[Richard iSparkle]

I've finally bitten the bullet...

we have been DD only for the past 5 years for new domestic customers and switched all the long standing customers over at the same time.  We have about 4 left who still like to pay by cheque and one who pays by BACs!

we're changing accountants to a profit first internet based service this month so i figure its as good a time as any to change the last ones over or just stop working for them..

[Ched]

we're changing accountants to a profit first internet based service this month

That sounds interesting. How does it work?
We normally put all the info on a spreadsheet and out accountant does the hmrc bits.

[Richard iSparkle]

Profit first is a business book that promotes a method of collecting key figures in your business like staff costs, admin costs, sales , etc  and measuring them expected percentages for successful Companies.

I’m switching to an accountant service that supports this.

They do everything online using Xero and a few receipt collection apps

[NWH]

In this present climate the way I  look at it is the last thing the general public want is another direct debit at the moment,sorry I maybe wrong but I won’t be implementing this anytime soon as smooth as it maybe for some of you.
People worrying about job- money etc I reckon it’s the worst idea you’ve had this year so far if you are not already doing it.

[SB Cleaning]

Is it Go Cardless your using?

[Richard iSparkle]

Is it Go Cardless your using?

I’ve always used smartdebit

[Richard iSparkle]

In this present climate the way I  look at it is the last thing the general public want is another direct debit at the moment,sorry I maybe wrong but I won’t be implementing this anytime soon as smooth as it maybe for some of you.
People worrying about job- money etc I reckon it’s the worst idea you’ve had this year so far if you are not already doing it.

I disagree

It depends on who your clients are

Like I say I’m already 99% DD . It’s just the final 1%

So if I loose them so be it. I’d rather not have the hassle of sorting checks and bacs.

I don’t plan to wait for the end of a recession until I sort my business out.

Just plough ahead 

[NWH]

I don’t do cheques I do online I wouldn’t ever push direct debit no need to 90% pay within a few days or a week anyway,depends what kind of customers you have I don’t clean masses of houses a day-week.

[SB Cleaning]

Is it Go Cardless your using?

I’ve always used smartdebit

That looks more expensive than Go Cardless...sod that!!

I have very little problems with my customers who mostly pay by bacs and it only costs me £7.50 a month in bank charges.

[Stoots]

There's a difference in being a one man band with the same reliable customers for years and constantly growing a business.

If you have the former then you can have them all on bacs, well trained and have next to no issues.

But soon as you start to take on new work you get problems, I must have taken on 50 new customers this year and at the minute I have 7 who I am struggling to get paid from (or won't get paid from) they have all had 1,2 or 3 cleans. I stopped offering go cardless when they started putting the fees up so these were all instructed to pay by bacs.

Point is if you are growing I would have thought it's imperative you get them on direct debit to limit non payers and reduce admin time. I guess you have to price a bit higher to cover the fees but could you imagine having 5 or more vans out all on bacs 🙄 the cash flow and admin time would be horrendous.

Yes I know they can just cancel the mandate anyway but they have to make an effort to do that, maybe some customers who I'm chasing for debt have changed their mobile number so I can't chase them.

I'm seriously considering going back to go cardless, just stick a quid more on each quote.

[NWH]

Makes no difference I always look at it from the customers point of view if they say can I give you a cheque that’s the only thing these days I won’t do,all I’m saying is if I was undecided at the moment about my job or finances and the window cleaner said you’ve got to go on Gocardless or similar direct debit I’d get someone else.

[Stoots]

Makes no difference I always look at it from the customers point of view if they say can I give you a cheque that’s the only thing these days I won’t do,all I’m saying is if I was undecided at the moment about my job or finances and the window cleaner said you’ve got to go on Gocardless or similar direct debit I’d get someone else.

Yes but its never a good idea to second guess people. That's your limiting beliefs that they wont sign up. When others have proven it not to be true.

[Richard iSparkle]

Makes no difference I always look at it from the customers point of view if they say can I give you a cheque that’s the only thing these days I won’t do,all I’m saying is if I was undecided at the moment about my job or finances and the window cleaner said you’ve got to go on Gocardless or similar direct debit I’d get someone else.

Yes but its never a good idea to second guess people. That's your limiting beliefs that they wont sign up. When others have proven it not to be true.

this exactly.

what we think isn't important.

look at the evidence.

NWH your business is limited by what you believe is true. all of our businesses are. but in your case it seems you have some pretty limiting beliefs there.

Think and grow rich by Napoleon Hill is a good book if you are a reader... or of course audio book if not

[NWH]

I listened to that book countless times and someone sent me a rich woman 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣👍 💰. Unless you get all customers on that system it won’t work you’ll still be chasing money up,it has to be right across the board I would say be prepared to lose some. Remember it’s not about having multiple vans and employees that make it a “business” it’s what it gives you at the end of the month on you’re own 1-2 or 10 employees,it’s all about the number you end up with forget this swivel chair malarkey 🤣🤣

[Richard iSparkle]

I listened to that book countless times and someone sent me a rich woman 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣👍 💰. Unless you get all customers on that system it won’t work you’ll still be chasing money up,it has to be right across the board I would say be prepared to lose some. Remember it’s not about having multiple vans and employees that make it a “business” it’s what it gives you at the end of the month on you’re own 1-2 or 10 employees,it’s all about the number you end up with forget this swivel chair malarkey 🤣🤣

ok. i guess you must be right then 

[NWH]

Stick with me Richard run an idea past me and I’ll save you months of ball ache 🤣🤣.

[NWH]

It’s like being an old cow in this job unless you get out in the field and eat the grass with the others you won’t have a clue what’s going on,you need to be on the tools to a certain extent not full time obviously but you need to be out there lurking over them.

[Richard iSparkle]

It’s like being an old cow in this job unless you get out in the field and eat the grass with the others you won’t have a clue what’s going on,you need to be on the tools to a certain extent not full time obviously but you need to be out there lurking over them.

I’m still not convinced your a real person

I have a strong suspicion your just a teenaged member of China’s hacker army 🤣

For someone who’s on the tools you seem to spend more time than anyone else at their keyboard 😉

[Tom-01]

I have been going through older BACS customers this morning texting them we now take payment by direct and please send me your email address so I can forward you the details.

I've only had one say no, because she might be made redundant from her job soon. She always has to be chased for payment, so I think she just won't do it. If not I will put the price up. It's a £20 job, easily replaced.

The others have all sent me their email address and had a few signed up already.

Yes we lose a bit of money on each job because of the fees (still have fees on BACS payments), but it is so much simpler and saves a lot of time. New jobs are priced slightly higher anyway.

As always with business our costs for things will rise, so we need to be smart and price a bit higher, offer extra's, and get a few more jobs.

[Richard iSparkle]

I have been going through older BACS customers this morning texting them we now take payment by direct and please send me your email address so I can forward you the details.

I've only had one say no, because she might be made redundant from her job soon. She always has to be chased for payment, so I think she just won't do it. If not I will put the price up. It's a £20 job, easily replaced.

The others have all sent me their email address and had a few signed up already.

Yes we lose a bit of money on each job because of the fees (still have fees on BACS payments), but it is so much simpler and saves a lot of time. New jobs are priced slightly higher anyway.

As always with business our costs for things will rise, so we need to be smart and price a bit higher, offer extra's, and get a few more jobs.

this pandemic is the perfect time to switch... it give you an excuse... not so much for BACs payments TBH.. but for cheques.

it pays off massively when you do you first price rise on DDs... so simple