My canvassing blog!

[adamangler]

I work all colton surprised I ain't seen you about quite a bit round there. I also pay leafleters to leaflet colton a lot .I used to do pizza hut till national guys got it

If I see you about I will stop say hi

I'm in colton again nx week

Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums app

I'm only there 1 day a month and I only pass through. I'm only there about an hour or so.

You're more likely to see me in mc ds lol

 

[Leeds]

Am I right in thinking that you've not been going long @meridion? £60-£90 an hour every hour you work? How many hours are you working a week?

On and off for about 6 years Tuffers, but more seriously last 2 years. I don't get £60 - £90 everyday 7 hours a day haha! 2 weeks of my round are quite compact and well priced so we're in that ball park, the other 2 weeks it's still well priced but a bit more travelling. Travelling is what brings it down to £40/£50 an hour.

But I always price with that rate. I.e. If a house has 4 windows, I know it will take me 4 minutes max, but usually it takes me 3 minutes, and I'll charge £8-£10. I'm realising the new stuff I'm pricing is working out at £2 a minute :rofl:

But hey, I do a great job, I tell the customer exactly how much they get for their money, as well as all the bells and whistles of a professional service. And their happy.

Oh and here's the trick, I'm never going over 3 days a week, as I like to volunteer the other two days. I employ a part timer and I'm going for the second one this year. I find that if employ ones who don't want full time work, pay them well, they do just fine and they're not interested in building a business of their own, because they usually have some other passion (obviously don't employ students).

Anyhow it means I have to price high to get 5 days wage in 3 days. I'm waiting for the day one lad can turn £500 in a day on domestic. And it can be done, I've already got patches that bring even £160 an hour, mind you it's just 1 hour, but you know what I mean :rofl:

 

[adamangler]

On and off for about 6 years Tuffers, but more seriously last 2 years. I don't get £60 - £90 everyday 7 hours a day haha! 2 weeks of my round are quite compact and well priced so we're in that ball park, the other 2 weeks it's still well priced but a bit more travelling. Travelling is what brings it down to £40/£50 an hour.
But I always price with that rate. I.e. If a house has 4 windows, I know it will take me 4 minutes max, but usually it takes me 3 minutes, and I'll charge £8-£10. I'm realising the new stuff I'm pricing is working out at £2 a minute :rofl:

But hey, I do a great job, I tell the customer exactly how much they get for their money, as well as all the bells and whistles of a professional service. And their happy.

Oh and here's the trick, I'm never going over 3 days a week, as I like to volunteer the other two days. I employ a part timer and I'm going for the second one this year. I find that if employ ones who don't want full time work, pay them well, they do just fine and they're not interested in building a business of their own, because they usually have some other passion (obviously don't employ students).

Anyhow it means I have to price high to get 5 days wage in 3 days. I'm waiting for the day one lad can turn £500 in a day on domestic. And it can be done, I've already got patches that bring even £160 an hour, mind you it's just 1 hour, but you know what I mean :rofl:

500 a day on domestic ? In West leeds ?

2 days off.

Can I have a job? Pay me 750 for 3 days and you can keep the other 750 and have 5 days volunteering?

 

[Leeds]

500 a day on domestic ? In West leeds ?
2 days off.

Can I have a job? Pay me 750 for 3 days and you can keep the other 750 and have 5 days volunteering?

Haha, when I get there Adam! I'll give ya £525, that's my best offer :rofl:

 

[adamangler]

If I can turn over 500 in a day on the glass I'll do it for free for the experience!

 

[Leeds]

If I can turn over 500 in a day on the glass I'll do it for free for the experience!

well to put it into perspective, if we can start edging toward £14/£15 a 3 bed semi, that's 33 in a day to hit £500. It's not that straight forward and it would be a hard day but I can knock out 25 with an hour break currently., so it's not that unimaginable.

 

[peter rogers]

@meridion u going to the wcp show in september

 

[Leeds]

@meridion u going to the wcp show in september

What's that Pete?

 

[peter rogers]

The sponsored ad on top page

 

[Chris33]

@peter rogers are you going? Quite fancy going myself actually

 

[peter rogers]

Yes I'm going

 

[sam86ni]

Great blog Chris. Really great information. Your company name is great, angus window cleaning services? hahaha. your website is clean, nice logo as well, like the simplicity and cleaniness of the backgroud water droplet picture, your services is simple and straight to the point, great reviews from your customers on facebook. You have built a great business in such a small amount of time. Did you ask your customers to leave you facebook reviews or did they just do it without being asked? I like the paypal and bacs payment as well.

Was wondering as well what kind of power washer you have to get the jobs done? some of them can be expensive. Also who built your website?

Thanks Chris /emoticons/smile.png congratulations

 

[Chris33]

@sam86ni thank you for the kind words.

I'd started looking to take on staff this last while but decided to focus the round over two or three main towns and sell a bit of work off.

The website was built by @Gav probably before I'd even learned to use a squeegee in all honesty.

As per reviews, I made a ticket for putting through doors after the initial clean. This had a bit more info on it than the general tickets,and also had a link to my fb business page and a polite request to leave a review on there.

