Help me gain some direction please chaps!

[Teaboy]

How are you guys getting to work, on here and I get people telling me they can make it work but everytime we try we get nothing


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[P4dstar]

How are you guys getting to work, on here and I get people telling me they can make it work but everytime we try we get nothing


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I set Google up with the aim to get calls and I did it as an advert from my business listing not just general google AdWords. I'm only a few days in so still need more time to see if this actually works.

With Facebook I literally posted a video I made and asked ''do you need a window cleaner''. Rule number one of marketing is KISS.....

Keep It Simple Stupid. In fairness I'm fairly nifty with a PC and making pro videos but a basic one can work as well. 

There is the other hand where Facebook post have got me nothing. I am currently running a 'win a free window clean' campaign. All they had to do was like my page and share the post... had less than 10 people enter!! Massive disaster.

 

[Iron Giant]

FB can and does work but I ain't cracked the code as yet, I usually get very little response to any ads which I spend very little on they reach 100's of people but I only get a few messages and it's usually in areas I don't or wont cover. 

The best thing about fb is that if you post once a week or so  on average and not run ads it shows consistency over a period of time and shows you have a history, Plus it showcases your jobs with before and after pics. I typically get messaged and pick up jobs via fb without running ads.

I have picked up 15 jobs in the last few weeks and have only boosted posts to people who already like my page and their friends and only spent £9, I spent £186 on van getting signed 2 weeks ago and had 2 walk ups and neither of them turned into jobs . 

 

[adamangler]

How are you guys getting to work, on here and I get people telling me they can make it work but everytime we try we get nothing


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You need to learn how to do it. Not just throw a few quid on it and say it doesn't work.

Hi to a site called Udemy and download a course in Facebook ads

Split testing is the key

 

[CM Cleaning Services]

Facebook certainly works in my area I do a post monday and share it to as many groups I can then share that post again wednesday and friday and I can pick up 3-5 jobs a week from it ,

Just this week I started a competition for likes, shares or reviews and 1st week 49 hits

Yesterday posted a spring clean offer by end of the day had 3 bookings done

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[Iron Giant]

i'm 33 years old and I've spent the last ten years in sales making a living and getting by. One year you're top dog and then they throw your targets up and squeeze the life out of you. I want to retire when i'm 55 and my current situation while a safe wage is not driving me towards that goal!

So you have a background in sales canvassing shouldn't be that hard for as you are used to talking to people and have maybe some knowledge other guys don't, Currently you have £500 earnings in window cleaning clients which is 2 days work. 

You have another 18 working days over a 4 week period to go out canvassing like a madman as you will need to multiply your current earnings x6 to reach the same income level as your paid employment, It may seem like a mountain to climb but it's doable to build a round fast, I met another windy years ago in a different area he lost his job in sales so used his redundancy to buy a small trad round van etc and converted it to wfp, He had never cleaned a window in his life before and within a year he had 1 employee and within a few years had 3 vans on the road. 

You may have to take some crabby jobs along the way and suffer some losses, we all have over the years i have kept on bad payers etc for far to long in the past just to keep jobs in a area and build a more compact rounds. All I can say is don't take it easy just push and push canvass 7 days a week if you have to and you will hit your goal. Best of luck I.G

 

[P4dstar]

So you have a background in sales canvassing shouldn't be that hard for as you are used to talking to people and have maybe some knowledge other guys don't, Currently you have £500 earnings in window cleaning clients which is 2 days work. 

You have another 18 working days over a 4 week period to go out canvassing like a madman as you will need to multiply your current earnings x6 to reach the same income level as your paid employment, It may seem like a mountain to climb but it's doable to build a round fast, I met another windy years ago in a different area he lost his job in sales so used his redundancy to buy a small trad round van etc and converted it to wfp, He had never cleaned a window in his life before and within a year he had 1 employee and within a few years had 3 vans on the road. 

