Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: craigp on November 18, 2009, 07:54:49 pm
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After a very busy year its slowed right down the last month, has others found this? Im sure the weathers not helped, and I do find this is the pattern now, up to Christmas slow then busier Jan, best time being April through to Oct.
Craig
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Same here and can't put my finger on it.
Getting on average 60-70 hits a day on the web site then hardly anyone goes that stage further and make the phone call.
Stuck 700 plush A5 leaflets out and got one job booked through that.
Put out 300 home produced get your carpets cleaned here type of leaflet and got one job booked through that.
Have sent out about 70 letters to previous customers so waiting to see where that gets us.
Other than kidnapping some first borns with the price of return being a £200 carpet clean I'm baffled as to what is going on.
(and with that step forward those booked up until March >:()
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October was good for me.
November already exceeds last November and last December (which was better then last November).
Just got a few bookings for Dec,
none for 2010 ;)
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9000 leaflets out next week, CRM for jan/feb then 50,000 more leaflets going out march april and may.
the slow down is due to bad publicised news at the end of september. time to attack and pick up whats left till good news early next year.
derek
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Ive even been leafletting myself this week, first time for ages. :(
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I would like to think it's the lull before the storm ???
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As Derek says it's a question of pushing even harder, maybe harder than you thought you could do. And after all the fallout those left will reap the rewards.
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New customers have slowed down but old customers are all booked and ready to go so am sat in a good position but I am disappointed with the amount of new phone calls as I am usually smug and saying "no I'm booked" bit sad really.
Go for it Derek not failing to plan or planning to fail, I'm following you mate.(not in a gay type way though)
Shaun
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Yeah, nets been unusually slow. Put out 5000 leaflets today using Mikes idea
3 rooms £99. Booked in 2 by 2pm ;D here`s hoping.
Rab.
Anyone leafleting Edinburgh, please phone me so we don,t cross paths. ;)
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I was thinking about it when I was there yesterday Rab ;D , but after seeing all the road works there you can keep it. That was a nightmare you cant get anywhere in the city centre.
Bob
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It`s worth it for trams we don`t need. ::)
Thats one of the reasons why I`m doing a leaflet campaign.
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And it servers you right for working my patch.
Leave it to the professionals who know their way about. 8)
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And it servers you right for working my patch.
Leave it to the professionals who know their way about. 8)
;D
Rab u doing the leaflet drops yourself , with your mate or are you paying a company to do it.
Bob
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Maself :o No way. Company. £60 per k with one other, seem on the ball.
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complete opposite for me april - august was good september better october fantastic and nov is off the hook
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Don’t worry guys It will pick up shortly, just dedicate a few minutes a day to pushing your businesses forward, even if you’re busy.
Matt
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Matt, I think you're right there mate, custy's are just holding off and leaving it 'til the last minute to call.... Mother-in Law season I call it, I love em ;D
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Colin, I have an unpleasant middle class grandmother & farther law, not nice people. They have a yacht that they sail around the med. I hope the bloody thing sinks with them in it! Ideally in the middle of the Arctic Ocean leaving them both clinging to an iceberg. ;D
Matt
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At the moment im doing a few jobs a week,but ive only been in the game 2 months.In a way its almost reassuring that other established CC's are finding November a tricky month,it gives me some hope for the future.Just been to Home Bargains and bought 1000 Xmas cards for £35.Gonna post these out next week with a festive message (IF YOU DONT HAVE YOUR CARPETS CLEANED,SANTA WONT BRING YOU ANY PRESENTS!!)
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At the moment im doing a few jobs a week,but ive only been in the game 2 months.In a way its almost reassuring that other established CC's are finding November a tricky month,it gives me some hope for the future.Just been to Home Bargains and bought 1000 Xmas cards for £35.Gonna post these out next week with a festive message (IF YOU DONT HAVE YOUR CARPETS CLEANED,SANTA WONT BRING YOU ANY PRESENTS!!)
Or you could write the truth.... "IF YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR CARPETS CLEANED, SANTA WON'T BE BRINGING "MY KIDS" ANY PRESENTS!" ;D ;D ;D
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Ok, here I go, I'll be brave and post, ready for the attack. This year has been our busiest year by far, before you go "yeah right" hear me out. I have made sure that our advert goes out to 50000 homes per month, yes per month. I mainly use local mags, few leaflets. Plus I mail shot 200-300 customers per month. I make sure I run a special offer every month. I also use YELL.COM, and google sponsered listings (back in YP next year). I have also had a real push on regular commercial work this year, which has been very good. To be honest, the recession hasnt hit us (yet!) Thats not to say it wouldnt have if we hadnt gone out there and pushed hard to keep busy. RIGHT MEN, READY! .....................AIM....................... FIRE! I can take it, I'm used to it!
Justin
PS, I would like to add that I dont expect to be attacked ny all, just a few??
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Colin,stop it!
Your frightening my kids.
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My accountant informed me i was over 3 grand up,on the previous year !!! Trouble is it will all be going to the tax man | +more :-[
As far as leaflets go,i had 10 thou done 4 years ago and still have about 9500 left !
Work comes now from word of mouth,the agency`s etc etc.Web sites prob generate 10 ish enquiry per week,mainly all price shoppers,got asked yesterday if i could beat £75 for a 4 room maisonette + stairs,normally £50 on the stairs alone !
Not looking too bad at the mo,usually end up working 5 days a week which is plenty for me !
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Justin,
I'm "not"going to have a go at you, you've told us you're not doing bad and you've told us your strategy for keeping the work coming in. If anything, I thank you for sharing the advice and helping to reassure some of us that are worrying, about whether our carpet cleaning business will ever truly take off!
