind purple, you will be able to gold plate your TM.
Keep looking at your leather site to 'borrow' ideas. ;D
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Leaving figures aside, slow start to the year which I put down to the crap weather when Spring was supposed to be springing.
July was my best month ever, August is set to be slightly better. 2 record months in a row, the credit crunch is really biting :)
Old customers aside, securing new business has changed a little though. I'm noticing that I'm getting less work booked far in advance, and picking up jobs where I can be very reactive and call in to quote the same afternoon they ring. If I can make sure I'm in there quick I'll normally get the job.
I find the same as being said the other thread going atm, if I get sat on a customer's sofa I can secure a lot more work than on the phone to price shoppers.
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I agree Jim that you get more at the price you want in home it's when you can't get to quote quick enough and they want it done when you are planning to do the quote!! ATM new customers are 50-50 for booking as my conversion rate goes down but my diary is still full (which is what counts)
You know you can't have it all your own way.
Shaun
PS figure wise I'm roughly the same as last year but I've had 3 holidays already this year so I'm quite please with the figure and with my December being approx 1/3 full I expect to get my target.
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That's great Kev, never mind purple, you will be able to gold plate your TM.
Keep looking at your leather site to 'borrow' ideas. ;D
You never know Mike ;) With the 250ltr tank set up in the van with pump, the speedster isnt a problem. All I have to do is empty once in a while.
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Really busy, I won't talk figures, but I am up considerably on last year, good old www.
S
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I was going to do that, but I think I'll go the whole hog now.
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Really busy, I won't talk figures...
S
Think maybe I should have kept me gob shut, sorry :(
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I was going to do that, but I think I'll go the whole hog now.
Seriously Mike? Can I ask which one?
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It won't be a new one. ;)
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As above busy after a few slow weeks in June. Lots of commercial for some strange reason.
Mark
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Kev, I just wonder who is reading these forums sometimes ::)
S
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Busy! Over £830 today, £616 tomorrow and should be done by 2pm :D In fact this week has been good full stop. More referrals and repeats too. Hope it continues until Jan!
This year is up on last year's.
Kev when you say Over £830 today, £616 tomorrow is that you working on your own or do you have staff? What area are you in because Id love to be earning that sort of cash!
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Staggering Kev, thats right up there with the top FT'ers I know, and theres only a couple hitting them figures (I assume we are talking one man owner operator)
Are they domestic? and what sq ft price?
PS im about the same as last year.
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Have been flat out, the busiest ever! BUT! we all know what September brings so now we will see if the credit crunch is biting.
Justin
I hate September.
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Kev.................I suggest you remove the figures posted. Forums like this are easily monitored by tax and vat spies. You can never tell who's reading your posts.
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justin
Dont think you will see the credit crunch till jan after xmas when the big electric and gas bills come in :o
It was really up and down last spring so lets hope it wont get to bad .. clinton
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I agree its important to get out to the customer as quickly as possible to give your quote, getting there first before some silver tongued natural salesman does mean the difference between getting the job or not, of course you need a confident well rehearsed pitch especially if your not a natural salesman, as I am not.
I would say don't be affraid of asking if you can pop over in the early evening if your booked with work the day of the call and so your not sounding like a desperado I just them 'As I'll be passing by your area after finishing the last job today' that way your reducing the chances of the customer calling on more cleaners for quotes, which if your telling them you can come to quote in a couple of days time I guarantee will happen, over a year I'm sure your conversion rates would increase - Don't delay!!
I gave a quote yesterday morning, the guy seemed very pleased but told me he had several other companies coming to quote later in the day - :( So he was either a price shopper or I had failed to sell. Turned out a bit of both, I'm pretty sure I know who else quoted as he told me where he had seen me advertised - He rang back this morning asked if I could come down £25 !!! No, I don't compete on price - ;D I compete on quality of service ;D - Ok, can I have it done anyway. Jobs a good un.
Paul Kinder Clean
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Kev.................I suggest you remove the figures posted. Forums like this are easily monitored by tax and vat spies. You can never tell who's reading your posts.
your paraniod, very much doubt tax inspector will trol through these just to try and catch someone out, be like a needle in a hay stack, besides Kevin declares all as we all do.
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Very very busy ! record breaking week for me,lot`s of commercial jobs and bookings all next week.Keep it up that`s what i say ;D must put some of it asside for mr tax man :(
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Craig
This is not paranoia, just common sense.
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Tax investigators do look in on forums like this but also there are those who may 'shop' other cleaners out of jealousy.
Be like Dad and keep Mum!
Shaun
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Busy on the cleaning side, have had every quote accepted in the last two weeks.
But also busy on the supply and fit side, which has been dead on its arse for months.
Happy days.
Steve
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Is it true The Revenue heard about your story Shaun and had a whip round. ;D
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Carlton
Thanks for the advice, of course we declare all, so nothing to hide. Know what your saying though.
Craigp
Just domestic. 40p normal and 60p with prot. All 3 of the jobs had 20% discount beforehand and a couple of freebies, I was happy to do this for the net figures already mentioned.
Skywalker
Me and my eldest, wife doing phones/paperwork.
Spencer
This was probably my last time quoting figures!
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Kev
Me and my eldest wife doing phones/paperwork
How many wives have you got?
Did you get away with calling her that?
Shaun
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Woops, I'll re-phrase!
