[KarlJones]

So far I have registered for a free listing on yell.  Got an answering machine.  Built a website and done some google adword stuff.  ll in the last 24 hrs.  Have not had a fat lot of sleep (yawn!)

Just printed out 100 leaflets,  I do not expect a massive response (some would be nice though) but it will be interesting to se if my website gets hits after I post them. 

I intend to post 100 leaflets a day for the next month or so which should see me hit between 2500 and 3000 leaflets, just to see what sort of response I get, the figures will obviously be low but at least it might give me some idea of where I am best off concentrating when doorknocking in the future.

I calculate (in my head) that if I get 20 customers a month like this (<1%) then in 12 months time I will have 240.  It will be intersting how much I change during the next 12 months.

I am aiming to build this business slow, very slow.  I know inexperience and high expectations are the stuff failure is made of. 

[Trevor Knight]

If you are printing out 100 leaflets per day would it be cheaper to get them printed www.printing.com or www.vistaprint.co.uk

This would work out cheaper than using your paper and printer ink?

As far as your business plan looks, yes that all makes sense and is very realistic, if anything slightly on the low side in terms of customers generated.

Don't forget to allow lost days leafleting as when you build up your clients some days will be spent just window cleaning and your 100 leaflets per day will not be achievable

Good luck with your venture.

Regards,

Trevor

[KarlJones]

Thanks for that Trevor, a bit of vocal support will probably be needed here and there as some weeks are going to obviously be harder than others.

I hope the leaflets will give me some indication of where demand lies.  If I get some feedback that results in a sale then I will canvass the area, after all it is probably a skill every window cleaner should learn if they wish to keep there income growing.

Those targets are a sort of minimum.  Taking up about one hour or so per day.  I do feel that this would have been better if I had done it 6 or 7 years ago when the market was not quite so flooded with window cleaners.  If anything these two weeks will at least prove how bad/good leaflets work compared to canvassing.

Nearly lost my fingers to a staffordshire bull terrier.  Horrible letter boxes refused to swallow my leaflet with trying to spit it out.  Did 2 areas, about 60 houses on the one and 40 on another,  again just to see what happens.  Finished about 3 hrs ago.  No site hits, no calls or emails.  Does not look good   maybe I will canvass in a week or so but what I am looking for is a call or two.

[pylofm]

Hi Karl...firstly good luck with your new venture...I have been putting leaflets out and now have about 12k out 'in the wild'....Over crimbo I did not do too much leaflet wise but will resume next week as I am busy doing cleans this week....

I think you really are on the right path...leaflet first then go and canvass...those jobs will just grow and grow...as I say...good luck...keep us posted.

Cheers
Dave.

[a-r window cleanin]

Good luck and all the best!!!
I have only ever put out about 500 leaflets and they were the A4 'Clean me' style ones.
Since then we have had to much business if there is ever such a thing.
Make sure you do some research as to what areas may need a wc'er

[markybop]

wheres the link to your website matey and wot do you mean bt google adword???

[KarlJones]

I am going to keep the link off here for a week or so, just because I want to be able to see how well google adwords works and how well leaflets work to promote a web site, if that makes any sense.

adwords is a part of google you pay for, those little ads that are often on the right of some pages on the net.  You pay per click but you can state what triggers it to appear.  So, for instance if you happened to be a window cleaner in belfast then you could tell it to only appear when someone types belfast window cleaner or window cleaning in belfast.  It is a bit hit n miss.  It either works quite nicely and costs a little or it provides no customers and costs a lot.

I will post a link to my site in about 7 days or so, by then I should have an idea of roughly how important a part of my advertising it is going to be.

[Trevor Knight]

Karl,

Just a quick one.

This pay per click with google?/ Mate, I used this years ago and it was a nightmare. I generated around 500 hits per week and no customers. The thing with google, unless its changed, is you may get someone from outside your area click to look at your site and go away as your not local, you pay for the click and generate no income?

Personally I would self promote your website to localised areas- Leaflets, shops, magazines, newspapers etc......

[windows_chepstow]

Karl,

Just a quick one.

This pay per click with google?/ Mate, I used this years ago and it was a nightmare. I generated around 500 hits per week and no customers.

I've also read in the Carpet cleaning forum that rival cleaners will just spend an portion of their time each day 'clicking' on their competitors website till it stops being advertised (you can set budgets with pay per click, say five pounds worth a day, and once it's used, you stop getting advertised for that day).

[KarlJones]

good points, I shall monitor it carefully.  Hopefully I have set it up right (was not easy!) and it should be no problem but we shall see.

No phone calls.
About 6 hits to my website (there was more but some don't count)
No adword clicks.

Grrr, at this rate I am going to have to go canvassing during the weekend just to get 5 customers hehehe!   

