Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: daz1977 on December 17, 2009, 01:30:22 pm
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this is sort of following on from thread, why do so many people want to be wc
it got me wondering, are we all full times with 200 + custys, or a bunch of part times, with other jobs with 10 custys
please be honest
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got my book out and counted 288 custys. verious size of jobs. had more in the past when i had a worker. i think the 300 mark suits me while on my own
steve
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i have 200 plus, but i dont think its relevant its the value that counts ie you could have 200 @£4 or 200@£10 if you know what i mean
anyway i aim to meet my target by march and that is to increase by a set value not number of customers
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i have 200 plus, but i dont think its relevant its the value that counts ie you could have 200 @£4 or 200@£10 if you know what i mean
anyway i aim to meet my target by march and that is to increase by a set value not number of customers
this is the first time i`ve counted how many custys, i`ve always added up the income value per month. i have a mate who has 2 custys(big contracts) which will earn him a simular amount to me doing 288 custys
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i have 200 plus, but i dont think its relevant its the value that counts ie you could have 200 @£4 or 200@£10 if you know what i mean
anyway i aim to meet my target by march and that is to increase by a set value not number of customers
i know what you are saying about the value, but i thought that might be cheeky asking people what they earn each month, as some you lie to make them selves look good and then some might think i am from the tax office lol
i was just trying to get a picture of who the wc where on here, where they full times or part timers, as there seem to be a lot of new wc, who are doing it part time , they seem to want it as a job rather than a career, as a sort of way to top up there earnings
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Well I've currently got 252 of my own - mostly domestic of a wide variety of sizes and mostly 6 weekly.
Then there are 5 commercial jobs that I subcontract from various sources.
Then there are 30 - 35 domestics that I subcontract each month from a single source.
Additionally, there is the odd one off job that crops up from time to time.
They keep me fairly well occupied but allow me a breather too when needed.
Don't ask what the average price is as I'm not giving you any way of approximating my income ;D
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Ive only got 80 domestic at the moment a few shop and care home i only start full time in august and i have not pushed it yet it all been word off mouth etc and in December ive been pushing my carpet cleaning which is going well so in January it time to push the window cleaning a lot
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Around 280ish here
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322 custys ranging from compact 3 bedders(about 150)to childrens home,nurseries,granny flats and bigger 4-5 bedroom scattered stand alone accounts,converted barns,cottages etc.a good mixture!.most are 4 weekly with the odd 6 weekly and 8 weekly.all done on my own!keeps me busy most of the winter months with room for extras in summer with the lighter nights.i bet i could go to 400 custys with WFP and still not do more than 6 hours a day actually working! ;D ;D
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around the 40 mark so far but ive lost a few along the way and gained more back, have to take a real good look to see the exact figure, want in the region of around 120 in total atm.
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I counted them up a while ago, somewhere around the 170 mark I think.
Typically 200 would be the max, and then you can work on getting 100 only.
This business isn't quite as black and white as that though Ewan.
In all honesty, there are too many variables, nationally and locally, to think that this is the norm whoever and wherever you are.
It would also depend on your own circumstances, work ethic, motivation bla bla.
Most businesses cannot be run by an equation, including window cleaning.
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if u use george or WCPRO u can see exactly how many custys u got etc!i like havin a range of different custys and ill prob go up to 400 again with wfp in future.i sold some work off a few years ago when i was ill rather than lose it!when u lose the odd custy it doesnt really hurt but say u had only a 100 custys at good prices and u lost a couple it would put a dent in income and be harder to replace those custys.
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Just started last month only got 24 custys, trying to go full time.
Hard going getting new custys.
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well il be honest iv got 9 custys worth £80 only just on my second clean on a few of them but do other work apart from that but want go wc full time, just hoping get stuck in about 2 weeks after new year to canvess as much as possible want try get 100 customers by march but thats going be tough well see tho :P
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108 according to George (and rising everyday).
Did have almost 500 over a year ago, but took a year out in 08, came back July this year.
That was manic having that many, probably why I needed the year out ::)
I'll be happy once I've doubled my customer base.
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I counted them up a while ago, somewhere around the 170 mark I think.
Typically 200 would be the max, and then you can work on getting 100 only.
This business isn't quite as black and white as that though Ewan.
In all honesty, there are too many variables, nationally and locally, to think that this is the norm whoever and wherever you are.
