Record Keeping

[harunh]

The problem with WCPro is that it is not going to be developed any further than its current state. I have had conversations via email with the guys who run it and this is what they have told me. So this is why I decided not to go with it, this is a shame as it is good software, but it will get left behind if no further development of the software is going to be undertaken.

I now use excel spreadsheets, which I prefer as I'm in total control of the information /emoticons/wink.png but it does help if you are proficient with excel. The spreadsheets can also be used on windows phones, so you can update it as you complete your round during the day, upload it to skydrive and then download it from skydrive to your laptop.

Learning excel through either a course or a book might be a good option also.

why does it need further developments ? all i want is my round value... how many customers i got and what days i got to work etc ... and wcp does it all for me /emoticons/smile.png i dont want anything less or anything more. /emoticons/smile.png :

 

[TJWindows]

why does it need further developments ? all i want is my round value... how many customers i got and what days i got to work etc ... and wcp does it all for me /emoticons/smile.png i dont want anything less or anything more. /emoticons/smile.png :

Well thats ok for you, but there will be a lot of people who expect software to be continuously developed, otherwise we would all be still on ZX Spectrums computers and playing tennis on Atari's /emoticons/smile.png

 

[harunh]

lol but people still use pen and paper /emoticons/smile.png some people even use excel /emoticons/smile.png

u cant compare old computer systems to keeping your round programmes mate /emoticons/tongue.png

at the end of the day i cant see windoiw cleaning programmes really improving /emoticons/tongue.png unless they add in games in to the programme or something ? lmaoo

 

[Belfastcleaning]

why does it need further developments ? all i want is my round value... how many customers i got and what days i got to work etc ... and wcp does it all for me /emoticons/smile.png i dont want anything less or anything more. /emoticons/smile.png :

Your wasting £200 a year then H lol

 

[M.K Cleaners.co.uk]

I'd be here forever explaining. It wasn't the programme itself that made a difference - that would be mad to suggest that just buying a piece of software itself would make things better. It's the information the programme provides that makes the difference. Window cleaning is a business, and what all businesses need is information. Information is the lifeblood of a business - what are you doing, where is the work, how much is it worth, what's happening in the future, how much money does a job/window cleaner/customer make - because it's only when you have accurate and measurable information (not guess work or intuition) that you can start to make informed decisions.

Can do that without a program.... I neve read it all, I just scanned through it

Before I got involved there was no "system" in place that allowed the owners to see what was actually happening with the business - just an invoice figure at the end of the month. When I started I introduced and collected the worksheets to see what I could learn, but I quickly realized there was so many jobs that a paper system simply wasn't enough see what was really going on. I tried a few systems and despite issues with them all settled on WCP.

You have to make full use of the information it is able to store - the idea of "rounds, full contact details, prices, frequency and timings - and then record ALL the work being done. Once we started to do that we quickly started to find out what was really happening and that made making decisions easier.

We did tons of other things such a branding - new web site, new company logo, new signwriting on the vans, introduced marketing materials, headed paper (yep, really!), receipt books with company logos - so that everytime a customer interacted or saw us the message was consistent. We did tons of marketing, sheduled in days or half-days when all the guys would go an blitz an area with marketing materials. We started more focussed advertising, got a handle on costs with better cash-flow planning, introduced minimum pricing for any new jobs, monitored working hours, re-scheduled work plans to reduce travelling and increase work time. We introduced new systems to chase up old work that had dropped of (e.g. the person moved house so keep an eye for new owner moving in and introduce ourselves), track all enquiries and follow them through from tender to new job or not (all through WCP), introduced a system to contact customers who maybe only got cleaned every couple of years but the job was worth a lot of money after specific periods of time to remind them we were around. We purposefully chased new commercial work, and now have a list of contracts in the area and when they will be renewed and make a point of keeping in touch with these companies to make sure we get a chance to tender. It's not rocket science - just the thing that every business should do - but most don't.

For instance, when I started I found a file full of old quotations going back years, but all this information was doing was sitting in a cupboard. To me old quotes are important. They tell you who is using window cleaners (but not you), it gives you more contacts to chase for work, it provides info on larger contracts and when they are being re-tendered. I now make a point of dropping these old quotes a bit of marketing information occasionally, calling them for an update, or ask the guys to drop of material each time they pass. Now we can track all that in WCP - we NEVER delete an old job, just archive it for future use.