That is the general idea, try to get the 5 or so a week from leaflets, try to build up a pciture of where needs a window cleaner, canvass those areas.  If I have not got the 5 by Saturday morning then its off I go a door knocking (preferably in an area that has responded to my leaflets)

[john tomkins]

Karl, I generally work on the 1 customer per 100 flyers but getting about 2 average but thats area dependant, I can post 300 one day and get nothing, then post 300 and get 10.
Get loads more flyers out in a few different areas then you'll make a better judgement....Good luck 

[KarlJones]

Went door knocking on wednesday, thought I had to do it sometime and as day time is quiet I thought it would be the best time to find my feet.

Only went out for an hour or so, first house to answer tells me he is doing his own, gave him a leaflet anyway   his wife then says I should get loads as they can not seem to get a window cleaner on that estate.  Informs me it is probably better to try when everyone is back from work but I decided to carry on as I had about 90 or so leaflets on me, also told me his daughters addy and she needs a window cleaner so he says, told me he is giving her the leaflet.  Got a few "no thank you" a few "quote me a rough idea without looking at the back" and 1 "YES!!!"  yipeee!!!

only did roughly half of this estate,  have decided to do the rest on Saturday when more of them are in.  The biggest difference to me between leaflet posting and door knocking is the fact you get other bits of info along the way, such as other areas to try.

Anyway, I am hooked now.  It might only be one but it is one in the right direction. 

Website got a couple of hits, but my phone has not rung at all. 

If any of you fancy pointing me in a better direction, re a leaflet that works for you, can you let me know...
kondormid@gmail.com

[KarlJones]

Had a call yesturday from someone who got my number from yellow pages, but due to location I think it was 118247.  They are 7 miles away! Normally I would not but as luck would have it my mum lives just round the corner (literally) and I am going to be doing her house anyway.  What I would say is if someone says "do you do houses in my area" then hear em out.  I said yes, obviously, and he replies that he has actually got two houses and a conservatory.  Could be a nice little earner even if it ends up a one off clean.

I think I am right in saying 247 rotates, so obviously I was at the top, now I am at the bottom so I should not get another call from it for a while.  Will be interesting to see how fast it rotates if ever though. So, I phoned 118118 (actually, I phoned 0808 1000 118)  to see if they do free listings and they do.  Added me

Going to Canvass the estate as soon as I get the quote done.  It might be a sign a window cleaner has recently finished in the area.

[KarlJones]

Tommorow morning I start my new business

It is pretty scary still, lots of stuff still to do, got 10 customers mostly from a little bit of canvassing.    Quite funny where I am sitting as I have had to take a bit of a gamble and throw myself into the lions den as so to speak.  Had to cut the income support life line that is really more of a ball and chain.  Already pre registered as a sole trader with the inland revenue.

So in a few hours a few computers will alter my status, off income support, on the inland revenues books, and up the creek and paddling as fast as I can with my applicator

First windows to be cleaned on Wednesday, got almost a full days work going on that day, rest of the month looks like it involves me knocking lots of doors hahaha!

Still going well for my 20 average type houses per month added to my account.  Going to be a tough couple of months in front of me but the thing is, if I run out of cash, there is NOTHING stopping me going and finding some more.

Thanks for all your help,  I have been at college for 18 months training to be a mechanic to try and find a way out of this hole I was in, but it became obvious that was going to take far too long and be a very big gamble becoming a self employed mechanic.  Without this site I am sure I would have found it a lot harder to make the jump.

Really, thanks to all of you, old posters and new.

[john tomkins]

Best of luck Karl, lets hope the weather holds out for all of us this coming week

[Clear Vision]

Good luck karl. Let us all know how you get on.

It's snowing up here in inverness at the mo

[pjulk]

Karl

Good luck im sure you will build a great business.
Do you have parish mags in your area.
If so advertise in these i get at least £100 of new work per month from these.

Paul

[KarlJones]

no parish mags over this way to my knowledge.   Free papers but no one reads em.         Getting yourself known to the local communtiy has to be the hardest part,  crack it and your well on your way.  However, I am sure its flooded with window cleaners where I live, partly due to some houses by me being worth a small fortune (I live in a housing asscoiation flat so I can only dream).  Hence I am pulling in work from sightly way off my doorstep, not too far though.

30 mins or so to go

I had not got the money to buy champers so I am half gone on a bottle of Austrailias best.  Got to get the lad to school in the morning grrrr!

If anyone in the midlands has a bit of stuff they need to shift (sounds desperate) let me know.

[Fast 1 *]

Karl,
If you keep on knocking mate,somethings got to give.Its all in the mind mate,keep your chin up and go for it.
Anyone worth their salt on here will tell you its all about hard work, persistance and a positive attitude.
I wish you luck

[DaveWilkinson]

Karl good luck and keep at it.

A thought crossed my mind, you mentioned cutting the income support strings and taking the lad to school, seems to me you might be entitled to working familys tax credits etc, do yourself a favour and look into it.

Dave