Joining Checkatrade.com

[scottish cleaning service]

 Went live 22nd and still don't have my van stickers. No calls as yet but I am really busy so no time to do them. I set it up for pressure washing and now the season is nearly over. I said I would give it a year and see how it pans out but will keep you all updated. :1f609:

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Got my first call today through Checkatrader regarding a monthly clean on a relatively new estate 2miles from me. Wasn't going to view the job until the woman discussed what she wanted cleaned. All glass and PVC frames and SFG once a year. Then the interesting part, the guy that does the estate isn't reliable and that's including collecting the money. She got fed up with him and wants a reliable monthly clean so I said I would go and see it Thursday afternoon. She told me its a 3bed semi and I said probably about a tenner a month, she was ok with that.

 

[Adman]

Don't be afraid to quote higher on Checkatrade jobs as the customer wants a proper job.  ?

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Well I went to see that job today. Its a small mid-terrace, 8 small windows and a half pvc door. I told her a tenner a month and I will do the first clean for same money. Then she pulled me aside and said she maybe putting it on the market. I said thanks for telling me, so £20 first clean and a tenner a month and she was very happy with that. I failed to understand a reason why people would want a clean regardless of price because its going on the market. So first cleans will always be double or triple from now on. :1f609:  

 

[THL4KEL]

Probably wants its looking tidy for the estate agent pictures 

 

[harunh]

£20.00 for a first clean should be minimum charge of £40.00 ?

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Well I did the first clean and gave a good spray with Degreaser. Ended up like a Foam Party and then I realized the 10 to 1 rule. Wee woman was over the moon as I had just put an extra 10 grand on the sale price. Earlier on today I got a call from a woman about 10 miles away from me to clear out some gutters. She ask me how much and I said £3 a metre and confused her. Anyway, after the first clean I drove up to Bishopbriggs to give her a price. 4 bedroom detached house with a full size single story extension. Clear 3 gutters and clear the moss from the extension roof. £80 I said and she said go ahead and immediately got to work. Ended up screwing the downpipe to the gutter as it had fallen off (wee trick I learned as a joiner to put a screw through gutter running outlet and downpipe to prevent it coming apart). Next a gutter union was leaking as clip was non clipping so another pilot hole then a screw through clip, gutter and small piece of wood to hold it all together. Poured in some water and it had sealed. Then I cleaned the gutters with my pro gutter tool and in 2hrs I was finished. She was very happy and filled in my checkatrader form and I posted it for a reference. So all in all I made a ton today because of joining checkatrader. I'm very happy with their service and its beginning to pay off and hope it continues. :1f609:  

 

[Panorama window cleaning]

Well I did the first clean and gave a good spray with Degreaser. Ended up like a Foam Party and then I realized the 10 to 1 rule. Wee woman was over the moon as I had just put an extra 10 grand on the sale price. Earlier on today I got a call from a woman about 10 miles away from me to clear out some gutters. She ask me how much and I said £3 a metre and confused her. Anyway, after the first clean I drove up to Bishopbriggs to give her a price. 4 bedroom detached house with a full size single story extension. Clear 3 gutters and clear the moss from the extension roof. £80 I said and she said go ahead and immediately got to work. Ended up screwing the downpipe to the gutter as it had fallen off (wee trick I learned as a joiner to put a screw through gutter running outlet and downpipe to prevent it coming apart). Next a gutter union was leaking as clip was non clipping so another pilot hole then a screw through clip, gutter and small piece of wood to hold it all together. Poured in some water and it had sealed. Then I cleaned the gutters with my pro gutter tool and in 2hrs I was finished. She was very happy and filled in my checkatrader form and I posted it for a reference. So all in all I made a ton today because of joining checkatrader. I'm very happy with their service and its beginning to pay off and hope it continues. :1f609:  

Just need 1 day like that per month and you'll break even ...reckon you'll profit

Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Aye, that old woman today with the 4 bed detached house, that's the clients I'm after. Its hard for her to do anything physical so they have to get someone in. I'm hoping its me in the future but its quite a trek. If you see me next year with a new Sprinter of Crafter then its all going well. Finding it hard to keep quiet to the naysayers but when they see me busy you can see just by their expression they are desperate to ask how's it going but I'm saying 0 as I'm the only windy on it for 10miles and hope it continues. :1f609:

 

[Panorama window cleaning]

