What is an acceptable radius?

[Reach For The Glass]

Hi guys.

Just curious to see what everyone deems as an acceptable radius for their rounds.

As many will have seen i had a facebook ad which generated alot of new work. Much of this i havent taken on as its to far out of my "radius".

As im still building my round id like to see others opinions on whats best, especially from folk who have been in this game a while / or have done really well and are happy.

I live in south East london so its largely populated. I set out a 5 mile radius from my home and thought thats the furthest ill travel.

Thing is now i have some customers and i mean 1 or 2 that are one side of this area and another few on the opposite side so thats a 10 mile drive from 1 custy to another.

I have a small pocket right on my doorstep withing 1/2 a square mile wgich i clean already roughly 30 houses over 5 roads.

In others opinions would i be better off scrapping custys that are 4 or 5 miles away and soley focusing on canvassing each 1/2 square mile at a time working outwards

Or

Keep the custys i have as they are ones that have requested window cleaning, and try and canvass their neighboring streets etc to increase my workloads in those areas.

I just find myself going insane somedays driving past 0000's of houses to go and clean 2 for £17 each then back again.

Basic round building advice i suppose.

Look forward to everyone's opinions and experiences with this one.

Cheers lads.

 

[Damo]

We cover most of Bedfordshire. Furthest house is 18.3 miles away. Closest house is 40 meters.

There is no wrong or right answer to this.

Stay local and you could be in a saturated area for work which takes for forever to build a really compact round.

Go further afield and you may find an area which needs a window cleaning company.

Only you will know your competition. We turn down very few areas as until we are full (which will be never) you can't streamline your round.

To give the correct information me personally I would want to know how much more work can you take on. In revenue terms. If you can take on another £3000 a month then I would take any and everything. If you're almost bursting. You need to streamline and go for local work.

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

It depends on of it has value to you. Is it worth it?

For windows I do a 15 mile radius of my home but for larger jobs I travel further afeild including Brimingham, London, Hull and Boston as the financial reward is worth the time.

 

[Spartan]

I also work in South East London and travel slightly further afield then 5 miles.

I'm up to 10 miles away from some work but most of the work is within 6 miles.

Personally I don't think the distance matters, it's the hourly rate INCLUDING travel.

Just quoted for a job in SW London - 15 miles away but just under £250 for 2 hours work plus travel which is about an hour each way so 4 hours in total. I'd be mad to turn it down because it's outside my radius of work.

Work that's on your doorstep is the ideal but if the area won't support the prices you want to charge then you'll have to travel further to a more affluent area.

Others will chip in with their thoughts.

Good luck

Sent from my CUBOT DINOSAUR using Tapatalk

 

[Clisty1989]

What I'm starting in a few weeks is canvassing any area within 1/4 mile of current custys, solely to avoid travelling miles for 1 house. Once I'm full I'll cull any that are on there own in favour of tighter work

 

[Clisty1989]

Obviously if its worth it I'll keep it on. Got 1 house that's 3 miles away from any other work. Priced at £50 so I'll keep that regardless

 

[Reach For The Glass]

Interesting replys guys thanks.

I think personally for me (not 100% certain yet) that i should maybe focus on my closest areas first.

It just eats away at me that i might drive past literally 0000's of houses which takes 25 minutes to get to a job to earn £16.

I think to myself surely it makes sense to tap up places which are closest first as surely 1 person will want a windy which is 3 or 4 minutes away rather than 25??

Also as i say im only just building tge round peoperly. I only do this part time still and always will. 2 days a week max so ideally nice compact days closer tge better.

I will not be doing softwash etc or big jobs for big ££ so i wouldnt need to travel far to take this type of work, but i do appreciate for many this is their bread and butter job so will take the work and travel further afield.

 

[HBM]

All of my 2016 clients were within 15 miles of my little town of Homer at the end of the road but in 2017 I will be branching out to Fairbanks, Alaska. I am expanding my route so that I can spend time with my grandson and my two kids. This will be a 600 mile/970 Km route so I am already lining up some clients en route.

If it takes a few days to get up and down the highway I will stay with family en route and/or stay at some campgrounds. I miss camping, I just haven't had time for that for several years.

 

[tench0771]

my round in a 8 mile redius ide travle if the job was worth it but im happy with this my work is very compact i think

 

[Leeds]

Just watch your hourly rate, doesn't matter about mileage.

If it's within your target, it's fine, but if it means you're earning £5 an hour, then either group it with others close by, or drop it and spend that time Canvassing.

