[andy east sussex]

hello guys been a while year ago dad passed away hasn't been same since quality been high still and same volume of advertising yet still getting out priced by internet  ah herm Face***** how can I compete with quote like £30 for lounge hall stairs landing I cant even get close with domestic any more im struggling 1 week to the next more going out than coming in im only being honest and hold my hands up do I call it a day or do I just match them others and buy a henry wet& dry leave carpets soaked etc.

no one likes to admit their being beaten but who has anyone been through my situation how did you pick it up again im out of ideas

[Carpet Dawg]

do you have any affluent areas near you? Do a Mike Haliday, and leaflet them to death on a weekly. Its pro active. Or how about going after more commercial work?

Your right about facebook, nothing but cheap skates on there. I tried posting to groups for a few months to see if it produced anything as its free but they are all poor.

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

 

its dog eat dog the  cleaning world and as been for over 100 years some will make good money some wont . you need a bit of luck doesn't matter how hard you work or how good you are it works for some and not for others,

ive known big companies go under and people from here have gone under  , porty users , truck mounters  most will tell you there earning massive money yet you pass there house and there vans are never off the drive lol  

I took the the advise of people on here and upped my prices I went from 6 vans out everyday to 1 truckmount in less then a year worked died that quick , lucky for me I sold 10 houses at the high of the market to pay my other ten off so I now don't work apart form getting on under the hammer three times lol

if its not working then get out now and save what you have left ,

or  maybe get a job delivering fast food on a night this way freeing up day time for your cleaning keep doing this until you pick up ?? you will meet customers and have a wage to keep going while you get sorted

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

do you have any affluent areas near you? Do a Mike Haliday, and leaflet them to death on at weekly. Its pro active. Or how about going after more commercial work?

Your right about facebook, nothing but cheap skates on there. I tried posting to groups for a few months to see if it produced anything as its free but they are all poor.

wheres the money comeing from to do this ? if you don't get a quick influx of work form them that's even more money down the pan short term

[Carpet Dawg]

do you have any affluent areas near you? Do a Mike Haliday, and leaflet them to death on at weekly. Its pro active. Or how about going after more commercial work?

Your right about facebook, nothing but cheap skates on there. I tried posting to groups for a few months to see if it produced anything as its free but they are all poor.

wheres the money comeing from to do this ? if you don't get a quick influx of work form them that's even more money down the pan short term

The money to put out leaflets? If the Andy is sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring is it not worth his while to go knocking/dropping leaflets? you can get 10,000 leaflets printed for £53 at printed.com, wont break the bank (he'll have too put them out his self). As for commercial, phone up, door knocking etc wont cost much.

He can also try Adwords, that's a quick way o get calls. Weather he can convert them at good prices is another thing.

[andy east sussex]

im getting calls go and quote and basically majority say " ah ive had a quote from internet at 1/2 that price how ever much I try and sell my self I cant compete with prices Eastbourne where I am are over run with new start ups soon as 1 disappears another pops up never ending circle this is the worst couple of years out of 10 ive found I think the bottom has fallen out of carpet cleaning with machine hire prices and real low price cleaners

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

do you have any affluent areas near you? Do a Mike Haliday, and leaflet them to death on at weekly. Its pro active. Or how about going after more commercial work?

Your right about facebook, nothing but cheap skates on there. I tried posting to groups for a few months to see if it produced anything as its free but they are all poor.

wheres the money comeing from to do this ? if you don't get a quick influx of work form them that's even more money down the pan short term

The money to put out leaflets? If the Andy is sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring is it not worth his while to go knocking/dropping leaflets? you can get 10,000 leaflets printed for £53 at printed.com, wont break the bank (he'll have too put them out his self). As for commercial, phone up, door knocking etc wont cost much.

He can also try Adwords, that's a quick way o get calls. Weather he can convert them at good prices is another thing.

oh sorry mr mortgage man I missed you this month because I spent money of leaflets and add words but someone on a fourm said it wouldn't cost much !!!

if you have the balls to come on a fourm and tell help your in trouble then your in the poop !!!!  

ill go one better I will put my money where my mouth is ill pay for his leaftes for free no catch at all to help him out ive been where he is and I didn't like it one bit

[Brendan (chem2clean)]

Hey Andy,mate i feel for yeah.Sounds like you have had a rough time lately,you are still mourning your dad.Could this be effecting your drive.Maybe try and take a marketing course,something to give the eye of the tiger back.Adwords ,would be a quick start.Most of us have struggled from time to time.There will always be low cost cleaners,but if you do a good job you wil get repeat customers and referrals.September can be a quiet month anyhow.

