[the red carpet]

Iv been busy the last couple days

Brought a bigger van, couple of year old citreon relay (all ready for a tm)
Joined fast track
Decided to buy a woodbridge t/m (hopefully within a few weeks)
And arranged to have 7500 leaflets put out a week
Thinking of taking on a helper as well

Have i done the right thing only time will tell

Fingers crossed

[Cleantime Europe Limited]

Brave you, it wasn't so long ago you told us you were struggling and just keeping your head above water - I wonder whats changed?   

[tomh]

best of luck 
the way i see it is you come in to this world with nothing & go out same way so if you end up with nothing halfway through it doesn't  matter 
i'd say you'll do alright myself

[Dave_Lee]

I think most CCs are just treading water at the moment, as nearly all business are experiencing a downturn this year. I will wait until next year and see how it goes before I decide on whether to upgrade my van and tm. Good luck to you.
Dave.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I'm always busy I know I know I'm bragging but it's true !

7 years ago I bought the Piranha pack and a TM and sent out 20000 pink flyers all with the new higher prices I was charging. I raked it in, so it does work, the thing is you have to keep ontop of it or the work will just die again DON'T GET LAZY !

Shaun

[Martin S]

Good on ya Dan.  I wish you all the best.   

[the red carpet]

Cheers guys all positive replys so far
I thought most of you would call me mad

Oh well, nothing ventured nothing gained an all that

Racking my brains for ideas for my new signwritting at the minute :

Anyone got any pictures of one done out in a fasttrack style?

[Damian]

so what gives you the most feedback shaun? as im from sheffield aswell and i see you in yp every year. is it leaflets or other forms of advertising (yp etc)? or do you think you been situated where you are helps-local number etc?

[Shaun_Ashmore]

YP is now sh#t, I do database marketing to my old customers on a regular basis and also I keep my price high you'll be suprised how many people still book and you don't need half as many customers to get a good week.

Shaun

[Robert Watson]

Dan. Your mad.
Good luck and raise your prices.

[Damian]

know what ya mean shaun. i have never contacted customers jus let them ring me again. however i reckon i must have lost some along the way!? trouble is we are living in such a large city that there are thousands o blokes with vax's wanting beer money and will work for a tenner an hour! personally i supply and fit carpets as well so cleaning can cost me money if i turn down supply jobs thro being too busy!  :

[BRSL]

Hi Daniel

Go for it mate, as you know I started about the same time as you but I went straight in and bought a new van and TM to start with so have struggled a bit but am still keeping my head above water, the bu**er is that although people say the first year is the hardest i say the end of the first year is as I now have to renew all my inssurences and association funds etc so there goes all the money I saved but on the upside as from the 1st of august I can start to try and book in repeat work so heres to being rich I hope  good luck

James

[Shaun_Ashmore]

If I were you I would sell the customer who you put a new carpet down for a FREE 1st year spot clean, then you could go back and then say for £x amount it will cost you this to clean it to like new and £x for protector and would you like a FREE spot removal for the year after (obviously when you have done the clean) if they don't go for the clean just free spot removal then leave them a card and forget them and move on.

You will get alot of clean and protects and also keeping with the same customers plenty of referal work BUT it won't come over night but will save you £ on advertising because your customers will refer you because you are offering FREE work.

Shaun

[the red carpet]

Hi James, yeah im looking forward to starting to market for the re-cleans
iv got till the 14th of August to wait, so not long now

Wonder how well we will do

one things for sure the second year has gotta be easier than the first
Wonder how many that started at the same time as us have crashed and burned allready? bet theres a few

[Damian]

round this side of sheff it doesnt work like that shaun. they just buy new carpets which is great cause its all money but am now wantin more vans and labour on the road? been at it years and just let cleaning side run itself. but now wanting to push boundaries? tried thompson and yp years ago and didnt find it worth it!

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Pass your cleaning work on to me and you can take a cut and that'll leave you free for supply and fit.

Shaun

[BRSL]

Dan

I hope it's an upward slope from here on but I totaly agree with Shaun the second I get lazzy it falls apart real quick, the thing im hopeing now is the very small pecentage of re-clean work im expecting will now no longer just have lounge done but maybee whole house and suite etc and so on and so on then I can buy a few more vans and TM's and get somebody else to do the work for me then I can buy a big horse and a yacht ROLL ON NEXT WEEK  

[Damian]

ha nice one shaun! said am busy not stupid or lazy! lol. wouldnt give me customers away and after so many years i dont think they would move to another cleaner? ever tried the star? is your work local as when im up that end o town i see ya regularly?

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Damian I wasn't after your customers in that way, I think the Star can be hit and miss and is quite expensive, if I were starting again I would do leaflets but getting them out is hard if you do it yourself. You need an old person to honestly and regularly deliver them and get the good response at say £30 a 1000 and you should get may be 5-10 jobs depending on the time of year.

Shaun

PS I'd have thought supply and fit would have reaped you far more money than cleaning, Andy Dexter did/does it from his van he passes his cleaning on to John at Fresh 'n' Clean.

[Damian]

yeah know he does shaun.(andy)that is. supply is top money and fittin is better than cleanin too but i enjoy cleaning and always have. jus love the whole works as all my family have! ( ask around and ya will hear of me and family) been at it years! groan! but am seriously wanting to push it now on all fronts!! ex and kids need feeding etc! haha