[John Gregory]

Hi all
When I first came into the carpet cleaning industry all those years ago( about six months now) . I made a few mistakes . I spent a lot money on equipment,training etc, and not enough on marketing. At the moment Im just surviveing , making a wage , I only advertise on yell.com and a few leaflets.Most of my work comes from referals .

So my question is can you make a living on referals only ,

Ps booked up for next 2 weeks ( no 4 grand yellow pages ads, or adwoods etc)

[gwrightson]

John, a little contradictoy I feel.
I cant grasp the point you are trying to make!
You say "you are making a wage , just " and further down you say your booked up for the next two weeks, either you are not charging enough for your work, or your wage you are making is high but you are spending it 
If this assuption is something like true, cut down your spending or charege more, because any one booked solid for two weeks ahead id doing ok imho.

geoff

[John Gregory]

Sorry Geoff  , What I was trying to say is do I really need to spend a lot of money on advertising when the work is coming in naturally. Im not booked solid for the next 2 weeks just enough to survive on. I dont expect any thing more after 6 months trading

John

[colin thomas]

john, i for one think you are doing ok, unless you buy a going concern then it's going to take at least a year to start getting busy, then it starts to build itself as long as your work is high quality as yours seems to be, to get so many referals already is good i would say. if money is tight have a look at getting into school mags, church mags things like that, they charge very little but can get good returns, one of my best sources of jobs is a 3 village mag that costs me about £120 a year but i get calls every week from it.

colin

[Shaun_Ashmore]

If you are making a wage but 2 weeks infront you are definately NOT charging enough!

How can it get any better? you can only do the work infront of you and if you are booked solid for a length of 2 weeks and are only getting by I would try to up my weekly income ie better prices, longer days or added sales like protector or an additional room cleaned on same visit.

You weren't trying to get 3 or 4 weeks in advance were you? self employment isn't a wage only where you get a pay packet at the end of each week nor do you want it that way! don't try to get too far infront consentrate on getting more from 1 week then advancing into week 2 or 3.

Shaun

[colin thomas]

shaun, re-read johns reply to geoff, he's got various amounts of work for 2 weeks, not solid booked

 :

[John Gregory]

Sorry lads your not getting my point, I,m not booked up solid for the next 2 weeks but I am earning . yesterday I earned £220 , today £60 , I called round at the lady I was working at on Monday , too make sure she was happy and everything was alright, She then referred me to her mother in law, another £200 job booked . When I go into a potential customers house, Im not thinking what I am going to earn that day but the potential for extra work, Im trying to estabish a business. Im not bothered what I earn this year I am trying to build a client base

thanks  John

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Correct o mundo, I will have to learn to read in English that blinkin Chinese dialect is killing me!

Right, John it sounds as though you are doing an excellent job to begin with, if you are getting good results through yell keep it going, I personally would up the leaflets to generate more calls in turn you will get a better market presence and be in their faces more but the way you sell or market I would up the leaflets say 50% more but don't go over the top as you need to build relationships as you are doing, don't get too inundated with work as it could spoil your business, you need to keep at the customer the way you are doing.Well done.

Shaun

[David_Annable]

Hi

Slightly off topic,but if you have a good leaflet & got a reliable company to distribute 5000 every fortnight in the right areas, you would have work coming out of your ears.

Dave

[John Gregory]

David ,  Thanks for the responce , 10000 leaflets just been delivered 2 calls so far, your not a million miles from me Dave, so  may be you can help with leaflet ideas  . promise not to work any further down than Stockport

Thanks John

[David_Annable]

Hi

Where abouts are you?

Dave

[Shaun_Ashmore]

he's on the bloody computer

idiot

Shaun

[David_Annable]

Hi

John where are you geographically.

Give me you phone number & i will try to help.

Mike Halliday is the true leaflet expert, but has got a bit feed up of answering the same old questions!

[John Gregory]

David , Urmston  near the Trafford Center, just up the M60 from you

[John Gregory]

I think I could p from my house to yours

[John Gregory]

Thanks.   Dave  0792 155 3795

thanks  John

[David_Annable]

Hi

Your obviously a big per.

Will ring you tommorow.

Dave

[John Gregory]

cheers David ,, look forword to it

Thanks  John