? Starting From Zero - Follow Along

[ched999uk]

@JEM Thanks for that detailed post mate, some really helpful tips there.

As for an update, things are going OK, I'm definitely improving in my technique. (still got a long way to go) but I'm a lot better now. I just need to get a bit quicker, but I think working out of a car and with a backpack and barrels has something to do with that.

Still looking around at vans, I don't quite have the money saved yet for one, and I don't really have many customers to justify it. But i'm trying to save in any way that I can. I will have less childcare responsibilities from Jan onwards, so I should be able to save much more.

Still taking too long on first cleans, need to get my time down to 45mins MAX. 

Here's a good question! I need to protect my gardiner backpack from the rain, how do other people do that? I need a plastic cover or something. I've been looking around but not seen anything that looks professional-ish. Any ideas?

I'm still out flyering whenever I can, I am actually enjoying walking every street in my area, because I'm new here it's meaning I get to know everything and meet lots of people! haha.

I think the Gardiner backpack is constructed in such a way that it should be OK in the rain. All the electronics are under the blue tank so unless the pipes leak under there you should be OK. While the charging port, the switch and speed control is on the side they are recessed in so again should be OK, the voltage gauge again is slightly recessed. I have used in mine in the rain without a second thought. It survived a good drowning today no problems - maybe I shouldn't say that ?

I too am a noob and as you say first cleans do take a lot longer. My speed is coming on quite nicely, I read a fair bit on here from a few good chaps and having a procedure, I think is key. I used to start where ever and sometimes I would forget if I had rinsed a pane or not, so I had to rinse again just to be sure. Then I thought about it a bit more logically. I bought 20m of pole hose as an extension as that's the max that Gardiner say you can use as well as the pole hose. Now I try and position the backpack half way round the job. I start at furthest point from car and work back. That way I don't have to move the backpack very often, also if I have to refill then it's closer to the car to start with, so less time wheeling it back to car. 

I think it's a partially a case of thinking about the order you do things as well. i.e. on the rear of a house extend pole do all the high ones then collapse pole and do all lower ones, then move to side/front and do the same. If you do all high windows first you are walking more and moving hose more so taking longer to do the same work. 

I have found that as I have gained experience and cleaned the same house a few times you save time just by knowing how and what order you are doing things in.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

 

[spruce]

WFP isn't usually a problem done in the rain. But I hate working in the rain, so I take a day off if the weather doesn't look good.

What we think and know regarding cleaning in the rain, however, isn't necessarily what the customer thinks or believes.  When you first start then I would be inclined to only clean when the weather isn't bad. You can introduce that concept once they are an established customer.

 

[dazmond]

WFP isn't usually a problem done in the rain. But I hate working in the rain, so I take a day off if the weather doesn't look good.

What we think and know regarding cleaning in the rain, however, isn't necessarily what the customer thinks or believes.  When you first start then I would be inclined to only clean when the weather isn't bad. You can introduce that concept once they are an established customer.

I don't agree with this....work in the rain from the start then your customers won't bat an eyelid when your busier and turn up and its wet

We all have to work in the rain sometimes unless you like getting behind schedule and losing money(or working days you want off like Saturdays for example)

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I don't agree with this....work in the rain from the start then your customers won't bat an eyelid when your busier and turn up and its wet

We all have to work in the rain sometimes unless you like getting behind schedule and losing money(or working days you want off like Saturdays for example)

If you have a full book then you have no choice working in the rain or you end up chasing your tail. If you have the time then its great to skip the heavy rain days especially up here.

 

[Iron Giant]

I don't agree with this....work in the rain from the start then your customers won't bat an eyelid when your busier and turn up and its wet

We all have to work in the rain sometimes unless you like getting behind schedule and losing money(or working days you want off like Saturdays for example)

Ultimately it's personal choice, 

I prefer not work when it's pishing down, if I lose money, I lose money, I don't really care whether by choice or otherwise we all lose money when we don't work if you can't roll with the up's and downs what's the point of been self-employed, 

I knocked off just after 2.30pm after getting caught in heavy downpours twice, it cleared up after 40 minutes but I've no desire to sit in the van for that long, plus I knew my wife would be back with dogs by then at least i didn't have to walk them in the pouring rain ?

 

[Part Timer]

Ultimately it's personal choice, 

I prefer not work when it's pishing down, if I lose money, I lose money, I don't really care whether by choice or otherwise we all lose money when we don't work if you can't roll with the up's and downs what's the point of been self-employed, 

I knocked off just after 2.30pm after getting caught in heavy downpours twice, it cleared up after 40 minutes but I've no desire to sit in the van for that long, plus I knew my wife would be back with dogs by then at least i didn't have to walk them in the pouring rain ?

Heavy rain on and off, mostly on, all day today. Not as heavy as 1st Wednesday in October though.

 

[Iron Giant]

Heavy rain on and off, mostly on, all day today. Not as heavy as 1st Wednesday in October though.

That wind was cold today as well, don't how you can remember 4 weeks ago, I'd struggle to remember what happened yesterday

 

[Part Timer]

That wind was cold today as well, don't how you can remember 4 weeks ago, I'd struggle to remember what happened yesterday

I remember it because it was that bad even I nearly called it a day ? 

 

[Minty]

If you work in an affluent area, do you think people think your too cheap. Agreeing on the door and then thinking he can’t possibly do it for that price when you’ve left?

You don’t need to go cheap or discount to get work. Set your stall out, be confident and pleasant do a good job and it will snowball. But, it needs massive effort for the first 12 months. (Possibly harder at this time of year)

Good luck