[Jamie Pearson]

Taking the lead from this thread http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=183568.0 suggesting a Q&A with forum members.

I will put myself forward first.

For those that dont know me here is a little bio https://www.linkedin.com/in/csukjamie

[Neil Jones]

Do you think that making the switch from domestic work to commercial work worked better for your business? What % of each makes up your annual sales?

[Simon Gerrard]

Hi Jamie,
I know you have built up a considerable low moisture cleaning business. Could you explain how from a standing start how others could go about gaining this type of work?
For instance how do you go about selecting likely customers and how to make contact with them?
Simon

[mark shannon]

What currency will you be selling releasit in, later in the year?

 

[neil 47]

Hi Jamie

Thanks for giving it ago .


What would you say was your major turning point from just being a self employed cleaner to being a business owner ?

Neil

[Carpet Dawg]

How do you encourage commercial clients to set up regular maintenance carpet cleaning?

This is the secret to building up a commercial carpet cleaning bizi think, getting the work is the easy bit.   

[Jamie Pearson]

Do you think that making the switch from domestic work to commercial work worked better for your business?

Definately. Apart from 2 customers who I cleaned for back in those days and the odd high end customer who wont have anyone else and rug cleaning we dont do any domestic carpet cleaning. We do however carry out domestic floor renovation work. This helps with cash flow as some commercial clients can take 90 - 120 days to pay.

What % of each makes up your annual sales?

By turnover our business is approximately 50% Machinery, Servicing, Chemicals & Accessories 15% Floor Renovation and 35% Commercial Carpet & Floor Maintenance  (incl Rug Cleans which we save up for a day a week)

The carpet maintenance however takes up the least number of days/nights per month and is by far the most profitable.
That and it is making money while I am in bed.

Although I do still enjoy the work after 15 years of 60 hour week nightshifts and go out at weekends on site to keep my hand in and test new products, machinery etc.

[Jamie Pearson]

Hi Jamie,
I know you have built up a considerable low moisture cleaning business. Could you explain how from a standing start how others could go about gaining this type of work?
For instance how do you go about selecting likely customers and how to make contact with them?

None of our work comes from websits or advertising and definately not Facebook.

It is nearly all referrals and constantly keeping in touch with them.

If I wanted to go for the customers we have now from a start up I would need ISO9001, SAFEContractor, VAT Registration and Trade Association Membership. For some we even need to be a Limited Company as they want to be sure you can full-fill the contract with them.

I would also also go after the types of clients that let you work at the weekend. Its possible to make £3000 with two people over a weekend. Depends if you are willing to give up your Saturdays and Sundays for 5 days off during the week!

Selecting customers will depend on how you want to work. If all you want is Mon - Fri from 9 til 5 then commercial letting companies or hotels and conference centres would be the ones to target. Most occupied offices where maintenance would be available will be nights and weekend. I would then find out if anyone does that work at the moment. LinkedIn can be a great source for names. For example I could find out a name of someone there. I would then just walk into reception and ask the security guard and say Can you help me? Do you know if Mr.John Doe is responsible for building maintenance? No, who would be?

Its amazing what you can learn from staff and get another piece of info. I keep files on prospective buildings constantly adding.

Calling them and saying. I am trying to send John Smith an email address but it keeps bouncing back. Can you put me through to him or confirm his email address please?

If I am honest that approach hasn't won me loads of contracts but it is surprising every now and again it turns out we have worked for the Building Manager before in another position or later we are recommended to them by someone in our network and they remember the contact.

The best bit of advice I would pass to anyone is this

Profits are better than wages. Wages make you a living; profits make you a fortune. -- Jim Rohn

Dont sell yourself short.

Its all about contract negotiation in the commercial sector. Go in high and work backwards. You will be surprised.

[Jamie Pearson]

What currency will you be selling Releasit in, later in the year?

Euros & Sterling plus whatever Scotland ends up with.

May also sell for Beer at TACCA 

[Jamie Pearson]

What would you say was your major turning point from just being a self employed cleaner to being a business owner ?

I am actually the 4th Generation of my family in the business so grew into it.
I had worked at weekends and evenings with our special cleans team from our cleaning contracts in my school days.
I started full time as the secretary 22 years ago. As soon as I could get van insurance I set up and ran a domestic carpet & upholstery cleaning division within the business. It was decided to sell off the customer list I had built to one of our Trade customers to focus on floor care and commercial carpet work.

[Jamie Pearson]

How do you encourage commercial clients to set up regular maintenance carpet cleaning?

This is the secret to building up a commercial carpet cleaning bizi think, getting the work is the easy bit.  

By not selling carpet cleaning. In fact I never use the word cleaning when I speak with them.

We are only Cleaning Systems UK when we sell machinery, chemicals etc.
We are CSUK in the commercial maintenance arena and Absolute Floorcare when in peoples homes.

I pitch them a maintenance service just like they have for lifts, photocopiers etc etc.

You need to think like a facilities manager and what they deal in from day to day. Budgeting, life cycle costings, KPIs

Even if they request a one of clean I give them a price for 24 months of service broken down in various ways.