It would also depend on your own circumstances, work ethic, motivation bla bla.
Most businesses cannot be run by an equation, including window cleaning.
Your figure of a 170 sounds right to me; you could possibly increase that up to 15% or reduce that figure to as little as 50.
Having to few customers creates its own issues, same as I think going over the 200 mark that has its own different issues. An individual can only do so much although there will always be exception to the rule. If everybody starts saying they have hundreds & hundreds of customer, this starts alarm bells ringing and I cant help but think something is wrong else where. Customer number may be very good, but are the hours & prices?
All aspects of your business will be interlinked but some confuse more customer numbers with money. Time, prices, customers are all separated trick is to get the best blend for you.
I counted them up a while ago, somewhere around the 170 mark I think.
Typically 200 would be the max, and then you can work on getting 100 only.
This business isn't quite as black and white as that though Ewan.
In all honesty, there are too many variables, nationally and locally, to think that this is the norm whoever and wherever you are.
It would also depend on your own circumstances, work ethic, motivation bla bla.
Most businesses cannot be run by an equation, including window cleaning.
Your figure of a 170 sounds right to me; you could possibly increase that up to 15% or reduce that figure to as little as 50.
Having to few customers creates its own issues, same as I think going over the 200 mark that has its own different issues. An individual can only do so much although there will always be exception to the rule. If everybody starts saying they have hundreds & hundreds of customer, this starts alarm bells ringing and I cant help but think something is wrong else where. Customer number may be very good, but are the hours & prices?
All aspects of your business will be interlinked but some confuse more customer numbers with money. Time, prices, customers are all separated trick is to get the best blend for you.
I think we all play the figures to suit our own needs. I generally do 80 jobs a week over 4 days.
After 10 years each day is compact. I don't quite understand Ewan's logic by saying 170 customer would right, surely that would depend on many factors.
Lee
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Daz, it's like some have said many times before on here. It's not how many, it's how much. We are in this game to earn as much as we want/can. How many custies that takes to achieve isn't relevant to the success of your business. So really, it's the wrong question.
If you know what I mean. :)
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how do you get George to tell how many costumers ?
wot do you click
thanks in advance robin
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About 250 here including a dozen commercials and which are either monthly or two monthly plus a few primary schools that get done once or twice a year.
On the domestic side I had this vague feeling that I could do with a bit more pruning and this fits in with Ewans comments. If I take the worst 20% and give them all a 10% increase then most will accept and I'll lose some. But then I might drop to say 240 custies at a higher average.
If that works I might do the same to the next 20%,
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George - Reports - Round Valuation
1288
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i have a mate who has 2 custys(big contracts) which will earn him a simular amount to me doing 288 custys
I know who's shoes I'd rather be if I lost 1 job :o
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thanks Ian
thought their must be a way
last time we tried we printed 30plus pages lol!!
that tells me 143 customers
a year and a bit from nothing
i am happy with that if i get to 200 by next summer that will do nicely
robin
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Your figure of a 170 sounds right to me; you could possibly increase that up to 15% or reduce that figure to as little as 50.
Having to few customers creates its own issues, same as I think going over the 200 mark that has its own different issues. An individual can only do so much although there will always be exception to the rule. If everybody starts saying they have hundreds & hundreds of customer, this starts alarm bells ringing and I cant help but think something is wrong else where. Customer number may be very good, but are the hours & prices?
All aspects of your business will be interlinked but some confuse more customer numbers with money. Time, prices, customers are all separated trick is to get the best blend for you.
But I live on an island and theres only 172 houses, I do all of them except mine and a dirty tramps down the road. I pay the tramp additionally to clean my windows, he does them fortnightly, but my round is only done every 3 months. I pay him way too much over the odds but havent got the gumption to put my own prices up. Im sure the tramp earns more than me; he does by the hour thats a fact.
Actually, my example might appear to be joking but it illustrates how your figures are unreliable; simply becasue you dont know my personal circumstances nor my work wishes/targets/limitations bla bla bla
I already said there are varying criteria which affect how many houses a window cleaning business runs. There are other criteria too, value of each property, what if your average price was £45.00.
Your figures are more suited to a one-man-band setup, but try applying them to a crew of 3 guys. Or a couple of scally-wags dodging the tax.
It NEVER is as black and white as you make it out Ewan; which is why I said you cant work to a formula.
