What to do with too much work?

[Bongofish]

A conny roof at £20 that does sound very very cheap. Surely that takes more than 30 mins pulling up to pulling away? Not to mention a bit for chemicals. Don't sell yourself too cheap. Work smarter not harder. Maybe start pricing things based on £40 an hour and see how you go. I realise you are comparing to what you used to do but you have to remember you used to get what 22 days paid holiday a year and sick pay and didn't have to pay for your van or equipment, fuel, insurance etc.... 

£10 for 10mins work is good but anyone thinking a job is only worth £10 is thinking way too low. It's not just your time they are paying for it's your equipment and skill as well. Could the nice couple have done the job themselves? No so it's your equipment and skill they are paying for.

Sounds like you could up your earnings by a decent amount just by upping your prices a bit. No need to be greedy but time each job as if it were the only 1 in the street not 'its only £15 as I am already in the street'. If you can compact your round you should earn more not give custys cheaper cleaning!! You are in business to earn money.

All that said you are doing well after 7 months and if you are happy then no problems but would a few more ££ in the bank make you more content????

Sorry I meant £20 for the one barge board(and how crazy it is for people to take offence at £20 for a full 6 bedroomed house)....Conny roof is £90 ??

 

[Iron Giant]

I like to keep my houses an average of 10 a day mon-friday

Can't understand just doing 10 houses a day over 5 days and possibly working 6 days a week with add ons, nest to crack off as much work as possible in any working day and charge appropriately for each job.

10 houses would be around 3 hours for me on regular cleans for me dependant on the houses and how close they are together I do anywhere from 20 to 30 houses a day, granted first cleans do take longer so make a longer day as and when

now got an annual conservatory roof out of them......£20 for that

Pure madness charging that price should be £75 minimum for a small conny including all panels frame and ridge along with washing down the guttering and windows effected during the clean process and cracked off in under 2hrs for that money

 

[Bongofish]

Can't understand just doing 10 houses a day over 5 days and possibly working 6 days a week with add ons, nest to crack off as much work as possible in any working day and charge appropriately for each job.

10 houses would be around 3 hours for me on regular cleans for me dependant on the houses and how close they are together I do anywhere from 20 to 30 houses a day, granted first cleans do take longer so make a longer day as and when

Pure madness charging that price should be £75 minimum for a small conny including all panels frame and ridge along with washing down the guttering and windows effected during the clean process and cracked off in under 2hrs for that money

Hey iron. See previous post as Conny roof is £90 and the barge board for 10 mins cost £20. 

Although I do agree maybe I should just start working longer hours and more houses. Just don't want to be that unreliable guy with loads of houses. That's how I got alot of customers at the start. 

 

[Iron Giant]

Hey iron. See previous post as Conny roof is £90 and the barge board for 10 mins cost £20. 

Although I do agree maybe I should just start working longer hours and more houses. Just don't want to be that unreliable guy with loads of houses. That's how I got alot of customers at the start. 

Apologies for the conny roof mistake, 

I do over 100 houses a week sometimes in 4 days I struggle to get out the door most mornings before 8.30am and I am always home before 4pm and I am near enough as regular as clockwork,  you need to maximise your earnings and keep within reasonable limits without overstretching yourself

 

[Part Timer]

A conny roof at £20 that does sound very very cheap

That's how I read it initially but I think he meant he got £20 for the barge board clean and an annual conny roof clean, without mentioning the charge for that, or I hope that's what he meant.

Just saw his reply on P2 ?

 

[Davy G]

Let them turn their noses up if they will. Move on! You own the business. Search out and find the clientele to suit you.

I also drove artics for long, low paid hours. The pay never came near to matching the time and the huge responsibility. I made a resolved decision that the days of other people controlling my life and my income were past.

