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Craig

  • Posts: 12
Looking For a Bit of Advice
« on: January 30, 2013, 11:42:20 am »
Hi, looking at starting my own cleaning company, well I already have but only part time just now. But want to take it seriously and start advertising etc. Because am fed up with my job just now (joiner/shopfitter) and looking for a new start.

I just want to focus on commercial cleaning, don't want to clean houses yet, maybe later when the company grows and gets staff etc. The kind of cleaning I have done so far is builders/handover clears of a pizza chain. So the kind of cleaning I want to focus on to start with is, builders, end of tenancy, on off and window cleaning.

The good thing is that from being from the building trade it will be a bit easier to get work because I have quite a few contacts that do quite big builds and most aren't happy with there cleaners.

But my main question is how to start up? Just jump straight in or try and build the company up from starting to do window cleaning etc so I have a bit of constant income coming in? My other problem is am just going to be a one man band to start off with and just worried that if I have a tight time scale to finish a job then I wont be able to complete it. So would have to think about employing someone, but just starting off as a new company I wouldn't have constant enough work to keep someone on full time or even part time. So is there anyway around this or would I just need to bite the bullet and hire someone, and hope I have enough work to cover their pay?

Sone a lot of research so far but the this is the only bit am not sure about and worried about.

Thanks for any advice.

Rob_Mac

Re: Looking For a Bit of Advice
« Reply #1 on: January 30, 2013, 11:44:54 am »
Establish a relationship with an agency and then you can hire in as you need them!

That's what I do

Good luck

Rob ;D

BDCS

  • Posts: 4777
Re: Looking For a Bit of Advice
« Reply #2 on: January 30, 2013, 04:51:31 pm »
Those type of agencys are illegal - I suppose it depends on the relationship your after  ;D

Craig

  • Posts: 12
Re: Looking For a Bit of Advice
« Reply #3 on: February 01, 2013, 11:59:33 am »
Establish a relationship with an agency and then you can hire in as you need them!

That's what I do

Good luck

Rob ;D

I know a few people that do this in the building trade, but they all generally find that the workers you get are sometimes not very good at their 'job' and unreliable as well.

Have you ever had any problems like this? Is there anyway around it? Or is it just one of those things you can't really prevent? 

john mc kenna

  • Posts: 6
Re: Looking For a Bit of Advice
« Reply #4 on: February 01, 2013, 12:25:40 pm »
When your ready to hire someone ask an agency to send you 100 cv's from cleaners and graduates looking for work experience and full and part time employment. Short list to 10 and interview them. the agency should be able to provide you with office space if required. If you dont get anyone to suit your business structure and ethos no harm done. If you do you will be confident they have the same moral values as you and your business should succeed.

Griffus

  • Posts: 1942
Re: Looking For a Bit of Advice
« Reply #5 on: February 01, 2013, 01:17:51 pm »
Sounds like you have already started up. Should be a breeze from now on in then, just ask your contacts  :)

Seriously though, it sounds like you don't understand what's involved. Use your contacts to find out everything you can, there is way more to this than just cleaning.

As a man alone you'll struggle, builders cleans are labour intensive and always have to be completed ASAP. They won't wait for you to take a couple of days on a five bed whilst there are also others ready. 

From what I can see and to be brutally honest, I doubt you'll even get a look in.   

pristineclean

  • Posts: 192
Re: Looking For a Bit of Advice
« Reply #6 on: February 01, 2013, 02:30:58 pm »
I hope that you'll do well in your new venture but, and no offence intended, I smiled a bit when you mentioned that your contacts in the building industry aren't happy with their cleaners. I know (or at least I think I know) why.

On another thread on this site, someone is looking for help to complete a quote for a builders clean. Specs have been listed and I think that they'll get the help they need to complete the quote - this is very much a friendly site but there is nothing in the nature of the query to suggest that the poster has the first idea about what they're doing.