Me and my eldest (son), wife doing phones/paperwork.
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Nice one Kev Im glad your doing well! I thought it was a lot for one person! haha Ive made £350 today.
Second job was a right $hit hole at Willington Quay (where that little girl was abducted a few xmas's ago from her bath tub - quality area). It was an upstairs flat and as I was about to clean the stairs the leccy ran out! Its the 3rd job for this property firm ive done and the first job I did for them the same thing happened at a different location! Ran out of juice and no gas to heat the water for my porty so had to run it thu the inline heater for a bit. Hassle but a decent days pay.
John
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Sounds like hassle John, how did you manage to keep calm I ask myslef. I would have gone bonkers.
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What do you do john when the electric runs out ???
Wonder when it goes up will the meter run out quicker...
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Tell me about it Kev!!!
I rang the manager but by this time she was home and just said to me forget it and it was ok no problem!! Most of the work had been done and the carpets looked nice but were disgusting before hand. Looked like a druggy had been living there! Any way I had been paid cash by her but I still wanted to finish the job and was disappointed I couldnt to be honest!
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Well it only bloody happens with this property firm Clint!!! They are a right pain in the a$$! But worth keeping because they have all been decent sized jobs and next time Ill just have to remind them about the gas and leccy LOL
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only had electric run out once..........luckily for me it was a key meter.......put £10 on it ........and of course added this to the invoice.....just a pain the a$$ to go and top it up
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Think you can get some sort of meter credit card for the electric.
Bet its a pain mate just when your working and it goes and nearly when you fin lol ::)
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Tell me about it Kev!!!
I rang the manager but by this time she was home and just said to me forget it and it was ok no problem!! Most of the work had been done and the carpets looked nice but were disgusting before hand. Looked like a druggy had been living there! Any way I had been paid cash by her but I still wanted to finish the job and was disappointed I couldnt to be honest!
Cant you send them a price list for each property like: apartment, 1 bed, 2 bed etc etc, then underneath say that:- if no hot water or electric is available and you cannot do it, a min charge of (£) will apply etc. This basically what we do (although dont do so much LA's now) and we never had a problem. It seems to focus their mind!
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How many wives have you got?
Did you get away with calling her that?
Shaun
haha laughed my a*s off at that! :D
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Thanks Kev, 40p what I charge domestic, must be a high volume day then, bet you was knackered after that.
PS doing that sort of volume get yourself a TM kev! think you mentioned a 318, if the blowers the same as the old spitfire 3.2 then its to small go one up to a boxer. :)
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Thanks Kev, 40p what I charge domestic, must be a high volume day then, bet you was knackered after that.
PS doing that sort of volume get yourself a TM kev! think you mentioned a 318, if the blowers the same as the old spitfire 3.2 then its to small go one up to a boxer. :)
Yeh, high volume craig, but the one yesterday was all empty so was a doddle ;D 1,925 sq ft, and I never needed to fill due to large 250ltr tank. The 318 is a boxxer I'm sure? I know Simon Gerrard highly recommends them.
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Kev - I see you do leather repairs, I have a black leather suite and the area where we all sit at the area my head rests has lost its colour. I think my hair bobbles have scratched some of the colour off can I buy a black leather dye or something to make it black again?
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Yes great machine but to small a blower its a 3 blower you want a 4 at least.
Yes sorry its the new small boxer.
the boxer 318 has replaced the spitfire 3.2 which was a bit under powered.
the boxer 421 replaced the spitfire 4.0 (which I have)
(the 3 is the blower size)
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Kev have you seen the deal HM offering with 318 + necessary extras + Fiat Ducato swb van 19,300 + V.
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Kev - I see you do leather repairs, I have a black leather suite and the area where we all sit at the area my head rests has lost its colour. I think my hair bobbles have scratched some of the colour off can I buy a black leather dye or something to make it black again?
You can buy pigment in a can which is a finish too. Available from LTT. The leather will have to be cleaned first and then cleaned again with pure alcohol to sterilise it. Then the can can be put to use, BUT, there are many shades of black! so it might not match correctly! also if you have head grease this will have to extracted using grease removal sprays.
Alternatively you could do all the cushions and arms with a black pigment and then put a finish on top. For this it is feasible to do by hand but should really be done by airbrush using a compressor (or loads of air propellant cans).
I think it might be an idea to go on a course, either LTT or Furniture Clinic, not only will you then be able to do your leather properly but you can use that situation to practice on. Then you could use this as an add on service ;D
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Yes great machine but to small a blower its a 3 blower you want a 4 at least.
Yes sorry its the new small boxer.
the boxer 318 has replaced the spitfire 3.2 which was a bit under powered.
the boxer 421 replaced the spitfire 4.0 (which I have)
(the 3 is the blower size)
Thats interesting. We do mainly domestic so do you think this is still necessary?
Kev have you seen the deal HM offering with 318 + necessary extras + Fiat Ducato swb van 19,300 + V.
I havent Mark, that's certainly a chunk of change though!
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Yes Kevin even for domestic it's too small a blower, There was someone on truckmounters with a 3.2 spitfire (i'm sure same size blower, but please check that) he was always doing stuff to improve his suction! ie. no inline filter, run 2" all the way, baco relief valve, ect.
maybe run it by Glynn (the TM expert) you dont want to be unhappy with the power.