”Sometimes things arent as problematic as they seem”

In the years I’ve been climbing ladders, clearing gutters and looking at the view from a roof, I’ve realised a few things. What ever the problem may be there is always a solution. This goes for virtually everything in life not just the gutters and roofs I fix. The only thing that stands in the way of anybody looking to achieve a successful outcome in any field is their mind set. Today for example I was called out to solve a flooded garage roof. It had been flooded a week and the owners of the property were going out of their mind with worry. They thought that perhaps the roof might cave in and they’d wake up one morning to a flooded garage.

So this roof was flooded but all it took was one hand to solve it in about 4 seconds. 😗

I’ve come across so many problems that have caused customers days, weeks even months of worry before calling me. The majority of my quotation is for the time spent travelling to the job location. My time working on the job and of course the cost of parts etc if parts are needed. The job it’s self isn’t all that difficult. Climbing a ladder isn’t everybody’s cup of tea but for me it’s second nature. Positioning it is key to making sure for a smooth transition from the ground to the roof. Climbing it isn’t just about climbing it. 🧐 It’s also about your balance and good balance comes from a strong core. Abdominal muscles believe it or not are an important factor when it comes to balance at the top of a ladder. Obviously you need strong legs to continuously climb a ladder but your core muscles play dividends.

Once up the ladder and your balance is in motion you’ll need to be able to hold a bucket (if you’re clearing the gutters) and use one hand whilst swapping the bucket whilst swapping hands to work right and left of the gutters. All the time never releasing your grip from the ladder. Sounds crazy don’t it? It’s a technique all of its own. It’s not dissimilar to rock climbing. Also you need a good head for heights. 🙄 If you suffer from vertigo then don’t climb a ladder.

You see there are no problems only solutions. You don’t have to climb a ladder to solve your problem. To solve your guttering issues you only have to call a professional like me. Problem solved.

The one thing I’ve not yet really tried until just the other day because to be honest I didn’t really have much confidence in this particular method was Facebooks business promotion. “Boosting a post.”
So I’ll post pictures as a step by step guide.
It’s pretty simple really. If you have a Paypal account then you’re ready to start promoting on Facebook.

Ok... Firstly you crest a post. Make sure it represents your business and that it has all the desired links to your website, blog, email address or a telephone number etc. Here’s my post.

This post goes on to talk about gutter cleaning and finishes with a link to my website. I’ve added a picture (a logo I created but decided not to use on my website) to catch the eye of all the potential clients that this advertisement may reach. I’ve talked about “my new constructed website” because people love to scrutinise and judge (it’s in their nature 😐) and generally love to see newly improved projects. People love plans, projects, newness and word candy so give the people what they want.
So that’s the post, now we have to boost it!

At the bottom of your post you’ll see the boost button.

clicking “Boost post” will take you to Facebooks promotional options such as what are you trying to achieve, what audience do you wish to reach. The geographical radar of the area you wish to promote to and how much do you wish to spend. In this case I chose a diameter of roughly 25 Miles.

An audience aged 18-65+ as seen above. I chose to spend £18 and asked for my audiences to be urged to visit my website and hopefully ask for a quotation or perhaps call me.

Apparently I should reach roughly 5000 potential clients in my area and surrounding areas which for £18 is pretty cheap. So far it’s quite slow but it’s only been just over 24 hours so patience is key. Also judging by the snow outside and the present ice age I’m sure guttering isn’t the first thing on peoples minds. Tomorrow however this snow is predicted to turn to rain which means there’s going to be plenty of leaky gutters out there. My plan of attack has been aimed towards this weather front that’s coming so hopefully I should notice a good response by Monday. I’ll keep you updated. Over the years I’ve probably tried every potential advertising trick in the book. Before the internet when I first set out into the world of self employment knocking on people’s doors was accepted and welcomed but times have changed. You can’t just cold call anymore. It’s all about your reputation and relying on customers to recommend you to their friends and family. Most of my customers come through recommendation but having a solid online presence is a great foundation to build your business from. The old days have gone and now being online is just as important as being able to climb that ladder. Any how, let me know if you have had success with Facebook post boosting and how you got on with it. ☔️ Let it rain ☔️ Let it rain ☔️ Let it rain!!!

