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Splash 4 Cash

  • Posts: 155
Over traded / Lack of new business New
« on: June 10, 2012, 10:57:33 pm »
Anyone feel there area over traded. If so were are you operating.
And one feel that business is harder to find as customer pulling in of there belt.Please elaborate on your findings. At rough guess out of ten how many do you make use of a window cleaner.I know the last one is a long shot.

Splash 4 Cash

  • Posts: 155
Re: over traded / lack of new business
« Reply #1 on: June 11, 2012, 05:20:00 am »
All though I do work all over my town I seem to be stronger in two good areas most new home. I have noticed a very small amount of folk use the services of a window cleaner.I don`t think money is the problem as bother area seem to have money judging by the cars and assets etc..ITS SEEMS THAT PEOPLE DON`T SEEM TO THINK LOOKING AFTER THERE HOMES IS PART OF MODERN DAY LIFE

dazmond

  • Posts: 24485
Re: over traded / lack of new business
« Reply #2 on: June 11, 2012, 07:19:50 am »
i have noticed a hell of a lot of new window cleaners that have started up in my area over the last few months.i havent picked up much new work lately either.

luckily for me im very well established so i get a trickle of  new enquires most weeks but i reckon its time for a bit of canvassing as ive lost a few lately due to moving/dying.also new tenants/owners are not as bothered about regular window cleaning esp young couples with kids!!

dont get me wrong im doing very well but there is A LOT more competition than there was a few years ago.it keeps me on my toes!! ;) ;D ;D ;D
price higher/work harder!

A & J Owen Window Cleaning

  • Posts: 2192
Re: over traded / lack of new business
« Reply #3 on: June 11, 2012, 07:34:43 am »
i have noticed a hell of a lot of new window cleaners that have started up in my area over the last few months.i havent picked up much new work lately either.

luckily for me im very well established so i get a trickle of  new enquires most weeks but i reckon its time for a bit of canvassing as ive lost a few lately due to moving/dying.also new tenants/owners are not as bothered about regular window cleaning esp young couples with kids!!

dont get me wrong im doing very well but there is A LOT more competition than there was a few years ago.it keeps me on my toes!! ;) ;D ;D ;D

Definitely agree about young couples with kids. Perhaps feeling the pinch more than most, perhaps just not bothered about having clean windows! Best customer age bracket is the 50 - 70's in our experience

bobplum

  • Posts: 5602
Re: over traded / lack of new business
« Reply #4 on: June 11, 2012, 08:15:55 am »
went canvassing on Saturday with my son i would say out of 100 houses we picked up two,£10.00 a month and a £5.00 front
some of the windows on the houses were so dirty is was bordering on disgusting and they looked at us as if we were crazy asking if they needed a wc
we could've believe the negative response

Londoner

Re: over traded / lack of new business
« Reply #5 on: June 11, 2012, 08:19:20 am »
Its inevetable, how can it not be so? Why would you ask a question like that unless you are trolling?

Mind you, there will be someone along in a minute who will tell you they are picking up new customers all the time etc etc. Never lost a customer in their life etc etc. Doubled their prices every year etc etc........... (yawn)

George P

  • Posts: 1304
Re: over traded / lack of new business
« Reply #6 on: June 11, 2012, 08:51:17 am »
were picking up some most weeks, normally a small job, but also a few big ones, have lost a couple though and odd one changed to a lower frequency,

Window Washers

  • Posts: 9036
Re: over traded / lack of new business
« Reply #7 on: June 11, 2012, 09:22:11 am »
there does seems to be an ever growing number of start ups round here and I guess everywhere, thankfully this rain we are having will be shaking them to the foundations and many will go and get a proper job  ;D

I never thought I would say it but would like it to rain for the next few months.

we are still picking up work, just have to use more marketing than had been using before so the cpc has gone up a lot from what it was a year or so back.

looking back 10 years I should not have been so lazy because there was bucket loads of work about.

I think those that sit still will have massive problems in a few more years time.

We have to adapt all the time and improve service imo
If your not willing to learn, No one can help you, If you are determined to learn, No one can stop you ;)

Total shine cleaning services

  • Posts: 895
Re: over traded / lack of new business
« Reply #8 on: June 11, 2012, 09:33:01 am »
Quite saturated where I am but the plus side is I am pulling jobs thru lack of quality control from some of the windies around here, they ignore the frames and get streaks, I do the best job I can and am getting lots of referrals , bottom line is there will always be lots of competition so you have to be better

Graham

Steve CM

Re: over traded / lack of new business
« Reply #9 on: June 11, 2012, 09:38:06 am »
Quite saturated where I am but the plus side is I am pulling jobs thru lack of quality control from some of the windies around here, they ignore the frames and get streaks, I do the best job I can and am getting lots of referrals , bottom line is there will always be lots of competition so you have to be better

Graham

Amen! Just don't get caught up in quoting crap prices :)

Splash 4 Cash

  • Posts: 155
Re: over traded / lack of new business
« Reply #10 on: June 11, 2012, 09:45:28 am »
Hi Vince would you mind elaborating I am not sure what you are getting at "Its inevetable, how can it not be so? Why would you ask a question like that unless you are trolling?"
I am not familiar with the word trolling.