So, they'll get price guides, reduce given margins to "get the job" and eliminate the professional companies also bidding for the work and there's a high chance that they'll get it on cost. They will then struggle with cash flow, material and equipment supply, training (toolbox and otherwise), CIS processing, insurance and, naturally, operating standards. They'll do better than I think if they break even on the whole job. The surveyor or project manager or site manager, on the other hand, will be astonished yet again to discover that the cheapest quote given wasn't from a company able to carry out the required tasks to any measurable degree of competence. It's true of the the industry generally, but builders cleans in particular, that there's much, much more to cleaning than cleaning.

And that's why I'd recommend caution with your contacts - they're not happy because they fondly imagine that cleaners (the lowest paid people on any building site) should be working for nothing and that pixie dust is an ideal replacement for 240v power and a water supply. The question which I'd be looking for an answer now, in your position, is whether they'd be prepared to pay you personally more for the service they're getting than their current contractors - if they claim that they are, that invites the question as to why they didn't do that in the first place. If they had, they wouldn't be unhappy.

Small but perfectley formed

  • Posts: 1744
Re: Looking For a Bit of Advice
« Reply #7 on: February 01, 2013, 02:53:56 pm »
Excellent reply pristine our family has carried out cleaning for the construction industry nearly 50 yrs and its worse now than ever , complete idiots running multi million pound projects .
Spit and polish

Craig

  • Posts: 12
Re: Looking For a Bit of Advice
« Reply #8 on: February 01, 2013, 06:58:47 pm »
Cheers for the comments guys.

Sorry might have left a bit of info out of my original post, am 23 and have been working in the building trade and cleaning up jobs since I left school at 16 so have a good idea how everything works etc. Also have a good bit of experience of pricing and ordering materials for decent sized jobs with 10-20 people working on them, working for the main contractor (my dad) So I know how to price jobs and I know pricing a cleaning job will be a bit different and a learning curve. And the whole reason am looking for a new job is basically family problems and the fact that I cant see myself doing what am doing just now for the rest of my life. And want to start my own company because I don't want to work for someone else.

As for what kind of jobs am looking at doing... Am not looking at jumping straight in the deep end pricing cleans for big offices, 100+ flats needing builder cleans etc. I want to start with what I know first and build from there, which is window cleaning and single shop/property/end of tenancy cleans, builder and just general cleans etc. Because I know how to price them, and wouldn't know where to start which bigger projects if am being honest. And I want to have a bit of capital and experience behind me before I even think about doing it.

The reason am asking about employing someone is that I have no experience in it at all, everyone I have worked with before has be sub-contracted, so really don't know where to start when it gets to the stage of 'having' to employ someone.

Cheers for the advice.   

Mike Halliday

  • Posts: 11581
Re: Looking For a Bit of Advice
« Reply #9 on: February 01, 2013, 07:17:45 pm »
whats wrong with joinery? you will have more chance of success doing a job you know something about rather than just jumping into cleaning with no experience

if i was a joiner i would be taking advantage out our aging population (which I think is going to be a growth area) and start a company specialising in home conversions... making homes more OAP/handicapped friendly.

cleaning is not a great business to go into.
Mike Halliday.  www.henryhalliday.co.uk

Craig

  • Posts: 12
Re: Looking For a Bit of Advice
« Reply #10 on: February 01, 2013, 07:42:20 pm »
Don't know am just getting fed up with it and it's not something that I can see myself doing for much longer or the rest of my life. Just don't like doing it as much as I use to.

Plus I really don't like working on/in houses. 99% of the work I do just now is commercial and shopfitting and is where the most money is in my opinion. And is really hard to get into. All the bigger companies seem to be taking over now as well.  ::) Am not saying getting in to cleaning is going to be any easier, but what I think am looking for is a carer change more then anything. 