[andy east sussex]

think what hit home is just had another 20,000 leaflets delivered to me and its just the thought of me and mrs doing the same areas again with little hits when they use to work well as a rough guess only I think its like 45,000 in Eastbourne when first started out wasn't so many people doing it recession hit and I guess some maybe thought it was good money which it was then more and more doing it and keep lowering prices to beat the next man I guess now I think its just over run and because everyone is on facebook you always see a offer pop up which makes eyes light up 

[Simon Gerrard]

Andy,
I feel for you.
The truth is your area is just like every other area. There are people who will go with the cheapest, because they believe that all Capet cleaners are the same and regardless how much or little you pay in end with the same thing, a clean carpet. And then there are people who've used the cheapest before and know through bitter experience that the above is not true. It is these people and the zillions of people who already appreciate that you only ever get what you are prepared to pay for - this should be your target market. Forget the cheapskates, set yourself up as a specialist carpet cleaner and in due course you will come to realise the problem you were facing was because you made the mistake of thinking that carpet cleaning was about price, when in fact it is and always has been about quality.

If you want a chat, I'd be happy to help.



Simon

[brianbarber]

What simon says is quite on the money

I do a lot of window cleaning where I get jobs that I've priced sometimes double to other quotes. Why?
Sign written van, tell custy as many positives about me and why you should use me,t shirt with name on.

Carpet quotes over the phone I lose a lot more than when I visit to quote.
 Try selling your service, explain how you clean, pre vac if you don't, pre spray , agitation, extraction, air blowers etc, just to give your service extra added value, then they will pay the top dollar.
 As an example,mrs Jones , I've quoted £79 for the lounge,'oh joe blow has quoted me £39
Well Mrs Jones, I'm often beaten on price but not on quality or service.....
Then, she will either book then and there, or think about those seeds of doubt I've sown if she picks Mr Joe Blow

That's just my take on it.

Mr B

[Hilton]

Sounds to me that you are not in the right frame of mind to run  this business and this probably comes across in both your work and your communication with prospects.

You may we'll be better off taking a job if you can get one at least in the short term and keep your hand in doing the odd carpet job at the weekends for extra cash until such time you feel ready to take the plunge again.

This will relieve the pressure on you and no doubt your family as well....
Good luck

[Simon Gerrard]

Our target customer lives on nice estates, people that have pride in their homes and are intelligent enough to realise that quality comes at a price, a price they are more than willing to pay to get the job done properly. Will these people pay over the odds? Some will, but these people are savvy enough to know the difference between value for money and being ripped off.
You do have to point your business towards these people and this comes down to how you present yourself as a professional company. If you fall into the trap of thinking that competition and therefore being competitive is about price, then you have pointed your business down market to stand in a field with all the other sheep, all trying to stand out by being cheaper then the next guy and the worst part about that is your competitors and not you are in control of your prices and inevitably your profits.
Carpet cleaning is not about price, it is about quality. Business building is also about quality, a low price might get you through the door the first time around, but it is the quality of what you do while you're in there that dictates whether or not you will ever see that customer again, or indeed, get yourself recommended to your customers family and friends.
You really so have to think about which sectors of the market you want to serve and then target that market and seize control of your business.

Simon

[jim mca]

Find a part time job take some pressure off if you sound desperate you will struggle you cant compete with daft prices its pointless look at different business models Simon, Mike, Shaun, Jason L, Susan or any other then decide what suits you and what you want to achieve.

