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benny donnelly

  • Posts: 204
Help trying to get foot in the door with commercial work
« on: July 18, 2013, 04:50:05 pm »

OK so I have been trying to get some government contract work like the dole offices, schools, health centres etc and tbh am getting nowhere..

I cant even get talking to the right person as no-one seems to know who deals with this, one person told me to watch for tendering in the local paper and on there website but thats not really much help.

In my areas there is 1 company that seem to have it all sewn up and seem to be getting more and more work all the time, I want a slice of the action or even an attempt to try get some of the work but I make no ground on any attempt.

Has anyone done/tried something similar?

I dont care how I p off are upset tbh all I want is an opportunity to put my case on the table to at least be considered.

windiewasher

  • Posts: 4393
Re: Help trying to get foot in the door with commercial work
« Reply #1 on: July 18, 2013, 04:55:17 pm »
Mate i have took a telesales person on.first day today and already have 3 quotes to do.2 schools and a restaurant/bar very large.
Shes doing 4 hours a week and got me them 3 meetings in 2 hours.
Yes,theres no guarantee they will accept my quotes but i have the chance to get them jobs i wouldnt normally get.
 im pushing the commercial side.ive got some very nice commercial work but more the merrier in my opinion.
Takings off all first cleans till march 7th 2014
October  total=  cleaned  extra per month
November = cleaned extra per month
Total £  so far.

Llaaww

  • Posts: 2258
Re: Help trying to get foot in the door with commercial work
« Reply #2 on: July 18, 2013, 06:32:01 pm »
They have no money. Simples. They will do the bare minimum, and washing windows is very low down the food chain.

if it is dirty it is fair game

dave0123

  • Posts: 3553
Re: Help trying to get foot in the door with commercial work
« Reply #3 on: July 18, 2013, 07:17:14 pm »
I wouldnt bother, they want the cheapest quotes they will drop you like a shot when someone comes along a pound cheaper.. and you can wait around 1-2 months for your money!
Dave.

roundbuilder

Re: Help trying to get foot in the door with commercial work
« Reply #4 on: July 18, 2013, 07:23:50 pm »
Mate i have took a telesales person on.first day today and already have 3 quotes to do.2 schools and a restaurant/bar very large.
Shes doing 4 hours a week and got me them 3 meetings in 2 hours.
Yes,theres no guarantee they will accept my quotes but i have the chance to get them jobs i wouldnt normally get.
 im pushing the commercial side.ive got some very nice commercial work but more the merrier in my opinion.
What company are you using mate? Anychance you could pass her my way after??.

windiewasher

  • Posts: 4393
Re: Help trying to get foot in the door with commercial work
« Reply #5 on: July 18, 2013, 07:29:35 pm »
Mate i have took a telesales person on.first day today and already have 3 quotes to do.2 schools and a restaurant/bar very large.
Shes doing 4 hours a week and got me them 3 meetings in 2 hours.
Yes,theres no guarantee they will accept my quotes but i have the chance to get them jobs i wouldnt normally get.
 im pushing the commercial side.ive got some very nice commercial work but more the merrier in my opinion.
What company are you using mate? Anychance you could pass her my way after??.
Ofcourse I will,give me your email address and I will pass you on aswell as the price.
cheers
Takings off all first cleans till march 7th 2014
October  total=  cleaned  extra per month
November = cleaned extra per month
Total £  so far.

windiewasher

  • Posts: 4393
Re: Help trying to get foot in the door with commercial work
« Reply #6 on: July 18, 2013, 07:30:22 pm »
They have no money. Simples. They will do the bare minimum, and washing windows is very low down the food chain.


Keep believeing that lol,i certainly haven't found that!
Takings off all first cleans till march 7th 2014
October  total=  cleaned  extra per month
November = cleaned extra per month
Total £  so far.

formb

Re: Help trying to get foot in the door with commercial work
« Reply #7 on: July 18, 2013, 07:39:44 pm »
Dotgov do tenders for government buildings, universities etc

£100 ish pa

Worth a look? Maybe?

http://www.dgss.co.uk

I tried it one year. The tenders all looked like reasonable work but were too far away from me to tender for (I am in the middle of nowhere though).

