Canvassing for expansion

[adamangler]

Its free to advertise in general jobs, i think some categories you have to pay as last time i tried to advertise i swear it wanted 19.99

Got 4 more people interested lined up for next week so maybe one will come thru this time..

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

In general jobs you get 2 free adverts then it's £24.99

If you advertise in any other job section then there is a charge.

Once you have used you two free ads just use a different email address and get another two free.

 

[adamangler]

oh yeh thats it, im on my 4th email address in 2 weeks now but then i forget to check all my emails lol

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

I just leave the ads up never bother taking them down.

 

[adamangler]

Anyway @Green Pro Clean Ltd i know you are paying by the hour with a bonus.

Im offering similar but today i had a conversation with a guy about paying him commission based instead....

Seems a good candidate, confident he can get the work in...mid thirties, has worked door to door for charities and in call centres cold calling and in sales management currently wants to get out of the call centre hes in. He actually wanted to start tomorrow but im unusually busy all day so its going to be monday now.

Anyway weve agreed i will pay him £7.50 per hour for a trial period but ive said to him its only a one or two day a week type deal for now but that depends on how successfull he is at producing work, the more work he can produce the more hours i can give him

Anyway if he turns out to be as good as he sounds (and ive got a feeling he wont mess me about, sounds mature and keen) i would like to give him the opportunity to earn more money and work on his own without me needing to be around to make sure hes doing the job.

The main reason working on his own would suit me is i still have my part time job so its very difficult to clean windows, work, see my kids and do everything else along with supervise a canvasser

To cut a long story short what do you reckon would be a good commission to offer him?

Im thinking 1x clean ?

would you pay it on completion of a 1st clean or upfront?

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

@adamangler the girls get £8 per hour flat rate plus bonus. I would avoid the commission only route full stop.

If you go commission only, he brings you in 10 customers and then (for arguments sake) 3 or 4 turn out to be total messers, you go to pay him his money and he says 'well this is short by 3 or 4 jobs' you reply 'yep three or 4 were messers' and it becomes your opinion versus his and could lead to bitter feelings.

You pay commission only and he has a great month and is happy, you ask him to hit a different area for the next two weeks, this area is super tough and he can only manage 1 or two customers for a days work for three or four straight days, do you think he will hang around?

The girls get the flat rate, paid out on a Saturday, they have no fixed hours, I am letting them do what they like pretty much, I only stipulate they work Saturday and at least two other days in the week, if they want to do more I dont argue. They bring in more revenue per hour than they get paid on average so I am happy. Any day one of them generates £120 of new business I pay them a £50 bonus HOWEVER bonus money is paid at the end of the month once all jobs have been cleaned and confirmed.

If you put an employee on commission only and they have a good few days great, then for some reason one off day and they aren't earning and this can start to negatively impact the next day and so on and downward the spiral goes.

If one of my girls has an off day? Oh well let's go again tomorrow, and whilst yes I am disappointed they didnt secure new work I never let them see that fact in my face, I give 'it's a funny old game, no matter!' attitude and a smile.

If one of them were to have three or four blank days well then it may be time for a long chat and a reconsideration of our agreement.

 

[adamangler]

Good points.

I was looking at it as he can do as much as he wants when he wants and earn as much as he wants but yes it has its down sides.

Hoping the more he is earning the more he wants to do and the better it works out for me.

Will have to speak to him and see whats best for us both, ultimately i want the canvasser to be happy and eager to produce the work long term and as long as im making money from them i dont really care how they get paid.

Its going to depend on how much money they want or are expecting to earn, as whilst a youngster might be happy earning £40 for a few hours 2-3 days a week someone else might have ambitions of earning more, which is fine by me they can earn as much as they like as i need a lot of work.

Either way i think its the way forward especially if you have ambitions further than being a solo operator.

Cant wait to get someone and get started now, never been so keen to get out knocking doors!

 

[Andy]

just been looking on gumtree to get some idears for advert some one asking for canvassers in Basildon and brentwood to build window cleaning round £7.00 hour. id have thought they would be on london rates

 

[Markyboy 50]

I'm with Boar on this. I'm not ambitious enough to employ anyone. Make a very nice living on me own. Very happy with my lot. Don't spend all the money I earn so earning more would be pointless. That's why I only work 3 days a week

 

[Underdog]

Do you make plans to canvass later in evening for the ones who work all day that are not home. Where I work I'd get almost nothing if I canvassed the hours you work too.

 

[Andy]

placed a add for canvasser how do you get the ladies to answer iv had 1 email so far as it came to me iv just left his name from the top.