You may have to take some crabby jobs along the way and suffer some losses, we all have over the years i have kept on bad payers etc for far to long in the past just to keep jobs in a area and build a more compact rounds. All I can say is don't take it easy just push and push canvass 7 days a week if you have to and you will hit your goal. Best of luck I.G

Thanks dude. Ive picked up 15 customers since Monday and have more to quote. Some through canvassing and some through leaflet drops. I've been canvassing in streets I work and leafleting areas I don't. Coupled with the odd Facebook post i feel its going well. Thanks I.G

Also this question was asked at the right time for me as plans completely changed yesterday. I went to work only to be told my branch was closing. They have agreed to pay me for my notice period but don't need me to work.... I feel like someone somewhere is looking down on me here haha.

 

[Iron Giant]

Thanks dude. Ive picked up 15 customers since Monday and have more to quote. Some through canvassing and some through leaflet drops. I've been canvassing in streets I work and leafleting areas I don't. Coupled with the odd Facebook post i feel its going well. Thanks I.G

Just going back to within 2 days or so of leaflted areas to canvass. You'd be amazed how many say I was going to call you, but obviously life gets in the way and they might no call for months or never if I someone else canvassers the area.

Good to hear things are going well [emoji106][emoji106]

County Durham Lad

 

[P4dstar]

Just going back to within 2 days or so of leaflted areas to canvass. You'd be amazed how many say I was going to call you, but obviously life gets in the way and they might no call for months or never if I someone else canvassers the area.

Good to hear things are going well

County Durham Lad
 

Yeah I planned to do that but I found I get a customer or so in a new area from the leaflets and then canvass while I clean... @Robbo gave me the idea of leaving the van open, have a bit of scrim attached to my waist etc so they get the idea who I am etc and hardly had a bad response from it thus far.

 

[Iron Giant]

As long as your plan is working that's all that counts. If you could average 15 new sign ups a week over the next 8 weeks that would be great.

County Durham Lad

 

[P4dstar]

As long as your plan is working that's all that counts. If you could average 15 new sign ups a week over the next 8 weeks that would be great.

County Durham Lad
 

Lets go for 20 then haha. I'll let you know how I get on  :1f44d:

 

[Skxawng]

Also this question was asked at the right time for me as plans completely changed yesterday. I went to work only to be told my branch was closing. They have agreed to pay me for my notice period but don't need me to work.... I feel like someone somewhere is looking down on me here haha.

Wow, that's good timing. Did you see it coming?

 

[P4dstar]

Wow, that's good timing. Did you see it coming?

Months ago mate... they shut 10% of the branches last year, then the FCA made them provide refunds in line with new rules (Even though the rules weren’t in place at the time people signed up) cost them millions... loads of other **** happened, company cars taken away etc but yeah this was always on the horizon I think

 

[Iron Giant]

Bloomin heck, Stay positive and yes mate go for 20 a week push push push, Personally i took the lazy road for most of my 18 years being in business never had the drive, but no kids and and my wife and me have always had a good life nowt flash just fortunate. 

 

 

[spruce]

An earlier post mentioned debt. The one thing we found is to keep a strict watch on debt and not to do another clean until you have been paid for the last one. The job is only complete when the money is in your pocket. Don't be afraid to ask for money outstanding. When you get it, think hard about whether you clean again or not if has taken effort to get it. This will help to keep any losses small.

Once they have proved their debt worthiness then we might let it go to 2 cleans but no more. They get harassed for payment after the second clean.

I have always been a believer in not having all your eggs in one basket. I also prefer lots of small eggs (residential) rather than a really big egg (commercial). If it goes pear shaped you loose out financially with the debt and having to fill a large empty schedule slot. So we treat a big clean as the icing on the cake - a bonus - rather than a slice of the cake.

 

[P4dstar]

An earlier post mentioned debt. The one thing we found is to keep a strict watch on debt and not to do another clean until you have been paid for the last one. The job is only complete when the money is in your pocket. Don't be afraid to ask for money outstanding. When you get it, think hard about whether you clean again or not if has taken effort to get it. This will help to keep any losses small.