I have no idea what the winning tenders prices were like but like I said there was a lot of quality looking work.

JamesAJF

  • Posts: 301
Re: Help trying to get foot in the door with commercial work
« Reply #8 on: July 18, 2013, 11:27:15 pm »
I wouldnt bother, they want the cheapest quotes they will drop you like a shot when someone comes along a pound cheaper.. and you can wait around 1-2 months for your money!
correct dave u can wait a long time to get payed i wouldn't push it mate let it come to u and stick with domestics  ;D
bish bash bosh

windiewasher

  • Posts: 4393
Re: Help trying to get foot in the door with commercial work
« Reply #9 on: July 18, 2013, 11:29:29 pm »
commercial work is far better than commercial,yes most you wait 30 days to be paid,so what?
if your earning lots doing commercials and also a good residential round it doesn't matter.
Takings off all first cleans till march 7th 2014
October  total=  cleaned  extra per month
November = cleaned extra per month
Total £  so far.

JamesAJF

  • Posts: 301
Re: Help trying to get foot in the door with commercial work
« Reply #10 on: July 18, 2013, 11:43:52 pm »
commercial work is far better than commercial,yes most you wait 30 days to be paid,so what?
if your earning lots doing commercials and also a good residential round it doesn't matter.
think you were meant to say domestic lol yer your right commercial is better but its hard to get it and it is good to have a good domestic round while your waiting to get payed buy the commercial work all my commercial work has come to me i never really hunted for it but it took a while for it to come in.   
bish bash bosh

PoleKing

  • Posts: 8974
Re: Help trying to get foot in the door with commercial work
« Reply #11 on: July 18, 2013, 11:47:23 pm »
Commercial work isn't better.
It's different.
They both have their place.
www.LanesWindowCleaning.com

It's just the internet. Try not to worry.

windiewasher

  • Posts: 4393
Re: Help trying to get foot in the door with commercial work
« Reply #12 on: July 18, 2013, 11:47:53 pm »
commercial work is far better than commercial,yes most you wait 30 days to be paid,so what?
if your earning lots doing commercials and also a good residential round it doesn't matter.
think you were meant to say domestic lol yer your right commercial is better but its hard to get it and it is good to have a good domestic round while your waiting to get payed buy the commercial work all my commercial work has come to me i never really hunted for it but it took a while for it to come in.   
Yes lol meant domestic
Ive never hunted for it and picked up a lot.
But after trying telesales its opened a new world up realising how much work is out there.
I have 20 follow ups from 45 that was contacted.
Takings off all first cleans till march 7th 2014
October  total=  cleaned  extra per month
November = cleaned extra per month
Total £  so far.

Griffus

  • Posts: 1942
Re: Help trying to get foot in the door with commercial work
« Reply #13 on: July 18, 2013, 11:59:38 pm »

OK so I have been trying to get some government contract work like the dole offices, schools, health centres etc and tbh am getting nowhere..

I cant even get talking to the right person as no-one seems to know who deals with this, one person told me to watch for tendering in the local paper and on there website but thats not really much help.

In my areas there is 1 company that seem to have it all sewn up and seem to be getting more and more work all the time, I want a slice of the action or even an attempt to try get some of the work but I make no ground on any attempt.

Has anyone done/tried something similar?

I dont care how I p off are upset tbh all I want is an opportunity to put my case on the table to at least be considered.

A hard nut to crack, but knock on doors, meet those at the pointy end and get them onside. You'd be surprised how well this can work.

