Welcome to the UK Window Cleaning Forums

Starting or own a window cleaning business? We're a network of window cleaners sharing advice, tips & experience. Rounds for sale & more. Join us today!

How compact is compact

How compact is compact,? the word is often used and i wondered what others count as compact.
Compact terminology for window cleaning is houses on the same street, cul de sac village, housing estate or properties in very close proximity to each other which sit within their clean time frame ie monthly six weekly is how I see it

 
How compact is compact,? the word is often used and i wondered what others count as compact.
over 300 accounts in a 3 mile affluent area is compact to me....some of my estate work takes 3-4 days to clean with a couple of van moves per day,other days its 7 or 8 large stand alone jobs but still all within 3 miles.....semi rural and leafy suburb work......

 
@dazmond some have compact, I think your round is like one of those japanese sleeping rooms very compact.

So my aim will be todo a Dazmond! currently 1-2  houses on a road then move a road or two along. So clusters of say 8-10 houses in 1/2 mile So a way to go yet!

So average move between patch/job for people say 5-15 mins?

 
@dazmond some have compact, I think your round is like one of those japanese sleeping rooms very compact.

So my aim will be todo a Dazmond! currently 1-2  houses on a road then move a road or two along. So clusters of say 8-10 houses in 1/2 mile So a way to go yet!

So average move between patch/job for people say 5-15 mins?
The next job should be no more than 5 minutes away, even that is pushing it.  Today I had a £30 job, the next job was a £35 job, it took 6 minutes to get to it, the next job was £20 and 2 minutes away, then £15 and 30 seconds away, then £20 and 5 minutes away, then £25 and 30 seconds away.

So today I've spent 14 minutes travelling between jobs, that's good enough for me.  I used to spend 10 minutes and didn't think anything of it, but 6 jobs like that and you're wasting 1 hour per day travelling between jobs, 5 hours per week, 20 hours per month... all adds up.  20 hours is a long time, also more fuel costs, wear and tare etc.

 
The next job should be no more than 5 minutes away, even that is pushing it.  Today I had a £30 job, the next job was a £35 job, it took 6 minutes to get to it, the next job was £20 and 2 minutes away, then £15 and 30 seconds away, then £20 and 5 minutes away, then £25 and 30 seconds away.

So today I've spent 14 minutes travelling between jobs, that's good enough for me.  I used to spend 10 minutes and didn't think anything of it, but 6 jobs like that and you're wasting 1 hour per day travelling between jobs, 5 hours per week, 20 hours per month... all adds up.  20 hours is a long time, also more fuel costs, wear and tare etc.
I use the expression “ if the wheels are turning we arnt  earning “ ????

 
Thanks @Chris34 gives me a target to work off.
Generally if it's a bigger job then I'll be prepared to travel a bit more to it.  So a 20 minute job needs to be 1 minute away from the last job.  An hour job can be 5 minutes away from the last job.  Obviously when you're starting out there will be large gaps, it's unavoidable, but then when you have got a few customers, try and target those gaps to make the gaps closer.

 
I use the expression “ if the wheels are turning we arnt  earning “ ????
Definitely. 

I do some bigger village jobs where I may drive 5 minutes tops between jobs but a lot is like tomorrow where I am in an affluent village and 90% of my work is on 4 roads which actually make a quarter mile square and then I finish opposite the first job of the day.

Then only 2 houses in my own road afterwards. 

 
I use the expression “ if the wheels are turning we arnt  earning “ ????
You nicked that off me!!

My mate is a black taxi driver and says ‘If my wheels are turning, then I’m earning’.

I converted it to ‘if my wheels are turning, I’m not earning’. I’ve posted it on here twice before.

Still nice to see you looking up to me. Why don’t you just dye your hair ginger and be done with it ??

 
I have been trading just over 21 years and I have some decent runs of 10+ houses without moving the van, but also have 2-5 houses and then have to move the van into the next street on the same estate or further down the road onto another estate but that's just how it is as long as the work is priced correctly it doesn't matter too much,

Some is compact estate work other larger houses, I don't travel much over 2 miles and I am very select on the areas and jobs I take on, I turn away more work than I quote and have done for the last few years

 
@dazmond some have compact, I think your round is like one of those japanese sleeping rooms very compact.

So my aim will be todo a Dazmond! currently 1-2  houses on a road then move a road or two along. So clusters of say 8-10 houses in 1/2 mile So a way to go yet!

So average move between patch/job for people say 5-15 mins?
Don't rule anything out, judge each job when you get the enquiry. Wouldn't set hard and fast limits, especially on distance. Our 2 best jobs are just outside Oxford and in Uxbridge, both of which are a 4 hour drive away.

 
You nicked that off me!!

My mate is a black taxi driver and says ‘If my wheels are turning, then I’m earning’.

I converted it to ‘if my wheels are turning, I’m not earning’. I’ve posted it on here twice before.

Still nice to see you looking up to me. Why don’t you just dye your hair ginger and be done with it ??
Lol I have no idear ware I Hurd it first but it’s a very true proverb ???

 
@Part Timer i do the same as i do with building working 12 miles from one part to the other furthest away part, hate driving new areas!

Timed todays 3 new canvassed jobs 1 minute between job 1 and 2 by car and 4 mins from 2nd to 3rd job.

So far its mainly a couple on a road then i have to move 1 or 2 roads along. Building my flecks of gold, most is 6 on a road and two roads with 5 on.

 
@Part Timer i do the same as i do with building working 12 miles from one part to the other furthest away part, hate driving new areas!

Timed todays 3 new canvassed jobs 1 minute between job 1 and 2 by car and 4 mins from 2nd to 3rd job.

So far its mainly a couple on a road then i have to move 1 or 2 roads along. Building my flecks of gold, most is 6 on a road and two roads with 5 on.
Well if you're talking about driving in London then no great surprise in hating driving. We have a job in Balham and no matter what time you try and get there the traffic is ?

 
@dazmond some have compact, I think your round is like one of those japanese sleeping rooms very compact.

So my aim will be todo a Dazmond! currently 1-2  houses on a road then move a road or two along. So clusters of say 8-10 houses in 1/2 mile So a way to go yet!

So average move between patch/job for people say 5-15 mins?
tbh mate i dont think its doable these days....its took me 28 years to build my work up in my chosen area(which is a posh area)...there is so much competition these days!theres at least 20 other window cleaning companies working the same area!

i spent 10 years trying to build up work in my local area too but ended up selling it as most of it was little bits here and there and even worse it was underpriced and hard to park....5 other window cleaners had the majority of the work and even after 10 years i couldnt get a proper foothold so sold it many years ago now......

 
Well at the moment i seem to be really big houses or council estates.

Went from 2 houses in a row with swimming pools and bentley type cars to boarded up windows on some of the neighbouring homes.

 
Back
Top