[rg1]

I had a flyer put through my door last summer and the list of jobs that the person was offering to do was endless!

I can't remember them all but a few were as follows:

grass cutting, bricklaying, chimney sweeping, putting together flat pack furniture, dog walking & rubbish collections etc.

This is the sort of thing I was referring to when I said that it doesn't look very professional. I certainly wouldn't want this guy building an extension for me that's for sure!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the type of work that the OP was referring to.

[robertphil]

I had a flyer put through my door last summer and the list of jobs that the person was offering to do was endless!

I can't remember them all but a few were as follows:

grass cutting, bricklaying, chimney sweeping, putting together flat pack furniture, dog walking & rubbish collections etc.

This is the sort of thing I was referring to when I said that it doesn't look very professional. I certainly wouldn't want this guy building an extension for me that's for sure!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the type of work that the OP was referring to.

could be hes an absolute joy to behold,a trojan worker .  iv never seen one such but i believe they do exist  ,probably 1 in every 1000 people , 0.1 %

[roundbuilder]

My gripe was not folk who don't want to offer anything other than window cleaning; that's fine and entirely up to them.

It's the muppets who stated that those who do offer other services only do so as a result of not having enough work to do, are desperate for the money, don't look professional, etc, etc.

If you do it properly you can make a very nice living from it. Even when the weather is doing it's best to blow the poles from your frozen hands you make money. Every day of the week we're in a night club, and have been for twelve years, keeping the place clean. Half a dozen times a week we're in someone's house or office cleaning their carpets. Six days of the week we're out cleaning windows.

These things definitely mix well, and jobs that started as a window cleaning client have turned in to five days per week contract cleans, with the price obviously going up considerably.

So, like I say, if you want to be a window cleaner and only a window cleaner that's your business. To slate those of us who offer more just shows plain ignorance.

So your refering to me for having an opinion of simply saying not having a full round would be the reason extras would need to be pushed to make enough money?? And that if having a full round then you wouldnt need or have time for addons.  Id say thats more common sence  than to be called a muppet by a rude individual. I havnt read any slating threads on this post apart from you??.

[rg1]

I had a flyer put through my door last summer and the list of jobs that the person was offering to do was endless!

I can't remember them all but a few were as follows:

grass cutting, bricklaying, chimney sweeping, putting together flat pack furniture, dog walking & rubbish collections etc.

This is the sort of thing I was referring to when I said that it doesn't look very professional. I certainly wouldn't want this guy building an extension for me that's for sure!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the type of work that the OP was referring to.

could be hes an absolute joy to behold,a trojan worker .  iv never seen one such but i believe they do exist  ,probably 1 in every 1000 people , 0.1 %

Could be, but I wouldn't take the chance. 

[Frankybadboy]

well we are full with window cleaning and the extras it brins in,but we have gone out and added pressure washing and garden maintaince as well.

we can now pull up at a block of flats do windows,garden and pressure washing,1 job all day and 3 services,

we are just giving what our custys want,and if makes us get bigger then so be it,windows will allways be the bread and butter work,
but as the old saying is dont put all your eggs in one basket.

and no iam not a cowboy

[Tony Edwards]

I started 10 months ago. I have a windy round that brings me in £1800 x 6 weekly. I offer jet washing,conny gutter and fascia cleaning. That brings an average of £1500-2000 extra a month. I couldnt survive on just windows ATM but the add ons brings it upto average £3k a month.

I charge £300 a day for jet washing ( which my customers are happy to pay). I am finishing working on a property this week, quoted £1500 for  a weeks work and finish it tomorrow.

Multiple services,  definetly !!

[home6442]

When starting I wanted to do a number of different things power washing, gardening and so on.
But the window cleaning took off so I didn't have the time.
Wish that I had stuck to my original plan sometimes a change is as good as a rest.

[mick hay]

i offer conservatory, upvc and gutter cleaning as well as windows.

i have a very well priced round, which takes me 13 days every 4 weeks to complete, and i could very comfortably live on that alone.

However, my add ons bring me in another very very good wage. This week alone so far, £545, with 2 more to quote for just this week.

It also breaks the boredom of doing the same thing day in day out.

