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Taking to much on/losing passion for the business

Laugher

Active member
Messages
319
Location
Woodhall spa
I feel like I'm at breaking point with the business, I'm struggling to keep on top of everything, it's taking me nearly 6 weeks to get round my 4 week round so nearly 12 weeks for 8 weekly work, phone still keeps ringing and enquiries keep coming through my website, and unfortunately I don't like to say no.

Feel like I've lost grip of the business a bit and it's affecting me personally and I'm losing my passion for it.

Ive tried taking someone on for a couple days a week but feel like we're not earning enough between us I'm only making about 20-50 on top of my normal daily turnover, I do travel up to 30 mins from my house to do some of my work. I'm not the quickest wfper and feel my pricing could be better but unsure what to do

 
It's very easy to get into this kind of situation - been there myself! In a way this is a good situation to be in since you just need to work out how to refine your round which will be an ongoing process from now on! This is how I tried/am trying to refine it:

  • Drop any 'not this timers', bad payers etc...
  • Work out my target hourly rate. Time every clean. For every clean that doesn't meet my hourly rate - or any clean that I don't like doing - I increase the price.
  • As far as new work is concerned I either price it much higher (since in most cases I don't really want it) or I give them the details of another local windie who is starting out.
  • Something else I have been considering is selling small areas of work - not had much success with this though.
I had to turn down an offer to clean a large hotel today... There is no way I'll have time to clean it. It's really counter-intuitive to do this when you're running your own business but sometimes you just have to say NO! Otherwise the business will just take over your life.

Good luck!

 
im in the same boat but i run things a bit different i dont have 6 week custmers 8 week custmers 4 week custmers ect ect it takes me between 6/7 weeks to get round i do to different options its eather every time or every other time  simple any one who dont like it can go eals were  its very stressfull at times bing late ive been up to 9 weeks turn around lol and thats not good at the minit im working sat half days as well so im back to 6 weeks again wich is nice but im saving for a gun and a house once ive got these ill be chilling out a bit may have to sell off some work thats to far out of my way 

 
im in the same boat but i run things a bit different i dont have 6 week custmers 8 week custmers 4 week custmers ect ect it takes me between 6/7 weeks to get round i do to different options its eather every time or every other time  simple any one who dont like it can go eals were  its very stressfull at times bing late ive been up to 9 weeks turn around lol and thats not good at the minit im working sat half days as well so im back to 6 weeks again wich is nice but im saving for a gun and a house once ive got these ill be chilling out a bit may have to sell off some work thats to far out of my way 
Must be an expensive gun, Shotgun or rifle I have toyed with idea but I can go shooting clays anytime I like at the local club using some very good guns of the club secretary who i have become friends with and have plans to go shooting in the wilds of Northumberland in the coming weeks with a mate who has guns but shooting with rifles for rabbits . 

 
Some time back @Damo did his 'Trafic light' system. 

Print out all your clients on paper then highlight them.

Red = bad payers,  not this time, poor access, yard full of dog poo etc. 

Yellow = bit far out (but well priced), reasonable work but priced too low,  never home to pay so needs to go on GoCardless etc. 

Green = All the good Stuff. 

Be really brutal in your assessment, don't mark a red as yellow or a yellow as green to make the balance sheet look good. It only you looking at it.  

Anyone that is for the chop be honest with them and tell them why, some will rectify the issue to keep a good window cleaner. Same with the yellows. Most yellows are just under priced so getting them up to fair price will drop you a couple but they only want you cause your cheap. (No sleep lost there then) 

Green clients, get them all organized into the round and be sure to focus you customer service there as they are the ones you like and also the ones you will enjoy more. 

Yesterday I finished a chain of 5 schools for the week and made the decision that they are being dropped,  why? Cause all though the price is fair and they are not bad payers the work can only be done during school holidays which is key canvassing time for me.  So in the long game (remember I am 99% residential as I prefer it) that canvass time is more profitable to me than the price of the schools.  It's not all about the price of the individual job. 

 
I think it's time to be a bit firm, I am a bit of a soft touch with people, I like to try and keep everyone happy, I don't hit the hourly rate I would like to anywhere near enough I think that is combination of low pricing and poor technique. I think I do put to much pressure on myself, I'm trying to buy a house in the village I'm in and it's not the cheapest Place to buy in the area I live and while I'm renting a house it's taking longer to save up.

The traffic light system sounds really good will have to put that into practice and refine the round try and compact it a bit so I'm not travelling as much for little reward and put the prices up on most as well, some jobs have never gone up in 8 years I've done them. 

 
I went through a phase recently where I totally lost my mojo for window cleaning. People would call or email, and I would ignore them. The ones that I would answer to I would say I'd contact them in the next few weeks, and then wouldn't. Eventually I would just tell people that my round was full. I passed up on loads of work and possibly really harmed my business in more ways than one. It took me a while to realise it, but it was my work practices that were the issue. I found the route cause of my issues...it was the system I was using. I was messing about with a backpack, on a rubbish trolley, in a van overloaded with stuff I don't need...no wonder I hated going to work. After investing in my work practices by kitting out my van I have my old enthusiasm back. Apart from getting my head around hose management etc, the round flows efficiently now. I have bought a load of branded warm clothing, waterproof gloves hats etc so I'm looking smart again and comfortable in the cold.

Aside from all that, what I will do next time it happens is to start a referral business. There's enough people out there getting in to the trade, and I have a high google ranking website that generates plenty of calls. So I'll charge a cut to pass customers on.



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Some time back [mention=2594]Damo[/mention] did his 'Trafic light' system. 
 
Print out all your clients on paper then highlight them.
 