Frankly if you need the work, right now it's better than nothing!

 

[adamangler]

Mines all within 5 miles for window cleaning.

If you imagine a 5 mile radius circle and cut into 4. Well each piece has a week 1-4 so I know that week I'm always not too far away from other work.

I need to start going further affield for add on

 

[Reach For The Glass]

Thats exactly what i have in mind @adamangler

My hourly rates pretty good and will turn £200 to £300 a day currently

But i believe if i take longer to build my round but make it super compact then itll be good in the long run.

It will also make my days more efficient and will earn more or not have to work as much each day, as in moving between jobs( currently don't eat a single thing the entire day and have 2 coffees on the move maybe as i dont have the time), will also save on fuel too.

I know it will take longer to build but if i can make my target of £2k a month doing 2 days a week all within 3 mile radius then that would be amazing and im sure ot can be done.

 

[adamangler]

Mines all within 5 miles for window cleaning.

If you imagine a 5 mile radius circle and cut into 4. Well each piece has a week 1-4 so I know that week I'm always not too far away from other work.

I need to start going further affield for add on

Thats exactly what i have in mind @adamangler
My hourly rates pretty good and will turn £200 to £300 a day currently

But i believe if i take longer to build my round but make it super compact then itll be good in the long run.

It will also make my days more efficient and will earn more or not have to work as much each day, as in moving between jobs( currently don't eat a single thing the entire day and have 2 coffees on the move maybe as i dont have the time), will also save on fuel too.

I know it will take longer to build but if i can make my target of £2k a month doing 2 days a week all within 3 mile radius then that would be amazing and im sure ot can be done.

I have a target of 2k a month but in 3 days which is more realistic round here. to leave 2 days for other work.I have a bit over 2k now but it's all got mixed up and needs sorting

I suppose it depends on your area, I could go further affield for more affluent areas but compacting and reducing fuel costs is a start.

 

[Tuffers]

Thats exactly what i have in mind @adamangler
My hourly rates pretty good and will turn £200 to £300 a day currently

But i believe if i take longer to build my round but make it super compact then itll be good in the long run.

It will also make my days more efficient and will earn more or not have to work as much each day, as in moving between jobs( currently don't eat a single thing the entire day and have 2 coffees on the move maybe as i dont have the time), will also save on fuel too.

I know it will take longer to build but if i can make my target of £2k a month doing 2 days a week all within 3 mile radius then that would be amazing and im sure ot can be done.

£200/£300 a day!! Why on earth are you wanting to stay part time at it?

 

[Dave B]

I have started advertising in areas next to my town

I have another 4 big towns close by

Not good at first but any new job i get i canvass the road and nearby ones

Eventually it leads to half a day then a full day in another area

This is all geared to expansion so eventually someone else can spend a day in each town working for me

Sticking to 1 town will only let me grow a certain amount

 

[Reach For The Glass]

£200/£300 a day!! Why on earth are you wanting to stay part time at it?

I have another career mate which is impossible to give up. Honestly. Not just about money i love what i do.

Im sure £200 - £300 is common ground is it not for many on here?

 

[Spartan]

£200 for a days domestic easily. commercial could be 50% or 100% more..

depends where you are working i suspect...

In London (where I'm based) you charge more because everything costs more

 

[adamangler]

Guess it depends where you are.

Ive never done £200 on the glass in a day, i average £150 a day 9-3 but i only have about 3 days works a week of windows.

I guess i could do 200 a day if i put another hour in and sorted my round out to make it more efficent or were a bit more slap dash but it would be a pretty hard day flying about.

Its funny though, i say 150 like its nothing yet in my previous job it took me about 18 hours to earn that,now i do it in 6 so cant complain.

 

[PJ Bullard]

Of course its best to be close to home. I split my days up. I have regular commercial clients twice a week in a town about 18 miles away and so I go to them first job in the morning twice a week and then work my way back home, doing jobs in the towns between. It works out because the commercial work is lucrative. Then on days Im not doing the commercial jobs, Im doing local residential work in my area.

Like Spartan said, if its worth the dough then go with the flow. But if its a mission for only a little money - its not worth it.

 

[Part Timer]

There should only be one rule and that is does it pay enough. I'm currently in Newmarket, I live in Sunderland, yesterday I was in South Woodham Ferrers cleaning gutters. Job paid £880 for the day, less 200 for labourer and £70 for hotel. Down for a few more days. Will make a few K, my point is why put limits on mileage, put it on rate of pay instead.

 

[peter rogers]

I'm 25 miles out