Work drying up over winter?

[adamangler]

You do car valets as an add on? That is interesting.

I did car valeting first before window cleaning. it has become more of a nesacary evil than interesting. I get all my valeting work from a separate website, on average a couple of jobs a week. the problem is they are usually far away from my window cleaning work and involve a fair bit of travel usually in rush hour traffic through the city centre. they slow me down to be honest but are better than nothing. the profit isn't as good as windows and physically it is harder. there's more overhead involved and building any sort of regular work is difficult as most people are wanting a one off. the commercial side again is difficult as they are plenty of valeters working for nothing who will gladly undercut you.

Stick to windows, the best add ons are from regular custys.

I've tried carpet cleaning, car valeting, pressure washing etc and its all great but it only gets in the way of the window round. then your round ends up totally messed up as your scrambling trying to cram everything in plus battling the weather etc

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

I've tried carpet cleaning, car valeting, pressure washing etc and its all great but it only gets in the way of the window round

Have you thrown in the towell on the carpets @adamangler ? My custy was well happy with the results from the job you did.

 

[Ajk]

This is my first winter coming up. (Well it's my 2nd but last year I was part time so didn't really notice)
Last couple of weeks have been noticeably colder on a morning. It's been windy and rainy, this week's forecast is shite...

Anyhow looking at my goggle calendar where I enter all my extra jobs booked in. (Valets,gutters and conny mainly) it's been pretty much blank this last month. Which is the first time since around Feb-March I've not been busy everyday, I'm ticking over but not really making much profit lately It's obvious I either need more windows or more add ons...

Anyways just wondered what the general trend is amongst everyone for add on work thru the winter? Do you notice a large drop off? I'm just wondering whether it's a marketting thing so I can look at maybe adwords or leafletting or is it just to be expected?

Cheers

Hi

Your get some drop over winter few who will stop cause there windows don't need doing and some with Christmas coming who wants to spend the window payments towards Christmas presents I've had that and most have taken up in again Jan Feb. I've had work upto 24th Dec and start after Boxing Day. Yorkshire is due some snow in the next week as weather man said yesterday but we see

 

[adamangler]

Have you thrown in the towell on the carpets @adamangler ? My custy was well happy with the results from the job you did.

No @Green Pro Clean Ltd

But I haven't done any for ages and am currently not advertising.

I'm struggling to see how to build a reliable window cleaning round and build a carpet cleaning business as well. one always gets in the way of the other. the recall the extra gear required, the humping on and off of the machine, there the extra website required and marketting campaigns etc.

I really think both business are great independently but trying to do both is a nightmare

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

Investment Invesrment Investment. It's the only rule to growing a business.

Not just financial investment but time as well.

You can throw £1000 at printing some really good leaflets but if you dont put in the time to post them all whats the point?

I'm rather guilty, I have 2 different leaflets over 10'000 total that have been laying about for nearly a year now. They arent making me a penny sat in my office.

I started last week dropping just 100 per day. The last jobbI do each day I lock the van and do a drop on that street. Come next month I will have already covered last nights street so will just swap the job around to make sure I end on a different street.

I spend an average of £60 per week online advertising. Not going in to how I advertise right now but some examples of ROI (return on investment) are:

Last week. 12 new regular customers for 8 weekly cleans. With first clean charges that's £390 first clean only followed by 5 more cleans for a year totalling £1440 so a total of £1830 for a years cleans.

So a crude ROI on that advert last week is £1770 for the year.

This week I am running a different advert. Since yesterday I have picked up one new window customer at £19.00 every 4 weeks. A GSF job at £220 (will hopefully make it an annual) and a GSF with conny clean at £360.

Advertising, when done right not only works but does truly pay.

The key is if your ad does not work CHANGE IT. Dont flog the dead horse. It may take time but sooner or later you'll find the ads that work for you.

Windys are notoriously tight on the purse strings and many even begrudge spending £2 on a new squeegee rubber that will earn them £200.

As for equipment sometimes it is best not to invest. I used to take on any job I could get but now I turn down all jobs over 45ft as the cost of the poles vs the ROI is emmense and I dont chase or target high work so when it comes up I just pass on it as recovering the cost of the pole would take too long for me as not enough work at that height.

 

[chris clean]

This is my first winter and I was worried about work slowing up and as I'm still building round I need the add ons at moment to bulk up the regular round which it did and more through summer. I stuck all the extra money away in case winter was bad. So far though I have been amazed October was busiest month so far for gutters and conservatories and I have them booked now into middle of December around my window work.this has just come from increased advertising and remind all regulars I do the add ons. So I'm feeling much happier its nailed till Xmas now so even if Jan Feb and March are quieter I'm all good. Window regulars were all told it was year round so although I expect a few to cancel to try and save some cash I hopefully won't loose too many.

 

[adamangler]

Investment Invesrment Investment. It's the only rule to growing a business.
Not just financial investment but time as well.

You can throw £1000 at printing some really good leaflets but if you dont put in the time to post them all whats the point?

I'm rather guilty, I have 2 different leaflets over 10'000 total that have been laying about for nearly a year now. They arent making me a penny sat in my office.

I started last week dropping just 100 per day. The last jobbI do each day I lock the van and do a drop on that street. Come next month I will have already covered last nights street so will just swap the job around to make sure I end on a different street.

I spend an average of £60 per week online advertising. Not going in to how I advertise right now but some examples of ROI (return on investment) are:

Last week. 12 new regular customers for 8 weekly cleans. With first clean charges that's £390 first clean only followed by 5 more cleans for a year totalling £1440 so a total of £1830 for a years cleans.

So a crude ROI on that advert last week is £1770 for the year.

This week I am running a different advert. Since yesterday I have picked up one new window customer at £19.00 every 4 weeks. A GSF job at £220 (will hopefully make it an annual) and a GSF with conny clean at £360.

Advertising, when done right not only works but does truly pay.

The key is if your ad does not work CHANGE IT. Dont flog the dead horse. It may take time but sooner or later you'll find the ads that work for you.

Windys are notoriously tight on the purse strings and many even begrudge spending £2 on a new squeegee rubber that will earn them £200.

As for equipment sometimes it is best not to invest. I used to take on any job I could get but now I turn down all jobs over 45ft as the cost of the poles vs the ROI is emmense and I dont chase or target high work so when it comes up I just pass on it as recovering the cost of the pole would take too long for me as not enough work at that height.

well whatever secret you have for online marketting its sure working, never had anything like that from ROI adwords or facebook.

When it comes to investment i agree, although it will have to wait until next year now. Van problems at the minute and then christmas is going to skint me, hopefully the weather will be kind this year.

The plus side to the fall off in work is that im putting my round into order which should free me up a couple of days a week for the new year.