I'm actually jonesing to got to work, but can't

FRIGID weather is killing me. I actually have people that want work done. A full schedule that I can't satisfy. This morning wind chill was like -10 to -20. Actual temps were -3. Just not worth it. I will be twice as busy this spring and I am going to just add 10% to everything I do. I have found that every year I am raising my prices. I won't just tack on 10%, I will look at every estimate and make sure it's 10% more than I would have charged last year.

You are wise in shutting down on days like that, not worth risking yourself and equipment in temps like those.

When that front moved through this area, it froze my supply line from me fresh tank to the tm despite winterizing the tm and having two heaters on-board going full blast. I just discovered it a few days ago when it ruptured.

I'm good with the 10% and look on the bright side, many of the bottom-feeders in your area just went out of business. Start shopping for some used equipment at a steal of a price.

The 10% raise per year works great, and for me it was 15-20% sometimes. It's how I went from .20 or so, to .40 sf (or more sometimes), is just a few years........just kept raising in small increments year after year.

If you do it that way, it's not so noticeable you're charging them double what they paid a couple years ago.

You may loose a couple cheap customers charging high end prices, but the loss of them is more than made up for with the higher price the rest are willing to pay.......so you do less jobs and make more money.

In this business you soon realize that you are really never charging enough. When a snowplower charges your neighbor $125.00 for 10 minutes work and he never even gets out of the truck you start calculating in your mind. A plumber fixes something and he charges you $180 for 1/2 an hour on and on and on. I am my own worst enemy, but every year I wise up a little more. THANK GOD! I estimate that only 10-20% of cleaners are charging what hey should.

My brother always scolds me on this one. He will send me a referral and then when he finds out what the bill was he just rolls his eyes and says that I should have charged a lot more.

I suppose someday I will. I think what happens is that we tend to project our own values rather than considering the customer's view on value.

Many years ago, I was engaged to a jeweler. She once told me that everything in their store was a 400% mark-up. As a result, she would never pay what they charged for those items herself, but that didn't mean the customers wouldn't be willing to pay that.

That was the key, they charged according to what the market would pay for jewelry and not what they felt it was worth personally.

So, if your market will support the higher prices, then that is what you should be charging....the trick is finding where that breaking point is between getting jobs and being priced out of the market.

By the way, never get engaged to a jeweler. They expect jewelry and they expect only the best...they know the difference.

Basically, she priced herself out of my market.

milspec6 wrote:............So, if your market will support the higher prices, then that is what you should be charging....the trick is finding where that breaking point is between getting jobs and being priced out of the market......................

That's very true, it's up to you to find that amount..

There's an easy way to find out what your customers are willing to pay (keep slowly raising your prices, like we've talked about here) until you notice some start dropping out, or balking at the price.

I think most guys would be surprised what your market will bare, if only they were willing to ask for more money to really find out.

But so many guys would rather make a joke out of it (actually the jokes on them lol), and make fun of those who talk about charging more and disbelieve it as truth rather than do it themselves..........I guess it's easier to think you have to be competitive with all the cut throat cleaners than believe they're worth more than the guy who will drive himself out of biz charging too little?  Hey, everyone can do and think what they like, but in this case they're just screwing themselves.

Why a guy would leave his customers wondering why he charges so little time after time is beyond me.  

milspec6 wrote:By the way, never get engaged to a jeweler.  They expect jewelry and they expect only the best...they know the difference.

Basically, she priced herself out of my market.

Well the good thing is you have access to cheap diamonds right ?

Diamonds always come with a price and that price lasts a lifetime.....unless you have a good divorce attorney.

eldiabloz wrote:FRIGID weather is killing me. I actually have people that want work done. A full schedule that I can't satisfy. This morning wind chill was like -10 to -20. Actual temps were -3. Just not worth it. I will be twice as busy this spring and I am going to just add 10% to everything I do. I have found that every year I am raising my prices. I won't just tack on 10%, I will look at every estimate  and make sure it's 10% more than I would have charged last year.

Sounds like a good move Diablo cuz you know there is going to be a lot of pent up demand for cleaning come spring.

Mo wrote:

eldiabloz wrote:FRIGID weather is killing me. I actually have people that want work done. A full schedule that I can't satisfy. This morning wind chill was like -10 to -20. Actual temps were -3. Just not worth it. I will be twice as busy this spring and I am going to just add 10% to everything I do. I have found that every year I am raising my prices. I won't just tack on 10%, I will look at every estimate  and make sure it's 10% more than I would have charged last year.

Sounds like a good move Diablo cuz you know there is going to be a lot of pent up demand for cleaning come spring.

Finally I can read and understand what he's saying cause in the original thread his big head avatar covered about 20 % of what he typed

Was it that bad? Sorry about that