[Mike Osbourne]

Well I think CC is a fantastic business to start for someone who is hungry enough and perhaps hasn't got a trade and pots of money to start.

However the 'never be rich' idea is probably true because you are swapping your time for their money and unless you know how to distort time or charge Harley St. hourly rates then there will be a ceiling.

Those with the drive and inclination will look to reinvest the before tax income into some way of leveraging their time.

So far I have only spent money on CC so I'm only half qualified to comment.  

[HolmansUKLTD]

Its not just carpet cleaning its carpets,rugs, upholstery, leather, curtians and hardfloors, now im going into WFP window cleaning and currantly have over 6ks worth of orders, and i dont work mondays Reminds me of a song :

[Mike Osbourne]

Tell me why.

[craigp]

thank you chaps now we're getting a balance

[*paul_moss]

For business management and accounts.
This programme does it all.
Your customer data base
invoices,Quotes,Payroll,Banking,vat,profit & loss account,job sheets ,reciepts.
And very user friendly.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=001&item=110035219993&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1

[John Kelly]

All businesses in any sector have big variations in turnover and profit.
I know a plumber who lives in a council house and another whos lives in a detatched with a brand new Range Rover and Jag.
I know an electrician who has built his own house worth over 700k another who lives in a semi.
What I am getting at is there is no defined amount of money you will earn as a carpet cleaner. It all depends on the person, their business acumen, ambition, being in the right place at the right time etc etc. Oh and how greedy they are

[Shaun_Ashmore]

2 1/2 years ago I bought my first petrol TM. I'd had 2 vand on the road before with 2 electric TM's but I decided to reduce to 1 van ie me!

anyway I wanted to prove to myself and any others that I could do the same amount of work and at the same standard so I did!  the following year I grossed £3K less on my own than what I did with 2 vans.

Turnover of £135K inc vat

Yes the taxman was pleased but so was I.

Shaun

[Damian]

All businesses in any sector have big variations in turnover and profit.
I know a plumber who lives in a council house and another whos lives in a detatched with a brand new Range Rover and Jag.
I know an electrician who has built his own house worth over 700k another who lives in a semi.
What I am getting at is there is no defined amount of money you will earn as a carpet cleaner. It all depends on the person, their business acumen, ambition, being in the right place at the right time etc etc. Oh and how greedy they are

John you forgot to add how big their inheritance was and how many out of six numbers they got(including bonus ball!) There are even more considerations on wealth that may or may not come from a persons chosen career i find. 

[Mike_Boxall]

We obviously have the 'creme de la creme' of carpet cleaners on this forum which is refelcted in the result of the poll. However, I suspect if the question was 'what do you think the average carpet cleaner earns' then the results would be much different.

Very few members will openly admit they struggle to make a living and yet there are plenty of people who sell their equipment 12 months after they buy it. There's no doubt that you can make very good money but, as others have said, you need to take a balanced view.

Regards

Mike

[carpetclean]

im not sure if this is healthy or doing the newbie any favours we all know unless you are very lucky that starting out in this game is very hard , and to earn that kind of money you have to have the client base . getting the client base has to be the most difficult part of the job which means getting out there  doing all sorts of advertising which takes quite a lot of money. it would be interesting to know how many cc's actually go under in the first and second year/ peop[le like red carpet has worked hard and got it right but how much of that is down to the area where he is. can a man in other parts of the country expect the same results !? i doubt it .
 i know quite a few cc's who earn a fortune  never advertise and the phone never stops ringing but they have been in the game for many years . my next door neighbour who has been in the game for 37 yrs once said he could not move to a different part of the country and expect to start up  and survive ,even with his knowledge. i think he is talking sense dont you!?

[craigp]

last two posts, well said, i believe now its harder than ever to get started, leaflets now dont have anywhere near the response they used to, shauns post shows the huge potential to earn good money, but very very few will realise that potential

[Ian Gourlay]

Craig,

You say that and obviously from your families knowledge you know the market.

But you know have a truckmount.

[craigp]

hi ian,

i meant except me, lol still working on it

[matt jones]

Hi to all,
I really don't know how some people on this forum manage 4-5 jobs a day or more as a one man band with a porty,cannot be doing a very thorough job it takes what 30 mins just to set up your equipment and 30 mins to pack up if you were doing 4-5 jobs a day that would 4-5 hours before actually putting a wand to carpet. how long does a job take some of you 5 minutes lol.

-Edited-

[craigp]

hi Matt, sounds to me like your charging pretty high prices 140 for lounge and stairs landing thats got be £4.00 - £5.00 per sqm.  more than me.  4-5 jobs a day would be a bit to much personly i like to do 2-3, only more if there all small jobs.

[rich hand]

Hi to all,
I really don't know how some people on this forum manage 4-5 jobs a day or more as a one man band with a porty,cannot be doing a very thorough job it takes what 30 mins just to set up your equipment and 30 mins to pack up if you were doing 4-5 jobs a day that would 4-5 hours before actually putting a wand to carpet. how long does a job take some of you 5 minutes lol.

-Edited-

30 minutes to set up and again to pack away?!

Takes me 5 minutes each end to deal with portable equipment. I connect and fill up whilst allowing the prespray to dwell btw.

[Mike Osbourne]

I take 20min and it's coming down, but I can't see how you can:

empty waste
drain solution tank
coil hoses
put away tools, buckets, tarp etc.
lug machine into van

in 5
 

[Liahona]

Mike, you cant mate. 20 mins is a good time though, well done. Best, Dave.

[gwrightson]

20mins , 30mins to set up a porty   

I suggest you get down to the gym and work out a bit, if you cant unload an connect some hoses and a wand in 10 mins there is something wrong 
 Geoff

[Damian]

Im with Rich on this-although i dont think i can manage 5 mins? Certainly nowhere near twenty mins! Its a case of being organised to the point where its clockwork. My machines go in first, pre spray then fill up with water. Then dash back to van and hoses under one arm and grab buckets(all brushes etc inside) and powerbrush in other hand then back on site and almost ready to begin. just sort little odds and sods out and away you go-no problem.   I always mix my pre sprays night before so i select the one i want before i take it in house. As for emptying machine-i find a grate and leave it while loading van back up. job done! less than ten mins easy!  

P.S i dont empty solution tank-it stands upright in van and if i need a different chem for next job i calculate how much is needed for present and run it right down-its all experince and knowledge.

Damian.