It's all these other things that actually made the difference, but I still credit WCP with giving us the information we needed so that this could all be focussed to provide max returns. Without WCP I doubt even a quarter of these changes would have occured.

So, if you think the programme in and of itself will increase your business then you will be bitterly disappointed. If you take the system and make use of the information it gives you (it took me hundreds - maybe thousands - of hours to input everything needed at the start - to the annoyance of all the guys - and several hours every week to keep it up to date) it pays off in the long term. It's not a quick fix, but it gives you information, and if you want to double your business in a couple of years in window cleaning it's relatively easy to do....there are millions of windows out there and we're only "playing" at it just now.

You have to remember you ARE a business, think like a business man, take advantage of opportunities, never give up a chance to promote your business, hand out a business card or ask for the business. When I purchase something locally, I always ask about their windows and who does them. Whether it's coal for the fire, logs, new carpets, new cars, I always ask if we can quote for their windows. Same with garages you get your vans serviced in, or buy petrol from. They are all opportunities where ***-for-tat should be tried. No problem if they say no, but if you don't try you'll never know.

It annoys me to heck when people say "we're only window cleaners". No your not. You're running a business. If you only want to work for yourself and are happy with what you earn then that is great, but if you want to grow your business, have lots of employees, and make a lot of money then you have to treat it as a business. There's so little real competition out there in the window cleaning market that it's there to grab if you can stay focussed.

So much for a short answer! /emoticons/tongue.png

 

[M.K Cleaners.co.uk]

why does it need further developments ? all i want is my round value... how many customers i got and what days i got to work etc ... and wcp does it all for me /emoticons/smile.png i dont want anything less or anything more. /emoticons/smile.png :

If you were ''business minded'' H you wouldn't need a progrmae to do that

 

[Belfastcleaning]

I'd be here forever explaining. It wasn't the programme itself that made a difference - that would be mad to suggest that just buying a piece of software itself would make things better. It's the information the programme provides that makes the difference. Window cleaning is a business, and what all businesses need is information. Information is the lifeblood of a business - what are you doing, where is the work, how much is it worth, what's happening in the future, how much money does a job/window cleaner/customer make - because it's only when you have accurate and measurable information (not guess work or intuition) that you can start to make informed decisions.

Before I got involved there was no "system" in place that allowed the owners to see what was actually happening with the business - just an invoice figure at the end of the month. When I started I introduced and collected the worksheets to see what I could learn, but I quickly realized there was so many jobs that a paper system simply wasn't enough see what was really going on. I tried a few systems and despite issues with them all settled on WCP.

You have to make full use of the information it is able to store - the idea of "rounds, full contact details, prices, frequency and timings - and then record ALL the work being done. Once we started to do that we quickly started to find out what was really happening and that made making decisions easier.

We did tons of other things such a branding - new web site, new company logo, new signwriting on the vans, introduced marketing materials, headed paper (yep, really!), receipt books with company logos - so that everytime a customer interacted or saw us the message was consistent. We did tons of marketing, sheduled in days or half-days when all the guys would go an blitz an area with marketing materials. We started more focussed advertising, got a handle on costs with better cash-flow planning, introduced minimum pricing for any new jobs, monitored working hours, re-scheduled work plans to reduce travelling and increase work time. We introduced new systems to chase up old work that had dropped of (e.g. the person moved house so keep an eye for new owner moving in and introduce ourselves), track all enquiries and follow them through from tender to new job or not (all through WCP), introduced a system to contact customers who maybe only got cleaned every couple of years but the job was worth a lot of money after specific periods of time to remind them we were around. We purposefully chased new commercial work, and now have a list of contracts in the area and when they will be renewed and make a point of keeping in touch with these companies to make sure we get a chance to tender. It's not rocket science - just the thing that every business should do - but most don't.

