[Simon Moat]

How many cc's have you seen go to the wall this last year?

One really well established guy near me, been trading nearly thirty years, has recently thrown his lot in saying he can no longer make a living.

Have you guys seen a decline in established business', also, how many new businesses have sprung up on your doorstep?

Any thoughts?

[markpowell]

I am as busy as ever, me and 1 fulltime operative, working more or less all the time, i have had to expand into the next town to keep busy tho, there is work out there if your willing to put in the effort to go and get it
Mark

[JandS]

Which town Mark, Huddersfield.

John

[Neil Williams]

Have you guys seen a decline in established business', also, how many new businesses have sprung up on your doorstep?

Each area across the country is effected differently, and away from forums (where some extreme bigging up goes on) when I speak to or contact others within a sensible area near to here all are saying the same....it's quiet.
It must be quiet in areas some distance from here too if I look at the advertising going on from those people.

I have noticed a few newbies around this area too which isn't helping with some of the daft prices that I'm up against.

[darrenlee]

hi
 it is hard out there, but no more than any other recession
 but im a big believer in creating your own market and demand.

 theres work out there, just some think put ad in paper, village mag,
put 5000 leaflets out ect, and work will come.

daren

[Simon@arenaclean]

I decided sometime ago that quiet times could be round the corner so I diversified into contract cleaning. I did not go after the big enterprises because I could not pay staff enough and turn a profit so I targeted small shops /offices, indendent estate agents and small factories and offered them what I thought they wanted, an hour or two one or two times a week. I have several of these and I am hoping to add more. It's all year round and has led to a lot of EOT work and carpet cleaning. So far this year carpet cleaning has done very well but normally it's even all year round with seasonal peaks, now it's up and down, Jan best ever, feb very quiet, March/April above average but only a couple booked in May. One of them is a department store so will earn well but it's not the norm.

[Deep Cleaning Solutions]

Mark....does your full time op work with you as a helper or does he go out on his own.cheers.

[clinton]

Been steady myself here and have not seen a drop in work.

As one of the above posts said it seems to be dif areas that are a bit quieter than usual.

[markpowell]

Which town Mark, Huddersfield.

John

Yes John
Mark

[Russ Chadd]

I live in Surrey and only this morning i had a flier stuffed through my letter box.. it read:

3 Bedroom house normally £118
half price with this flier £59

Downstairs normally £74
Half price with this flier £37

The list went on... have never heard of this firm though so its bound to be a fly by night

These are desperate times... unfortunately most people in this country will call guys like this just because they are  cheap not because they are any good... the only good thing is they never last and eventually people realise that cutting corners never really works!

[Steve Rothwell]

How do you know they are fly by night

how do you know they are not any good, just because you have never heard of them

You are correct in 1 thing though.................

These are desperate times, and maybe a cleaner would rather work at half price than not work at all....

The company who's leaflet and work ethics you are so happily slating off on here,   might actually be on here himself...........

You never know who is watching.......................................

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

Russ, whereabouts are you in Surrey ?

[Len Gribble]

Steve

Think Russ lives in Saint George's Hill however not a bad time to delver most at home today and no rubbish clearance for a few days. Please don’t say it your leaflet 

[Russ Chadd]

How do you know they are fly by night

how do you know they are not any good, just because you have never heard of them

You are correct in 1 thing though.................

These are desperate times, and maybe a cleaner would rather work at half price than not work at all....

Sorry didn't mean to sound like I was slagging off this guys work, to be fair I have never seen his work and yes he may be one of the good guys.
However, In the last 2 weeks I have had at least 3 fliers posted through my door from other firms again I have never heard of and can't trace using Google.

I live near Aldershot so I'm afraid I'm a long way from St Georges Hill!!

My point was this, if something looks too good to be true like silly prices on fliers... Is it? Or are we in such a desperate mess that we would be prepared to work for such little reward just to either be popular with the punters or just to be turning over any amount of cash regardless of amount?



The company who's leaflet and work ethics you are so happily slating off on here,   might actually be on here himself...........

You never know who is watching.......................................

[Sarah Kirby]

My point was this, if something looks too good to be true like silly prices on fliers... Is it? Or are we in such a desperate mess that we would be prepared to work for such little reward just to either be popular with the punters or just to be turning over any amount of cash regardless of amount?

I think a lot of people are in desperate times and surely working for less is better than not working at all. All retail businesses have sales and incentives to get the public buying so its not that different in our trade.

[JandS]

Better some profit than none.

John

[Russ Chadd]

Well can someone please tell me where the profit is in working on a 3 bedroom house for £60.00? i assume overheads exist even if you have bought all your equipment..? there is still insurance, advertising, transport and materials which need to be paid for?
 
 

[Steve Rothwell]

And you have more chance to pay for it by earning £60 than if you are sat on your ar*e at home doing nothing.

[Paul Evans]

Hector.

Or what ever your name is?
So you are telling us you actually would go and clean a 3 bed hse for £59

Paul

[Steve Rothwell]

Hector.

Or what ever your name is?
So you are telling us you actually would go and clean a 3 bed hse for £59

Paul

I never said that did I