I know what your saying as well about cleaning, but I like cleaning for some reason. More into car detailing/valeting but looked into that as well and around were I live there is no money in it at all and a lot of companies are giving up because of everyone using the cheap 'Drive thru' hand washes.... and plus there is no real room for 'growth' as such from what I have looked into....

Plus just now am still living at home just now, was renting but moved back to save for a bigger deposit for a mortgage. So is the prefect chance to try something different and if it doesn't work I have nothing to really lose. Because I'll only be doing it part time to start off with.....

Got a lot more thinking to do anyway. Just now it's just set up as a company that I use to make a bit of extra money, but want to start trying to take it seriously and see where it goes....   

BDCS

  • Posts: 4777
Re: Looking For a Bit of Advice
« Reply #11 on: February 02, 2013, 08:12:47 pm »
I used to work as an engineering chargehand in a soft drinks factory on a basic £32k over 5 years ago. I was sick of it all. I was on 4 on 4 off and started cleaning drives on my days off, I then handed my notice in but they persuaded me to go part time and I did that for 2 years which worked out as it allowed me build the work and customer base. 5 years ago I left completely and everyone said I was mad giving up a proper job on good money to go cleaning - well the gates shut when they went bust just before Xmas. I'm 48 and if I had listened to the doom brigade I'd be on the dole looking for a job, not too good at my time of life. As it is I usually take my young girls to school unless I have an early start, sometimes I can collect them, I have a self employed bloke who does 2-3 days for me and we have plenty of work at a sensible rate. I have just had to register for vat, have a house in a nice area and ride the enduro bike when I wish - not when the shift rota allows.
  If you honestly think you have the motivation to make a go of it then you owe it to yourself to try - I've got a drain survey to do tomorrow morning then a couple of carpets to clean in a rental house so I still do plenty of hours and we've had to hide from the milkman a couple of times over the years but I've always had that thought of having to return to 12 hour shifts in that factory driving me. When I went back to do some jobs there was always the same blokes moaning about the same things as they were when I was there - who's laughing now ?

chris scott

  • Posts: 3414
Re: Looking For a Bit of Advice
« Reply #12 on: February 03, 2013, 12:01:03 am »
Craig ...just go for it! It's not rocket science just make sure you research the joband do to the best of your abilty. Don't cut corners..sometimes you will get it wrong and it will cost you....but most of the time you will get it right. Just remember every job/customer is an advert for your next job. If you wish to phone me about a probmatic job or how to go about something please feel free. I don't know everything....but i have made plenty of mistakes which i have learnt by.
www.cleaning-service.uk.com
www.render-cleaning.co
https://www.cleaning-service.uk.com/bromoco-systems/
Exterior cleaning specialists covering Merseyside,Lancashire and Cheshire. TEL 08000 933267

Tadgh O Shea

Re: Looking For a Bit of Advice
« Reply #13 on: February 03, 2013, 10:26:18 pm »
Hi Craig

You seem like a genuine hard working person, i worked for many years in my families business not cleaning related, but i always wanted to work for myself, i got a small loan and purchased a carpet extraction machine to do some nixers on the side, then got into window cleaning,pressure washing,hard floor cleaning,auto detailing,etc. after six months i jumped fully in and started my first cleaning company, that was back in 1982 and i can genuinely say that i have never looked back. I would be delighted to talk with you and share some experiences that can be of benefit to you starting out.

regards

Tadgh

Craig

  • Posts: 12
Re: Looking For a Bit of Advice
« Reply #14 on: February 04, 2013, 12:45:21 pm »
Thanks again for all of the advice  :)

Only thing that am actually a bit worried about is actually getting some work as a new company... I know it's going to be a bit hard going at the start. But how did you guys get business when you just started out? Just now I have set up a web site and later on today am going put my details on yell and on google maps. Then look into getting some flyers printed.

