[easy clean]

hi guys, over the years ive built a very successful domestic window cleaning round with a very healthy turnover. now im looking at moving into the commercial market. therefore would really appreciate any help from anybody as to how you go about securing contracts and contacting management companies, council tenders e.t.c.

many thanks jon

[Wc Solutions]

what i will say is make sure you have plenty of money behind you for this.

Commercial sector is so different from say 10 yrs ago.

Places would have the windows cleaned all the time, carpets cleaned all the time ....

but now its down to budget budget budget.

windows cleaned every 4 months at a bad price ... takes ages to get paid ...

not saying its the sasme for every commercial job but more and more are like this.

and now we have to deal with the whole national contract!! thats the worse - wc doing a good job for yrs and yrs for just some company to take over and then do a bad job as prices are so low...

[TomCrowther]

My advice would be very choosy who you work for. I am suffering big time on outstanding invoices with Property Management Companies, they treat the small businessman like poo.
You can earn good money as you are parked up in one spot and working all day but it means Jack if you never get the cash!
Do not lose focus on your domestic round that has been carefully built up over years, thinking the grass is greener cos it may not be.

[mark dew]

thamks guys 

yeah im having a nitemare trying to get money out of 1 management company

And you are looking for more of the same type of customer??
Do you have a domestic round version of a mid life crisis?

[AJ]

Also, commercial work is getting more and more H&S conscious. many companies are more concerned with ISO's H&S certs, accident reports, insurance, H&S qualifications etc, along with racial equality and all the other gubbins.
I filled out a PQQ for a housing association the other week and there were twice as many questions about that sort of stuff than there was about prices.

[Mike #1]

i would love to get more commercial work but at the moment the ones i have got i paid pretty fast usally in 3 wks max and thats the longest some pay on day

[dave0123]

Im staying away at commercial now.. i used to think oh commerical commercial all the way!!

But the problem round here is its very very comptitive i hardly get any commercial from my quotes because am too expensive i imagine because someone is willing to do it cheaper from the well known guys round here. Thing is if i was to do it at the same price as them or cheaper then its just not worth it as i can make more on domestic houses even small 3 bed semi's

So now i aim for the large domestic of 4/5/6 bed houses plus there more loyal customers and you build up freindship, also you get paid faster  : very inportant in these tuff times..

dave

[darren clarke]

the prob i see with commercial is becasue it can be done any time  they go in cheaper, 

[Crystal-clear]

I keep away from commercial apart from the odd shop i have here or there by no means do i plan on getting any commercial work at least for a good long time.

i never really tried because of all the horror story's ive heard like national company's cleaning shop fronts for £6.00

Under priced work
ive heard problems getting paid ,

ive just heard commercial is a nightmare i have plans to expand but its all going to be domestic domestic domestic

[Mike #1]

good point blue monkey  , the main guy near me who has most of the shops and pubs charges far more  for a few shop windows than he does the average house , but its more about the big company's and nationals who are going in cheap so what's the point just got to do what is  best

[trees]

what i will say is make sure you have plenty of money behind you for this.

Commercial sector is so different from say 10 yrs ago.

Places would have the windows cleaned all the time, carpets cleaned all the time ....

but now its down to budget budget budget.

windows cleaned every 4 months at a bad price ... takes ages to get paid ...

not saying its the sasme for every commercial job but more and more are like this.

and now we have to deal with the whole national contract!! thats the worse - wc doing a good job for yrs and yrs for just some company to take over and then do a bad job as prices are so low...

absolutely spot on!!!! stick with domestic