[gwrightson]

Posts: 3954



View Profile WWW   Re: struggling
« Reply #12 on: Yesterday at 10:56:14 pm » Reply with quote 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
quote from Simon "
"Our target customer lives on nice estates, people that have pride in their homes and are intelligent enough to realise that quality comes at a price, a price they are more than willing to pay for. Will these people pay over the odds?  "

Although I tend to agree to a point , I do find some times the opposite,
last week I quoted for a lounge, 4 bed house, very nice area quality furnishings etc. she wanted a" spruce up "
her words . I visited, tried to sell my self , but she thought far to expensive at £55 , she had already had quote for £25.00 over phone by somebody local.  The same day, I quoted for a retired couple living in a council flat ,small lounge and passage  £60  and sofa  plus 1 chair   £100, more than happy with quote and I cleaned yesterday.  along with been happy she got me 2 more quotes for her sister and a friend.

You can never tell !!!
Geoff

[Simon Gerrard]

Ok, it's about mindset then, not bricks and mortar but the same thing; 'people that have pride in their homes and are intelligent enough to realise that quality comes at a price, a price they are more than willing to pay to get the job done properly.'

Simon

[gwrightson]

Well put Simon,

the key word  " pride "   

I often find the so called lower end market are often the most helpful too, willing to move things, offering tea etc.
I remember only recently spending a full day on a job at a so called exclusive detached house, not a wiff of a cuppa been offered

Geoff

[Simon Gerrard]

The other thing is that these type of people expect to pay for a professional service and would not dream of paying £30 for a lounge hall, stairs and landing, because they know what you get if you pay ridiculously cheap. I'm not talking about charging super high prices, but prices based on at least  £40 -£50 per hour. But you and your service have to be worthy of those prices and that means having the proper training and equipment and one other thing that is often overlooked - you have to look the part!

Simon

[Mike Halliday]

I've never met Andy ( I don't think) and don't want this post to sound insulting, but there's a couple of pionts that are relevent.

most people have the business they deserve because it's thier own creation if you have a crap business it's because that's what you have created. Don't complain about Internet price shopper or Facebook if you have made your business dependant on them, it's been  explained  to death about marketing to people who are not price orientated.

Secondly I've met a lot of carpet cleaners and the difference you often see between the high priced and the ones struggling is intelligence, ( look on CIU you'll notice the successful guys tend to be the ones who give the best advice and show a degree of intelligence ) some people don't deserve or get higher prices because they are 'just thick cleaners' ( not my words but how I heard another carpet cleaner describe one of his local carpet cleaners)

If you cannot stand in front of a wealthy, intelligent potential customer and speak  articulately  then you will have a hard time building a higher priced business.

I believe I have a successful high priced business which I solely believe is the result of the fact that in a 1 to 1 situation with potential customers I can talk with authority and I'm very articulate. If you get through this predicament, I urge you to in the long term try and massively increase your technical knowledge and become an expert in our field

(Ps:  intelligence  is not about being able to spell, incase I have made any mistakes . )

[John Kelly]

Confidence is also a big factor. I started 20 years ago and most of the "pro" cleaners who were around then are still here.

[Simon Gerrard]

I don't think it is about intelligence, or the lack of it, but simply a matter of not knowing any better.
How many times do we see people coming on here asking if a Puzzi 100 or a Craftex Grace is a good enough machine to start off with? Are these people thick, or do they simply know no better, I would suggest the latter. The same applies where pricing is concerned. It is easy, even for intelligent people to look at this business and come to the conclusion that in order to be competitive you have to beat the next guy on price. Expose that same person to the idea that if you want to compete with others then compete with them on quality and they may well look at this business differently. What the low price people don't realise is that the lower end of the market is I would argue the smaller by customer volume, but yet highly populated by competing cc'ers than the market that sits above it where the more discerning customers are, people who have often fallen for the low price, low quality option in the past and have learned their lesson and now look for and are willing to pay for a professional job this time around. The other problem with the low price market is that because people buy your service on price they are less likely to be loyal to you next time around and once again give the job to the lowest bidder, so you can't build a core of customers who through the quality of what you do have come to see you as 'their' carpet cleaner and that can be fatal for a business, but yet be the 'holy grail' for a successful professional carpet cleaner with the right 'attitude.'
All of the most successful carpet cleaners I know have a core of customers that wouldn't dream of using anyone else and that is something those guy's made happen by focusing on great customer service and most importantly of all, fantastic quality at a price their customers can live with. Carpet cleaning is not about price, it is about quality - quality - quality and you don't have to be a rocket scientist to work that one out.


