Gazza
I have been sending a business portfolio out now for 3 years and it is ever evolving.
Before anyone asks I will not send out copies but I will tell all what we do and how we do it.
The cost per portfolio is approximately £1.00 and to post they are about 70 pence.
I bought a ring binder from Staples - £35.00. This is the bit of kit that binds everything together.
I buy clear plastic covers 20 - 25 in a pack no more than a fiver and then I buy the ring binders, again 20 - 25 per pack no more than a fiver.
Heavy card in packs of 20 - 25 are no more than a fiver and this will be used for the back.
The front cover carries our company name, logo and website details.
Page 1 is who are Midas Enterprises.
This page lists our working history, our national customers, our current customer figures, P.P.E notes and the benefits of using our business etc.
Page 2 is our health and safety policy
Page 3 is a condensed introduction to the Working at Height Directive and who is responsible for its management
Page 4 is the first page of our services. This is traditional window cleaning and this has good quality digital photos of us cleaning ground floor windows and a conservatory.
Page 5 is Water fed pole window cleaning and this explains the system, water purification, heights worked to and has several photos of us working on various buildings.
Page 6 is Conservatory cleaning and this again explains the principle of cleaning fromt ehfinials down to the sill etc. Four photographs cleaning the roofs and sides on this page.
Page 7 is UPVC - Fascia, soffit & Bargeboard cleaning. Breakdown of how we clean and that occasionally there is a need to use an additive in the water. Some excellent photos when we cleaned the longest fascia board in the world on the JCB head office at Uttoxeter.
Page 8 is gutter cleaning. Before and after photos of guttering and then a breakdown of the two methods used. One being jet wash lance and the other ladder against the wall. There is a need to impress safety when using the ladder to potential clients. This is included.
Page 9 is our jet washing service, the what we clean and the height we clean to. Photographs of before and after of buildings, walls etc.
Page 10 is End of tenancy and communal area cleans. What we do, who for and four working photos of general cleaning, carpet cleaning and soft furnishing cleaning.
Page 11 is Heavy goods valeting - how we clean, what we clean and who we clean for. Good clear pictures of internal & external cleaning.
Page 12 is On site pure water car washing. Full explanation of what we do, results, guarantee of satisfaction and some cracking photos of before and after of Vectra SRI ( belongs to my Fiance).
Page 13 is the contact page and this has phone numbers, addresses, email, website, Picture of one of the vans and a picture of me as the point of contact.
Now we bind this together with the comb binder and a clear front plastic cover and a card backing.
This is sent out with a full cover letter to potential customers, the cover letter has our laminated and double sided business card attached.
We then start the process of chasing the work and this becomes a whole new ball game.
I heard about some work yesterday that had already had quotes placed on it but I knew the point of contact was away till Monday.
This morning I paid £4.50 for a recorded delivery to get our portfolio on the mans desk for Monday morning. The work is worth several thousand pounds for no more than 6 - 8 days work.
Buy a good digital camera and build a library of working photos that you can use in your portfolio, save them on your computer. I have hundreds and hundreds.
Be the very best in the market place, be able to back your work up with excellent working practises and health and safety. Be smart, work hard and then you may get the cream.
We have some excellent commerial work. One customer alone is worth a staggering amount of pounds per year.
How did we get them. We offered all of the above and backed it up with the best window cleaning - so much so that the chief executive of this high street name has complimented on how clean the building now looks.
Good luck
Rob
