Hey guys and gals. Do you have any good tips about selling commercial work to people who already have a guy? It’s mostly smaller towns where I live, so a lot of business “have a guy” that they’ve been using for years on end. Also, a lot of them say these guys do it for dirt cheap. I quoted a retail store that had 37 panes about 6x9 and they said the guy they have does it for $20 exterior only. Another store had over 60 large panes and said their guy charged $50 in and out. Sometimes when I run into this, the windows look streaky, or neglected, but more often than one would think, these windows look immaculate.
Also, if you’ve pitched enough stores in a town to realize that your prices might be too high for the area, any tips on re-pitching stores?
I’ve been sticking to my guns and offering fair pricing, but might have to start charging “bucket bob” prices just to stay afloat.
Sometimes there are not enough clients to support a business. A sad reality that some won’t admit. You have already determined what price is fair and reasonable for you to be profitable.
You can lower your prices, but how happy are you going to be working for less money? Maybe significantly less money?
You may have to shift directions in your business. Find what make you money and drive it harder. Look for other ways to be successful and make that money.
If not, you may need to consider finding a day job.
Not every business succeeds. It’s just the way it is. It’s mostly dependent on the one driving the business. Not everyone is destined to own and run their own business. Those that are, find ways to make it work.
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Fortunately for me, my living expenses fairly low. We’ve cut back on a lot and was able to stretch every penny. I’ve spent a large portion of my weekend market researching and digital advertising. I used to run a computer repair business and decided to revive it to help make ends meet in the beginning. I clean all types of windows in a home, including Microsoft Windows 
I think a lot of what’s hurting me right now, is that I live in a state that if it gets below 50, everybody hibernates, and it’s been in the 20’s for a good bit of the last week or so. That, plus starting up in the middle of the holidays when everybody has a lot going on. I personally love the cold better than the heat, especially our mild winter weather.
If I have no choice but to go much lower to get the work, it doesn’t bother me in the slightest. I tried what many people suggest, that is keeping your prices to what your time is worth, and not letting other people dictate your prices. My time might be more valuable than what I might have to go down to, but my freedom is even more valuable. In the end, I"ll do what I have to for my family.
Where are you located? When I moved back to look after the folks, I started this route from scratch in the winter. Honestly, most of January and February were just planting seeds and getting ready for business.
I beat the bushes pretty hard and by May I was at around 1600 worth of stores per month. The residential came progressively in addition to the storefront and restaurants.
I’m also in a small town. I have several jobs that are priced on the lower end of the scale, but they generate great exposure for the community. For the most part, I drive 30 min to dallas. Most of the residential is 30 miles in the opposite direction in gated communities. The point is that you will have to be dirt cheap to make it exclusively in a small town, or just commute to a larger area. Or a little of both.
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I live in the CSRA area in GA, a little town called Gibson. The closest “big” town is Augusta GA, and that’s 50 min away, but I don’t mind the drive. If business picks up enough to where I know this is going to be a viable business, I will definitely be moving closer to where the business is.
Nice little tip, I’ll add that to my notes.