Simon

[John Kelly]

I think that's about it in a nutshell Simon.

[Brendan (chem2clean)]

Some of the most intelligent business people have failed at sometime.Its about having all the attributes mentioned in Simons post and having the drive to keep going.
Andy if you could get a part time job,bring some money in.It can be hard when you send out 30,000 leaflets and your depending on the phone to ring so you can pay your mortgage and feed your kids.
Is there anyone out there that would let Andy go with them for a few days and see how they work,give advice on marketing etc.Think he just needs a helpful hand to give him back his mojo.

[andy east sussex]

in 10 years of cleaning I will not give up I will not let low prices beat me im god dam better than this, but come to the point tho where the area are so influenced by the prices its difficult to get through doors but I will keep going shrug my self off and get back up standing stronger

[neil 47]

Mike ,

  this isn,t meant to be insulting


Somtimes things just don.t go right no matter how intelligent you are

my son has found another job, and my other helper has been sacked, I'm back to being a lone operator

And you dont come up in the top 3 for beverley or hull for cc , come on Mike get your poop together

 

[JandS]

Slowing down here too, phone not ringing as much as it used to, luckily I have another iron in the fire to fall back on.
Used to get around 12 calls a week just from Google, then I started with adwords and for some reason the calls have gone down dramatically.
Thought they would go up not down.

[andy east sussex]

might be silly question but sure someone knows does it matter how many domain names are pointed at a website ?

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

I don't think it is about intelligence, or the lack of it, but simply a matter of not knowing any better.
How many times do we see people coming on here asking if a Puzzi 100 or a Craftex Grace is a good enough machine to start off with? Are these people thick, or do they simply know no better, I would suggest the latter. The same applies where pricing is concerned. It is easy, even for intelligent people to look at this business and come to the conclusion that in order to be competitive you have to beat the next guy on price. Expose that same person to the idea that if you want to compete with others then compete with them on quality and they may well look at this business differently. What the low price people don't realise is that the lower end of the market is I would argue the smaller by customer volume, but yet highly populated by competing cc'ers than the market that sits above it where the more discerning customers are, people who have often fallen for the low price, low quality option in the past and have learned their lesson and now look for and are willing to pay for a professional job this time around. The other problem with the low price market is that because people buy your service on price they are less likely to be loyal to you next time around and once again give the job to the lowest bidder, so you can't build a core of customers who through the quality of what you do have come to see you as 'their' carpet cleaner and that can be fatal for a business, but yet be the 'holy grail' for a successful professional carpet cleaner with the right 'attitude.'
All of the most successful carpet cleaners I know have a core of customers that wouldn't dream of using anyone else and that is something those guy's made happen by focusing on great customer service and most importantly of all, fantastic quality at a price their customers can live with. Carpet cleaning is not about price, it is about quality - quality - quality and you don't have to be a rocket scientist to work that one out.


Simon

I can recall a client whose lounge I used to clean approximately every six months.

Every time she used to complain about my price and try and haggle me down.

I got fed with this and one day asked her directly to her face why did she always have me back but always complained about the price. I said to her if she didn't like the price why didn't she go for another cleaner as I was a bit fed up with her haggling.

Her answer was most illuminating.

She said she had used various other cleaners over the years till she had found my company. She had never had such a quality service and also level of cleaning till she started using me.

Since then, she has never once complained about the price.

Rog

[Simon Gerrard]

Because she considers you her carpet cleaner, job done.

Simon

[Simon Gerrard]

Andy,
I have sent you an email

Simon

[Phil @ Extreme Clean]

I have struggled all the years i have been going and only using low moisture. Allthough people make a good living using only LM i feel that's my pitfall people are seeing me in and out too quickly etc and maybe not getting value for money ? so now i have got a Prowler and i'm gonna pride myself on quality and do the most thorough job i can everytime. I will still offer LM if that's what they want but now gonna push the prowler and do quality and if that doesn't help me get busy then there's no hope. Just plug away mate and don't worry about others prices i used to do the £20 a room and didn't get busy now my minimum charge is £40 still cheap but i don't worry if i don't get it move on and get a customer who appreciates you for the quality service you offer.

Best of Luck Mate.

