[PaulineH]

Just interested to see if everyones doing ok at the minute...I am constantly getting calls at the minute and getting all jobs after the initial quote alot are one-offs too!
Just had a lady call asking about cleaning for an elderly relative,she had called a few other local companies one was charging £16.50 an hour and didn't supply materials,personally i think thats a bit too steep for this area (west yorkshire) My rates for domestic are £10.50 i supply materials and make a profit. 
Really feel like my business has turned a corner and i now see it as a "real business" and not just me bimbling along earning a good enough wage, now i've got employees and i'm making a very healthy profit,and sad to say but i'm still loving doing the lion's share of the cleaning. I realise soon though i will have to take a step back and clean less but i will find that a bit hard to do.
Hope your all doing well anyway..Pauline

[kelley]

we are doing really well too. there is only 2 of us and a couple of casual staff who do the cleaning but we are at capacity now and now its suddenly a bit scary!! expanding i mean, not sure what to do, how to do it its all a bit scary! feel like its really picking up now just a bit overwhelmed!   

[joANE]

well done gals im very tempted to try and work with another person. i cleaned with someone years ago who was very good then  shes looking for work at the mo (after leaving cleaning) and i was toying with trying to get more spring cleans as well as the  maintenence cleans i usually do  cos im tied down to the hours ive got and have a bit of a panic if they need more time. i could probably get some more customers     but is it difficult to manage people on a casual basis?
if i give her some of my jobs whilst i try getting others wont i be skint?
anyhow good luck with expansion. k.

[Adam P]

£10.50 is too cheap imo, if you're doing a quality job then you can price higher of at least another £1 i'd say. what do you pay staff per hour?

[PaulineH]

Hi Cleansurrey, in the area most other companies are around the same price per hr for Domestics,some even as low as £8.50. My staff get £6.50per hr
Commercials i charge more per hr and they are my lion's share of the work now,all the domestics i do myself anyway,i make a profit while doing a very high quality job.
Kelly go for it i felt a bit overwhelmed too at first and i didn't want to run before i could walk as they say, but i did it slowly and hire slowly too don't hire in a rush.
joANE, know what you mean it hard to work alonside people when your used to going it alone but it's not as difficult as i thought it be

[kelley]

thanks pauline, im more confused as to when to take them on. i hope i dont sound dumb saying this out loud but at the moment we have a full route for 2 of us and call in staff if and when we need them. im not sure if its best to take someone on so we can possibly fit another job in or how i go about paying them whilst trying to set up a route for them!
 do i send them on their own to do jobs until there is enough work for 2 of them but then how do i pay them as i cant guarantee them work for a full day when i havent got it yet! its probably common sense but it hasnt clicked with me yet!!
im being forced to do it slowly really as i have a 2 year old son and find it difficult to spend all day cleaning and then come home and look at marketing and advertising!

im writing this giggling to myself at how silly i sound and how everyone else on the forum has done it and i cant quite work it out!!!

[kelley]

also wanted to say to joanne be careful about working with someone else on a 50/50 level. i am it has gone terribly wrong!! i do everything, have always done everything otherwise it doesnt get done. very strained to work with them and not a clue what to do about it!!