For instance, when I started I found a file full of old quotations going back years, but all this information was doing was sitting in a cupboard. To me old quotes are important. They tell you who is using window cleaners (but not you), it gives you more contacts to chase for work, it provides info on larger contracts and when they are being re-tendered. I now make a point of dropping these old quotes a bit of marketing information occasionally, calling them for an update, or ask the guys to drop of material each time they pass. Now we can track all that in WCP - we NEVER delete an old job, just archive it for future use.

It's all these other things that actually made the difference, but I still credit WCP with giving us the information we needed so that this could all be focussed to provide max returns. Without WCP I doubt even a quarter of these changes would have occured.

So, if you think the programme in and of itself will increase your business then you will be bitterly disappointed. If you take the system and make use of the information it gives you (it took me hundreds - maybe thousands - of hours to input everything needed at the start - to the annoyance of all the guys - and several hours every week to keep it up to date) it pays off in the long term. It's not a quick fix, but it gives you information, and if you want to double your business in a couple of years in window cleaning it's relatively easy to do....there are millions of windows out there and we're only "playing" at it just now.

You have to remember you ARE a business, think like a business man, take advantage of opportunities, never give up a chance to promote your business, hand out a business card or ask for the business. When I purchase something locally, I always ask about their windows and who does them. Whether it's coal for the fire, logs, new carpets, new cars, I always ask if we can quote for their windows. Same with garages you get your vans serviced in, or buy petrol from. They are all opportunities where ***-for-tat should be tried. No problem if they say no, but if you don't try you'll never know.

It annoys me to heck when people say "we're only window cleaners". No your not. You're running a business. If you only want to work for yourself and are happy with what you earn then that is great, but if you want to grow your business, have lots of employees, and make a lot of money then you have to treat it as a business. There's so little real competition out there in the window cleaning market that it's there to grab if you can stay focussed.

So much for a short answer! /emoticons/tongue.png

Cheers for the reply border! Although I still think pen and paper is best for me. I know the programme wouldnt expand your business. This year I have almost doubled my round. I have also a plan for after Xmas that will hopefully give me a monthly pay rise of around £600 if everyone accepts! That will help cover the part timer I have just took on. I'm hoping to get our work done in 2- 3 days giving me 2 days to canvass and go for a few other ideas Iv got.. Then eventually take another part timer on

 

[TJWindows]

lol but people still use pen and paper /emoticons/smile.png some people even use excel /emoticons/smile.png

u cant compare old computer systems to keeping your round programmes mate /emoticons/tongue.png

at the end of the day i cant see windoiw cleaning programmes really improving /emoticons/tongue.png unless they add in games in to the programme or something ? lmaoo

It wasn't a comparison it was a bit of a joke suggesting that if things don't get developed and continuously improved then the competition will put you out of business, why do you think aworka is now becoming one of the favoured softwares, its because they listen to what the customers want and not tell them we can not do that as we have no plans to develop the software further, hence why I am sharing this information with the wider audience so they can make an informed decision on what is best for them.

 

[harunh]

tj are u using aworka mate ? #

am happy with window cleaner pro mate cant see myself without it am very happpy with it /emoticons/tongue.png

 

[TJWindows]

tj are u using aworka mate ? #

am happy with window cleaner pro mate cant see myself without it am very happpy with it /emoticons/tongue.png

I mentioned I was using excel in my first post

 

[M.K Cleaners.co.uk]

tj are u using aworka mate ? #

am happy with window cleaner pro mate cant see myself without it am very happpy with it /emoticons/tongue.png

I really thought the computer way was the way forward... Not for me, Paper and pen all the way. Its just so much quicker and easyer.

Ive yet to meet someone that can hack my books lol.

P.s I know all my round in my head and the prices. The only thing I have trouble remembering is whos paid. I can remember most of them but I do have to check sometimes

 

[harunh]

marc your brain is a computer near enough /emoticons/wink.png lol

 

[Dodger]

I really thought the computer way was the way forward... Not for me, Paper and pen all the way. Its just so much quicker and easyer.

Ive yet to meet someone that can hack my books lol.

P.s I know all my round in my head and the prices. The only thing I have trouble remembering is whos paid. I can remember most of them but I do have to check sometimes

well said mate, I know computers as well as most people but will stick with pen, paper and my brain too.