[Mike Halliday]

Mike ,

  this isn,t meant to be insulting


Somtimes things just don.t go right no matter how intelligent you are

my son has found another job, and my other helper has been sacked, I'm back to being a lone operator

And you dont come up in the top 3 for beverley or hull for cc , come on Mike get your poop together

 

Good job I don't rely on the internet then plus good job I don't rely on the YPs either I'm not in the book,

The quote you give proves my point, things don't go as planned for successful people, but the are still successful it's how they react to the problems.  

[jasonl]

How about lowering your prices a little , do the sums , I am not the dearest or cheapest , I price jobs that mean I average 300/day/ van , yes that means an empty 3 bed semi is £150 ,  not £300.

[garry22]

might be silly question but sure someone knows does it matter how many domain names are pointed at a website ?

Not a silly question Andy - just one that I don't understand. Can you elaborate please?

[neil 47]

might be silly question but sure someone knows does it matter how many domain names are pointed at a website ?

Not a silly question Andy - just one that I don't understand. Can you elaborate please?

If you mean back links then yes it does, but this has to be good ranking sites that are relevant, and will only help if you also provide good unique  original content on your site  , and traffic to your site  including social media and video content .

[gwrightson]

Mike ,

  this isn,t meant to be insulting


Somtimes things just don.t go right no matter how intelligent you are

my son has found another job, and my other helper has been sacked, I'm back to being a lone operator

Neil,
As a c/c local to Mike and knowing him for many years now, knowing his work and  the prices he attains , I would say not been in the top three would not make any difference at all, I also know one of the carpet cleaners in the said area is in the top three, and they (no names ) has to have groupon offers consistently , I wonder why?
I  have my theory's as to why, but I will not air them on here for fear of insulting them  

As for Mike, He says it as it is, not every body like the truth , but been  a Yorkshire lad he will do we don't have to girl thingy foot about saying what we think people will want to hear............. simples.

Geoff

And you dont come up in the top 3 for beverley or hull for cc , come on Mike get your poop together

 

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

Andy are you underpricing?

Worth considering.

You are the best carpet cleaner in your area or if not one of the two or 3 best.

You have quality equipment, knowledge, use the best chemicals and offer very good value for money.

You are polite, punctual and professional.

You don't compete with the cowboys.

It's all in the mind and I think losing your dad has knocked your confidence and potential customers are picking up on this, possible subliminally.

Cheers

doug

[neil 47]

 Andy


You Need a Mentor , some on who has been there and done it.

go on the window cleaning side and ask if some one will give you one to one guidance on the phone and check your progress regular .

Do the same with carpet cleaning .

from just a quick look at your fb page and web page

No 1   get rid off prices
No 2   Never criticises other cc publicly
no 3   separate the business
No 4   lose all that isnt relevant to cc on the van
No 5   if you make offers make them for a reason , make them beliveable and back them with a promise .


No 6      JUST DO IT,

[Paul Moss]

Hi Guys

Andy are you underpricing?

Worth considering.

You are the best carpet cleaner in your area or if not one of the two or 3 best.

You have quality equipment, knowledge, use the best chemicals and offer very good value for money.

You are polite, punctual and professional.

You don't compete with the cowboys.

It's all in the mind and I think losing your dad has knocked your confidence and potential customers are picking up on this, possible subliminally.

Cheers

doug

Nail on head
As simple as.

[stuart_clark]

I know a guy I wont mention his name but he used to clean all his carpetsnand three piece suit jobs using a rug doctor! He had all the training was a member of the NCCA had all the right credentials
and every qualification known to man, he used to charge over £200 to clean an average three piece and get £4 per square yard for carpet cleaning, and that was back in 1997
some people on this board will know whom I am talking about and some wont, but my point is you dont have to own the best equipment or the most powerful, what this guy had was the gift of the gab, his van was imaculate , his cosh sheets were all in there place and his marketing was right uo there with Joe Polish I remember I could only dream of what he was charging to clean carpets and upholstery

[Shaun_Ashmore]

He also imported a tm and didn't like it!

If you're marketing is spot on then in theory the customer is buying the person but you do have to know how to get the best out of said machine (I believe he uses dry fusion mostly in the pics I've seen) oh and have the gift of the gab!

