[richyp]

lost 7 commercial jobs today, things r starting to bite now so you guys should tighten your belts. i think we have 18 to 24 months of bad times ahead as things r going to get alot worse before they get better. i am starting to worry now as i have lost alot of jobs lately. i am seriously thinking of buying a domestic round to fall back on. any of you guys losing work?

[Slash]

The commercial jobs I have are fine,lost a few on residential .

[richyp]

i have even lost a subway which has went under which really surprises me, i thought subway would have been bullet proof!!!

[Dean Aspects]

Lost two residential customers and one commercial -only a small one so not too bothered and have picked up more than i have lost not really starting to bite here yet but no doubt at some point it will

[windowwashers]

lost 7 commercial jobs today, things r starting to bite now so you guys should tighten your belts. i think we have 18 to 24 months of bad times ahead as things r going to get alot worse before they get better. i am starting to worry now as i have lost alot of jobs lately. i am seriously thinking of buying a domestic round to fall back on. any of you guys losing work?

Short answer is yes.

and if anyone is stupid enough to think they will not be losing work shortly are putting there heads in the clouds and are the ones that will pay the high price in the long run. I learnt long ago not to put all my eggs in one basket I learnt this the very hard way. A close person to me is doing the same what you have just said and they own quite a large outfit and are doing just that hence why they will get past these hard times, thinking your not going to be affected = A very silly business minded person IMO.

Good on you for being honest  

Ian

[richyp]

very very good point window washers!!

[newbroom]

Not surprising some subways are disappearing, they are a franchise operation some of the towns they have set up in were never really viable outlets for over priced sarnies in the 1st place imo

[East coast window cleaning Services]

I Lost a decent anchor contract a the start of the month a real kick in the you know what

[Dale Smith]

We lost money from a car showroom cutting back from weekly to bi-weekly, cost us £110 per month!
The others will follow suit soon, so we are busy leafletting the areas we already have residential custies in.
Domestic is going to be the safer option at the moment IMO.

[trevor povey]

I Lost a decent anchor contract a the start of the month a real kick in the you know what

I,ll be losing 3 anchor jobs in a couple of months as didn,t put in for them again due to their t/o requirements.

[dai]

I know some will call me a doom merchant, but I really am afraid of what's happening to this country.
A leading US financial guru has advised anyone that is holding Stirling to sell it now.
I have just checked and the pound is down to $1.37, I was getting £2 for a quid last August.
We know that the US is in deep trouble, so where the hell does that put us, when our currency is in free-fall against the US dollar? We have just bailed the banks out another 50 billion, where the hell is all this money coming from? who's doing the lending? And how the hell are we going to pay it back?
What happens if this latest bailout doesn't work? Questions, questions, but I don't hear any answers.
If unemployment continues to rise, and it will, we are going to affected good style, a double whammy in fact, the first one because fewer people are going to be able to afford us, and the second one from more and more guys that have lost their jobs becoming window cleaners.
There have been loads of newbies on this site asking for advice.
I don't see anyone saying they are packing it in.
All the signs are there to be seen, and they are all very ominous. I am afraid, and I have no mortgage, no debts, and receive my pension. I also have two fishing boats and a mile of net so I won't starve. I'm sorry guys but it's all looking very scary to me.

[windowswashed]

I lost a lot last Jan-June in Torbay (Torquay was/still is the worst place for job cuts in Devon), but been picking up new ones (commercial and domestic) elsewhere ever since.

[Dale Smith]

We're doomed....Mr Mannering..........!!!!!!!!!!!!!!......

 

[Simply Clean Windows]

Since last august we have lost 2 domestics and 1 commercial, last january we started sending letters out to nursing homes and schools which are pretty recession proof,we sent 50 letters out and converted 10 into regular contracts,last december we tendered for quite a large residential village complex, and last week we found out that we had been awarded the contract for it,yes there is a recession/credit crunch but there is still a lot of work out there. We do not leaflet drop at all,it is all from referrals,neighbours seeing us,or friends and family,i think because our customers have had to come and find us,rather than us trying to get them,ie leaflet,doorknocking that this has helped in keeping them in my opinion.
Malcolm

[Dale Smith]

Fair play to you Malcolm, there is a lesson there to all of us.

I know its bad, but we must stay in a positive state of mind, so that we can create chances, and grab them when they arrive.

[chrisyg]

i have even lost a subway which has went under which really surprises me, i thought subway would have been bullet proof!!!

that is surprising, they are opening new Subways round here

subways are all franchises.. if a local one is going under thats due to its management and lack of custom from locals, nothing to do with the "chain".

[Skyglide]

My accountant is full of doom and gloom - reckons this year everyone will suffer and strongly advises getting rid of overheads PDQ. Stay agile and alert, take all that's offered because even in our well heeled area of wealthy retired it will still hit.
 I of course, being a window cleaner remain positive. We have lost one or two, but gaining all the time.
Chris

[lovewindows]

went out today handed 2 business introduction letters into a shared building i was passing that looked like it needed a window cleaner, phone call 15mins later can i come and see them, straight in. fellow i met said we already have someone but could you give us a quote. I said you obviously want a cheaper price what do you pay already he told me, i undercut it. he's ringing me back ?
Now he's going to ring the other fella and say i've had a cheaper quote, the other fella can say a/ i'll match it   b/ i'll go cheaper or  c/ stuff you. [ the quote i gave will give me £30 an hour + it's round the corner from me ] . Not chuffed but business is business.
Went out later that day, restaraunt i'd had to skip twice due to icy weather [ new client ] told me sorry they had got someone else , bit quick but got to accept it , but they didn't like his attitude and if i matched his price and work then they might reconsider. 180 panes [ 3 by 1 ] inside and out between 11am and 12pm [ in an hour ]  must be done trad [ i'm WFP and not great at trad ] £20 a fortnight.   [ going to see them tommorow turning that one down ]
My [ lenghty ]  point is i can see this happening more and more and it will drive our prices down not just the undercutters but now it's the customers as well

[tomy jackson]

you silly boy  says manering

[kenaltobelli]

if you want to make money ditch the bucket and get a subway open near me
meatball sarnie cant get enogh while im on the subject can we get a big tasty back at mc
petion enyone