[dai]

I lost two customers today, they have been with me since I started, and I have known both of them for over 40 years.
One said that money was so tight they could no longer afford it, the other said it had come to a choice between keeping warm, or being able to see through the windows.
Both of these were pensioners living in ex council houses, I charge them just £6.

Two days ago I heard on the news that the government were going to introduce even tougher immigration laws. Hang on, wasn't this same government telling us six months ago that we all benefited from immigrants?
Then today I heard that unemployment is set to double.
I would usually treat such a statement with a degree of caution, but having heard what the minister said about immigration, I can see that he is putting on his Kevlar trousers, and getting into the cover your backside mode. If unemployment reaches 4 million, the tabloid press is going to have a field day, accusing the government of allowing immigrants to steal British jobs.
They say that hindsight is a wonderful thing, is it? Or is it just the way we view history after becoming aware of the true facts?
Experience, and the fact that history often repeats itself can give us a little fore site.

If we are to maintain our businesses at our present level. we must act now, we really need to work at our marketing, get out and canvass, seek new business wherever we can.
If You you haven't lost any business up to now, you will, believe me.
There are some very rough times ahead, and with 4 million on the dole there are going to be a lot of newbie window cleaners to compete with, and some of these guys will be pricing in line with their hourly rate when they were working.
We really should get out there and get whatever work we can before these guys get a foot in the door. It may sound selfish, but it could mean survival.

[peter holley]

i did this back in march....i realised this back then ... 

[geefree]

i did this back in march....i realised this back then ...

and are you full to the brim now ?

[Paul Coleman]

I lost two customers today, they have been with me since I started, and I have known both of them for over 40 years.
One said that money was so tight they could no longer afford it, the other said it had come to a choice between keeping warm, or being able to see through the windows.
Both of these were pensioners living in ex council houses, I charge them just £6.

Two days ago I heard on the news that the government were going to introduce even tougher immigration laws. Hang on, wasn't this same government telling us six months ago that we all benefited from immigrants?
Then today I heard that unemployment is set to double.
I would usually treat such a statement with a degree of caution, but having heard what the minister said about immigration, I can see that he is putting on his Kevlar trousers, and getting into the cover your backside mode. If unemployment reaches 4 million, the tabloid press is going to have a field day, accusing the government of allowing immigrants to steal British jobs.
They say that hindsight is a wonderful thing, is it? Or is it just the way we view history after becoming aware of the true facts?
Experience, and the fact that history often repeats itself can give us a little fore site.

If we are to maintain our businesses at our present level. we must act now, we really need to work at our marketing, get out and canvass, seek new business wherever we can.
If You you haven't lost any business up to now, you will, believe me.
There are some very rough times ahead, and with 4 million on the dole there are going to be a lot of newbie window cleaners to compete with, and some of these guys will be pricing in line with their hourly rate when they were working.
We really should get out there and get whatever work we can before these guys get a foot in the door. It may sound selfish, but it could mean survival.

I haven't lost business on the scale you describe.  Also, when I have lost business recently, the reasons have not necessarily been financial ones.  However, I do expect a much larger turnaround of customers as unemployment grows.  As you say, losing customers due to them feeling the pinch isn't the main problem - it's about the new window cleaners coming on stream.  I can't really complain because it was unemployment in the early 90s that started me off with window cleaning.
That's the way depressions/recessions are I guess:  More people chasing a shrinking marketplace.
In the great depression (not sure what was so great about it),  the number of shoe shiners in American cities increased many fold in a very short time.

[peter holley]

i did this back in march....i realised this back then ...

and are you full to the brim now ?

pretty much, and still growing, as im getting calls from leaflets i dropped months ago, and an add i put in a community mag ....

[Tosh]

I think I'll only be affected by losing some of my lower-end residential stuff; ex-council houses; and commercial work whose businesses are struggling.  I can already think of two I may lose, and both are around the £120 mark.

As for new window cleaners starting up, yes, but I don't think that will be a problem till next Spring.  I would assume that most guys would know that Winter isn't the ideal time to start a window cleaning round.

[Londoner]

Dai    You are 100% right in everything you say. We are going to go through a rough patch but we will survive it.
Why will we survive?    Low overheads and a broad customer base, thats why.

However, I have started leafletting again. It pays to keep on top of things. I am losing about 4-5 customers a week at the moment.

[Tosh]

We got a guy putting out leaflets offering to do them 'The Old Fashioned Way'.

 

[Oakley Windows]

Vinegar is quite expensive nowadays 

[Steve CM]

we are out canvassing 3-4 nights a week at the moment. i have noticed an excessive drop off in customers but we are gaining far far more than losing but that is the extra time we are putting in!! time for survival of the fittest!

[seandyer2003]

we are out canvassing 3-4 nights a week at the moment. i have noticed an excessive drop off in customers but we are gaining far far more than losing but that is the extra time we are putting in!! time for survival of the fittest!

when you are going out to canvass steve, do you do surrounding streets of your round, or streets nearby or stop somewhere random where looks good??? Thats what i always struggle with, as i go to an area, but other window cleaners have it prety much tied up, and dont wanna undercut!

[dai]

Dai    You are 100% right in everything you say. We are going to go through a rough patch but we will survive it.
Why will we survive?    Low overheads and a broad customer base, thats why.

However, I have started leafletting again. It pays to keep on top of things. I am losing about 4-5 customers a week at the moment.