So another day is heading swiftly towards an end. The road outside is like an ice rink and my cars temperature gage read -5 degrees when I decided to go out and pick up some much needed supply’s. Last night I decided to completely rearrange and redesign my business website which I continued to edit when I awoke this morning. Why let a restless mind suffer when it wants to improve things for you?

This is my new website header. Nice and simple and straight to the point. Why complicate something so simple? I can even imagine this logo “For Cleaner Gutters” on a t-shirt but I don’t think I’d sell many. My website is coming along nicely and I’ve started a few boosted post promotions on Facebook.

Whilst checking the weather for next week or so online I noticed that as the temperature warms up we’re going to get lots of rain. Rain to most is something to be dreaded but to me it’s like music to my ears. When it rains blocked gutters overflow and I get lots of calls so let it rain! Let it rain!!! 🤓 Nobody likes leaky guttering except for me...

After working on my online presence for the last few days I decided to take a break and decorate. Decorating is something I consider quite relaxing. Painting whilst watching the snow fall outside knowing It’s going to turn to rain. 🤓

My dog loves the snow.

He loves the snow so much that it’s a struggle to get him in. My other dog and cat think he’s crazy and so do I.
Tomorrow I’m going to discuss Facebook advertising and go into more detail about Facebook business. Until then why not check out my new website. Be sure to let me know of any improvements you’d make plus any broken links. 👍🏻

So there’s my account still showing up amongst my closest rivals but without those gold stars that catch the eye of any would be clients.
As soon as I return to work I’ll be asking customers to leave feedback so problem solved.

”There are no problems, only solutions.” A quote that John Lennon often used. He’s right, every problem you’ll come across within this existence is easily solved so don’t ponder on problems just ride the solutions until problems are no longer a part of your mind set. We are what we think! Everything in your life begins with a thought. You create your own path and that path will lead you towards failure or success depending on your “mind set.”

So as you can see this problem was solved and I added a couple of new posts.
My next job was to renew my insurance which has cost me roughly £120 a year for full cover and liability insurance so with the extra time that the weather gifted me I decided to google search some new insurance options finding a similar insurance with the same cover for just £85 a year... What a result!
The 3rd job I had was fixing broken links on my website, this took roughly an hour and now my website is looking good. The SEO was updated and I even had time to re-design a couple of pages.
My 4th and final job was to call a couple of promotional companies (Local Hero’s and Rated Traders) to get some insight into what they could offer my business.
To cut a long story short I was able to get a lot of vital jobs completed today. I didn’t let the weather bring me down I used it as inspiration and an excuse to keep busy.
Business can be tough and being self employed is tough at times but you have to be on top of things. Being positive brings good fortune, believe me! I couldn’t have survived as long as I have in my line of business if I’d let silly little thoughts grow and become an ocean of negativity within my mind. You’re not the subconscious or the subjective consciousness. You’re pure consciousness that can programme the subconscious which ever way you feel fit. The subconscious is a tool, feed it positive vibes. 😃☀️😎

Today I was in Letchworth distributing leaflets. If there’s one thing that always works when trying to promote a business it’s good old fashioned leaflet dropping. I posted up to 800 leaflets which has its benefits not only with finding new customers but also a good few hours of exercise on my feet. My leaflets are all printed in Scotland and shipped to me in the thousands on an annual basis.
Today once again was freezing cold with a temperature of -2 degrees and a wind chill making it feel like -6.
Just over a year ago whilst posting leaflets a dog on the other side of the letter box tried to eat my fingers as I poked the leaflet through. I spent 5 hours in A&E and was put off leaflet distribution for a good few months. The owner was notified of what had happened and swiftly sealed the letter box and replaced it with an external post box. She was very apologetic and hired me to clean and service her property guttering.
I’ve learnt from this experience and never linger trying to force the leaflet through any stubborn doors. If the leaflet doesn’t go through it stays where it is. I don’t envy postmen...
if you have received one of my leaflets be sure to post a message on this blog!
Tomorrow if the weather is once again freezing then I may be delivering more leaflets, perhaps through your letter box. 🤓

Ok, so why did I post the photo at the top of this blog? Well... TBH, there was nothing interesting to photograph on this cold grim day until I came across this little fella on somebody’s wall. I thought it was quite unusual to see him or her out and about at this time of the year... What do you think?

