[lee_dewing]

hi guys been working for a window cleaner for 18 months, now parted company, built up my own work £1400 a month, before i was being payed 80-90 aday.
Now on my own I earn £85-100 aday 9am-5pm, i price jobs at £20h/r ie 3 bed semi takes me half hour £10. Am i too slow?
I don't want to be the guy who leaves foam all over frames to cut corners,
my average hourly rate breaks down to £12h/r when i do the maths, been told to aim for £150 aday(is this realistic) don't know where i'm going wrong? is my work too spaced out? with time will make it more compact.

I use ladders, tried all gg4-gg3 can't get on with it use fairy liquid +bit gg4 in bucket use stopper when needed, heard about carrying in bucket but won't it get wet?
I am now getting van sign written 5 july.(hope this gets more noticed)!
Any advice-constructive critisms greatly recieved, also any tips about speeding up saving time, building a better round.
thankyou lee

[The Bear]

Dont speed up, rather price up, there is no point being knackered because you rush. If you need to get up to £150 charge more. This may take some time.

[UBA1]

hi guys been working for a window cleaner for 18 months, now parted company, built up my own work £1400 a month, before i was being payed 80-90 aday.
Now on my own I earn £85-100 aday 9am-5pm, i price jobs at £20h/r ie 3 bed semi takes me half hour £10. Am i too slow?
I don't want to be the guy who leaves foam all over frames to cut corners,
my average hourly rate breaks down to £12h/r when i do the maths, been told to aim for £150 aday(is this realistic) don't know where i'm going wrong? is my work too spaced out? with time will make it more compact





Get yourself a day out with me, and i`ll have you up to speed.


3 bed semi? Providing it ain`t got a cons. shouldn`t take any more than 10 mins. That`s NOT incl. the frames though.


Steve

[s.hughes]

To be honest it can take years to build up a round that will get you £150 a day comfortably. That is unless you spend all day working and all night trying to get new custom.
Only you will know if your work is to spaced out. I go for a min of £20 an hour while I am working but even this is low compared to most on this forum. Even then I can end up dropping below that from time to time on certain jobs and this is when I have to be very hard on a customer. Its not easy but this is a business.
Keep it up, I found out years ago that I would never really speed up in my work. When I thought about it I would go faster but then slow down to my general routine so I had to increase the prices to alow for this.
People are earning more nowadays so why should you go home completely knackered.


Steveyboy

[s.hughes]

Get yourself a day out with me, and i`ll have you up to speed.


3 bed semi? Providing it ain`t got a cons. shouldn`t take any more than 10 mins. That`s NOT incl. the frames though.


Steve

Hi Lee
Steve typed this while I was doing my thread. I would take him up on his offer if I was you. I have thought about it but he lives quite far from me. You never know though if I get the time then I would.


Steveyboy

[Grafters Cleaning Services]

hi lee,
what the bear says is right
up your prices rather than your speed
you should be looking at about £20-£25 per hour

[Paul Coleman]

hi guys been working for a window cleaner for 18 months, now parted company, built up my own work £1400 a month, before i was being payed 80-90 aday.
Now on my own I earn £85-100 aday 9am-5pm, i price jobs at £20h/r ie 3 bed semi takes me half hour £10. Am i too slow?
I don't want to be the guy who leaves foam all over frames to cut corners,
my average hourly rate breaks down to £12h/r when i do the maths, been told to aim for £150 aday(is this realistic) don't know where i'm going wrong? is my work too spaced out? with time will make it more compact

Hey Lee.
I can tell you that if you take on board a few things that Steve shows you, you will definitely speed up.  I spent a few hours with him the other week so I'm speaking from personal experience.  You may not get the semi done in 10 minutes but you will definitely do it a lot faster than you are doing now.
If you are quoting £10 for a typical 3 bed semi (4 windows front, 4 at back and 2 on the side = 10 windows) then you are probably about right if they are plain glass - unless you are working up north.  However, if you are giving a thorough frame clean for that price then (IMO) you are quoting too cheap.  I make it clear from the outset that I'm quoting to clean the glass and wipe off the sills and/or any liquid I put on there.  If they want a full frame clean from time to time (maybe once or twice a year) then I will do that for extra money subject to time constraints.
Steve's OK.  I suggest you have a chat with him.  I'm a lot slower than him but even I could probably help you speed up.