[neil 47]

Jamie

Thanks for being so transparent and honest in your replys,

I have learnt more from this q&a than thousands of other post , most of us have a good basic and professional understanding of how to clean.

This is what keeps you in business and allows us to progress , we all need to have mentors to help us get to the next level.

without the goodwill of seasoned professionals such as yourself It becomes difficult.

I find helping people and doing the odd jobs for free often leads to me being more successful ,I also  like to give back to cc as it has been good to me over the years 

Cheers Neil

[mark shannon]

Yes thanks for sharing Jamie extremely helpful.

[maxcampbell]

How do you encourage commercial clients to set up regular maintenance carpet cleaning?

This is the secret to building up a commercial carpet cleaning bizi think, getting the work is the easy bit.  

By not selling carpet cleaning. In fact I never use the word cleaning when I speak with them.

We are only Cleaning Systems UK when we sell machinery, chemicals etc.
We are CSUK in the commercial maintenance arena and Absolute Floorcare when in peoples homes.

I pitch them a maintenance service just like they have for lifts, photocopiers etc etc.

You need to think like a facilities manager and what they deal in from day to day. Budgeting, life cycle costings, KPIs

Even if they request a one of clean I give them a price for 24 months of service broken down in various ways.

Are you offering cleaning services other than floors? Do you lay out a schedule for cleaning or is it an "as-and-when" offer?

I'd like to add my thanks to those above. We've always concentrated on domestics, but need to expand our commercial side - and with little work on that sector we can't rely on referrals, so we're puzzling about how to get our foot in the door - what we need to offer to seem attractive. Any expansion on this would be useful to us.

[Simon Gerrard]

Thanks, Jamie. Very thorough and helpful answer.

Simon

[Jamie Pearson]

How do you encourage commercial clients to set up regular maintenance carpet cleaning?

This is the secret to building up a commercial carpet cleaning bizi think, getting the work is the easy bit.  

By not selling carpet cleaning. In fact I never use the word cleaning when I speak with them.

We are only Cleaning Systems UK when we sell machinery, chemicals etc.
We are CSUK in the commercial maintenance arena and Absolute Floorcare when in peoples homes.

I pitch them a maintenance service just like they have for lifts, photocopiers etc etc.

You need to think like a facilities manager and what they deal in from day to day. Budgeting, life cycle costings, KPIs

Even if they request a one of clean I give them a price for 24 months of service broken down in various ways.

Are you offering cleaning services other than floors? Do you lay out a schedule for cleaning or is it an "as-and-when" offer?

I'd like to add my thanks to those above. We've always concentrated on domestics, but need to expand our commercial side - and with little work on that sector we can't rely on referrals, so we're puzzling about how to get our foot in the door - what we need to offer to seem attractive. Any expansion on this would be useful to us.

Over the years this is how the business developed:

Window cleaning (Domestic and Commercial)
Daily Cleaning (Commercial)
Carpets, Floors & Industrial Cleaning (to support commercial contracts)
Sold Domestic Window Rounds
1989 - Material & Equipment Supply
Domestic Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning
Rug Cleaning
Commercial & Domestic Hard Floor Renovation
Wood Floor Sanding
Sell Domestic Carpet & Upholstery
Commercial Carpet Maintenance
Hard Floor Maintenance
Sell Commercial Window Cleaning
Stone Floor Restoration
Sell Commercial Cleaning Contracts

25 years this year and we focus on Commercial Carpet Maintenance, Commercial All Floor Maintenance, Domestic Floor Renovation, Rug Cleaning & Equipment Supply.

Our team has gone from 50 staff to 10 with profitability and turnover increasing.

We only have 4 people that carry out the work onsite and we maintain over 1 million m2 of carpet per year and countless m2 of flooring. Most of our carpet maintenance visits can be completed by a 2 or 3 man team in around 6 hours and they are well paid for what they do with productivity bonuses and full day rates for weekends even when they only work 4 hours.

This gets me staff with over 15 years of service who dont turn their noses up at overtime.

Currently business is moving back to domestic carpet & upholstery work for the top small % of the Scottish population.
Not because we are targeting it. Mainly because of our Royal Appointment and referrals for this type of work.

I am a firm believer its all about your network. Not how fancy your website is. In fact our website is ancient and had no updates www.cleaning-systems-uk.com Check the state of it!

We spend more on hospitality days for referrers in our network as we do on any other advertising.

[Neil Jones]

Thanks Jamie, very interesting to read.

[mark shannon]

Come on chaps 480 odd views and only a handful of questions, don't be shy Simon and Jamie are top of their game this information could make a new business.

Mark

[Jozsef Hoffmann]

Hi Jamie,

First of all I would like to thank you for your answers!

My question would be:
If you would start all over again but with your knowledge now, how would you do it from scratch?
I mean how would you build it up again?
Would you do anything differently?

Jozsef

[Jamie Pearson]

Hi Jozsef,

I kind of answer that above in one of the previous posts.
I cant really elaborate on it further without giving away my current strategy which is business sensitive.
However if bought enough beer at TACCA I may let some things slip.

Not selling a cleaning service would be the most important difference.