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Steve Raja

  • Posts: 9
Building a round
« on: November 12, 2010, 12:17:22 pm »
Hi all
After a year taxi driving I have had enough and want to build a new round. I need some advice on pricing as I have been out of the game for about 5 years because of illness. Going to be using traditional window cleaning tools/methods squeegee and dobber ;)
I am in the West Sussex area  around Pulborough Horsham area .Used to have a pretty good round that I had built up over about 5 or 6 years.
Another thing I guess its a bad time to start a round , what do you reckon ?
Any advice really appreciated
Steve

dazmond

  • Posts: 24450
Re: Building a round
« Reply #1 on: November 12, 2010, 12:37:31 pm »
not another one!! ::) ::) ;D ;D.


better off staying on the taxis mate at least you can work in all weathers!! ;D ;D



dazmond
price higher/work harder!

Panorama

  • Posts: 524
Re: Building a round
« Reply #2 on: November 12, 2010, 03:04:39 pm »
Hi steve and welcome to the forum. What were you charging 5 years ago? . I've just started again this summer after a 25 year lay off. Before I started I bumped into a wc whilst doing some delivery work and I asked what he charged and I bulit my structure around his price for working that same area. I've since picked up some more work in the same area but I'm actually charging more than him. I'm picking up his existing customers who are not happy with his work. So I would say put in a price what you think is fair for both you and the customer and also try do catch a wc in the area you want to target And obtain a quote.

Steve Raja

  • Posts: 9
Re: Building a round
« Reply #3 on: November 12, 2010, 03:25:48 pm »
not another one!! ::) ::) ;D ;D.


better off staying on the taxis mate at least you can work in all weathers!! ;D ;D



dazmond

Well yeah ....not yet anyway ;). Taxis are alright but where I am there is not much work so I end up at home most of the day so window cleaning  was an idea . Where are you then daz?

Steve Raja

  • Posts: 9
Re: Building a round
« Reply #4 on: November 12, 2010, 03:31:00 pm »
Hi steve and welcome to the forum. What were you charging 5 years ago? . I've just started again this summer after a 25 year lay off. Before I started I bumped into a wc whilst doing some delivery work and I asked what he charged and I bulit my structure around his price for working that same area. I've since picked up some more work in the same area but I'm actually charging more than him. I'm picking up his existing customers who are not happy with his work. So I would say put in a price what you think is fair for both you and the customer and also try do catch a wc in the area you want to target And obtain a quote.

Hi Panorama Just thought the prices might of gone up.
Well I used to charge 50p for plain and £1 for leads .
I bumped into some of my old customers over the weeks and they all say they would have me back ;)
Some of them dont even know where their window cleaner comes from ..that worries me.

Panorama

  • Posts: 524
Re: Building a round
« Reply #5 on: November 12, 2010, 05:34:26 pm »
That's what I'm getting at , take into account how much you were charging 5 years ago and adjust what you would feel to be a decent price. If your old customers want you back then you are already onto a winner ;)

dazmond

  • Posts: 24450
Re: Building a round
« Reply #6 on: November 12, 2010, 05:37:56 pm »
cant comment on prices steve as im in the manchester area where prices are lower generally for window cleaning.get door knocking then mate with a few leaflets.a bit of trad stuff and away you go!i would advise if your gonna take window cleaning seriously to get a wfp ASAP.maybe a cheap backpack/ a few barrels and a 22 ft clx pole.you can always trad the ground floors and wfp upper windows for now.

ive been a trad window cleaner for 17 years but its a mugs game just sticking to trad these days when there is a much safer/faster/better way of cleaning windows in wfp.

trust me wfp is the way to go but you need some custies first!!


good luck and best wishes


dazmond
price higher/work harder!

Steve Raja

  • Posts: 9
Re: Building a round
« Reply #7 on: November 13, 2010, 01:43:33 am »
Thanks for your advice guys .
Dazmond
Yeah I thought about getting a wfp sometime back . I actually met Jeff Brimble years ago and he was telling me all about wfp and how it was the future ...that was yonks ago!!
Will go trad to start with and as you say safer than flapping about up a ladder :) used to do three sections once and that was hairy at times!!
got to bite the bullet and get out there ..sort of lost some confidence being out of it for some time.
Just got back from taxi driving ...I know what I rather do ;)

Gav Camm lammy 283

  • Posts: 7520
Re: Building a round
« Reply #8 on: November 13, 2010, 01:49:39 am »
hey lad as long as yr not
thinking of wrexham my old bean
ida strongly advise u 2 go 4 it
wrexham wud be a nightmare
due to me doing almost all ov it
bar john at jsm
who i allow to trade at my discretion lol ;D ;D
LET YOUR PANES BE MY PLEASURE

"If CALSBERG did WINDOW CLEANING
 it would be C.C.C  Probably the best WINDOW CLEANERS IN THE WORLD ..........."

chopsie

  • Posts: 1736
Re: Building a round
« Reply #9 on: November 13, 2010, 07:48:48 am »
Hi steve and welcome to the forum. What were you charging 5 years ago? . I've just started again this summer after a 25 year lay off. Before I started I bumped into a wc whilst doing some delivery work and I asked what he charged and I bulit my structure around his price for working that same area. I've since picked up some more work in the same area but I'm actually charging more than him. I'm picking up his existing customers who are not happy with his work. So I would say put in a price what you think is fair for both you and the customer and also try do catch a wc in the area you want to target And obtain a quote.