🐛🐛🐛🐛🐛🐛🐛🐛🐛🐛🐛🐛🐛🐛

I swiftly corrected the problem proving that there are only solutions in life 🤓 (positive thinker that I am) and cleaned the porch before testing the downpipe to find it now working perfectly. She came out to inspect and was delighted that this particular nightmare of hers was over. She then went on to explain that she’d called out a company from the yellow pages asking them (a so-called professional Gutter cleaning team) for a quote to clear her guttering. She owns a small Terraced house with just front & back gutters which I normally charge £45 for my service. They convinced her to hand over £120 after working on her property for less than 30 minutes. They took cash leaving her with no receipt or contact details, only the mobile (cell) number she got from the directory. When the problem occurred she tried to call them back but never got an answer from them. What does this tell you? It tells me that anybody can advertise their services in any local paper or directory. It also raises alarm bells because they’re going around my area taking people’s money, doing a bad job and helping to make my line of business look unprofessional and full of cowboys. I checked the rest of her guttering. 😕

This was what I found. What the hell were these idiots thinking? They hadn’t even cleared the gutters. Sadly I had to explain to her that she’d been totally ripped off and that she should report the company (cowboys) to the yellow pages which she did. When I approach any job I do so in a professional manner making sure that before I leave the property that the gutters are working correctly channelling the rain water to the downpipes and draining away with out any leaks or overflows. It sickens me that there are people out there looking to make money for nothing by ripping the elderly off.
I give free quotations and if requested I’ll provide a before & after photo. Don’t let cowboys put you off using other tradesmen services. We’re not all out to rob you. Most of my work comes through recommendation.
Any how on a final note, check out my website to see how it’s coming along. It’s tough configuring all the SEO but I’m getting there. 🤨😐😵 Oh and as a kind gesture I cleared her gutters free of charge and only charged her £20 to rectify the downpipe leakage. I wanted to renew her faith in people....😇
www.gutteringdirect.com

See that big blue sky?

The weather always has a good or bad impact on my job. I’ve worked through sleet, snow, rain, winds and the exhausting heat of the summer. You have to be prepared not only with the clothing you choose to wear but how to approach each job depending on the weather conditions. Your mind set has to be spot on and you have to be fully awake and energised. Tiredness can kill working up ladders. Positioning the ladder is key and good balance is obviously a must.
I work hard at the gym and I’m also a keen runner which all results in a strong core which gives me the strength to do what I do six days a week. My running career involves 6 marathons including New York, USA & Snowdonia in Wales. I’ve been running for fun for many years.

That’s me above during the New York City Marathon... I guess I’m straying away from the subject matter. Anyhow back to today!

When on ground level in cold weather you’re cold, yeah... Really cold but when 22 feet up a ladder the temperature seems to drop a few more degrees which brings your heart rate up and totally destroys your hands even if you are wearing gloves. I’ve been doing this job a long time now but freezing conditions never gets easier to work through.
Customers do play their part though! For example the photo below is the second cup of coffee I was offered today.

I guess the moral of this blog post isn’t to give you the idea of how great I am, on the contrary... it’s to give you an idea that if you climb a ladder at any time of the year with out any experience in order to save a few quid then you’re risking your life. Leave this kind of work to professionals like my self. I have 15 plus years experience climbing ladders (sadly) so give me a call and book me in.

I don’t know, perhaps it’s an obsession but my first thoughts was where I’d put the ladder to get to these gutters as the road is pretty busy and is situated in the centre of town. What I do know is that blocked gutters like this only lead to future damage such as dampness and foundation problems. New Haven is a lovely town, has a great vibe and a beautiful coastline. The people seem very friendly and polite and the local shops are all welcoming. The town is steeped in history especially WW2 history with remaining MOD bases, coastline defence shelters and bunkers. Below are a few more shots I took before my phone died in the bitterly cold weather.

Wrap up warm this week as it’s going to be a cold one with predictive weather of temperatures as low as -6 degrees with snow and bitter cold wind. If you haven’t yet got your gutters cleared get them cleared before they begin to look like the photos above. 🤨