[Milltown Cleaning]

suffering from a complete lack of motivation. needing to do some door knocking yet finding it very hard to keep going when its obvious many estates have a cleaner and i find it hard to go onto someones private land with individual houses.

    

[simon knight]

Mate, actually cleaning the windows is only half the job (and probably the easiest half)...the other (harder) half is getting the work in the first place.

No easy answer Guv, you just have to knock knock and knock again and don't worry about detached houses...chances are human beings live there :

What's the worst anybody can say? No?

Pull yer socks up...it's a lovely evening...get out there and canvass!

[MNWC]

Do what i do

Go to your nearest supermarket on saturday and hand out leaflets !

[Milltown Cleaning]

you guys are right it just takes a little hard work some times!!

its just been one of those days, or couple of days, where things havent gone great and my head has gone down! so i will recharge my batteries over the weekend and go canvassing next week, but only starting that after 5.

Simon - it might be nice where you are, but its about to pee down here lol!!

Marcus - hmm an interesting idea! how does that go down with customers? you get much trade from it?

[SteveAllan]

I ve had an A board made up mate, i have been leaving it all over the place, outside supermarkets, outside schools near school run time, villages etc, had a few jobs so far from it and the good thing its a one off cost, give it a go.

[cozy]

Hi Miltown. I find the best motivational exercise for me is to look at my bank balance, Sends me running out the door too work!

I'm nearly always skint

[JSMC]

I ve had an A board made up mate, i have been leaving it all over the place, outside supermarkets, outside schools near school run time, villages etc, had a few jobs so far from it and the good thing its a one off cost, give it a go.

good idea that

[simon knight]

Milltown: Where are you based?

[Tosh]

suffering from a complete lack of motivation. needing to do some door knocking yet finding it very hard to keep going when its obvious many estates have a cleaner and i find it hard to go onto someones private land with individual houses.

    

This is the best time of year for getting new work, and if you can't do it now, then maybe this job isn't for you?

[Milltown Cleaning]

wow tosh you really are MR Motivator!! maybe it isnt just that easy to build a business in the middle of a recession, in rural northern ireland, in the area with the highest jump of unemployment in the last year!! maybe i will just have to try a little harder and not just give up at the first stumbling block.

rome wasnt built in a day.

Simon - im based in northern ireland, sorta right in the middle of the country.

[NWH]

Mate, actually cleaning the windows is only half the job (and probably the easiest half)...the other (harder) half is getting the work in the first place.

No easy answer Guv, you just have to knock knock and knock again and don't worry about detached houses...chances are human beings live there :

What's the worst anybody can say? No?

Pull yer socks up...it's a lovely evening...get out there and canvass!

The bit about getting the work is the hardest part is so true.

[Tosh]

wow tosh you really are MR Motivator!! maybe it isnt just that easy to build a business in the middle of a recession, in rural northern ireland, in the area with the highest jump of unemployment in the last year!! maybe i will just have to try a little harder and not just give up at the first stumbling block.

Milltown, I think you've answered your own question and maybe I am Mr Motivator; in a reverse-psychology type of way?

[Tosh]

Anyway, Milltown, you've got Lisburn not far from you; there's some posh places round there.

Why not target there?

(I've lived in NI for many years, in Lisburn, Aldergrove (near Antrim), Carrickfergus and in some other places; my ex-wife is from Carrick).

[simon knight]

wow tosh you really are MR Motivator!! maybe it isnt just that easy to build a business in the middle of a recession, in rural northern ireland, in the area with the highest jump of unemployment in the last year!! maybe i will just have to try a little harder and not just give up at the first stumbling block.

rome wasnt built in a day.

Simon - im based in northern ireland, sorta right in the middle of the country.

Ah right....a bit off my patch so I don't really appreciate what you're up against.

Anyway for what it's worth, when I started out a few years ago I did this:

I spent afternoons canvassing. Knock on doors, knock on doors, knock on doors, knock on doors...you're getting the picture and I'd be turned away loads of times...but I wouldn't go home until I had 3 jobs to do the following morning...next morning I'd do them. Then in the afternoon I'd knock on doors, knock on doors, knock on doors..."not going home until I've 3 jobs"...knock on doors..."right got my 3 jobs"...next morning do them....afternoon...knock on doors etc etc etc etc etc...

Forget handing out flyers in supermarkets...1 customer per 10,000 leaflets?

I am at best a "competent" window cleaner...so what? In all service industries  potential customers like to see a face and hear a voice...after all you're gonna be on their property.

Window cleaning is primarily a people business and good interaction is paramount..which is why a merely "competent" window cleaner such as myself makes money.

Basically shy shrinking violets won't make it.  Tosh is perhaps a tad caustic but you might question whether you have the commitment/drive?

Hope you do!

[martinsadie]

Mate, actually cleaning the windows is only half the job (and probably the easiest half)...the other (harder) half is getting the work in the first place.

No easy answer Guv, you just have to knock knock and knock again and don't worry about detached houses...chances are human beings live there :

What's the worst anybody can say? No?

Pull yer socks up...it's a lovely evening...get out there and canvass!

The bit about getting the work is the hardest part is so true.

buy it no problem 

[Blue Frog Systems]

Stick at it matey. You will reap the rewards.

Ive done a HUGE housing estate and got 1 customer from it (700 houses easy).

I used to hate door knocking myself and had not followed through with a few business ideas because of the door knocking aspect.

All i say is 'do you need a window cleaner' - if i had to do a speach i wouldnt have got past the first door. Keep it simple and you'll get the custys.

I do like the idea of  Steve Allan and his A board... might give that a shot myself.

Any chance of your other half or a friend helping you knock ? Or a friend you can buy a couple of beers for in return for there time. My lovely wife has been knocking with me for a few days now and I reckon I wouldnt have picked up half the jobs if she wasnt there. It gets to a point where she is knocking and im doing quotes.

[dai]

It's a strange old world, here's me with more work than I can handle, and what happens?
A guy that did a lot of work in my village died suddenly 2 weeks ago.
I have to do another full day tomorrow, and I promised myself I would work 4 days a week maximum.

Are there no new estates being built in your area? When I started I scanned all the local rags in the property section, got a lot of work that way.

[chris@c.m.s]

Anyway, Milltown, you've got Lisburn not far from you; there's some posh places round there.

Why not target there?

(I've lived in NI for many years, in Lisburn, Aldergrove (near Antrim), Carrickfergus and in some other places; my ex-wife is from Carrick).

God Tosh my wife was only half Irish and I thought she was nuts I sympathise  In general I like the Irish though until they have a paddy.

[Nathanael Jones]

suffering from a complete lack of motivation. needing to do some door knocking yet finding it very hard to keep going when its obvious many estates have a cleaner and i find it hard to go onto someones private land with individual houses.

    

Doorknocking in a rural setting is VERY time consuming, and hard work too.
While it prob is still the best way to get new work, I'd say that combining it with flyer drops, supermarket notice board advertising, vehicle signwriting, a website, A hi-vis work vest with your company name & phone number on the back etc etc will help. Get your business seen in as many ways as possible, and reduce the doorknocking by getting them to call you.
List your business in all the free online business directories, create a facebook page etc etc,.. it all helps.

[Londoner]

You are right, its about being persistant. However, in rural areas the sheer lack of houses can limit your ability to find customers.
Maybe you have to look further afield. Here in NW London I can remember the Welsh window cleaners who used to come down the M4 for a three day blitz.

I'm not suggesting anything as drastic as that but having one day a week away somewhere else is a start.