[d.ward]

My plans for my business are to expand nationwide eventually which you might think is pie in the sky but i think i can do it eventually

What imthinking of now is just cleaning commercial buildings like hospitals, hotels andcare homes . Does anyone do all commercial window cleaning ?

Any advice welcome

Cheers

[Martin ccs]

id think long and hard about that one mate!

i do around 70% commercial, massive pros and cons to commercial tho!

pros for me - no stroppy customers, some good prices.

cons for me - low budgets to price, can wait a loooooonnnnnngggggg time for payment, can lose a big contract in the blink of an eye.

i think to do all commercail you will need a fair bit of money behind you to manage it.

i see my domestic round as my bread and butter ( cash in hand work )

[d.ward]

So i should keep my domestics and push for commercial ?

Id love 100% commercial if i had the choice but i dont feel like taking on anymore domestics once ive finished canvassing an area im in.

What do you prefare domestic or commercial?

[Martin ccs]

have you been in this game long?

years ago commercial work was great - all places i did wanted windows cleaned every day or a few times a week - carpets cleaned once a month - office cleaning every day and so on

but now its all down to some twat in a suit with a budget spreadsheet in his/her hand.

commercial work isnt what it used to be - guess thats just the way the country has gone in a whole.

i know of some commercial places that would have a rule of a 90 day payment period!

i wouldnt drop all of your houses cuz commercial jobs can come and go so quick.

you may pick up a big job along the way but dont count on having it for too long!

you would need a hell of a lot of money to compete with the big nationwide companies!

[stfc]

My plans for my business are to expand nationwide eventually which you might think is pie in the sky but i think i can do it eventually

What imthinking of now is just cleaning commercial buildings like hospitals, hotels andcare homes . Does anyone do all commercial window cleaning ?

Any advice welcome

Cheers

its not pie in the sky,ive just signed a massive contract nationwide,so you can do it,and all that to yell.com

[pingu]

Looking at a lot of posts on here a mix and match approach might be the best way forward....not having all you eggs in one basket type thing...

Cheers
Dave.

[cozy]

have you been in this game long?

years ago commercial work was great - all places i did wanted windows cleaned every day or a few times a week - carpets cleaned once a month - office cleaning every day and so on

but now its all down to some fool in a suit with a budget spreadsheet in his/her hand.

commercial work isnt what it used to be

Same over here, What they called "The fat years". Schools done 4 times a year are now only done once, fancy cleaning hundreds of windows with a years crud on them? Here they pay by the square metre and it's crap prices. I know firms that cleam com work like schools, for prices I had in 1994 ! Too many firms out there looking for the same jobs.
They contract usually goes to the cheapest bidder and can be gone before you know it.

A mate of mine in this area, used to do one of the biggest hospitals in Dortmund, massive bunker that was. The contract was with glass and frames. A year into the contract, some manager dicided to call in another firm to check standards of work. Next thing you know, my mate has a call back to clean frame folds and sills. Took his 8 guys nearly a week. No extra payment, as the hospital claimed is was already in the contract.

All sorts of crap like that can happen, that's why the advice about having money behind you is valid. Small com jobs are safer, maybe start there and get the feel of it.

Read what Dave Morris said about the difference in pay for dom work compared to com work. Wish I'd have known then what I know now.

Sorry for going on so long, but hope this helps.

[stephen s]

So i should keep my domestics and push for commercial ?

Id love 100% commercial if i had the choice but i dont feel like taking on anymore domestics once ive finished canvassing an area im in.

What do you prefare domestic or commercial








I have some nice commercial jobs but my intention is to fill my books up with domestic work,   why ?   well yes commercial pays well but as stated you can lose a commercial contract any day and if its a big contract it will hurt financially,    where as with domestic you can build a good supplier-customer relatinship and if you do the job properly they will always look after you.

and if you do lose a domestic job as we all do from time to time then it wont hurt in the pocket and they will soon be replaced        different story on the commercial side mate.

[cozy]

I think we all sound a bit depressing  now lol. I think what the other guys and myself are trying to say is, look at what the guys who do mostly com work say about it. If you do go down that road, then one step at a time.

Grass is always greener etc etc.

[stephen s]

Cosy  where you from ?      your profile says Germany but why the LFC badge ?

[cozy]

Because I live in Germany mate, have done as a civvie since 1985. The badge shows I support a team that is going through the season from hell, and will be playing in the "Micky Mouse Cup" next season. Can't wait to play all those other great teams like Carlisle and ALDI 1st eleven etc etc

[daz1977]

i dont know where he is from, but i know where he wont be   madrid for the champions league final  lol


sorry could not resist it being an evertonian

[cozy]

I'd have a comeback for that, but we will be playing Everton in the MM cup too, what if we lose?

[daz1977]

the way they are both playing it will be a boring 0 - 0    dont think liverpool will do anything with rafa and moyes is off celtic at end of year i reakon

[cozy]

Wish he'd come to Liverpool.

[Smudger]

Cozy ...... NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

We'll send Rafa to the Blue noses tho.!

Darran

[sparklebright]

Domestic work has it's drawbacks, dog poo, stroppy customers etc.

Here are some of the drawbacks of commercial work.

Contracts are not forever. I had a department store cut it's work by £700 a month last december.
Every man and his dog wants the work, and comm. jobs have no loyalty to you, it's all on cost. So you can be undercut easily
You always wait for the money, 2 months frequently. So if you employ you have to pay them first and then yourself.
More agro in general and cos it's a big contract it's hard to walk away, so you have to take it on the chin.
More regulated, Health & Safety etc.

I quoted for some Argos stores recently, 35 of them. I didn't get the job they wanted to pay £7 a store in & out once a week.  
I would agree that a good mix of both is best. Do some commercial work early a.m. then a few houses. But DON'T rely on it as I started to.
During this recession the gap in hourly rates between houses and commercial work has narrowed.

Lecture over, sorry

[d.ward]

its not pie in the sky,ive just signed a massive contract nationwide,so you can do it,and all that to yell.com

What type of contract is it?
Not trying to steal it i just want to understand more

[stfc]

i cant really say tbh,email me at markswindowclean@hotmail.co.uk and will discuss further