[VSP Home Care]

I've been reading this board for a fair while and the main advice is to door knock and build your own round rather than buy work.  Well that's the impression I get anyhow.

As we all know sometimes it's difficult to canvass so I often think about buying up the work I need.  However I'd like to know your opinions on it guys.

If you needed to build a round of say 500-1k a month would you consider buying a small well established  round or employing a door knocker to find you new work.

Cheers

[dotty]

just bought round in doncaster and it very good work my advice if buying work is to say so much down and work round and pay rest later if hes jenuine he will agee

[roundbuilder]

Buy all day long mate unless you have a canvasser who works for 1 clean or less on your terms.

[Johnny B]

I have been in this game for 15 years, and have built my business up purely on canvassing, free referrals and word of mouth recommendations.

I have never bought, or even considered buying work. My personal preference is to source my own customers on my own merits rather than to have to buy them! It works for me because a) I have no fears about knocking doors, and b) I hate spending money if I could get the same thing for free!    

I hope that makes sense, but having said that, I don't see anything wrong with either using a canvasser or buying work if it's what you prefer.  

John

[VSP Home Care]

Thanks guys, trouble is sometimes you face the problem of not having the time to build work, and then condense it down to something worth having.

The time it can take to build decent work is something that's hard to predict.

[Gav Camm lammy 283]

both have their pros n cons
buying a round you have
the benefit of earning a wage asap
canvassing a round takes time
and persiverance iv brought and sold work 

[KS Cleaning]

I prefer to buy,bought a bit of work recently from a member on here.

[Roy Cauldery]

Canvass, canvass and canvass again


Roy

[PurefectWindowCleaning]

I have bought 2 rounds in the past, both in complete diffrent circumstances.

The first I bought, thankfully was genuine, not  that I was to know. I just seen an ad in the paper of a round for sale an hour drive away from me, somewhere where id never heard of. I just handed over £3500 cash in return for a list of addresses. (I dont reccomend doing this, but like I said, it was all 100% genuine)

The second was bought off a good mate of mine, all houses within 10 minutes of me, and also before I went self employed I had worked with him a few times so I knew the majority of customers anyway.

I suggest if your going to buy a round, ask to be intuduced to a selection of customers of your choice, put down a deposit and pay the rest once you have cleaned the whole round. You could even ask to work the round once so that you know all of it.

Hope this helps.

[Richard iSparkle]

Even if you buy work there's no guarantee you;ll get the work you buy.  I pick up a lot of new custies who have been sold onto another cleaner.  Problem is the customers your buying aren't involved in the deal and aren't always happy.

also if you buy a round you're struggling against what the old cleaner did in terms of pricing, frequency, not cleaning in the rain, allowing deferrers etc etc...

i reckon it's definitely best to canvas your own work.  only advantage of buying it is its an easier option...  tho expensive and problematic

[d s windowcleaning]

Ive never bought work but have sold a few rounds in the past , if i was buying though i would expect to be taken round the customers and introduced to them , i would want a written agreement with yourself and the seller . i would want to see upto date records for at least 5 months .

[Erithwc]

Thanks guys, trouble is sometimes you face the problem of not having the time to build work, and then condense it down to something worth having.

The time it can take to build decent work is something that's hard to predict.

if you don't have time to build work you don't need more work 

[Ryan @ Transparent, Carlisle]

Buying work is great way to get a good chunk of work, fast. But do beware, things can go wrong. I bought a round once, 3500pound I paid. It transpired that the guy had never bothered cleaning the work for about 2month. We lost about 20houses straight away. Plus the guy never believed I cleaning frames and bathroom windows. It took us 3days to get the windows looking good.

But woth all the hassle, it has worked out quite well.

I have bought numerous amounts of small rounds. I always like to hold so muxh of ghe money back,now.

However, when time permits, I love a bit of doorknocking, in fact going out shortly to a housing estate that has just been recently built. Hopefully, iv 'got there' in time

[Jackal]

iv spent £3600 buying 2 rounds 1 was £300 for £300 worth of work so that was good,i wanted the work straight away so could pay the bills at least as i tried with another business for 6 months that i finally decided wasnt going to work

i dont regrett buying the work as i think it s not alot to pay when you think 4 months down the line its payed back,but only problem is its a bit underpriced compared with my new work iv picked up,and the window cleaner said he put prices up by 10p a year 

i was taken round to all the custys first and the ones who wernt in we left a note telling them of the change,also i went around his house when i first met him,he only lives a few streets away and rings me now and then giving me jobs as he wont come to the area he sold me

[Deangsi]

both have their pros n cons
buying a round you have
the benefit of earning a wage asap
canvassing a round takes time
and persiverance iv brought and sold work 

off my patch 

[Small but perfectley formed]

Bought 2 best investment i have ever made.