It's a little bit of a relief that it's not only me, you start to worry if your starting to get complacent and doing a bad job.
Your right about the broad customer base though, I do a fare few bobbies, school teachers and others in secure jobs, as well as the Aston martin and Porche brigade.
WFP has turned this business on it's head, I know of one window cleaner who would get dizzy standing on a chair. Now anyone can do it.

[choice.clean]

we've all got to think positive  even if we are worried i am currently putting on more work than ever. because credit crunch has made me go up a couple of gears in anticipation of losing some customers. so far only lost a couple. have even taken on new man to cope with extra but on temporary contract

[Bonkors]

Tough times ahead   

However, as some commentators say, we may be talking ourselves into a longer recession than enivitably will/is taking place! Looks like most of us are now being more pro active!

[Chris Galloway]

I read the first post on here earlier, and thought, why the hell im i reading this.. I went straight out, and delivered my new flyers to 3 massive housing estates. Some nice 3,4 and 5 bedroom detached on some, hardly any had a clean window - and one house had a bit of ground with 3 doblemans going crazy (excuse spelling - not sure how to spell it). I work in those areas already but ive not flyered so much. Im ruddy knackered, been walking all day been chatting to people and have gained extra work, including EoT cleaning jobs (save those for the rainy days or the evenings). Im yet to check the phone but ive had 3 calls on the mobile this eve already for quotes.

Obviously my new flyers are working which is more than i can say for my old ones.

I have half a days work tomorrow, and then im back to flyering to some more nice houses until it gets dark like today. At this rate im gonna need a new belt as im gonna lose weight just pounding the streets (not that i need to lose it as im only a 32 inch waist anyway).

Thanks for the encouraging thread.

[davids3511]

I know of one window cleaner who would get dizzy standing on a chair. Now anyone can do it.

Heh, how do you know me

[cybersye]

[quote author=dai link=topic=63566.msg549113#msg549113 date=1224536401

Two days ago I heard on the news that the government were going to introduce even tougher immigration laws. Hang on, wasn't this same government telling us six months ago that we all benefited from immigrants?
Then today I heard that unemployment is set to double.
I would usually treat such a statement with a degree of caution, but having heard what the minister said about immigration, I can see that he is putting on his Kevlar trousers, and getting into the cover your backside mode. If unemployment reaches 4 million, the tabloid press is going to have a field day, accusing the government of allowing immigrants to steal British jobs.
They say that hindsight is a wonderful thing, is it? Or is it just the way we view history after becoming aware of the true facts?

Is'nt the government planning on introducing immigration laws along the lines of the australian points system? ...................the system australia has had for 20 odd years   :
the words 'horse' 'stable door' and 'bolted' spring to mind.

Tough times ahead   

However, as some commentators say, we may be talking ourselves into a longer recession than enivitably will/is taking place!

too true, the way the media reports the current situation does nothing to inject us with some positivity.

[Steve CM]

we are out canvassing 3-4 nights a week at the moment. i have noticed an excessive drop off in customers but we are gaining far far more than losing but that is the extra time we are putting in!! time for survival of the fittest!

when you are going out to canvass steve, do you do surrounding streets of your round, or streets nearby or stop somewhere random where looks good??? Thats what i always struggle with, as i go to an area, but other window cleaners have it prety much tied up, and dont wanna undercut!

i never undercut. normally i'm more expensive than their last wc. I just camp down in an area for an evening. i don't look for dirty windows, i've found its just your luck! getting quite a few calls coming in from flyers we are leaving if the owner is not in at the time

[seandyer2003]

we are out canvassing 3-4 nights a week at the moment. i have noticed an excessive drop off in customers but we are gaining far far more than losing but that is the extra time we are putting in!! time for survival of the fittest!

when you are going out to canvass steve, do you do surrounding streets of your round, or streets nearby or stop somewhere random where looks good??? Thats what i always struggle with, as i go to an area, but other window cleaners have it prety much tied up, and dont wanna undercut!

i never undercut. normally i'm more expensive than their last wc. I just camp down in an area for an evening. i don't look for dirty windows, i've found its just your luck! getting quite a few calls coming in from flyers we are leaving if the owner is not in at the time

I wanst implying you did mate, hope you didnt think that, i am taking canvasser out starting in a few weeks so just wondered how it was going is all, i am just gonna work through a-z of the area i wanna work in i think, and like you say, wait for the luck!! Numbers game i suppose - knock enough you will find somewhere thats waiting for a window cleaner....

[Steve CM]

we are out canvassing 3-4 nights a week at the moment. i have noticed an excessive drop off in customers but we are gaining far far more than losing but that is the extra time we are putting in!! time for survival of the fittest!

when you are going out to canvass steve, do you do surrounding streets of your round, or streets nearby or stop somewhere random where looks good??? Thats what i always struggle with, as i go to an area, but other window cleaners have it prety much tied up, and dont wanna undercut!

i never undercut. normally i'm more expensive than their last wc. I just camp down in an area for an evening. i don't look for dirty windows, i've found its just your luck! getting quite a few calls coming in from flyers we are leaving if the owner is not in at the time

I wanst implying you did mate, hope you didnt think that, i am taking canvasser out starting in a few weeks so just wondered how it was going is all, i am just gonna work through a-z of the area i wanna work in i think, and like you say, wait for the luck!! Numbers game i suppose - knock enough you will find somewhere thats waiting for a window cleaner....

i didn't think you was implying it fella yes a simple numbers game! the more doors you knock the more customers you will sign...easy really!!