Shaun

[stuart_clark]

Aye nearly as much as you Shaun, and also he is a tight arsed YORKSHIREMAN ! Lol





Stuart

[Shaun_Ashmore]

There's always one tight arse that spoils it for us all!

Shaun

[COLIN BRIGHT]

if only all these cheepos would disappear.........actually scrap that, simon is right QUALITY  every time and thats why im always busy, and there are plenty of cheap guys in this area, so head down, do a great job, and it will all be OK...remember it is YOUR job to GET the job..not loose it

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

lol all the big guns on here saying  charge this charge that yet still working into there old age so tell me about these high prices your changing and how well your doing yet your still out at work everyday ? 

so is that what hes got to look forward to charging top money but still as to work in to his 50s and 60s wow sounds great to me not 

[COLIN BRIGHT]

whos says they work every day?

[stuart_clark]

I work a three day week and have done for the last six years, thats my choice, I used to work up to 7 days and most nights but made the decision that when I became 50 enough was enough
I have enough mates that worked themselves into an early grave, I enjoy my job as I have always done but I work to live and not the othrr eay round

p s the young Mr Ashmore will learn this as time goes bye ! Lol



Stuart

[Hilton]

Working into my 50's and 60's does sound great to me I have no interest in any early retirement rubbish.

That IS the way to an early grave....

I do not understand why anyone would do a job they hate so much that they want to chuck it in so early, simple find something you enjoy doing .

[petermaybury]

I do love what I do. There are some things that do p me off, but I would like to remain fit enough to do what I do for as long as I can.
I like the work out and if not working will be cycleing, running circuit training or drinking.
I have a lot of friends that take life easy and do not work as hard as me but they are a lot less mobile in flexible than me so they can have their easy life.
The thing is to stay active and keep going, if you do nt get any satisfaction from it then give it up.
Andy I think that most situations are a state of mind and if you are profficient at what you do then maybe you should look at that. You do need to come across as positive to win customers. We all have people that are cheaper, do you want to compete with them?
Peter

[Shaun_Ashmore]

My missus has halved my working week to 8 days and she says I'm very great full for it!

Shaun

[Ian Gourlay]

Hi andy

From what i gather from spped reading you took over your dads business . In that time you must have aquired quite a few clients even if they do not use you now.  So go back through your diary and write to all customers who used you last year. 

Do this for the past six years
 To keep cost down sort them into areas and act as your own private postman

I am sure others could help you with the letter  but do not do Miss You letter   free room etc

Do a good old British one . Offer A Big Discount for Carpet Clean and protect . think Bundles

Lot of work

[Dave_Lee]

Susan, back with your agism remarks I see. How the hell do you make out that 50 and 60 years is 'old age'. Unless you already feel old at your age, whatever that is. I am now 68 years and have in the last 7 weeks completed a 70 mile walk with camping pack inside 2 days and a 100 mile walk with camping pack right across the Lake District and beyond in less than 2.5 days. I work because retirement is no thanks from me. I am not a sitter and am as active as ever, so please don't class me as being in my 'old age'.
Dave.

[Brendan (chem2clean)]

well said Dave.

[Hilton]

She hates what she does and wants out before she hits  50 nothing wrong with that,

It must be hell though knowing you have to do this every day when your mind set is so negative.

[Carpet Dawg]

Don't take anything Susan says seriously. She's entertaining but not to be taken seriously.

[Ian Gourlay]

Thought Susan said she had retired living off all those houses she bought   

[tony bish]

Sounds to me that you are not in the right frame of mind to run  this business and this probably comes across in both your work and your communication with prospects.

You may we'll be better off taking a job if you can get one at least in the short term and keep your hand in doing the odd carpet job at the weekends for extra cash until such time you feel ready to take the plunge again.

This will relieve the pressure on you and no doubt your family as well....
Good luck

I have to agree with Hilton ,only you know your circumstances and your finances and I am afraid it is very difficult to give advice without knowing this ,but doing it now and then plus a job may be the answer and may refresh your interest in it as well .Regards and good luck   

[COLIN BRIGHT]

Calm down Dave or you'll keel over your Zimmer frame

[Dave_Lee]

Calm down Dave or you'll keel over your Zimmer frame

I am calm Colin, just don't like narrow minded, patronising comments from someone who's never been in the situation she is describing other as being.
My dad is 91 years and I wouldn't describe him as being in 'old age' either, he is still fully independent, does not receive nor needs any help, still works part time, has all his marbles and is as active as he's always been.
When the time does come for the Zimmer, mine will have rockets on!
Dave.

