[Jan K]

Hi Sarah!

You sound very like myself in respect of how you are starting out and the realistic expectations you have from both yourself and your business. Granted it isn't very stressful, and the stress that DOES come with this type of business is fairly well copeable (is that a real word, have I asked that question before??

In less than 2 weeks I have a fair number of calls from potential Clients all of whom have been quoted my new £9.00 rate and all of whom are quite happy to pay it. Guilt no longer reigns in Jan's world!! Staff shortages do however continue to reign but I am even coping with those now......new girl started this week and we are working all the jobs we are able to, together..........it is a good way to go and I am hoping to have enough staff on the books within the next few months to be able to put 2 peeps into each job!

Good luck to you Sarah, I hope you succeed and thrive!

[Sarah2005]

Thanks Jan, I have learnt quite a lot already from reading your posts 

I am feeling really excited today and am going to prepare my business plan and make a few enquires.  Luckily I am not in the position of having to give up a well paid job to start up so it doesn't feel like a gamble.  Any jobs I do get are a bonus   

As you have pointed out, staffing is really the main area of concern, this was something my Dad pointed out to me when I told him of my idea.  His friend had a thriving sandwich shop in Liverpool and the only problems they encountered were issues with staff and in the end they sold it, however made one healthy profit from doing so  I have interviewed so many people in my previous career that I am going to use those skills to ensure I only employ the very best I can find.  I have lots of experience in management of people and I found that as long as I treated them well, was fair and honest with them, they did a really great job for me, so I hope this will be the case once I go onto recruit.

Anyway sounds like things are really taking off for you in the right direction and I wish you all the very best for a really successful future in the world of cleaning 

It will be nice to be able to all keep up to date on our progress through the MB 

Sarah 

[Sarah2005]

Well my research continues, me and my Husband have agreed to dissolve our Parnership on 5th April to allow him to control his Courier Business and allow me to pursue my new business venture.  I am booked onto a Course for the newly self-employed on 4th April which I have been told covers everything relating to tax in setting up and all I need for the moment.  Although I am currently self-employed, my husband has always dealt with this side of the business so I need to attend for myself, he found it very useful.

I wish to also thank whoever it was who put the link to the Business Link up on one of the threads (I have read that many, I can't remember which one or who it was which is a shame as I wanted to thank you personally  )  I am now booked on a course with my local Business Link, which is free 'Business Planning Workshop' over 3 days starting tomorrow, which seems to cover so much that I think it will be a great start.  They also seem to offer a lot of support and contacts to help you along the way. 

Sarah 

[Jan K]

Good luck Sarah, I am sure you will find the course a mine of information. I booked myself into a Key Business Skills course last year to kick myself off, even tho I have been self-employed before (1990), I just wanted to refresh my skills. I was interesting and informative and got me off to a good start, as I am sure yours wil too!

[Sarah2005]

Thanks Jan 

Day one was fantastic, I have learnt so much already and picked up some great tips, many based on real life experiences of the good and the bad.  It covers all the aspects of setting up your business and we got to put our ideas forward for feedback which I thought was very useful.

Also managed to pick up a Client!  One of the other attendees has just started her own business and is in the high earners bracket and wants my number as she wants a cleaner for her home and spring cleans at her other rented property between tenants.  It was not even just an enquiry, it's a done deal and she knows I am not even set up yet   She said she wants someone she knows and can trust in her home, so I must have given her a good first impression     

All in all I have had a great day, hope you guys have too 

[Ian Gourlay]

Sarah

Get your prices right and you will be OK as you apear to have the X Factor.

Keep Enthusistic

Regards

Ian

[Jan K]

That's good news Sarah......its can be pretty amazing where you find your Clients. I had one of my Clients ring me as he had one of my postcards put through his letter box. When I visited him, he had assumed I had ben doing a leaflet drop (I hadn't). He hadn't told anyone that he wanted a cleaner, and I had only placed 4 of those cards in Newsagents. As it is I signed him up and he is as happy as Larry!! The mystery of the card thro the letterbox will always remain that!. My Yellow Pages ad is bringing me in regular Clients, averageing out at about 1 - 2 definate signs ups per week. And at present it is the only methos of advertising I am doing. There is definately plenty of potential for business out there, it is just getting the right staff that is difficult. You, like me, have a friend who is willing to work alongside you. And I now have 2 reliable, keen, hardworking peeps working alongside me. I always tell my girls they are working with me, not for me, and I am hoping that this will work long term. Reading your posts is almost like looking at myself, only you have more knowledge and experience in staff recruiting, so I don't imagine you will have any problems on the recruitment side (as long as there are people who want the jobs). 