Gav later linked the fb page onto the website and put review comment's on website etc

 

[sam86ni]

Thanks very much Green,got the clothing sorted and Google maps helped price that ten pound job yesterday. Websites made up by Gav too. Van signage would be ace,but currently using my corsa for work. Perhaps I'll get a rear window advert soon.
Fliers are needed badly! Been using my own ink and orange paper purchased online,this was a very counter productive idea as the cost of ink is very high per sheet. Ordering online fliers and business cards today. Like your idea with regard to price guide. Cheers ☺

Hey Chris, how can you tell with google maps about prices?

 

[Leeds]

Hey Chris, how can you tell with google maps about prices?

Two ways Sam , get on Google Street View and see if you can look at the whole house then price accordingly - OR as I have recently (annoyingly) discovered iMaps or whatever Apple calls their version on iPhone/iPad, you can zoom right in on the house, tilt the landscape with two fingers and up pop 3D models of all the houses! You can rotate it round and have a look at the back! Its really accurate too!

 

[Chris33]

Hey Chris, how can you tell with google maps about prices?

Hay Sam. You can't lol. I tried it as a few have but there is limited info in a photo,it only serves as a general guide mate

What I used was actually Google street view. I got a few quotes right,got burnt with a few so quote in person now

 

[peter rogers]

Need to be careful with google street view.

 

[Chris33]

@sam86ni when I started,I got tons of work off fb. I had to react fast and so used google maps a lot.

Some of which work I'm now dropping as start to focus on better priced and more local work.

Anyhoo..using google maps,estate agent online pics of the property etc were all good and well (it gave me a price guide and helped get a feel for what was acceptable for me to quote price wise, depending on fb message feedback etc)

Infact some towns IE Dunfermline I can price higher for same size properties than in say Kirkcaldy. Those Google map pics helped me work that out fast,and also let me give a fast quote for people who I might have lost if quote wasn't done pronto.

But the issue is A you can't tell how bad a state the windows and frames are in from a pic taken god knows when. Also, a pic offers no info on gate access info or what the customers actually like. @peter rogers I remember said he likes to generally suss them out (or steal their wife with his Irish patter) and so quotes in person..good way to see if they will be genuine or not.

Second issue is that I think quoting in person is more likely to generate a positive outcome. More chance to discuss the finer details of what you will do, time it takes etc etc. It just looks more professional in my opinion.

I now use maps and stuff to get a feel for a house before say doing a big gutter job or whatever. I'd have been to the house to see the job,but it serves as a reminder for me the day before job etc (using maps to check it again I mean)

 

[sam86ni]

@sam86ni when I started,I got tons of work off fb. I had to react fast and so used google maps a lot.
Some of which work I'm now dropping as start to focus on better priced and more local work.

Anyhoo..using google maps,estate agent online pics of the property etc were all good and well (it gave me a price guide and helped get a feel for what was acceptable for me to quote price wise, depending on fb message feedback etc)

Infact some towns IE Dunfermline I can price higher for same size properties than in say Kirkcaldy. Those Google map pics helped me work that out fast,and also let me give a fast quote for people who I might have lost if quote wasn't done pronto.

But the issue is A you can't tell how bad a state the windows and frames are in from a pic taken god knows when. Also, a pic offers no info on gate access info or what the customers actually like. @peter rogers I remember said he likes to generally suss them out (or steal their wife with his Irish patter) and so quotes in person..good way to see if they will be genuine or not.

Second issue is that I think quoting in person is more likely to generate a positive outcome. More chance to discuss the finer details of what you will do, time it takes etc etc. It just looks more professional in my opinion.

I now use maps and stuff to get a feel for a house before say doing a big gutter job or whatever. I'd have been to the house to see the job,but it serves as a reminder for me the day before job etc (using maps to check it again I mean)

Thinking of coming down your way Chris when I start out. Angus only has 100k at 842 sq mi, fife has 354k at 512 sq mi. Alot smaller, and near edinburgh, edinburgh is a great city.

 

[Chris33]

Sounds good @sam86ni Dunfermline is where the best priced work is I'd say. Due to there being so many new build developments there.

Infact the dullock area of Dunfermline and the town of Dalgety bay are pretty much joined up now,they used to be a few mile apart but its just house after house now. There must be at least 6 big ongoing new estates in that town alone.

 

[sam86ni]

Sounds good @sam86ni Dunfermline is where the best priced work is I'd say. Due to there being so many new build developments there.
Infact the dullock area of Dunfermline and the town of Dalgety bay are pretty much joined up now,they used to be a few mile apart but its just house after house now. There must be at least 6 big ongoing new estates in that town alone.

These places are massive in fife: Dunfermline, inverkeithing, Cowdenbeath, Kirkcaldy, Glenrothes, kennoway.

Grangemouth, falkirk, bo'ness and queens ferry across the bay. Once the business is established

could possibly start out on the venture of commericial, city slicking.

Stirling and Alloa are quite considerable in size as well.

Near Loch Lomond looks decent as it is near glasgow city, wouldnt mind living out there window cleaning, north west of glasgow hitting Alexandria, Cardross, Rento, Bonhill, Dumbarton, then it goes into the city itself. There is a detached estate with about 100 houses in it at East Glenshinnoch, could chap through Clydebank and Erskine to get to this. Could see a solid round with good chapping at this locaiton.