[jo5hm4n]

So my website is now slowly bringing in enquiries.  My web designer has done a good job, and already i am moving quickly up google on first page covering a good area surrounding me.  Now i have had 2  seperate domestic enquiries come in which are 30 minutes driving time from me.  In an area i have no work at all. 

Now if i turn the opportunity down, that is fine, but i am looking to take on my work, and i understand that enquiries from your website will never be compact like canvassing.  But should i ignore these enquiries simply because i have no work in these areas, or would you take on these 2 enquiries on, and starting working regularly in these areas, knowing that there is a good chance your website may bring in more work in such areas?

At present it would be driving 30 minutes for potentially £25 worth of work...  Obviously that is not worth it all at present, but if i stick with it?  I could end up getting more work in the area from my website.  This is my thinking anyway.(Also this work is 2 miles from where a friend of mine lives who i go and see once a month on a saturday, so could easily bang a few jobs out on way to visiting my friend).  Dont get me started on canvassing these areas, i have enough of that to do in a closer proximity to myself in already established areas.

Appreciate any advice from other guys expanding and taking on new work in different areas generated from your website.

[sunshine windows]

Offer the cleans at longer frequencies and whack the prices up to make it worth your while. I've got domestics 14-15 miles away. Minimum price is £30 a clean

[Cookie]

I state on my website the area that I cover but still receive regular enquiries from outside of this area. I have chosen to pass them onto other window cleaners rather than take on the work myself.

However if you are going to take on this new work it would make sense to at least canvass a few doors either side...

[Smurf]

Sometimes I find it makes a nice change to go out in the sticks but like sunshine mentioned it has to be worth your while to do so.
Don't forget the power of customer referrals too as I often say I don't mind coming out to you if you can get me more work to make it worth my while. More often than not you can end up with a few in the area just by asking a customer for help .

[Og]

All our window work is rural. Less efficient but much less stress.

[duncan h]

30 mins drive is quite a lot for such a small amount of money.
Send flyers out in that area. If you don't get much response, scrap it.
Some areas arnt worth  doing. Some bring in a worth while amount.
I have someone drop flyers off at a cheap rate. I find areas that don't have a good windy. Areas that that have cheap windys.
I stick to a good price. I end up driving between jobs at a higher price. Works for me. My friend does the opposite. Cheap rate and gets 90% of the street.
I like to do less work for a higher price.
Remember. You need  x£ per hour. Running costs. Setup prices. Its not just a ladder and cloth, cash in hand. Accountants to pay etc. Don't drag prices down

[nathankaye]

Many moons ago.....a client asked me to price up her friends windows in a cul-de-sac. So i did, now i virtually do all the houses in there (20 out of 30) and have done so for some time now. Which grew by door knocking either side where i was and then word of mouth between all neighbours.
So now if i go into a new area, i get a good price to make it worth while but i give myself a time limit. If ibe not added to the work within x amount of months, then i let the work go.