Thats nice, Ask a wc his prices,and then nick his customers!!!!!! ;D
chopsie

Panorama

  • Posts: 524
Re: Building a round
« Reply #10 on: November 13, 2010, 11:39:51 am »
read it again chopsie ::) iam charging more than him

clearlyclean

  • Posts: 477
Re: Building a round
« Reply #11 on: November 13, 2010, 12:08:42 pm »
always better to charge more.

Matthew JN

Re: Building a round
« Reply #12 on: November 13, 2010, 12:24:09 pm »
Hi Steve,


What happened to the round you had 5 years ago, did you sell it ?  if not could you not recanvass some of your old customers ?

Alex Allen

Re: Building a round
« Reply #13 on: November 13, 2010, 06:54:23 pm »
Hi all
After a year taxi driving I have had enough and want to build a new round. I need some advice on pricing as I have been out of the game for about 5 years because of illness. Going to be using traditional window cleaning tools/methods squeegee and dobber ;)
I am in the West Sussex area  around Pulborough Horsham area .Used to have a pretty good round that I had built up over about 5 or 6 years.
Another thing I guess its a bad time to start a round , what do you reckon ?
Any advice really appreciated
Steve


start wfp as well as trad
whats the problem with pricing?

ant french

Re: Building a round
« Reply #14 on: November 13, 2010, 08:49:49 pm »
im looking at backpack but at the min im still getting custys and im using a wagtail on a 3 meter pole. does me ok for now

Steve Raja

  • Posts: 9
Re: Building a round
« Reply #15 on: November 14, 2010, 01:00:53 am »
Hi Steve,


What happened to the round you had 5 years ago, did you sell it ?  if not could you not recanvass some of your old customers ?

Hi Matthew
No I didn't sell the round ,so I could recanvass :)
Hi all
After a year taxi driving I have had enough and want to build a new round. I need some advice on pricing as I have been out of the game for about 5 years because of illness. Going to be using traditional window cleaning tools/methods squeegee and dobber ;)
I am in the West Sussex area  around Pulborough Horsham area .Used to have a pretty good round that I had built up over about 5 or 6 years.
Another thing I guess its a bad time to start a round , what do you reckon ?
Any advice really appreciated
Steve


start wfp as well as trad
whats the problem with pricing?

Hi Alex
Yeah I was just wondering what the going rate was in my area ...is thera difference in trad and WFP pricing ?

Matthew JN

Re: Building a round
« Reply #16 on: November 14, 2010, 05:29:33 pm »
Hi Steve,

Defo a good starting point to recanvass your old customers, if you still have their details & numbers you could do this over the phone to save you a bit of time, then if they want a price arrange to pop round.

If you are going WFP then TBH you would want to look at a 6-8 week schedule, IMO with current economic climate you will probaly have more success with every 8 weeks.

andyjm1

  • Posts: 430
Re: Building a round
« Reply #17 on: November 14, 2010, 05:37:48 pm »
Hi Steve,

Defo a good starting point to recanvass your old customers, if you still have their details & numbers you could do this over the phone to save you a bit of time, then if they want a price arrange to pop round.

If you are going WFP then TBH you would want to look at a 6-8 week schedule, IMO with current economic climate you will probaly have more success with every 8 weeks.

You would also need twice as many customers as you would if you built a 4 weekly round.

Newannaive

  • Posts: 320
Re: Building a round
« Reply #18 on: November 14, 2010, 07:44:58 pm »
Hi steve and welcome to the forum. What were you charging 5 years ago? . I've just started again this summer after a 25 year lay off. Before I started I bumped into a wc whilst doing some delivery work and I asked what he charged and I bulit my structure around his price for working that same area. I've since picked up some more work in the same area but I'm actually charging more than him. I'm picking up his existing customers who are not happy with his work. So I would say put in a price what you think is fair for both you and the customer and also try do catch a wc in the area you want to target And obtain a quote.

Thats nice, Ask a wc his prices,and then nick his customers!!!!!! ;D
swat i thought  ::)

Panorama

  • Posts: 524
Re: Building a round
« Reply #19 on: November 14, 2010, 10:54:38 pm »
So you havn't read it properly either ::)