Marketing is everything…Get a good system in place and your good to go.
Yup, and everything is marketing.
And timing plays a big role also. Being in the right place at the right time and having the right attitude go a long way.
John Lee Window Cleaning
Maryville TN
865 310 0728
http://johnwcr.com
What sort of business do you run!? No suit & tie???
Where can I get a copy of the “Guerilla Marketing”
It is a type of marketing.
I recommend Complete Idiots guide to Guerrilla Marketing.
The first marketing book I purchased before we ever cleaned a window was " Startup Guide to Guerrilla Marketing a Simple Battle Plan for First-Time Marketers " by Jay and Jeannie Levinson’s. Purchased at Border Books. Still read it over to this day. Great investment…
We had a record year for 2010 annticipate it again for 2011. I’m 70% commercial, 20% residential and 10% commercial new construction. It’s easy to be negative, but When thing got tough in '08, we tightened things up, negotiated with vendors ultimately cutting costs and streamlining. We made marketing decisions based on what was and was not working and aggressively worked those that worked and had 8% growth in revenue while increased profits due to streamlining. Don’t complain, put your head down avoid the negativity, and plow forward.
What did not work and what did you streamlin
COMMERCIAL- Calling new business lists seeing if they were open to an estimate, went nowhere. Instead hired my first full time sales person to walk and talk storefronts. it’s hard to find people to do it, but kept interviewing and eventually succeeded where we were picking up more accounts than what we were losing. Also, started getting creative when an account would cancel offering 6/m free service every quarter over 2 years - kept alot on and serviced vs losing. Started mailing letters to all commercial w/c co’s in my area asking ‘who wants to sell?’ In 08 i got steals on 2 co’s and a great buy on a 3rd with excellent terms. I have more on that in the private WCRA forum. Raised commercial revenue approx $8,000/m once the monies started rolling in. We do 2,300 storefronts weekly, monthly, etc.
RESIDENTIAL- Kept doing what we were doing and increased revenue 50%. 09 to '10. Started advertising in small nbhd newsletters for approx $25/m average. Agressively following up with customers via email/m , postcards every quarter, personal phone call 2x/m. Doing about 800 homes a year. Started that division in the fall of '08 to increase revenue. A very good decision. Expanded into gutter and pressure washing in '09.
OFFICE- called previous buyouts that I was still makin payments to and cut those bills in half. Called my insurance co’s and other vendors and negotiated lower rates and pricing ultimately saving +$1,000/m in office expenses. Then streamlined 1 member of management (an underporfermer). A lot of decisions, alot of action and stayed very positive through the process.
Always learning, always open to ideas.
That’s a pretty big number, props… If you don’t mind answering, what is your hourly on the 2,300 storefronts?
“This is not if I can do it you can do it to” This is real life scenario, creative and gut feeling decisions. Whatever it takes to win. I do have college in management but you do not learn real life main stream business decisions.
Buck up and start working on marketing your business. Obviously, reading success stories and advice isn’t working for you. Perhaps you should fly to Beverly Hills and join us at Squeegeenomics 2011.
How do you know,you must have high IQ llaczko
How do you know,you must have high IQ llaczko
Obviously, reading success stories and advice isn’t working for you. Perhaps you should fly to Beverly Hills and join us at Squeegeenomics
You should, actually, Enviro.
Seriously, you should.
It could literally transform your business.
Borders is where I got it. but I’m sure you could find it on Amazon. com
How do you streamline 1 member of management who is underperforming? Fire him, reprimand him, trade him to your least favorite competitor? Send him to the top of a 30’ sectional with a grinder for glass restoration assignment?
Just curious…
vic
Due to budget cuts, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off…
it is rumored that Joseph Kennedy made a small fortune bootlegging moonshine… 
vic
I’m not sure I understand the question, but - I don’t pay hourly, every window washer is on percentage. Each one is responsible for apprx. 175 accounts. Commercial window cleaning has been my main revenue generator but keep in mind I’ve been building it for 14 years and still love it. Now I want to duplicate that with Residential, which I’ve been doing now for 2 and a half years. I’m open to any and all ideas.
