Jobloox

  • Posts: 4
tips on starting a carpet cleaning service
« on: November 21, 2004, 06:43:39 pm »
Hello, and forgive me if this topic has already been flogged to death...but I have just bought a karcher and hope to start a small carpet/upholstery cleaning business.
I have no experience but I do tend to try hard and end up becoming good at most things.
I will be printing my own cards (shop windows) and trying the offices and small hotels in my area
 I intend to use my own carpet , and some pals as testers.
Is there any standard pricing rule?
Should I be prepared to have to empty rooms of furniture or is the standard practise to have the room empty before i begin?
Is there any notorious pitfalls to watch out for/
Does any one know of anything I should look into before I start?
I have very broad shoulders and I can take advice and criticism and all imput will be gratefully accepted

The Great One

  • Posts: 11920
Re: tips on starting a carpet cleaning service
« Reply #1 on: November 21, 2004, 06:49:18 pm »
Hi

Jesus!

Prepare yourself my friend, as I feel with that post you may of left yourself wide open for a barrage.

Please sit down before you scroll down to any more posts and...

Brace yourself!

Regards

Martin 8)

Len Gribble

  • Posts: 5106
Re: tips on starting a carpet cleaning service
« Reply #2 on: November 21, 2004, 07:10:46 pm »
I sing and talk to myself when doing cc have been advised by some and I also have broad shoulders, don’t give up day time job, but if you feel that you are the bees knees with that equipment go for it

Martin is that enough or should I go in hard and tell what a load of !!!

Len
Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other. (Sidcup Kent)

paul@ctcs

Re: tips on starting a carpet cleaning service
« Reply #3 on: November 21, 2004, 08:52:58 pm »
Jobloox,

Your going the wrong way about starting in a business which isnt as straight forward as it may appear.
The 1st thing you need to do is get some training from ncca, prochem, alltec, iicrc, etc
 This will open your eyes to what equipment you are going to need if you are to provide a professional service, I'm afraid your karcher is far from good enough, £3500 should do the trick but you could spend far more than that.
 Another thing i would do is to study the posts on this forum regarding starting up in business.


Good Luck :)

Paul

Jobloox

  • Posts: 4
Re: tips on starting a carpet cleaning service
« Reply #4 on: November 21, 2004, 11:15:08 pm »
Thanks to Paul for the helpful advice...I expected a few of the smug answers..Question. How do you do this please...Answer..with great difficulty.  To the first two replies ..I served in the forces and I know what smug arrogant twats the "old soldiers " were. 
Hey, Len Gribble, how difficult can it be after all you are able to do it and you don,t sound too clever.
Joe

Len Gribble

  • Posts: 5106
Re: tips on starting a carpet cleaning service
« Reply #5 on: November 22, 2004, 07:31:49 am »
Joe

Thought you had broad shoulder it appears not!

Don’t the forces do any training!

I see Paul has the same opinion on the machine as me, why did you buy it in the first place?

I wish you all the best in your new venture your first step is getting training.

Len
Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other. (Sidcup Kent)

Jobloox

  • Posts: 4
Re: tips on starting a carpet cleaning service
« Reply #6 on: November 22, 2004, 10:05:05 am »
Hi Len,Nothing wrong with my shoulders mate...i can take it , and i can give it back.  I asked for advice not derision...I suppose you were born a carpet cleaner.and did not have to learn?  When I was in the forces I had to take s**t from d**k**ds like you and say nothing...Now I can answer back.  I wonder how many little carpet cleaners you have offended with your smug arrogant remarks.  you sad man.  imagine browing a carpet cleaning site at seven in the morning hahaha whats up/ no work...must go I have  a job to go to

Re: tips on starting a carpet cleaning service
« Reply #7 on: November 22, 2004, 10:23:44 am »
 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D...At the risk of you trying to offend me I`ll ad to the comments above.

I`m ex-forces and I did lots of training before they let me out with a gun.

Same principal really.  If you don`t know what`s what, don`t do it until you have had some training.

As for your attempt at offending people on this forum, you must really try harder as we have seen your type come and go with monotonous regularity.

You ask such a stupid question expecting experienced people who have taken the time to train and make a success of themselves to give you the benefit of that training and experience. 

Look through the whole of the forum before adding your question as it has been asked many times before by people such as you.

As for people being sad for reading a forum at whatever time they chose, that`s entirely up to them isn`t it.  You posted when you wanted and replied when you wanted.  You state that you can take it and give it. 

It is obvious that you can`t!!

In essence your offensive posting shows you to be exactly what you are, nothing more than a minor irritation that we have to endure from time to time.