Perfect Windows

  • Posts: 4334
Re: over traded / lack of new business
« Reply #11 on: June 11, 2012, 09:46:18 am »
We're picking up new customers all the time. We've never lost a customer in our life. We've doubled our prices every year.

Vin

Londoner

Re: over traded / lack of new business
« Reply #12 on: June 11, 2012, 12:36:52 pm »
Hi Vince would you mind elaborating I am not sure what you are getting at "Its inevetable, how can it not be so? Why would you ask a question like that unless you are trolling?"
I am not familiar with the word trolling.
Whenever the economy goes into a nose dive  new window cleaners always appear. Its the easiest business in the world to start up so its inevetable that people displaced from anywhere else in the job market will try their luck. There are a lot of displaced people right now and by my estimation there are going to be even more soon.


Window cleaning is also the easiest household expense to chop if money gets tight. Gas and electric up 20%, food, petrol etc. Something has to give. The result, more window cleaners chasing fewer customers

Its always been the same.


Oh yes trolling, on a wind up, asking a question out of mischief rather than seriously wanting an answer 

Ian101

  • Posts: 7889
Re: over traded / lack of new business
« Reply #13 on: June 11, 2012, 05:06:03 pm »
went canvassing on Saturday with my son i would say out of 100 houses we picked up two,£10.00 a month and a £5.00 front
some of the windows on the houses were so dirty is was bordering on disgusting and they looked at us as if we were crazy asking if they needed a wc
we could've believe the negative response


I promised Anthony I wouldnt tell you but my conscience getting better of me ........ he got 3x £15 monthlies ..... 5x £25 bimonthlies and 3 one off fascia / sofitts @ £360 in total .......................... and sold the lot to me for £200 cash .... he even said if I needed a hand with 1st cleans and fascia/sofitts he would borrow your van and give me a hand .... he is a good lad !!  ;D ;D ;D ;D

james peters

  • Posts: 990
Re: over traded / lack of new business
« Reply #14 on: June 11, 2012, 08:05:23 pm »
i have noticed a hell of a lot of new window cleaners that have started up in my area over the last few months.i havent picked up much new work lately either.

luckily for me im very well established so i get a trickle of  new enquires most weeks but i reckon its time for a bit of canvassing as ive lost a few lately due to moving/dying.also new tenants/owners are not as bothered about regular window cleaning esp young couples with kids!!

dont get me wrong im doing very well but there is A LOT more competition than there was a few years ago.it keeps me on my toes!! ;) ;D ;D ;D

yes....it's the same here....although last month I did seem to have more enquiries than normal....
what I have noticed also is that more are asking for 8 weekly, which I dont mind as I charge a little more!
I tend to do small regular leaflet drops rather than all out large ones....leafleting the same properties every 6 months or so.
this gives a trickle of new work coming in all the time.

richywilts

  • Posts: 4262
Re: over traded / lack of new business
« Reply #15 on: June 11, 2012, 10:25:25 pm »
theres loads of work out there our town is quite saturated at min bob will vouch for that, from being the original wfp company in area four years ago everyones copied me now and i think there must be 7 others now what i know of inc my ex member of staff, but saying that my canvasser canvasses areas, jots down the outs and we persist and keep going bk to the outs, dont let people being out etc think its a bad area ive just squeezed about 40 jobs from one area called whitby unless ur persistant u will never find out
Richard Wiltshire
Window Clean Direct

richardwiltshire36@yahoo.co.uk
www.windowcleandirect.co.uk
07894821844

Johnny B

  • Posts: 2385
Re: over traded / lack of new business
« Reply #16 on: June 11, 2012, 10:54:15 pm »
Where I live (popluation 20,000+) there are several other windys, but there are still plenty of houses where the windows haven't seen a clean for years.

Many people here either can't afford or want the services of a window cleaner. Those that do generally don't want them done regularly, so it is tough to find good customers and to stay in business once they have been found.

That said, I am still picking up new work, albeit very slowly, but it is certainly much harder than it was a year ago before I left Britain, when work was flooding in. I am very grateful with what I have and take none of it for granted.

John   
Being diplomatic is being able to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that they look forward to the trip.