Your case on the table isn't what they care about as such. You will need to prove you can do the job and the volume. Cost is in most cases about 90% of the weighting, so be ready for a bit of a shock when you find the right mark  :o

Whizz-Bizz

  • Posts: 395
Re: Help trying to get foot in the door with commercial work
« Reply #14 on: July 19, 2013, 12:13:00 am »
http://www.canvassers4cleaners.co.uk/ give kate a call say whizz sent you, shes very good
Marketing solutions for window cleaners
https://www.facebook.com/WhizzBizzSales

CleanClear

  • Posts: 14214
Re: Help trying to get foot in the door with commercial work
« Reply #15 on: July 19, 2013, 12:19:15 am »

OK so I have been trying to get some government contract work like the dole offices, schools, health centres etc and tbh am getting nowhere..

I cant even get talking to the right person as no-one seems to know who deals with this, one person told me to watch for tendering in the local paper and on there website but thats not really much help.

In my areas there is 1 company that seem to have it all sewn up and seem to be getting more and more work all the time, I want a slice of the action or even an attempt to try get some of the work but I make no ground on any attempt.

Has anyone done/tried something similar?

I dont care how I p off are upset tbh all I want is an opportunity to put my case on the table to at least be considered.

 You have to jump through a lot of hoops to be considered for this type of tendering. Many companies employ consultants specifically to do just this. They will often require all your financial history and guarantees etc. This alone puts most people off, leaving the contracts to a select few who can be bothered to go through the rigmarole. There is very complex EU law regarding the tendering process for public procurement ( thats what its called). Contracts over a certain amount need a very detailed anyalasis of your business and lots of research and guarantees etc.. and have to follow a set procurement regime. Smaller contracts are a bit easier, i think the threshold for a 'small contract' is about 15k ( but thats a rough guess). All a procurer has to do with no public scrutiny is to have claimed they have got the best of three quotes from suppliers on their books.
 If you can just get registered as a supplier with any of them that will be a start and its not easy to do this, its very time consuming. Then maybe after a year or two you might get asn enquiry off them. Thats how it works, unless of course you joing your local FSB, local business start ups, do a lot of business networking meetings etc. If you don't do all this stuff then the people that do will continue to get the work they do and you won't get a look in.
 Or maybe just keep ringing on spec like you do and you'll get lucky one day?   ;D
*Status*--------Currently Online---------

CleanClear

  • Posts: 14214
Re: Help trying to get foot in the door with commercial work
« Reply #16 on: July 19, 2013, 12:20:16 am »
http://www.canvassers4cleaners.co.uk/ give kate a call say whizz sent you, shes very good

Does Kate do the whole tendering process?
*Status*--------Currently Online---------

JamesAJF

  • Posts: 301
Re: Help trying to get foot in the door with commercial work
« Reply #17 on: July 19, 2013, 12:25:50 am »
commercial work is far better than commercial,yes most you wait 30 days to be paid,so what?
if your earning lots doing commercials and also a good residential round it doesn't matter.
think you were meant to say domestic lol yer your right commercial is better but its hard to get it and it is good to have a good domestic round while your waiting to get payed buy the commercial work all my commercial work has come to me i never really hunted for it but it took a while for it to come in.   
Yes lol meant domestic
Ive never hunted for it and picked up a lot.
But after trying telesales its opened a new world up realising how much work is out there.
I have 20 follow ups from 45 that was contacted.
sounds good mate well done might have to give a go myself  ;D
bish bash bosh

Mike #1

  • Posts: 4668
Re: Help trying to get foot in the door with commercial work
« Reply #18 on: July 19, 2013, 05:18:25 am »
http://www.canvassers4cleaners.co.uk/ give kate a call say whizz sent you, shes very good

OH NO their back  ;D ;D ;D . Mike

Mike #1

  • Posts: 4668
Re: Help trying to get foot in the door with commercial work
« Reply #19 on: July 19, 2013, 05:24:32 am »
Quoted some commercial work almost 4 weeks ago now and not heard a thing back , It took five hours just to do visits to different locations for one .

Its a lot initial work for no money but you got to stay optimistic and it will come . Mike