Cheers dude!!!!! :)
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Colin,
Thanks mate. It will take off, however many say two or three years. I think realistically its more like 5 years, and you must be relentless at sticking with it, treat every day as a battle!
Cheers!
Justin
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Colin you should be getting referals this xmas rom last yr.
It took me a few years to get regulars and repeats and after all these years now i get mostly repeats and referals.
My web sites have started to bring in some good work so thats costing me nothing as to when i was in y pages when it was good..
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I think the main problem with new startups is that they are reactive rather than proactive. When they start lots of leaflet are delivered and make this offer and that, the phone starts ringing, then they have no time to do all the things that made the phone ring.
Phone then stops ringing, panic go and deliver some leaflets..........................and so on and so on.
When I started I had a business plan that I stuck to religiously regardless. The trick is you need to put in some dedicated time for advertising your buisness, ie leafleting, canvassing, calling old custys, at least 1 day per fortnight.
Result = always busy ;D
Dan
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Think the temptation for a new starter is to go in cheap in most cases.
Then 2 or 3 years down the line its hard to get your prices up..
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How cheap is cheap? if someone is doing the same work at a lesser rate then they are cheaper new or not, don't know what Clinton charges but if he is cheaper than me then he has either not been doing it as long or not as good!
Shaun
PS Clinton is far
older then me so is probaably charging double ;D
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Hi
It would be nice to charge twice what shaun charges!
Busy here, but has been a funny year, very up & down.
Dave
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I'm poor and live in Yorkshore not like these Cheshire big wigs living and cleaning in houses I have many a time cleaned a scrap of carpet fibres in a cardboard box which we live in over here.
Poor Shaun
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Sorry Colin
The comment was meant to be constructive. The only pathetic statement is your response.
Dan
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I'm poor and live in Yorkshore not like these Cheshire big wigs living and cleaning in houses I have many a time cleaned a scrap of carpet fibres in a cardboard box which we live in over here.
Poor Shaun
:'( :'(
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Yes Colin I always am, you just keep mugging yourself off mate.
Dan >:(
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I'm poor and live in Yorkshore not like these Cheshire big wigs living and cleaning in houses I have many a time cleaned a scrap of carpet fibres in a cardboard box which we live in over here.
Poor Shaun
cardboard box? you lucky barsteward.
when i was young, we worked 25 hours a day 8 days a week, ate coal for breakfast dinner and tea, and lived under a bridge on the motorway. ;D
derek
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And you think that was bad I got promoted to the box, and my father used to whip me for 30 hours a day and we were glad of it.
Shaun
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Shaun,
The farmer used to pay my farther to keep us children in his field. Our daily task was to run around screaming and ringing a bell in order to keep the birds from taking his corn seed. The nights were cold and bleak; I remember huddling up to a cow in order to keep warm. Some things never change! ;D
I remember the sores on my bare feet as a I scurried around the field retching and screaming as I rang my bell in the pouring rain, we used to eat with the cows in the field adjacent.
If the farmer saw us resting he used to beat us with his hoe.
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A hoe? an American hoe? sounds good if it is.
Shaun
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"Getin down with my hoe" as the coloured youth would say.
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Why has Colin left?
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I suspect he's too busy doing flood work. :D
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Picked up 8 jobs today, thats the most in a day for a long time. This is the start I hope of a busy December.
Pay day is coming so it should be picking up now as people are wanting to plan for Xmas. Never asgood as July August but let see what happens this xmas.
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nearly same as neil
did 6 quotes on friday, nailed 3 on friday, 2 calls over the weekend booking in and just got email through today for the 6th one, nailed them all, woohooooooo and thats before the 9k leaflets going out this week (weather permitting)
still no where near fully booked though. ;)
futures bright
derek
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Had an old customer book a job this morning at 6.45am, I'd just come off the treadmill and was knackered, she thought I was having a heart attack, but today was busy on the phone but if I tell you how many calls I get some start calling me a liar.
Shaun
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I believe you Shaun with 20 yrs under ya belt, let me guess er...........23 calls?
I have had 11 calls today and booked 8.
Why worry if people believe you or not as long as your busy and doing well.
which year was it when you had 83 calls in the day??
Mark
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It was actually 86 calls in one day but I am struggling to remember the year 1999 I think as it was just before my son was born, I had 29 enquiries, some run off, 14 booked and some are calling back after consulting other halves which are nearly there as alot of them are old customers wanting to know dates and times etc. I have places left before Xmas which is unusual at this time of year.
Shaun
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Checked planning office, 4 calls about carpets today or should I say yesterday.
I’m still at work now. The building is 1876. I have glass windows that run alongside my office, this is a corridor that runs through the building. The corridor is in complete darkness at the moment, twice I have broken off my work as I keep seeing something passing the window. :o
Very reluctant to walk the corridor to go home. Ill climb out the window! ;D
Matt
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Dead :( Has my phone been cut off :'(
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I must admit this year is slower than normal to say we are only 4 weeks away, it will come tho im sure.
Mark
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Last 3 weeks have been solid, next week full.
If it gets too far for bookings i put extra help with tech, i find people wont wait too long.
Have quite a bit booked in for Dec, hopefully some flood work will come in a couple of weeks,
did a couple last wed / thurs.
Always done work as it comes in, have a steady stream of custies.
Andrew
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Seems to be a good end to the month for me and have bookings in for dec.
Andrew you might be getting some more work with the floods ???
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Not much room left in the diary before Christmas now. The way its going I could end up working everyday inc Sat/Sun but I dont intend to. Done too much of that in the past.
Dave.