Is there anything else I can really do to advertise that's reasonably cheap to start with to see how I get on and build it from there.

chris scott

  • Posts: 3414
Re: Looking For a Bit of Advice
« Reply #15 on: February 04, 2013, 09:47:48 pm »
Websites good ...many websites better!!!....Dont pay yell free listing only...dont believe anything Yell tells you. In fact dont pay for advertising . Plenty of free advertising out there..try freeindex ,google maps etc  etc !!  Get 40,000 leaflets get out and about. Stick with it!!!
www.cleaning-service.uk.com
www.render-cleaning.co
https://www.cleaning-service.uk.com/bromoco-systems/
Exterior cleaning specialists covering Merseyside,Lancashire and Cheshire. TEL 08000 933267

Tadgh O Shea

Re: Looking For a Bit of Advice
« Reply #16 on: February 04, 2013, 11:03:10 pm »
Hi Craig

Before you start thinking about web sites, marketing etc.
You have to focus on you and what do you have to offer that will make people want to do business with you. you can have the best web site and best marketing tools, but what do you know about the cleaning industry, give me a call sometime and i will share some secrets that can save you alot of time and money in helping you getting your new venture up and running

Regards

Tadgh

Craig

  • Posts: 12
Re: Looking For a Bit of Advice
« Reply #17 on: February 05, 2013, 02:38:30 pm »
Set-up a web page by myself so didn't really cost anything apart from the hosting etc, which wasn't much. Only thing that I have left to sort out is insurance really, have done everything else so far.

As for what I want to offer just now is mainly one off, end of tenancy and window cleaning just now, till I get a bit of business and get on my feet a bit then take it from there...

Tonight's task is designing a flyer. Think I have got the got the text for it will be something like this...

Thinking About Changing Your
Cleaning Company?

Are you fed up with...
Poor quality of cleaning?
Cleaning not carried out at a time that suits you?
Windows never as clean as they could be?
Dont get the right responses when you point out a problem?  
Not getting valve for money?
Having to use multiple contractors?

Look no further then (...............), we offer a wide range of commercial and window cleaning services, so let us solve your problems once and for all.

Whether it be window, shop, office or end of tenancy cleaning or one off cleans. We will work hard to make sure your property is as clean as possible, without breaking your budget!

As an added bonus we are currently offering a 20% discount off your first month of service to any new customers.

For more information on all of the service’s we have to offer, or have any questions about any services you would like us to provide. Please contact us @ (............)

For Your Free Quotation
Call (............)
Today!

Not sure if I like it, think there is to much text, if am being honest. But will make a flyer us tonight and see how it looks.

Thanks again for all the advice guys.

Rob_Mac

Re: Looking For a Bit of Advice
« Reply #18 on: February 05, 2013, 03:23:04 pm »
Craig

In the very beginning - unless you can utilise contacts you need to let people know you are there.

If I was starting again I would get a really good website, a top notch leaflet and I would get company details out there, at every opportunity.

If no one knows you are there - there is no point being the best thing since sliced bread.

Hit the domestic market to create cash-flow and when you have enquiries coming in and you are making a living then you could look at the bigger picture.

I can wait upwards of two months, after completion of works, to get paid and if you don't have the stomach for it they will drive you insane by not paying you.

We are going back to the domestic market and I have all this to deal with - what makes it easier for me is that we can trade from the names of our commercial clients, we have history, I have absolute surety in my equipment and end product and all of it has been proven over a long period of time.

But I still have to make the phone ring and unless you are going to cold call leaflets will be the first that anyone will see of Chris Cleaning.com and this needs enough about it to get them to pick up the phone.

I wish you well

Rob ;D

gary evans

  • Posts: 1242
Re: Looking For a Bit of Advice
« Reply #19 on: February 05, 2013, 07:47:55 pm »
Hi Rob

Hows it going, nice chat the other day, i am still here sorting.

The first 3 lines described my business to a t. Bet you thought of me when u was typing it.

We have or have had everything that a  med  to large business needs, but without the marketing we are nearly bust & losing work.

Speak again soon

Gary