It strikes me that the figure of 200 to aim for and then try to slim down is possibly appropriate to your circumstances but it isnt necessarily the case for everyone. Some may need 300 to aim for whilst others settle for 120.
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at the minute ive got around 650-700
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Reports - round value- gives you the no of accounts and the value if all done.
Tosh you do talk some ewan, sorry that's not right, a bit like your take on this ewan.Clueless.
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at the minute ive got around 650-700
Is that working on your own? What time intervals are the majority of them? Just curious.
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I counted them up a while ago, somewhere around the 170 mark I think.
Typically 200 would be the max, and then you can work on getting 100 only.
This business isn't quite as black and white as that though Ewan.
In all honesty, there are too many variables, nationally and locally, to think that this is the norm whoever and wherever you are.
It would also depend on your own circumstances, work ethic, motivation bla bla.
Most businesses cannot be run by an equation, including window cleaning.
Your figure of a 170 sounds right to me; you could possibly increase that up to 15% or reduce that figure to as little as 50.
Having to few customers creates its own issues, same as I think going over the 200 mark that has its own different issues. An individual can only do so much although there will always be exception to the rule. If everybody starts saying they have hundreds & hundreds of customer, this starts alarm bells ringing and I cant help but think something is wrong else where. Customer number may be very good, but are the hours & prices?
All aspects of your business will be interlinked but some confuse more customer numbers with money. Time, prices, customers are all separated trick is to get the best blend for you.
I suppose that I have the equivalent of about 200 monthly customers myself. 252 on mostly 6 weekly plus a bit of subbying.
I recently cleared out my old garage to give it back to the landlord. My old box files were in the back in an old suitcase. They went back to when I started in 1991. I had about 450 custies at one point - most of them underpriced and including many messers. I would much rather have what I've got now.
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220 custy's use to take 5 weeks to get round,
now more like 6
but 7 weeks at the mo :'(, lot of van probs this year to top it someone banged into it on monday :D
drivers door, open and shuts though ;)
think i'l set message up on voicemail saying due to excessive rain in nov and now snow and xmas hols running late, only the odd O.A.P saying have i given up ;D
DO many on here run at 6 weeks with wfp i think this seems about right.
thanks lee
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6 weekly is what I do with WFP Lee.
Its gradually got oput to 6 weeks from monthly due to the volume of work I have, but Id rather not do it any more frequent as quite simply they dont need it apart from the odd bird strike.
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Personally 8 weekly I have found for me is a nice compromise...the windows are dirty enough for the customer to notice and not so dirty as to cause me more work than the price is worth.
The only trouble is this week I have had to skip loads of jobs so it will be 16weekly for these and that will ake some extra time to clean...swings and round-abouts.
Dave
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387 5 weekly customers, all done on my own.
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at the minute ive got around 650-700
Is that working on your own? What time intervals are the majority of them? Just curious.
work with 1 other person,all customers are very close,diffrent areas as well,also got 3 people helping me out with contract work as well
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thanks matt and pingu
matt did you inform custy's of change from 4 to 6 weeks, or was gradual.
I have a few as said, say thought you'd given up :D
was going to inform custy's but think it might be better to say nothing unless asked, especially when i put some up next year.
It's gone up the price but i'm coming less frequent ;)
thanks lee
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Gradual change mate, when I was trad it had started to become more like 5 weeks.
When I went over to WFP my work simply ballooned, not BECAUSE of WFP but it just coincided with that time, it was the same time as when I got a website, went from pikey motor to sign-written van, got uniform etc.
Now its 6 weeks and I wonder if I ought to let it go to 8 ;D
I could just start to trim stuff down. I do a lot of gutters generally though, without them Id be down to 5 weeks.
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I have a little over 300 customers was over 500 a couple of years back but trimmed it right back but it still keeps creaping up going to have a large cull again this year once i have raised all my prices
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at the minute ive got around 650-700
This is where I would like to be at the end of next summer... :)
At the moment George tells me I have 395 domestic & 27 commercial..... need to hit the canvassing trial in Spring... I want more domestic, simply as....
It does not hurt very much when you lose a domestic, compared to a big commercial...
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Commercial is where the money is though, cleaned a pub carpet and kitchen ventilation system this week and picked up the window cleaning for it as well, £60 per clean for outsides done fortnightly, then another £60 for insides done monthly. If my calculations are correct that makes it worth £2340/year.