[Ian Gourlay]

Jan,

What size Yellow Page Ad have you got because you appear to be getting an excellent response.

Ian

[Just a cleaner.]

Hi All

HELP! I'm starting a domestic business around the Gatwick area.  What should i charge per hour? 

dollar

If you can't even work that out for yourself you shouldn't start a business.   GET A JOB YOU LOSER!

If you want to succeed in business you will need to use your own brain cells.  Don't expect to come on here and get  all of us, who work hard to give you the answers.

Cleaning is a skilled ocupation.   Running a business is not easy.

[Jan K]

Hi Ian!

It's only 1/8th size, but I think the success lies in its simplicity not in its size. It's not fancy, it's not complicated it's just there, small but perfectly formed lol!

[Sarah2005]

Thanks Ian, your comments made my smile even broader than it is already today, talk about a nice compliment    I have had a thoroughly enjoyable 3 days and learnt so much about running a business successfully and to top it off, the Trainer who was previously a Manager for BP in the UK and had a wealth of knowledge and experience at the end of the courses shook my hand and told me to go for it!  As he is there to also put you off if he thinks your likely to fail than that made me feel good, especially as before he knew more about me on the first day and we had our first introductions to him and the group on our business ideas, I don't think 'Domestic Cleaning' was something he viewed as a great business idea but over the three days I have managed to put my ideas over and seem to have turned him round   

I also had to overcome my one to one with a Solicitor who also didn't know exactly what my plans for a top quality service are, looking very disinterested in my business idea, saying you can't get good cleaners, they are usually just bored housewives who never want to work in School holidays......oooooh thanks for your morale support, ha, ha.  I know it will not be simple but thats where my past interviewing skills will come in.  In fact he has without realising motivated me even more (not that I wasn't already like ) because now I am so determined to prove him wrong!  He said the cleaners in his offices are dreadful, oh and he had a domestic cleaner as he pulled a face and did say he would be interested if I am offering quality, however I am not ready for that at the moment and it is not what I want to do right now.  Anyway, he lost my custom, as that was what he was there for to pick up Clients, so more fool him and also the rest of the group didn't like his overall attitude anyway!  I still went for the kill, which took a little courage after his attitude and offered the services of our Courier business and he gave me the name of who I need to speak to, as not impressed with who they are currently using!

Don't I go on, I must try to cut down my posts......

Oh I am so tired, Jan I will still get back to you a bit later by PM with those recruitment tips I promised you, have been thinking of a little list already 

Anyway heres to us all   

[timothywesson]

Im looking to start a domestic cleaning business in the portsmouth area and am looking at charging £6.00 per hour to regular customers with a monthly charge of £19.00 to cover insurence and tax etc.

What do you think?

[Karl Collins]

Hi  great to see so many thoughtes and issues on getting started

Firstly do some research as one imput was to ring around local companies you will be surprised.

MOST IMPORTANT DO YOUR MATHS!!!!!!!

lots of people are getting on this band wagon co,s its the second fastest growing biZ after food -- so maybe going into food or related might be better in terms of return.

there are a lot of fixed costs and lots of non fixed ie, fuel,material,adnin etc

i can tell you at anything less than £15.00 per hour you will struggle unless you are conveniently living within a few hundred thousand population area(large catchment area city town)

Agencies like time for you, selclene, etc charge very low £10.25 Example but have high volume they keep costs low and clean up .

could never understand how they get cleaners self employed and have contigency insurance to cover this not even providing basic cleaning supplies , this is not true of all of them check out Selclene web site .



seriously think about how many people live in your catchment area , and types of people proffesional retired and so on .

if you travel more than 10 miles to clean  are you going to pay staff and 1 hours pay just to drive thare and back???.  oops thats all the profit gone i am now on a losre and going out of business, seems a bit extreme but that is the harsh reality of this business.

we have several staff and over the past 3 years have learnt a lot , unfortunately only discovered this forum a few months ago , i could have saved a lot of headaches.

Good luck Dollar

All the best hope some of this imput helps

Oh and advertising     you cant beat leaflets in this game web good too and you dont need a fancy website either .

people are still very much into family they are the people we most clean for so make it family clean warm and FUN

[Prestige1]

Karl is that you going out of buisness? or is it just part of your quote? kind regards Phil