Hi,

I am interested in the role of Canvasser. Can you send me more information about it please.

I am 44 years old, very happy to talk to people, flexible and up for a challenge! My current job is teaching drums and percussion for East Sussex Music, by I also work part-time for a sound and light company, as well as playing drums in various bands. I have lots of experience out on the streets handing out fliers to promote gigs. In the past I have worked for a double glazing company, cold-calling potential customers, delivering flowers for a florist, laying a patio and general labouring and much more.

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

This is not a post advising you how to pick up girls, it is just opinions on canvassing, why are you opposed to giving the guy a shot?

Adamangler has a guy starting for him.

I had the ad up for sometime and believe it or not I only had 4 applicants, one dont speak english another sent me a text saying 'i like the sound of the canvassing job' (I thought good for you) and then the two girls, that's the only real reason I have girls on my crew.

 

[Solarpanelcleanington]

I'm thinking of following suit. When you pay these guys/gals, do they need to be registered self employed? What's the deal employment law wise? Or is it case of bung them some cash type thing?

 

[Andy]

@Green Pro Clean Ltd I am going to try him out i diddent state that i wasent. i no what the thread is about it was just a jisty comment. but in you reply did you not interveiw the one that liked the sound of the canvassing job?

 

[adamangler]

Imo you interview them on the job.

By all means talk to them first to get a general feel of things, i.e can speak english, dont sound like a complete chav, phone you or at least send you a legible text. No "alreet pal i wanna do that canvassin"

Other than than as long as they sound like a half decent human being, take them out and see how they get on, im sure you will know after the first shift if you wish to keep them on.

Ive had 2 messers so far and the guy who was supposed to be starting tomorrow hasnt replied either but i have another couple of interested partys to contact.

Seems like green got lucky to get two good people almost straight away, for others it may take a bit more trial and error but looks like the rewards are there when you find the right person so keep looking.

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

I'm thinking of following suit. When you pay these guys/gals, do they need to be registered self employed? What's the deal employment law wise? Or is it case of bung them some cash type thing?

That is entirely up to you and how you run your operation, as per the title of the thread I am expanding and the only way I can see to move forward is 100% legit so both of these girls are on the books, they will have whatever taxes and NI deducted that the accountant says has to be deducted. I also prefer them to be legit as they are covered by insurance so if they were to trip of the customers step and do themselves an injury I am covered.

you reply did you not interveiw the one that liked the sound of the canvassing job?

No I did not, they did not state that they were looking for a job, or even interested in an interview, they just stated a fact 'I like the sound of the canvassing job' that is not an inquiry for more information or a request for consideration hence warranted no further time on my part.

Seems like green got lucky to get two good people almost straight away,

I have to agree Adam, I have only had 4 'nibbles' and I have hired two, I think I have got lucky, the adverts are still active but my phone is not blowing up with candidates.

 

[adamangler]

My saga continues...

The two that said they could start today have also let me down, one just wont answer or reply to texts, the other has had a migraine in the night and will let me know when she is better lol

so far ive had 4 messers who have let me down on the day, no idea why people do this but they do.

Im all out of ideas at the minute, missed out on two rounds last weeks as well

Ive placed 5 ads for door to door now and had 6 replies, i placed one add for leafletting only a while ago and got about a dozen so people arent going mad to get out knocking doors

 

[Solarpanelcleanington]

It takes a certain kind of person to knock doors, especially if it's not their business.

 

[adamangler]

It takes a certain type to knock when it is there business as well. It's the last job I would do as a career in fact I'd rather be on the dole so can't really blame them.

 

[Gabor]

It takes a certain kind of person to knock doors, especially if it's not their business.

Yes, that's right. But it's still not an excuse to not turn up for work after you agreed with them.

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

Well a quick update on the canvassing front. Yesterday and today Jade hit up a small village just 2 miles from here. Yesterday she scored the following.

1 x bungalow with small conservatory £14 - 1 x Small bungalow with conservatory £15 - 1 x small bungalow with 2 dormers (loft conversion) £12 - 1 x small cottage at £14 - 2 x small semis (next door to each other) £10 ea. - So £75 per month for yesterday.

Today 1 x 4 bed with small conservatory £25 - 2 x Small cottages at £14 - 1 small semi at £10 and 1 large (40 minute house) about 5 beds and conservatory at £60 so £123 for todays effort.

So all told £198 for 2 afternoons canvassing, she will be heading back there tomorrow again! Most pleasing results! /emoticons/smile.png