Get yourself a day out with me, and i`ll have you up to speed.


3 bed semi? Providing it ain`t got a cons. shouldn`t take any more than 10 mins. That`s NOT incl. the frames though.


Steve

[The Bear]

3 Bed semi can be done in 10 mins, dont think the quality would be that good though.

Do the maths if you charge £10 and want to earn £30 per hour each job should take 20 mins including collecting, work may be to spaced or you talk too much

[AuRavelling79]

Take a half day a month (when it's rainy) - canvass at high prices.

Whenever someone comes up and says "can you do mine?" add 50% to your present rate, grit your teeth and stick to it.

In a year you'll be earning an extra £100-£500 per month for the same effort.

Every time you add £100 per month to your round drop the lowest value £50 - £100 per month, especially if you can sell it on - or even if you can't.

[rosskesava]

Hi lee_dewing

Just stick with it. Your earning roughly the same but you're your own boss now. That is worth a lot because now you decide.

Bit by bit you will be earning more. It may take some time but bit by bit quote higher  prices.

Build up a decent round where you at least have the money to pay the bills.

What Malc G says is true. Grit your teeth next time and be prepared for some to say 'no'.

Some will say 'yes'.

Someone got uptight with us last week when we told him the price and he huffed and puffed and said this and that but the truth was, we did not need the work so our prices are higher. That is a good position to be in.

Try and get to that position.

As far as I'm concerned the time thing isn't so important. It's the price for the job.

Cheers

[UBA1]

Take a half day a month (when it's rainy) - canvass at high prices.

Whenever someone comes up and says "can you do mine?" add 50% to your present rate, grit your teeth and stick to it.

In a year you'll be earning an extra £100-£500 per month for the same effort.

Every time you add £100 per month to your round drop the lowest value £50 - £100 per month, especially if you can sell it on - or even if you can't.

Good reply.

[UBA1]

3 Bed semi can be done in 10 mins, dont think the quality would be that good though.

Do the maths if you charge £10 and want to earn £30 per hour each job should take 20 mins including collecting, work may be to spaced or you talk too much

QUOTE:3 Bed semi can be done in 10 mins, dont think the quality would be that good though.


So what are you saying??

Ain`t nufink wrong with my work.
I`m fast, efficient and reliable...simple

[Paul Coleman]

3 Bed semi can be done in 10 mins, dont think the quality would be that good though.

Do the maths if you charge £10 and want to earn £30 per hour each job should take 20 mins including collecting, work may be to spaced or you talk too much

Ha ha ha.  I wondered what response that post would get    .
Take it from me.  Steve's work is fine.


QUOTE:3 Bed semi can be done in 10 mins, dont think the quality would be that good though.


So what are you saying??

Ain`t nufink wrong with my work.
I`m fast, efficient and reliable...simple

[The Bear]

So what are you saying??

Ain`t nufink wrong with my work.
I`m fast, efficient and reliable...simple

I think you are being harsh on yourself to call yourself simple

[lee_dewing]

Hi guys thanks everyone for your input.

UBA1_steve, would like to come out for the day as you said, how can i get in touch with you? can't get access to your email?(hidden) I live waltham abbey essex, junction 26 M25.(takes me a while to get emails as i use pc at library).

Anyone else out there know UBA1_steve's email mine is lee_dewing@hotmail.co.uk

Lee

[UBA1]

Hi guys thanks everyone for your input.

UBA1_steve, would like to come out for the day as you said, how can i get in touch with you? can't get access to your email?(hidden) I live waltham abbey essex, junction 26 M25.(takes me a while to get emails as i use pc at library).

Anyone else out there know UBA1_steve's email mine is lee_dewing@hotmail.co.uk

Lee

I`ll email you fairly soon