[Paul Coleman]

I do one sub contracting job - it's a quarterly commercial in Avonmouth for a guy who has the national contract. He approached me, came down from oop north, set up the paperwork introduced me to the manager and helped on the first clean.

Plusses -

I get paid within 24 hours of my invoice being emailed.

I can turn up approx every two months during daylight hours 6 am to 6pm and have clearance with security to go straight in on a pre-signed annual work permit.

I can work in light to middling rain if I want to so good for "off days".

Minusses.

Marginal on price. £90. I do the insides trad, Dan does the outside pole. It takes us about 1hr 45 on the glass, 2 hours (4 man hours) including signing in and driving (it is about ten minutes from my general area).

I have no control what happens next year other than to say yay or nay. I might say nay. I might not.

I've had a few like that - flexible hours but fairly poor hourly rate.  I found that the main thing that makes them viable is them being a low maintenance customer plus the money is *extra* money - i.e. doesn't usually interfere with the running of the part of the round that must be done at residential times.

[CleanClear]

As Lee's thread highlighted, once you do go VAT registered you are at risK of losing the competitive edge that you once had due to the 20% surcharge that you're collecting for the queen.

Dean using the "flat rate scheme" you'd only be collecting 10% or so for the VAT man? On the plus side, you'd actually make off your invoiced commercial work? I know its still losing a little competetive edge, but its not as bad as 20% ?

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

I think that its fair to say that the chains have died their death after being driven price wise into the ground by companies who haven't got a clue.

We only clean one chain at the moment and that's not through a national company, I'd dread to think what the price would be if it were.

I agree in general Dean but there are one or two still out there with very good prices. As you know we clean just for one national firm, great to deal with and imo the prices are very good. We maybe lucky just to have these 2 particular stores at such prices because of their large size.

For all the 'national bashers' on here I'd bet there isn't many that would turn down the chance to clean the 2 stores that we clean, for the prices they pay.

Pretty much proves the point- you have "two" stores worth cleaning!

Eh?

I ONLY clean 2 stores. Both are worth cleaning. I don't know the prices the chaps that clean high streets are getting, but to include all National work under the same umbrella is wrong Imo.

Which bit does the "Eh" refer to? You even spelt out my point!!

[deeege]

I think that its fair to say that the chains have died their death after being driven price wise into the ground by companies who haven't got a clue.

We only clean one chain at the moment and that's not through a national company, I'd dread to think what the price would be if it were.

I agree in general Dean but there are one or two still out there with very good prices. As you know we clean just for one national firm, great to deal with and imo the prices are very good. We maybe lucky just to have these 2 particular stores at such prices because of their large size.

For all the 'national bashers' on here I'd bet there isn't many that would turn down the chance to clean the 2 stores that we clean, for the prices they pay.

Pretty much proves the point- you have "two" stores worth cleaning!

Eh?

I ONLY clean 2 stores. Both are worth cleaning. I don't know the prices the chaps that clean high streets are getting, but to include all National work under the same umbrella is wrong Imo.

Which bit does the "Eh" refer to? You even spelt out my point!!

Not sure I get your point mate, hence the 'eh'.

Are you saying I'm not qualified to discuss this because I 'only' clean 2 stores?

Anyway, my point is that not all 'National' jobs are low paid, low hourlies etc. most are maybe, but not all.

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

I think that its fair to say that the chains have died their death after being driven price wise into the ground by companies who haven't got a clue.

We only clean one chain at the moment and that's not through a national company, I'd dread to think what the price would be if it were.

I agree in general Dean but there are one or two still out there with very good prices. As you know we clean just for one national firm, great to deal with and imo the prices are very good. We maybe lucky just to have these 2 particular stores at such prices because of their large size.

For all the 'national bashers' on here I'd bet there isn't many that would turn down the chance to clean the 2 stores that we clean, for the prices they pay.

Pretty much proves the point- you have "two" stores worth cleaning!

Eh?

I ONLY clean 2 stores. Both are worth cleaning. I don't know the prices the chaps that clean high streets are getting, but to include all National work under the same umbrella is wrong Imo.

Which bit does the "Eh" refer to? You even spelt out my point!!

Not sure I get your point mate, hence the 'eh'.

Are you saying I'm not qualified to discuss this because I 'only' clean 2 stores?

Anyway, my point is that not all 'National' jobs are low paid, low hourlies etc. most are maybe, but not all.

No no, I'm saying that in a sense you're right, in the fact that you only have "two" national/chain jobs that you consider to be worthwhile. My mate (who I referred to earlier) used to have lots of worthwhile national work but what these are now paying is peanuts. Like you, he has one or two that are good payers but the rest have been hammered down in price over the last few years.

[cgh window cleaning]

Most people on here that say I would not touch national work,have never worked or been offered work by them.
To say that all national shop work is poor and every shop is at a fiver is wrong,there are companies that multi sub and yes once the price has got down to the high street local cleaner it is poor,but I sub some stores from a national and the work is very easy and a very good price some nationals pay subbies well to maintain there work.

[deeege]

I think that its fair to say that the chains have died their death after being driven price wise into the ground by companies who haven't got a clue.

We only clean one chain at the moment and that's not through a national company, I'd dread to think what the price would be if it were.

I agree in general Dean but there are one or two still out there with very good prices. As you know we clean just for one national firm, great to deal with and imo the prices are very good. We maybe lucky just to have these 2 particular stores at such prices because of their large size.

For all the 'national bashers' on here I'd bet there isn't many that would turn down the chance to clean the 2 stores that we clean, for the prices they pay.

Pretty much proves the point- you have "two" stores worth cleaning!

Eh?

I ONLY clean 2 stores. Both are worth cleaning. I don't know the prices the chaps that clean high streets are getting, but to include all National work under the same umbrella is wrong Imo.

Which bit does the "Eh" refer to? You even spelt out my point!!

Not sure I get your point mate, hence the 'eh'.

Are you saying I'm not qualified to discuss this because I 'only' clean 2 stores?

Anyway, my point is that not all 'National' jobs are low paid, low hourlies etc. most are maybe, but not all.

No no, I'm saying that in a sense you're right, in the fact that you only have "two" national/chain jobs that you consider to be worthwhile. My mate (who I referred to earlier) used to have lots of worthwhile national work but what these are now paying is peanuts. Like you, he has one or two that are good payers but the rest have been hammered down in price over the last few years.

Ah. I was having a blonde moment then, re-reading your posts to try and make sense of it.  

Yes I agree. I can't really comment on what prices and payments used to be like but know now there are bits and pieces that still are very good prices. From some posts on here I gather that most is underpriced garbage though which is to be avoided.

I'm naturally an early riser so it's nice to have my mortgage paid three times over with work that's cleaned before 8am.