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UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: lcwalker on October 15, 2009, 11:34:35 pm

Title: Tips on building a round
Post by: lcwalker on October 15, 2009, 11:34:35 pm
Hi newbie here i have a few window cleaning jobs and would like to build a round i have all the gear and feel i do a very good job, i also clean the frames and sills and my few customers are very happy.But im not that good at the advertising part is there any tips that could help me i know it's tough times but i live in a tourist area in suffolk so the customers must be out there but how do i find them?.
Title: Re: Tips on building a round
Post by: mark dew on October 15, 2009, 11:36:58 pm
I'm in lowestoft. What tourist area are you talking about?
Title: Re: Tips on building a round
Post by: lcwalker on October 15, 2009, 11:48:49 pm
Hi dont worry im not near you im in the sudbury area tourist place's (Long Melford/Lavenham etc)
Title: Re: Tips on building a round
Post by: A+CleaningService on October 15, 2009, 11:51:20 pm
Not far from me, haverhill. Are u trade or wfp?
Title: Re: Tips on building a round
Post by: lcwalker on October 15, 2009, 11:56:52 pm
Hi i may seem dim but what does wfp mean?.
Title: Re: Tips on building a round
Post by: A+CleaningService on October 15, 2009, 11:59:57 pm
Water fed pole, wet brush.   Read the posts on this site.  loads of info
Title: Re: Tips on building a round
Post by: lcwalker on October 16, 2009, 12:02:47 am
Oh yes ive seen that done i do it the ladder and Squeegy way.
Title: Re: Tips on building a round
Post by: mark dew on October 16, 2009, 12:27:24 am
Hi dont worry im not near you im in the sudbury area tourist place's (Long Melford/Lavenham etc)

Haha, i just wondered. I get a few calls now and then that i don't take on.

To build a round you want a permanent advert in as many places as possible. I have a year round advert in a local parish magazine. That costs me a tenner per year and goes out in the villages.
That is worth it weight in gold. I've probably picked up £1k of work per month out of it. 5 years of adverts for £50.
I have also picked up some commercial work from a free listing on yell.com. I picked up a £175, 4 weekly job on the day it went on the website. How lucky is that!!  ;D
I also put out leaflets to try and fill the gaps between existing work.
Best of luck to you. Even if you had of been more local.  ;D

Title: Re: Tips on building a round
Post by: wizard on October 16, 2009, 06:38:09 am
go threw all posting there is a gold mine of info on this forum read every thing you see on building a round and canvassing new business.=- 700 pages enjoy the free education.
Title: Re: Tips on building a round
Post by: Blue Frog Systems on October 16, 2009, 07:02:53 am
Get yourself a load of leaflets printed and go knocking. Leave a leaflet at every house where there not in.

Thats how my wife and I have got our business up to 260 regular customers since April. Its hard workn but worth it.

You can also clean fascias and clear out gutters too, I'd def get that on your leaflets.

Good luck and get reading the many many posts that have been posted on here. There is so much information
Title: Re: Tips on building a round
Post by: cozy on October 16, 2009, 07:46:06 am
Good post. Anyone who puts a round together as fast as that should be listened to. It seems to me, that leafleting and door knocking is the most effective way of building fast.

A good way to save time getting answers to newbie questions, is look through FAQ's. Another thing is, if you click on people's names, you can look at their profile and what they have posted in the past. This helps if you want to learn from their posts etc. There are some bods on here that are pretty good at round building, so get reading lol. :)

Good luck mate.
Title: Re: Tips on building a round
Post by: pingu on October 16, 2009, 07:53:46 am
If you have some cash behind you..you could pay a round building company there are a few routes to building that perfect round.

Cheers
Dave.
Title: Re: Tips on building a round
Post by: R W C on October 16, 2009, 09:32:24 am
Not far from me, haverhill. Are u trade or wfp?

another that does trade, thinking of getting into this myself
Title: Re: Tips on building a round
Post by: Blue Frog Systems on October 16, 2009, 09:50:08 am
Another tip I have found works well...

When giving out quotes, get a phone number and the name of the person you spoke to. Then if they haven't got back to you within a couple of days, give them a call.

 My wife did 16 quotes a few months back and followed them up with a quick phone call a few days later. She got 12 of them as customers and another just wanted fascias cleaning.

People mean to call, but just don't get round to it. Wish I had used this method from the start. I'm sure I'd be over the 300 mark had I.

I got a call the other day from a leaflet I dropped on my first day knocking, definatley worth leaving one.

Also on my next lot of leaflets I'm going to get printed on there (probably at the top) please save me or pass me to a friend. You never know.

Also when someone rings for a quote, ask them where they got your phone number. I like to be able to tell my wife that I got another job because of a leaflet she left. The feel good factor.

Get some free advertising on google and yellow pages. You might get pestered by them (I haven't) but its worth it. I put an advert on google and have had 6 emails from people wanting a window cleaner. Each one is now a customer. If the can be bothered to hunt you out, they are worth having. 
Title: Re: Tips on building a round
Post by: lcwalker on October 17, 2009, 08:36:06 am
Thanks to all of you this has been a great help, as i dont have many im not that great a quoting i dont want to do myself but i dont want to seem greedy what are good tips for pricing? is it per window or per house some examples would be very handy thanks.
Title: Re: Tips on building a round
Post by: daniel worgan on October 17, 2009, 08:53:32 am
Not far from me, haverhill. Are u trade or wfp?

Lol  ...what is all this trade lark.....
It seems to be a consistant typing error on this forum,yet i wonder if it is actually an error? ???
Title: Re: Tips on building a round
Post by: jonnyald on October 17, 2009, 08:58:06 am
sudbury/melford - u should be raking in the dough there , all the posh houses . wear a tie when u go door knocking and shiney black shoes . but dont wear that when you clean
Title: Re: Tips on building a round
Post by: easycleaner on October 17, 2009, 07:44:51 pm
Well put LWC Ltd. First class reply, spot on.
Mart.
Title: Re: Tips on building a round
Post by: Clive McDonald on October 17, 2009, 08:05:09 pm
It was an excellent and well thought out reply. A couple of bits were outdated and have been superceded by some of the people coming in with fresh ideas.
Title: Re: Tips on building a round
Post by: Murdie window cleaning on October 17, 2009, 09:28:20 pm
I would say leaflet an area, then follow that up a day or two later by door knocking. Hard going, but the quickest way of doing it your self