Red = bad payers,  not this time, poor access, yard full of dog poo etc. 
 
Yellow = bit far out (but well priced), reasonable work but priced too low,  never home to pay so needs to go on GoCardless etc. 
 
Green = All the good Stuff. 
 
Be really brutal in your assessment, don't mark a red as yellow or a yellow as green to make the balance sheet look good. It only you looking at it.  
 
Anyone that is for the chop be honest with them and tell them why, some will rectify the issue to keep a good window cleaner. Same with the yellows. Most yellows are just under priced so getting them up to fair price will drop you a couple but they only want you cause your cheap. (No sleep lost there then) 
 
Green clients, get them all organized into the round and be sure to focus you customer service there as they are the ones you like and also the ones you will enjoy more. 
 
Yesterday I finished a chain of 5 schools for the week and made the decision that they are being dropped,  why? Cause all though the price is fair and they are not bad payers the work can only be done during school holidays which is key canvassing time for me.  So in the long game (remember I am 99% residential as I prefer it) that canvass time is more profitable to me than the price of the schools.  It's not all about the price of the individual job. 


That's the only issue if your have 5 to do in one week. If they are large schools then you are sacrificing one lot off work for another.

Which is something I point blank refuse to do, I had school that wanted the insides only cleaning over the August Bank holiday as that was the only 2 days I had available and was fully booked already, They rang me desperate for a clean before the new term but I talked them into an outside only clean as I didn't have the time or space to carry out a internal clean without sacrificing other work.

Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

 
If I was quick enough I would be about 15k richer a year, on current prices the round is worth just under 1k a week but I'm only getting a round £6-750 a week done, maybe I've read to much bs on here and believed it and put to much pressure on my self.

i think compacting the area I work I might be the best way and increase prices on other work to try and achieve the hourly rate I want 

 
Must be an expensive gun, Shotgun or rifle I have toyed with idea but I can go shooting clays anytime I like at the local club using some very good guns of the club secretary who i have become friends with and have plans to go shooting in the wilds of Northumberland in the coming weeks with a mate who has guns but shooting with rifles for rabbits . 
im geting a 177 bsa ulrra se  thats for rabbits rats birds ect on the farms and land also targets down the range , ive got to shot guns redy for me just need to get my licence during the summer and gun cabanut my uncle has my dads old twin hammer 410 ladys gun realy old one and my dads old m8 has a 12 gage side buy side he is guna give me as its old but working fine cant wate to get stuck in, oddly enough  the pelet 177 with all the bits to go with is like £700 /£800 i was guna get a r10 but its just to much and the wife will blady kill me if i spend that  :1f602:

 
If I was quick enough I would be about 15k richer a year, on current prices the round is worth just under 1k a week but I'm only getting a round £6-750 a week done, maybe I've read to much bs on here and believed it and put to much pressure on my self.

i think compacting the area I work I might be the best way and increase prices on other work to try and achieve the hourly rate I want 
Yes to both, I have been working on compacting my rounds as much as possible in the last year by only taking on work in streets i already clean I won't even go onto a new estate which is few minutes drive from some of my other work as these take years to fully crack so i don't want to going on their for one house based on a single enquiry so far. 

I am now fortunate to be doing 2-3 days work on some estates which i keep close together and clean all jobs within the same week, No driving onto a estate doing a half  or full day then going back on another week to complete the rest although this can happen at times whilst trying to build up work within a preferred area. 

You may have to make some jobs wait whilst you re-organise your rounds but it will all come together and benefit you longterm both mentally and financially. 

 
im geting a 177 bsa ulrra se  thats for rabbits rats birds ect on the farms and land also targets down the range , ive got to shot guns redy for me just need to get my licence during the summer and gun cabanut my uncle has my dads old twin hammer 410 ladys gun realy old one and my dads old m8 has a 12 gage side buy side he is guna give me as its old but working fine cant wate to get stuck in, oddly enough  the pelet 177 with all the bits to go with is like £700 /£800 i was guna get a r10 but its just to much and the wife will blady kill me if i spend that  :1f602:
My wife is against me getting any guns at all, But as mentioned before i am able to go out and use guns so personally i don't see the point in shelling out the money for cabinet etc as it ain't cheap to get set up for approval/licence .

 
i rember meny years ago my dad had 4 shot guns on the wall on a gun rack those were the days no licence  :1f602:  a cabanet is only £100 new licence is £53 every 5 years i think, so not to bad to get set up box of shells is like £200 if u have land to shoot on then its prity cheep going to do clays it gets a bit expencive tho 

 
im geting a 177 bsa ulrra se  thats for rabbits rats birds ect on the farms and land also targets down the range , ive got to shot guns redy for me just need to get my licence during the summer and gun cabanut my uncle has my dads old twin hammer 410 ladys gun realy old one and my dads old m8 has a 12 gage side buy side he is guna give me as its old but working fine cant wate to get stuck in, oddly enough  the pelet 177 with all the bits to go with is like £700 /£800 i was guna get a r10 but its just to much and the wife will blady kill me if i spend that  :1f602:
.22 pellet better for bunny thumping.  Paid £700 for my Axsor 8 and £850 for my Theoben Rapid 7 in 2001.  Axsor still fetches same money but as Theoben are now extinct they fetch £1500 + used.  Good fun. 

 
.22 pellet better for bunny thumping.  Paid £700 for my Axsor 8 and £850 for my Theoben Rapid 7 in 2001.  Axsor still fetches same money but as Theoben are now extinct they fetch £1500 + used.  Good fun. 
Mate of mine had the theoben scirocco walnut stock great gun balance and beauty.

 

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