Once they have proved their debt worthiness then we might let it go to 2 cleans but no more. They get harassed for payment after the second clean.

I have always been a believer in not having all your eggs in one basket. I also prefer lots of small eggs (residential) rather than a really big egg (commercial). If it goes pear shaped you loose out financially with the debt and having to fill a large empty schedule slot. So we treat a big clean as the icing on the cake - a bonus - rather than a slice of the cake.

Well since i've started to price a little more aggressively I have shot up a little faster. I guess this may lead to more non payers but we will see.

I dont remember mentioning debt but as I have had the issue I probably have haha... Well remembered Spruce.

To be fair in the job I left yesterday I was a store manager for a company offering hire purchase (Can't say anymore as I am technically on the Payroll still until May) but I have experience of knocking the door of customers who haven't paid a bill.... a lot of experience of this. I have dealt with people face to face and over the phone regarding debt also so I should have been ok with this but when its your own business it was a littler more difficult to get into the swing of.

I have dealt with 4 so far. I make all invoices due one week after the clean. I know a lot of people say about asking for cash on the day but to be honest I live in the middle of the countryside, it would often cost me more in diesel to leave and come back when they have cash than just to clean and give them my trust. I can think of 6 cleans I would have had to come back to.

Here's how I dealt with each one. I would be interested to see if you would do anything differently...

1. Business customer (I clean his house and his business and invoice all in one) They asked for 30 day payment terms. Have been a couple of times and they ask me to do the inside. I did the outside as usual, then the inside a week later but didn't remember to bill them for a week. I clean there every 6 weeks so it was due on the day I next cleaned. They were all busy so I just got on and mentioned it in the email I sent with the next invoice. The next invoice was paid but the one before remained outstanding. I sent a reminder a week later, thanked them for the quick payment on the latest invoice but reminded them the previous one was outstanding. Another week went by so I called and spoke to a girl in accounts. It was paid the same day.

2. A regular residential customer. Next door neighbour to my best mate and he recommended me to her. She went a week overdue so I sent a reminder. The reminder kindly says its automated. It was another week before she paid but I was too busy to notice. The next time I cleaned I offered her direct debit and said how much easier it was and she went for GC.

3. One off clean. Literally just ignored the email. I sent the reminder a day after it was due and left them 3 days before messaging on Facebook (This is where they found me) they apologised and paid.

4. Monthly customer. Went out for a quote one night and booked them in for the following Saturday. They responded to the quote email I sent on Quickbooks but once I cleaned it they didn't respond to the invoice or reminder email. Eventually when I sent a personalised email I started to get responses. I was promised payment the next day for about 5 days. I was asked for bank details several times. Normally I let them pay via PayPal or bank transfer for the first clean but I decided to offer direct debit because they were messing me around... Apparently the link doesn't work. In the end they paid up about 2 weeks late.

The one point I never got to was knocking the door and asking for the money

 

[Iron Giant]

Well since i've started to price a little more aggressively I have shot up a little faster. I guess this may lead to more non payers but we will see.

I dont remember mentioning debt but as I have had the issue I probably have haha... Well remembered Spruce.

To be fair in the job I left yesterday I was a store manager for a company offering hire purchase (Can't say anymore as I am technically on the Payroll still until May) but I have experience of knocking the door of customers who haven't paid a bill.... a lot of experience of this. I have dealt with people face to face and over the phone regarding debt also so I should have been ok with this but when its your own business it was a littler more difficult to get into the swing of.

I have dealt with 4 so far. I make all invoices due one week after the clean. I know a lot of people say about asking for cash on the day but to be honest I live in the middle of the countryside, it would often cost me more in diesel to leave and come back when they have cash than just to clean and give them my trust. I can think of 6 cleans I would have had to come back to.

Here's how I dealt with each one. I would be interested to see if you would do anything differently...

