[feldon]

To all those newbie's who have started up in the last 12 month's, when you started up how many bookings did you average per week in your first few weeks and months, and how did you do it, if leaflets how many?  Just trying to get a feel for my business plan.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

1 it was £15 for a diner and she moaned about the price, i would have done it for nothing but the more she moaned the less I wanted to give it away.

BTW it was 1992 when I did my first self emplyed carpet clean, 1987 when I cleaned my first carpet for Servicemaster and I think that was £23 I think.

Shaun

[clinton]

Mine was in 89

I used a host machine and got 15 pound

Got 25 pound for a suite i think the year later when i got a machine to clean them :

[derek west]

my first job was £60
my first month, did 7 jobs, total £490
second month £730
3rd month £1520
onwards and upwards from then on, till this month, hey ho start again.
derek

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Derek volume comes with being around alot (didn't want to mention age, well not to you!) you are doing the right thing by insisting that you go out to see customers first you just need a good supply of good quality leads.

You obviously have the gift of the gab and also a good selling technique and being 'aged' you have the knowledge to know when a job is a good un or not just do what you are doing there's no magic bullet, well if there were the mother inlaw would have had it!

Shaun

[Peter Blackburn]

First job May 28th 2001 (Monday) Lounge £41.28 (Whats with the 28p)!! Three Piece Suite £50.00. Customer made price upto £100. Left job feeling fantastic about my new venture. Thursday lounge diner for £53.00. Friday Lounge and Hall for £70.00.
Total for my first week - £223.00. The week after was £40.00. 

Just been looking in my diary and I did a leaflet drop of 156 on Saturday and this gave me the £223.00 for the week after. Dont think that would happen now!

Cheers
Pete

[Ryan Smyth]

Same as yourself Bro a newbie!!! you need to be persistant,stubborn,determined,open minded and above all be prepared to experience some failures and learn from said mistakes and come back stronger
The vast majority on THIS forum will offer good advice without trying to sell something and honestly want to see people succeed because it can only benefit the profession.So good luck dont get disheartened ......and by the way iv had a few shandies,forgot what this thread was about and hope its made some sense

Ryan

[Ryan Smyth]

Living room £35.....never again,apparently it was "tiny,spotless and just needed a freshen up"....and "you wouldnt mind doing that wee rug when i have you here" ..........F**K O**

Ryan

[feldon]

Thanks for your replies.

Derek

How did you get those first jobs?  leaflets, local adveriting, website? 

Richard

[richy27]

I started up in late nov last year been steady flow of work advertising in lots of ways to find out what works.
to be honest all the advertising is having some effect but working out that the phone just ring you need to get out there and find jobs.
In my opinion i have been quite lucky with my job types and prices. So it has not been flat out busy but when i have been working it has been well worth it being cheap does not always get you the desired work. Doin a good job with the CORRECT EQUIPMENT brings results and eventually more notes in your back pocket.

[mark_roberts]

Number of jobs doesnt really relate to much as it could be £40 or £1000 per job.  Rather focus on your costs and what you need per hour so can work out what to charge.  Advertising is expensive and isnt working like it used too so in your case door knocking would be more cost effective.

From memory I probably averaged 1-2 jobs a day for the first few months.

Mark

[derek west]

feldon
the month before i advertised i did friends houses for free, that got me a few jobs, my initial adverts were van livery, local paper small ad in classified, (ours is called buy and sell) and i put out leaflets inside free papers, (never again) its a cheaper alternative to get your leaflets out but for me it didn't do it justice. i just kept adding different advertising after that, add directories, more local classifieds, yell.com. adwords,
just in the process of sorting out a leaflet campaign, struggling to get them out but i'll get there, thats gonna be my main push for 09 and SEO on the new website.
hope this helps
derek

[feldon]

Thanks for the replies, from your replies it is reinforcing my research so far.  But I'm going to rely on leaflets to start with, lots of them, already spoken to Mark at Dp,very helpful.  I've nearly finished my website, cost me nothing with 2 years free webhosting and free domain with microsoft small business, template based but very easy, just got to work out how to get it listed with all the search engines now, don't want to fork out loads on adwords, any one got any idea's, I'm sure there's lots of post's on the subject.

Richard
Newleaf Carpet Care

[kinder clean]

Fabric suite, £100 cacking myself. took about 5 1/2 hours !!!! 

Paul

[Ricky M]

5 1/2 hrs wow thats some time fella

Ricky