[Stoots]

60 quid guy probably gers in done in an hour or so.

Bit of detergent in the tank, once over and leaves it wet and goes.  Would be lucky if he hoovers never mind the rest.

Problem is and I go by my local area, 170 for a suite would see me bankrupt very fast as no one would pay it. 

[Teddycare]

£170 to clean a suite is not expensive, i charge £175 for a standard suite,that on average takes about 2 1/2 hours, I can actually earn more carpet cleaning, so not expensive.

[Stoots]

It's always going to be easier as a sole trader to specialise in one area, it's a lot of faff and hard work to try to juggle a lot of services and all the time spend messing eat into your profits.

Imagine you do a car valet monday morning then in the afternoon you do a one room carpet half an hour away for 40 quid then dash back across time to do a gutter clear for 40 quid. All the pratting about with all the gear on the van, carpet gear gets blathered from gutter clearing an cleaning cars. One day humping this in and out, an appointment ay 10 o'clock then one at 12 that you are late for. There's all the gear to buy all the gear to maintain, all the advertising and marketting to do for each service.

It could work in a big company where maybe you have seperate  divisions etc but as a one man band total farce.

Pick One or two things and concentrate on those.

For me having tried a lot of stuff I prefer window cleaning.  The profits are not as good as  some of the other stuff but the lifestyle makes up for it.  Once you have enough work you know where you are every week, you know whats coming in. when your done for the week your done. If you want a day off you take one. Theres little advertising when full and growth if you want it is easily achieved by simply knocking on doors and more doors. Maybe get a gutter vac and offer that and conny cleaning to existing clients, do a few a month if you want a bit extra or don't do any if you dont.

Find the business and services which work for you both on a personal level as far as enjoyment is concerned, on a financial level and on a day to day running the business level it all adds up to create the level of satisfaction you get from your job.

[Stoots]

£170 to clean a suite is not expensive, i charge £175 for a standard suite,that on average takes about 2 1/2 hours, I can actually earn more carpet cleaning, so not expensive.

Horses for courses, what's expensive to some is cheap to another.

Round my way £10 for window cleaning is getting expensive, in London it's ridiculously cheap.

Guys round here doing carpets for 15 quid a go. I get told I'm too expensive all the time every week.. and I'm talking quoting 30 quid a room or 40 quid to clean a conny roof. 

If the area you live won't have it then it won't have it. There's always the exception to the rule but to have a thriving business you need more than the odd exception.

I would have a thriving business at 15 quid a room, very little business at 40 quid a room so the answer probably lies somewhere in between for my area.

But I don't bother with carpets much now as almost everyone wants just one room or a sofa doing and for 40-60 quid it's not worth the hassle.

[JandS]

Adam....just like the window cleaning section there is some price bullpoopers......he says the price is 5per cent of the value of the suite.....did they actually tell him the exact price of the suite....did he ask how much it cost.....read into it what you will.

[Carpet Dawg]

Adam....just like the window cleaning section there is some price bullpoopers......he says the price is 5per cent of the value of the suite.....did they actually tell him the exact price of the suite....did he ask how much it cost.....read into it what you will.

Yes, "HE"  did ask the value of the suite!  Its one of many questions I ask to determine the cost of the clean. Its simple really, ask lots of questions, its one of the many things that separates me from the professional but "affordable" cleaners like John.

John, just because you can't get a good price it doesn't mean no one else does.

[Jennifer w]

But you didn't get it..........

[Kev Martin]

Adam....just like the window cleaning section there is some price bullpoopers......he says the price is 5per cent of the value of the suite.....did they actually tell him the exact price of the suite....did he ask how much it cost.....read into it what you will.

Yes, "HE"  did ask the value of the suite!  Its one of many questions I ask to determine the cost of the clean. Its simple really, ask lots of questions, its one of the many things that separates me from the professional but "affordable" cleaners like John.

John, just because you can't get a good price it doesn't mean no one else does.

You in my opinion have it absolutely bang on!  It is the same in all trades not just CC'ing.  Anybody can be a busy fool chasing their own tail up their own ar$e.  However, if you set your own stall out how you want it and moreover, you are happy with your pricing you will always have work.  Everyday I see Hard Floor Cleaners working for virtually peanuts but if they are happy let them get on with it and it seems to be the same whatever walk of life or career you are in.  The successful business do a very good job for a fair price. Successful businesses take into account holidays, sickness, van running costs and purchase, insurances etc etc.  Businesses that do things for peanuts cannot be taking this into account regardless of how busy they are now it is a short sighted view.
The one thing however, I totally disagree with you on is your statement that PW'ing is easy because it's not.

[Kev Martin]

But you didn't get it..........

No he didn't but he's better off without it!

[Mike Halliday]

The problem with pricing is it's much easier to consider someone to expensive & 'over charging' than to Admit you might be too cheap.

Also people use price to judge skill Level or professionalism,  if I charge £200 to clean a suite it does not mean I'm twice as professional as someone who charges £100.

I read once about how attitudes in the USA differ from the UK, if a Rolls Royce was left on a street In the States people would admire it , in the UK they would scratch it, and this attitude  crosses over into pricing. people would take the easy option,  attacking a high price rather that see it as something to aspire too.

[Kev Martin]

The problem with pricing is it's much easier to consider someone to expensive & 'over charging' than to Admit you might be too cheap.

Also people use price to judge skill Level or professionalism,  if I charge £200 to clean a suite it does not mean I'm twice as professional as someone who charges £100.

I read once about how attitudes in the USA differ from the UK, if a Rolls Royce was left on a street In the States people would admire it , in the UK they would scratch it, and this attitude  crosses over into pricing. people would take the easy option,  attacking a high price rather that see it as something to aspire too.

Bang on

[Kev Martin]

We have just had an enquiry for a patio.  They paid in excess of £3500 to buy it, have the old one dug out, have it levelled and relaid.  Then when they were then quoted 4 months later nearly a £1K to clean it and seal it.   They said it was too expensive so the owners decided on cleaning and sealing it themselves.  They hired a rotary and a wet vac and they told me they spent a total of nearly £300 on hire and products.  They then added that they also spent 4 HARD days doing it (65M2). 
Now it has bloomed, they have efflorescence and it is a mess.  So now they have asked me to strip, re clean and seal it.  I will let you lot guess what I have quoted but they have agreed regardless. Their final words, not mine,  were " We just wish we had got it done professionally in the first place"  Says it all really doesn't it?

[Carpet Dawg]

But you didn't get it..........

No I didn't but that's fine. I have no desire to clean for everyone that calls me. I would rather the client be completely happy with the price. I wouldn't want them to resent me or the price. That's why I don't like selling. I ask what their reasons are for having it cleaned, I tell them what I can do for them etc. Then give them the price. If they want to think about it, that's fine they know where to find me.

[John Kelly]

£170 to clean a suite professionally is actually quite inexpensive.

As regards offering other services, its the same customer base so why not. Some of my most succesfull customers do a multitude of cleaning tasks.  I know the argument for being a specialist but why not be a specialist in multi tasks.