[julianb]

I have no intention of retiring I like working and fiddling with my machine not a euphemism  😮. I think do not appear to be in a rush and after a job do a check over with the customer before packing up, it's a good thing to do.

[bennymon]

I quite like carpet cleaning but if I had enoug money to retire now I sure as hell would there's always things to do and half the world to visit .  del

[COLIN BRIGHT]

With boosters my friend

[Dave_Lee]

With boosters my friend

[Dave_Lee]

Andy,
Back to your original question. You've been going 10 years so must have built up a customer base. Repeat work is the basis of a strong business.
Do you mail them, even just twice a year. When I started doing this, I was surprised how much work it quickly brought in, and it works every time. Even if you just plonk a leaflet inside an envelope. If you haven't got a database simply take their addresses from your diaries.
If you can afford it you could get a postcard size card made up with space for an address label, this is faster than filling envelopes.
Of course the downside is that even 2nd class stamps are now over 50p, so just send what you can afford.
I think this is going to be the quickest way to get results to turn your business round, I have been there a couple of times myself over the last 34 years, and this is defo what I would do to get things moving fast.
Best of luck.
Dave.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

In the last 2 years 4 of my older competitors have gone out of the business, 1 went under, 1 took early retirement, 1 ceased doing carpets and concentrated on windows and one has opened a coffee shop.

Perhaps it's new starters in the business or low buying confidence in the market.

Shaun

[COLIN BRIGHT]

I have a very quite week next week, only 3 jobs booked in, but I'll still make more money than when I was a manager of a butchers shop back in the day, and had to work 6 days for that, so as the song says " even the bad times are good"

[M.Acorn]

Have to agree Colin, it's up and down here, some weeks the phone won't ring at all, others it's ringing constantly, no formula to it.
Have got a full week next week and £760 worth of commercial to do come the end of the month, no point worrying, been doing this 10 years now and like you said it's so much better than being employed by someone else.

[COLIN BRIGHT]

Exacta mondo

[Ian Gourlay]

Have to agree Colin, it's up and down here, some weeks the phone won't ring at all, others it's ringing constantly, no formula to it.
Have got a full week next week and £760 worth of commercial to do come the end of the month, no point worrying, been doing this 10 years now and like you said it's so much better than being employed by someone else.

Mark what are you using for commercials

[Stoots]

Just a general idea but how about diversify from just carpets.

I am only self employed part time currently doing car valeting, next year i am hoping to offer pressure washing window cleaning and carpet cleaning, marketing through websites mainly and looking for contract work to offer regular income rather than rely on phone calls/leaflets etc

[Ian Gourlay]

adam you want the EASY MARKETING SYSTEM   available for ten payments of £49 with advance payment of £96

If you do not suceeed and you can show 100% documented proof with times and dates you carried out at least 17 strategies you get your money back.

Another way could be to sub contract your marketing .

I think there is a company at top of board offering end of Tenancy   bookings I know nothing about either

[M.Acorn]

Ian, I use my Steempro.I tend to go in with a quote for lm and a quote for hwe, but I always big up the hwe more than lm and they always book the more expensive hwe.
I also do tile and grout and hard floor cleaning.

[M.Acorn]

[Shaun_Ashmore]

What kind of prices are you getting for tile and grout cleaning?

Shaun

[M.Acorn]

Whatever  can get Shaun  one in the pic was £250, that was a strip and seal, did one earlier in the year, larger space, that was £400 odd

[Pete Blackburn]

I can tell you with certainty that your key domestic market is now .... The elderly (retired)/ Wealthy/ Or Both.

Look at all the best customers you have at the moment and I guarantee that most (not all) fall into the above category.

It used to also include young familys, living average lifestyles (ford mondeo people), but those days are gone. They sort out their own carpet cleaning, be it, hire, own a little machine or go for the cheapest idiot they can find or dont bother. It’s actually to the point where I feel quite insecure when these type of people contact me.