By the way, I can post on here when I like too, you see I trained and made a successful business and have monkeys such as you working for me now ;D ;D ;D

It is now up to the forum moderators to delete you from the site and send you off into ignorant oblivion from where you came.

Go on then....now you can call me all you want I`m really not bothered...the longer you are tied up inside on this the less time you will be outside embarrassing the whole cleaning industry.

carloso

  • Posts: 129
Re: tips on starting a carpet cleaning service
« Reply #8 on: November 22, 2004, 12:56:58 pm »
hi all

commenting from the stance of a new member myself i can only wholeheartedly agree with the last post, from wreelyclean.
i made the mistake of posting without reading, but have now read vast amounts of the previous postings in all sections and have learnt a great deal in a short time. i have also got information about new products i did not know existed and great web site info.
finally i have been treated with courtesy and respect and all concerned have been helpful and welcoming, so all i can say to the person who thinks that he can blag his way from cock up to cock up is
a) go get a transplant of some common manners and courtesy and
b) go to some other forum and occupation and stop annoying hard working people who are willing to give help to others on a no fee basis, just because they are decent human beings.
one last point, i would assume that you were kicked out of the army because with an attitude like yours you would not have survived long even as a squadie, also every ex soldier i know gets along with most folk has good manners and communication skills and is not a total pratt.     


carloso

The Great One

  • Posts: 11920
Re: tips on starting a carpet cleaning service
« Reply #9 on: November 22, 2004, 02:42:14 pm »
Hi

well, I did say brace yourself!

len, you really are getting lenient, is it old age creeping up?

Joe

I am ex-forces also and while it has stood me in good stead through life and to some extent cleaning, it is very different in this industry. Most of my work is the letting agent side and I come across stuff that I still find unbelievable.

i started my biz with just £50.00 and a self imposed 3 month trial. I was fortunate to find this forum on day 1, but did not post for about a month. depending what kind of cleaning you want to do as there are all sorts, office, domestic, letting, carpet, windows. Also the further you get into the business the more expensive it becomes, machines, courses, van, insurance, equipment etc, etc.

May I humbly suggest that you apologise for your last post and become a contributing member of the forum

Welcome aboard!

Regards

Martin 8)

Len Gribble

  • Posts: 5106
Re: tips on starting a carpet cleaning service
« Reply #10 on: November 22, 2004, 03:39:26 pm »
Joe

I started at the bottom and are still learning that’s the way of the world, but did I buy a machine first without any knowledge NO. The same would apply buy a car but don’t know how to drive it!

The use of profanities even with asterisk, what argument you had and you may have been right? You LOST now that’s sad!

I hope you are not banned as you are on a learning curve!

My first job very local 0800 2nd job 4 miles 0930 3rd job Borneded Potters Bar 1130 home at 1400 last one commercial £2.50 sqm common areas three blocks, all jobs good profit margin.

Martin

Not really another wanbe who buy then asks, but I wish him every success.

Len
Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other. (Sidcup Kent)

woodman

  • Posts: 1069
Re: tips on starting a carpet cleaning service
« Reply #11 on: November 22, 2004, 03:39:58 pm »
Mr Jobloox

Tone down the language or I will remove your postings.

The reply from LG certainly did not warrant such a reply.

If you post on here as you have then must expect that not all answers will be to your liking.Some advice you can take others you can choose to ignore but the bottom line is, this a cleaners site run by professionals for professionals and anybody else who is wishing to join the club that is in need of genuine help and guidance.Comments such as yours can not and will not be tolerated by other users of the site, luckily such comments are rare and usually from posters that have previously been removed but have little else to do but return for a short lived frill at stirring things up again.

I hope you will not be one of these.

By all means carry on posting and make use of the search facility to obtain bundles of info that you need but please keep personal abuse off the board.


Jobloox

  • Posts: 4
Re: tips on starting a carpet cleaning service
« Reply #12 on: November 22, 2004, 03:56:01 pm »
I would never have realised that carpet cleaning would produce such a supercilious bunch of tossers...is it the liquid you put in the machine that has numbed your brains.  For christs sake it isnt rocket science and you lot are not scientists.  I reckon I could teach a monkey to push a carpet cleaner and if you lot of no-marks managed to do it then someone with go like me will excell....I suppose you have all heard the story about the dog in the manger or about pulling up the ladder when you are already up the tree.  Anyway save your fingers you losers as i won,t be returning to this site again...I have found another one  www.carnumbercollectors.com

The Great One

  • Posts: 11920
Re: tips on starting a carpet cleaning service
« Reply #13 on: November 22, 2004, 04:47:35 pm »
guys

It IS jason b!