1. Business customer (I clean his house and his business and invoice all in one) They asked for 30 day payment terms. Have been a couple of times and they ask me to do the inside. I did the outside as usual, then the inside a week later but didn't remember to bill them for a week. I clean there every 6 weeks so it was due on the day I next cleaned. They were all busy so I just got on and mentioned it in the email I sent with the next invoice. The next invoice was paid but the one before remained outstanding. I sent a reminder a week later, thanked them for the quick payment on the latest invoice but reminded them the previous one was outstanding. Another week went by so I called and spoke to a girl in accounts. It was paid the same day.

2. A regular residential customer. Next door neighbour to my best mate and he recommended me to her. She went a week overdue so I sent a reminder. The reminder kindly says its automated. It was another week before she paid but I was too busy to notice. The next time I cleaned I offered her direct debit and said how much easier it was and she went for GC.

3. One off clean. Literally just ignored the email. I sent the reminder a day after it was due and left them 3 days before messaging on Facebook (This is where they found me) they apologised and paid.

4. Monthly customer. Went out for a quote one night and booked them in for the following Saturday. They responded to the quote email I sent on Quickbooks but once I cleaned it they didn't respond to the invoice or reminder email. Eventually when I sent a personalised email I started to get responses. I was promised payment the next day for about 5 days. I was asked for bank details several times. Normally I let them pay via PayPal or bank transfer for the first clean but I decided to offer direct debit because they were messing me around... Apparently the link doesn't work. In the end they paid up about 2 weeks late.

The one point I never got to was knocking the door and asking for the money

The link doesn't work could be in a rare case of a security issue with the browser they are using on their phone, tablet or pc, it happened with one of my new clients and he had to go to his parents and use their pc , I had a personal example were I wanted to change details or something with now tv and because i was using opera the change wouldn't process after a web chat I was told I could only use explorer or chrome as they classed some other browsers as non secure. 

Although it may hinder your sign up rate a bit I would try to get new clients signed up to GC asap as once you hit your sign up targets and have full rounds you will have a continual rolling debt in excess of £700-1,000 constantly.

 

[P4dstar]

The link doesn't work could be in a rare case of a security issue with the browser they are using on their phone, tablet or pc, it happened with one of my new clients and he had to go to his parents and use their pc , I had a personal example were I wanted to change details or something with now tv and because i was using opera the change wouldn't process after a web chat I was told I could only use explorer or chrome as they classed some other browsers as non secure. 

To be honest, in the last few years people have fed me with so much bulls**t about why they can't pay I have become quite sceptical. The thing for me was that they paid 2 weeks late on the last working day of the month... If they had just said 'listen, we don't get paid until the 1st' I would have just set the due date to the first and left them alone. I think it was more likely they were ******* around until payday otherwise they would have just paid by bank transfer the first time they offered that.

 

[Iron Giant]

People don't want to tell their windy that they are skint, But no doubt they would have being down the pub and shopping at Sainsburys, I've had that in the past was getting messed around for payment went knocking one night new house new car and unloading groceries looked mortified when I turned up for payment. 

If you are using GC are you setting payment dates and not bulk requesting after jobs are completed. 

 

[P4dstar]

People don't want to tell their windy that they are skint, But no doubt they would have being down the pub and shopping at Sainsburys, I've had that in the past was getting messed around for payment went knocking one night new house new car and unloading groceries looked mortified when I turned up for payment. 

I'm used to people being mortified I turn up... difference was they thought I was there to collect goods in my last job. I have dealt with some horrific people on my travels. One woman stood there telling us she had no money, half way through the local takeaway came round to deliver, said thats £32, she hands over £40 and says keep the change before continuing to tell us she had no money haha.

With regards to GC, I send them an invoice after the first clean and let them pay that however and then once its paid I send them the GC link to sign up, I just make the invoice due 7 days later, do you think it is worth having a specific payment date for each customer? I'm using it in conjunction with Quickbooks so the invoice is generated by Quickbooks. Most of the customers who use GC love it.

 

[Iron Giant]

No mate I collect through cp. But in the beginning I went through GC dashboard and made payment requests daily a 7 day invoice date means you ain't getting paid for nearly two weeks surely.

County Durham Lad