I make sure that I charge a good price for me and one that I also feel is a fair but slightly high price for the customer. I did that from day one. I avoided the temptation to price low just to secure work. It wasn't the timid way I wanted to start, and regret later. I could see the problems long-term, of getting recommended to neighbours and relatives of customers with low prices and having difficulty raising them as I got busy, if I'd gone that route. I started as I intended to continue and build the business.

I also was thinking of the other guys who already had built rounds. It wasn't in my nature for me to drive down prices and deliberately undercut. I priced by instinct and chance really as I had no experience to go by. Turned out, I wasn't far out with pricing. I reckon we get about 70~80% of the jobs we quote.

It's important to have a bit of courage, grit, determination and self belief. ?

 

[Bwfc]

If it's bad weather oh well . I still work.

20 houses is easy.  All over the place and different sizes.

All done on a 400l tank in a bipper.

I have a reason to be working so much so I can create work for employees to then retire early 

Gotta love a nipper. Done me well too

Gotta love a Bipper. Done me well too

 

[Dave B]

Gotta love a nipper. Done me well too

 

[Bwfc]

View attachment 22550

 

[ched999uk]

View attachment 22550

How do you fit a 400lts tank and all your kit in there?

 

[swc1]

as regular as clockwork,  you need to maximise your earnings and keep within reasonable limits without overstretching yourself

I agree with this! ?

 

[Dave B]

How do you fit a 400lts tank and all your kit in there?

Open the doors?.

I've seen them with a 600l ibc.

 

[ched999uk]

Open the doors?.

I've seen them with a 600l ibc.

I guess a flat tank with reel etc on top? Do you find it's nice and easy to park and good on fuel?

 

[Dave B]

I guess a flat tank with reel etc on top? Do you find it's nice and easy to park and good on fuel?

Easy to park on the estates I work on...that's why I bought it.

 

[Damo]

I haven't read all the replies but nobody has mentioned expand? Try to expand by taking on guys. 

 

[Bwfc]

I guess a flat tank with reel etc on top? Do you find it's nice and easy to park and good on fuel?

I got a 250 litre tank does me a full day fine. Then still got space for Jerry can, trad gear, traffic cone & spares. Yeah good on fuel

 

[swc1]

It's important to have a bit of courage, grit, determination and self belief. ?

Persistents overcomes Resistance!

 

[swc1]

Open the doors?.

Now that's funny! ??

 

[dazmond]

Yeh I think your right and I'm going to add £2 onto every quote . The problem I have is in 8 months I've become known in my town for being the window cleaner. My town is a local town but with ALOT of houses , probably about 5,000 and all within a 5 min drive from home. And this is where 95% of my work comes from as I don't see a need to even reach out to other local villages. I hate to give away work that's on my doorstep but I am getting to a comfortable 180 customers a month and then 1 off jobs aswell. I'm not greedy and don't want to be making 4k a month....I'm happy to pull in £500-600 a week and have a good balance. But it's seriously hard tontrun down work that's 1 min drive from door step. ??

Price higher....you ll soon be earning that £4k a month for part time hours mate(I do!).....?

 

[dazmond]

I haven't read all the replies but nobody has mentioned expand? Try to expand by taking on guys. 

he doesnt need to expand...if hes only earning £500-£600 a week.....he needs to compact the round more and charge higher prices which will come in time...he should be able to easily earn £4k a month on his own working 25 hours a week mon-fri once his round is more compact and prices are higher,,,,,

his prices must be low and the work spread out to be only earning £500-£600 a week for 5-6 days a week....even only working 5 hours a day....

 

[Damo]

he doesnt need to expand...if hes only earning £500-£600 a week.....he needs to compact the round more and charge higher prices which will come in time...he should be able to easily earn £4k a month on his own working 25 hours a week mon-fri once his round is more compact and prices are higher,,,,,

his prices must be low and the work spread out to be only earning £500-£600 a week for 5-6 days a week....even only working 5 hours a day....

Like i said, i haven't read all the replies but yes i would get that sorted first.