JoBloox

Plus the language and use of terminology is also the same.

I personally though jasonb was top quality entertainment.

carpet cleaning is not rocket science but it is a science (ph values etc)

Sorry you didn't want to be professional jb

Regards

Martin 8)

Len Gribble

  • Posts: 5106
Re: tips on starting a carpet cleaning service
« Reply #14 on: November 22, 2004, 06:48:13 pm »
Joe

If you are having a bad day just log on to forum new topic type my name as topic and vent it on there and leave the others out of it, throw all the verbal you want will I respond like for like no but will reply.

Len
Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other. (Sidcup Kent)

ian richards

Re: tips on starting a carpet cleaning service
« Reply #15 on: November 23, 2004, 12:30:51 pm »
Hi Joe

Well you certainly have a fabulous attitude i'll give you that.
The problem was, you actually asked people on this forum to be honest with there opinion, and when they were you didnt like it!!
I have been in this industry for just a year now, and i never found this forum untill six weeks ago, and it has been of so much help to me.
You really have shot yourself in the foot because you could have got so much out of this site, i wish i had found it at the beginning.
I have found that in my short amount of time of doing this, that this is the best industry in the world to be in, and everybody will bend over backwards to help you, if you need it.
For instance someone recently had there van stolen with all there kit on it, and as it was left on over night they couldnt claim a penny from insurance.
When he posted this news the responce was fantastic and he had all kinds of offers from cleaners prepared to lend him equipment, for FREE!!!
Where else could you get that.
I have just paid over £200 to have some Terms and Conditions written up by a soliciter, but i have offered it to the people on this forum for free, WHY?
Because i want to give something back.
There is an old saying and i think you could use it in this instance.
"Don't bite the hand that feeds you" Please don't take this the wrong way joe, because i'm not having a go!! And bye the way, i don't know Len, but he certainly contributes, as others do, a hell of a lot to this site.

Ian 

gwrightson

  • Posts: 3617
Re: tips on starting a carpet cleaning service
« Reply #16 on: November 23, 2004, 03:45:23 pm »
i agree with martin,
definatly jasonb  , my first reactions " well a titter really"was this is just like
good old jason b  . having said that i did find some of jasons posts
quite ammusing, and in some respects quite informative .,although
majority of them had to be taken with a pinch of salt ;D
now i wonder if jo bloox,  is going to reply ? with his remarks about spelling and grammer!!!!!
maybe i shouldnt really be encourging him in this way :(
so have a nice day jasonb
missed you lots :-*geoff
who ever said dont knock before u try ,i never tried dog crap but i know i wouldnt like  haha

Doug Holloway

  • Posts: 3917

Re: tips on starting a carpet cleaning service
« Reply #18 on: November 23, 2004, 07:32:16 pm »
JB . My time in the services was made all the more enjoyable by 'persons' such as yourself   ..............I never thought being RMP would be so much FUN.  ;D
You should come along to the next Cleaning Show and introduce yourself.............you would, no doubt, be surrounded by ADMIRERS ::)

Len Gribble

  • Posts: 5106
Re: tips on starting a carpet cleaning service
« Reply #19 on: November 23, 2004, 09:28:11 pm »
I am fully aware this was a setup from the start, do I care not one cent that’s one side of me, try to knock me no comment!

For all I know he could be one of my competitors and lost all his equipment or what ever, would I help him out YES! Competition is good.

I have worked with a lot of people from the forces very pro in manor and appearance; they have never been like this! Perhaps digging to many latrines has brought this about? I blame Steve being a RMP; know what MP means what’s the R for?

Any way tomorrow is another day Money makes the world go round.

Len
Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other. (Sidcup Kent)

Re: tips on starting a carpet cleaning service
« Reply #20 on: November 23, 2004, 09:35:13 pm »
Len, RMP is Royal Military Police......loved by everyone :-X
Jasonb should come along to next exhibition though......maybe he could run a seminar on something:-\

Len Gribble

  • Posts: 5106
Re: tips on starting a carpet cleaning service
« Reply #21 on: November 23, 2004, 09:53:11 pm »
Chris

Thanks for the feedback on Royal are you allowed to put a warrant sign on the van no blue lights though!

Re if JB not sure if have the gumption, could be wrong then I don’t hold any animosity life to short.

Len
Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other. (Sidcup Kent)

Re: tips on starting a carpet cleaning service
« Reply #22 on: November 23, 2004, 09:59:55 pm »
Used to hold grudges but life is short :o Cannot say more :-X