In the current climate, self employed carpet cleaners are a product of the wealthy man or the unable man or both.

[stuart_clark]

Judging by the white bits of seal in the grout areas you are using a lambs wool tee bar ? And not a micro fibre applicater ? I strip and seal a fair lld ammount of amtico and stone flooring, the thing about airmovers you can leave runs in the seal where it is drying, you would be betrer using dri pods as they have a more gentle drying effect



Stuart

[M.Acorn]

I was using a T bar, but it was an old one and didn't shed, the white was there prior to me starting,  ( I think cement or lime ) in the gaps, wasn't grouted , was a very old building, customer was over the moon with the results

[Ian Gourlay]

  mark Sorry to be a pain but what are you doing tile and grout with.

Glad to see you are not letting Art of Clean have all his own way

[M.Acorn]

Xtreme clean tile and grout cleaner, then sealed with aqua mix seal and finish lo sheen, great products and great service from the company who supply, very helpful.
And some people don't want to pay the earth, so the work is out there 

[Mike Halliday]

I can tell you with certainty that your key domestic market is now .... The elderly (retired)/ Wealthy/ Or Both.

Look at all the best customers you have at the moment and I guarantee that most (not all) fall into the above category.

It used to also include young familys, living average lifestyles (ford mondeo people), but those days are gone. They sort out their own carpet cleaning, be it, hire, own a little machine or go for the cheapest idiot they can find or dont bother. It’s actually to the point where I feel quite insecure when these type of people contact me.

In the current climate, self employed carpet cleaners are a product of the wealthy man or the unable man or both.

i think that is all bunkum, the market is the same now as it was 20yrs ago nothing changes there will always be a market for carpet cleaning for all companies from the cheap to the higher priced.

the 'young families who clean thier own and the people choosing the cheapest idiot' existed 20yrs ago the same as now

the only thing that has slightly changed is how people find us, gone has the YP replaced by the internet.

people will always pay to make thier lives easier

[stuart_clark]

Mike
yellow pages certainly hasn't gone, it may not be as effective as it was ten to fifteen years ago but I still make a good return on my £4000 investment every year

Stuart

[Pete Blackburn]

I can tell you with certainty that your key domestic market is now .... The elderly (retired)/ Wealthy/ Or Both.

Look at all the best customers you have at the moment and I guarantee that most (not all) fall into the above category.

It used to also include young familys, living average lifestyles (ford mondeo people), but those days are gone. They sort out their own carpet cleaning, be it, hire, own a little machine or go for the cheapest idiot they can find or dont bother. It’s actually to the point where I feel quite insecure when these type of people contact me.

In the current climate, self employed carpet cleaners are a product of the wealthy man or the unable man or both.

i think that is all bunkum, the market is the same now as it was 20yrs ago nothing changes there will always be a market for carpet cleaning for all companies from the cheap to the higher priced.

the 'young families who clean thier own and the people choosing the cheapest idiot' existed 20yrs ago the same as now

the only thing that has slightly changed is how people find us, gone has the YP replaced by the internet.

people will always pay to make thier lives easier

Mike,

Bearing in mind what I said - Retired, Wealthy or Both
Take the last 2 customers (non commercial) you have worked for today. Being honest, do they marry up to what I have said?

Regards
Pete

[Mike Halliday]

Yes both were elderly retired and I would guess wealthy.

But that was a coincidence

I've also booked today 2 EOT Cleans for young couples and a terraced house  (living room and up the stairs) which from the address would make me think they are Not high earners.

I would describe the customer you describe as the cream of the market, but this is a sustainable market .... People  will always get older and become rich

The other end of the market will always be there as well.

[Pete Blackburn]

Cheers for being honest Mike.

Now the EOT cleans you mention are totally irrelevant to what I am saying. These people are forced into a corner due to the terms of the tenancy agreement. That being "All tenants to have carpets professionally cleaned before vacating premises". I class these type of jobs as commercial.

If these young EOT people had a choice they would try and either get away without doing it or try and do it themselves.

Just go through your diary Mike and see how many people fit into the Retired/Wealthy or both category. You will see firm evidence.

The other end of the market you mention are not viable in terms of the effort/money needed to recruit these type of customers.


Regards
Pete