[Tony Edwards]

i offer conservatory, upvc and gutter cleaning as well as windows.

i have a very well priced round, which takes me 13 days every 4 weeks to complete, and i could very comfortably live on that alone.

However, my add ons bring me in another very very good wage. This week alone so far, £545, with 2 more to quote for just this week.

It also breaks the boredom of doing the same thing day in day out.

+1

[supernova77]

I concentrate on window cleaning only... Most of my customers are x8 weekly - I haven't got the time for any "add ons" - and I don't like gutter / fascia cleaning etc...

The way I see it is the time spent dealing with "add ons" you could be growing the window cleaning side of things which is regular repeat work - so in the long run you're better off as you can refine your work, or expand safe in the knowledge that you have regular work.

I enjoy picking up more regular work, canvassing / leaflets etc... At the moment on average I'm picking up 2 / 3 new regular window cleaning customers a week... I'm off to do a new outside / inside clean this morning.

Andy  

[roundbuilder]

I concentrate on window cleaning only... Most of my customers are x8 weekly - I haven't got the time for any "add ons" - and I don't like gutter / fascia cleaning etc...

The way I see it is the time spent dealing with "add ons" you could be growing the window cleaning side of things which is regular repeat work - so in the long run you're better off as you can refine your work, or expand safe in the knowledge that you have regular work.

I enjoy picking up more regular work, canvassing / leaflets etc... At the moment on average I'm picking up 2 / 3 new regular window cleaning customers a week... I'm off to do a new outside / inside clean this morning.

Andy  

Yes i agree, im the same finding time to do addons would be impossible. Id rather regular repeat work that brings in £300 plus a day that to graft for it in other ways doing addins which arnt regular.

[Klean07]

I just stick to the services that are related to window cleaning. i.e gutters, conservatories, fascias.

Makes you look more professional IMO

Totally agree. People don't won't jack of all, master of none....

garbage!!!!

Mlscontractcleaner: If you want to be a multi national offering all types of cleaning services, fine, but I prefer to be working on my own as a sole trader and so sticking to the type of work associated with window cleaning is as much work as I need. So don't just come on here and quote other peoples opinions as garbage!

A blue peter badge to this man! Well said!

[Nathanael Jones]

I'd be bored senseless if I only did window cleaning!!

The pressure washing give much more "job satisfaction" for me - arriving in the morning to a FILTHY manky house & within a few hours it looks like new,.. cant get that feeling from washing windows that are mostly clean anyway!

I also find the pressure washing & gutter cleaning jobs pay better than windows do,..

And when its raining & I don't want to work in the rain, web design is a nice change of pace too! 

[wfp master]

not for me i hate gardening & grass cutting. ive  got enough windows & gutters to clean & its a lot easier. 

[CLEANCARE WC]

I offer deep tissue massage and a ferret walking service.

[Ian Rochester]

I just stick to the services that are related to window cleaning. i.e gutters, conservatories, fascias.

Makes you look more professional IMO

Totally agree. People don't won't jack of all, master of none....

Like that Ian Rochester fella. I heard he can't get a full window cleaning round together so had to diversify into domestic cleaning, leather cleaning/repair, carpet cleaning, wheelie bin cleaning and wait for it........ renting bikes out, christ how desperate must he be? Poor fella, had to take on 22 staff too.

 

 You forgot to mention our Flood & Fire Restoration work, we've been pulling water out of Magnet Kitchens showroom all weekend at a very good "out of hours" rate for the insurers.  You also forgot to mention our taxi business and also our holiday cottages, plus we now also do stone floor diamond polishing to add another bow to the cleaning business  and will be putting a 10th van on the road soon to keep up with demand

Jack of all trades??  Yes, we advertise ourselves as "Your one stop cleaning service provider"

Master or none??  No, master of them all.  Ask any of the 4500 customers we have our on regular database, see our reviews on Trip Advisor, http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1480277-d2687989-Reviews-Pedal_Power_Cycle_Hire-Amble_Northumberland_England.html http://

I have three people working all the coming bank holiday for the Pedal-Power Cycle Hire business, as we currently have over 90 bikes out over that weekend, mainly doing the C2C, Hadrians Cycleway and Coast and Castles Cycle routes, all multi day cycles (3-6 days)

Why have I diversified?  Because firstly it limits our exposure, secondly it means that I can go off on holiday and the businesses and staff are still earning me money.   Thirdly, when I retire I will hopefully have a brand(s), assets and goodwill which someone will find attractive to buy, or I put a manager in and take a monthly directors salary.  Yes it can be a headache at times, but in my opinion it's worth it.