Aye, that old woman today with the 4 bed detached house, that's the clients I'm after. Its hard for her to do anything physical so they have to get someone in. I'm hoping its me in the future but its quite a trek. If you see me next year with a new Sprinter of Crafter then its all going well. Finding it hard to keep quiet to the naysayers but when they see me busy you can see just by their expression they are desperate to ask how's it going but I'm saying 0 as I'm the only windy on it for 10miles and hope it continues. :1f609:

Mate screw what anyone thinks, put them blinkers on and go for it

Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

 

[scottish cleaning service]

We have a thing called the West of Scotland Culture up here. No one likes to see other folk doing well, its just the way it always is. You see it when the old firm are playing against each other. When folk move away and they all seem to do very well in life, especially when they move to Australia.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Checkatrade update:- I didn't realise that my referrals from Squarespace was from Checkatrade as I thought they were from my website. So I have had about 8 jobs around £80 each so I am happy with it. Getting my foot in the door around places I would never have worked in. Am I happy with Checkatrader? Yes, I am happy now knowing it has paid for itself. Probably better for add-on work than just doing one off window cleaning. :1f609:

 

[Adman]

Now I have a full window cleaning order book I will cancel but membership paid up until October 2019...was it worth it?  Maybe when starting out as it sets you apart from the rest and allows you to charge a bit more.  Not for me on-going as the ROI is too low.  And the prices will keep going up and up...

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I will probably go the same route as @Adman because I have a week's work just doing windows each month. Once I get to 2 weeks then I will probably not renew in September.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

With being on Checkatrade, I did notice that my name comes up on front page with a Goggle search. I was wondering how people were finding me because my website is last in a Goggle search. So I might just continue with Checkatrade because I don't need to pay anyone to get me front page coverage. :1f609:

 

[Adman]

i recon its been a month since my last checkatrade enquiry - quickly turning into a right pile of poo.  Dont regret joining them to get me going, but will not renew in October!

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Well an update with Checkatrade which I have been with for 7 months. Last month got 2 roof cleans (through Checkatrade) and made £800 which the customers were very happy about. During the 7 months I have had half a dozen gutter clears and made £400. So Checkatrade has paid for itself. Am I happy with it and their service? Definitely, and will continue my membership for a second year. In hindsight, I would rather have Checkatrade than my website because the two do the same job and cost the same amount at start up costs but the former has got me more work. That work is from folk I would have never met and more business oriented.   :1f44d:

 

[Pjj]

Well an update with Checkatrade which I have been with for 7 months. Last month got 2 roof cleans (through Checkatrade) and made £800 which the customers were very happy about. During the 7 months I have had half a dozen gutter clears and made £400. So Checkatrade has paid for itself. Am I happy with it and their service? Definitely, and will continue my membership for a second year. In hindsight, I would rather have Checkatrade than my website because the two do the same job and cost the same amount at start up costs but the former has got me more work. That work is from folk I would have never met and more business oriented.   :1f44d:

Your web site will get more  hits the longer it’s up and running , and long term should be considerably cheaper to run , get it put on your van if you haven’t already that’s the best advertisement you can have a sighn written van our vans get us loads of new work 

 

[THL4KEL]

Well an update with Checkatrade which I have been with for 7 months. Last month got 2 roof cleans (through Checkatrade) and made £800 which the customers were very happy about. During the 7 months I have had half a dozen gutter clears and made £400. So Checkatrade has paid for itself. Am I happy with it and their service? Definitely, and will continue my membership for a second year. In hindsight, I would rather have Checkatrade than my website because the two do the same job and cost the same amount at start up costs but the former has got me more work. That work is from folk I would have never met and more business oriented.   :1f44d:

I dont think you can compare your website to check a trade, not if its placing you last in the search rankings. You need to spend a few quid getting it fixed or build a new one and get someone to do the SEO for you.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Yes you are both right. My website builder says my name is too generic to stand out. You would need to spend money to do the SEO thing but I am happy with it for now. Soon I will change Checkatrade just to cover Power Washing Roofs, Driveways and Patios. I'm far too busy if the work began to roll in from my website anyhow. I'm beginning to get repeat business which we ultimately want in the future.

 

[THL4KEL]

If your using that site - websitebuilder, you need to get away from that. I was with them and the platform is rubbish. The SEO cant be done properly using that. Get a wordpress site.