This post leads on from the one that Windows_chepstow started, Tosh (Windows_Chepstow) Was doing a large Hotel, 2 of them taking 2 or 3 days to clean it.
In window cleaning terms this is a big job (Well it sure as heck is for most of us
) and therefore presumably a job running into hundreds of pounds per clean.
Tosh has let the job go as it is badly under priced.
Now the thrust of this post is: What sort of commercial work pays the best?
I'm not talking about the kind of shops that I myself do, a couple of quid a time and perhaps a minute or two to clean. Theoretically that can be £200 per hour, but that is garbage, in practice it simply isn't possible to have enough of them close enough together for that to happen.
In real terms my best accounts are a few offices I have that are between £50 and £75 per clean (I have one at £80, but it is murder
I really have to work to earn my money on it).
Small enough for the money to still be a relatively tiny bill for a thriving office to pay out.
But if I am going to charge, say, £500 to do a job that is only going to take me 14 hours, and therefore only 2 days work (one person) Then the manager of such a place is going to seriously look at how much his office/factory/hotel is having to pay out.
How many of you out there would happily work for 2 days, guaranteed work every month, for less than half of that?? mm?
Lets say you are happy to work for £100 a day (I am well aware there are many out there that don't earn £100 per day) It is 14 hours work without busting a gut. Still good money?....Maybe.
Lets say you need the work, the price you have to beat has now fallen from £500 down to £200. At £500 our original window cleaner had allowed 14 hours to do the job, and at that price it was a top notch job.
The guy that put in the price for £200 has to put a bit of effort in, but he can still do a top job, and can finish it comfortably in the 2 days.
You have come along and have assessed that if you bang it out you can shave a good 4 hours of the time. In fact, start nice and early, work a ten hour day and you can get it done in one day.
150 quid guv!
Now that is pretty good money for a days work, but you are having to work at breakneck pace, sod the frames, just the glass and sills, those little frosted toilet windows? no one is going to notice if you don't clean those.
And so on.
The manager thinks he is getting value for money, £500 down to £150.
He is probably getting a cr*p job done too.
Is there any truth in the above premise?
Are you better off sticking with commercial work under, say, £100?
Or do the big ones pay you good money?
This isn't really a question for the big companies, more really I think for the average one and two man bands.
And bear in mind I'm not talking about domestic work.
Any views anyone??
Ian