We have just been awarded a new office cleaning contract on Friday which is worth over £1000 a month to us, this is all from initially doing their showrooms windows for the past couple of years for £20 a clean, talking to the office manager, finding out they were not happy with their current cleaners and offering them a more reliable service at similar cost.  We'll not be taking on anyone extra for this as our current office cleaners will absorb it into their weeks work.  They also want us to do their showroom and office carpets twice a year.  Businesses want to minimise the number of suppliers they use, so the more you can do for them do the happier they are as it means only one purchase order and one invoice, plus importantly only one point of contact if there are any issues with any aspect.

[Smudger]

great post Ian

a great example of what a multiple service provider can do

Darran

[keith59]

I know a girl that offers multiple services...

[Ian101]

I just stick to the services that are related to window cleaning. i.e gutters, conservatories, fascias.

Makes you look more professional IMO

Totally agree. People don't won't jack of all, master of none....

Like that Ian Rochester fella. I heard he can't get a full window cleaning round together so had to diversify into domestic cleaning, leather cleaning/repair, carpet cleaning, wheelie bin cleaning and wait for it........ renting bikes out, christ how desperate must he be? Poor fella, had to take on 22 staff too.

 

 You forgot to mention our Flood & Fire Restoration work, we've been pulling water out of Magnet Kitchens showroom all weekend at a very good "out of hours" rate for the insurers.  You also forgot to mention our taxi business and also our holiday cottages, plus we now also do stone floor diamond polishing to add another bow to the cleaning business  and will be putting a 10th van on the road soon to keep up with demand

Jack of all trades??  Yes, we advertise ourselves as "Your one stop cleaning service provider"

Master or none??  No, master of them all.  Ask any of the 4500 customers we have our on regular database, see our reviews on Trip Advisor, http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1480277-d2687989-Reviews-Pedal_Power_Cycle_Hire-Amble_Northumberland_England.html http://

I have three people working all the coming bank holiday for the Pedal-Power Cycle Hire business, as we currently have over 90 bikes out over that weekend, mainly doing the C2C, Hadrians Cycleway and Coast and Castles Cycle routes, all multi day cycles (3-6 days)

Why have I diversified?  Because firstly it limits our exposure, secondly it means that I can go off on holiday and the businesses and staff are still earning me money.   Thirdly, when I retire I will hopefully have a brand(s), assets and goodwill which someone will find attractive to buy, or I put a manager in and take a monthly directors salary.  Yes it can be a headache at times, but in my opinion it's worth it.

We have just been awarded a new office cleaning contract on Friday which is worth over £1000 a month to us, this is all from initially doing their showrooms windows for the past couple of years for £20 a clean, talking to the office manager, finding out they were not happy with their current cleaners and offering them a more reliable service at similar cost.  We'll not be taking on anyone extra for this as our current office cleaners will absorb it into their weeks work.  They also want us to do their showroom and office carpets twice a year.  Businesses want to minimise the number of suppliers they use, so the more you can do for them do the happier they are as it means only one purchase order and one invoice, plus importantly only one point of contact if there are any issues with any aspect.

so what your saying is everyday is the same and really slow and boring then 

[Ian Rochester]

Ian, exactly, take today for example, went to price a leather job in Newcastle, then into the town centre to revisit flood job from saturday, magnet kitchen showroom, off down to lanchester to revisit another flood job that came in yesterday, harvey was there till 8pm last night installing drying gear and ripping out, i had to get the mandate signed.  May pick up two other properties in the same area as client has been telling everyone about us 

This afternoon i have been getting 4 bikes ready to take across to whitehaven in the morning, 05:30 start, then helping the girls with caravan cleans when i get back and another 11 bikes to get ready for another trip to whitehaven on thursday Daz dointg that one for me.

Pretty mundane day!