[Paula]

I am coming towards the end of my 1st year in business and I have noticed over the last couple of weeks things have gone a bit quiet. I know this time of year can be quiet for a lot of businesses and I was wondering if this time of year is normally quiet for cleaning companies? Or is it just me??

[dustycorner]

Hi Paula,

All  businesses go through troughs, the trick is to use the available time to your advantage. Don't wait for the customer to contact you make the customer aware of your business.

Are you a member of any organisations eg Federation of small business or local chamber of commerce a great way of networking.

Hope this helps Mark.

[Paula]

Yes I  am a member, I will get in contact with them and start making things happen again... I need to go back to basics and put in the same effort I put in when first starting. Cheers for the advice.
Paula

[premiermaids]

Paula, why  not use the time for leaflet drops, and perhaps,
a reassessment of your goals, targets etc.

Regards

Jim

[Jan K]

Hi Paula!

I too am coming to the end of my first year and also have found business has quietened down in the past few weeks!

I never considered domestic cleaning as seasonal, but perhaps it is!  I found from September through to April the phone didn't stop ringing, and I was bringing in new Clients at a rate of 2 per week (which was only from a Yellow Pages ad). Lately it's more like 2 a month, but I am getting more requests for ironing rather than cleaning!

I think that in the run up to Summer it will go quiet with people being away for their hols, and the kids being off school. In September/October when kids go back to school and even newly starting kiddies embarking on their school years, thid will mean that their will be mum's going back to work after years of non-working and they may be looking for cleaners. And when the seasons change and the grotty weather returns people just won't want to clean all the time!

I am looking to leaflet drop, although I am not sure it will be of much success! Time will tell!

[Ian Gourlay]

If you are going to leaflet drop make sure you repeat in your target area every 4 weeks.

[dustdees]

Have you got a website, if not how about spending a couple of days building one and hostings it. I built mine and it just costs me £7.50 to host it on line. I get 95%of my work for it. and it hits more clients that you will ever in leaflet drops.

[Jan K]

dustdees are you national or local?

I would be interested to know if a website works for someone who only works locally, as I keep putting building myself a website on the back burner!