Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: MAX Carpets on March 02, 2011, 07:34:43 am
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This probably applies for more established companies. A bit irrelivant for newbies. I just wondered with all things considered, current climate etc, would you start up a Carpet Cleaning business, knowing what you now know.
For the record I put No Way. I think it would be a nightmare to start now. I started in 1988, and although I am happy with my business I still have slow periods. Although, I could not earn this money anywhere else. But it has taken many years to achieve this. Newbies are really up against it with competition, economic climate etc.
Cheers
Justin
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Yes, of course I would, especially because of what I know now.
I don't really think things have changed that much over the past thirty odd years. In fact, if anything things have got a lot easier. Machines and chemicals are are cheaper (pro rata), prices for carpet cleaning have quadrupled and there are now 20 million more people living on the island. What hasn't changed is the number of horror stories you hear from people who have fallen foul of carpet cleaners who haven't got a clue what they are doing, who haven't had even a days training and go out there and give the rest of us a bad name. And the excuses for that have also diminished in the same time frame. Now there is an abundance of training courses, the Internet, forums and other knowledge bases that provide no excuse for not knowing what you are doing in the 21st century.
End of rant.
Simon
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Hear hear Simon
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If I started up today rather than in the early 1980's I would earn considerably more and would be able to get under way with far superior machinery and chemicals than were available then.
The economy was pretty depressed in the 80's but we still got steady work. It's not so much the economic state of the country that's the problem as fashion fads ( like laminated flooring )and availability of DIY machines which have powerfull marketing behind them.
The other negative is the " lowest price " thinking which does have an impact but not everyone buys at the lowest price ( although a lot of posters on here are always looking for the cheapest supplier of chemicals and accessories ) and get angry when prospects seek a lower price than the one they offer.
Something I recollect from the distant past was .................
Don't try to be all things to all people ...............just try to be the best at your chosen profession. If you're good you will always get work but it still requires marketing.
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carpet cleaners who haven't got a clue what they are doing, who haven't had even a days training and go out there and give the rest of us a bad name
Did a minger yesterday evening,very short notice,2 bed flat,bloke who booked me basically moves into the trashed property ,then does it up,ready for re letting,he was watching me yesterday,and commented on how easy it looked !
Then started asking about the machine,and how much it was.Told him the machine is only part of the process,and there are a multitude of factors that can,trip you up if your not careful,think I managed to put him off.
I would do it all over again,but differently
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I'm a bit gutted that I spent nearly £20k on starting up when what I have come to realise is, I should really have paid £14400 for my PPL(H) (Private Pilots Licence) and pursued a career in flying :(
Ah well, no regrets ::)!!!
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Could you not do your airplane lessons a bit at a time? and surely now that you are self employed the cost would all be tax deductable, as you are doing it to enhance your business opportunities out of your usual area? ;D
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My ex brother-in-law used to deliver milk and had done so since he was ten. When he was thirty odd he decided to leave his fathers milk business and pursue a career in flying. He paid £50k to ebventually get his commercial pilots licence and now flies the Boeing 747-400 for British Airways.
Wow!
Simon
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Could you not do your airplane lessons a bit at a time? and surely now that you are self employed the cost would all be tax deductable, as you are doing it to enhance your business opportunities out of your usual area? ;D
How cool would that be? A helicopter turning up to do your carpets... I wonder if HM do a "Helicopter Mount" ;D
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My ex brother-in-law used to deliver milk and had done so since he was ten. When he was thirty odd he decided to leave his fathers milk business and pursue a career in flying. He paid £50k to ebventually get his commercial pilots licence and now flies the Boeing 747-400 for British Airways.
Wow!
Simon
I'm 38 and thought it would be too late. But the lady I was working for yesterday said her husband was 38 when he pursued his flying career.... Certainly food for thought Simon... :)
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You could immerse clean rugs with this.................
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carpet cleaners who haven't got a clue what they are doing, who haven't had even a days training and go out there and give the rest of us a bad name
Did a minger yesterday evening,very short notice,2 bed flat,bloke who booked me basically moves into the trashed property ,then does it up,ready for re letting,he was watching me yesterday,and commented on how easy it looked !
Then started asking about the machine,and how much it was.Told him the machine is only part of the process,and there are a multitude of factors that can,trip you up if your not careful,think I managed to put him off.
I would do it all over again,but differently
Do you really think that he was interested in starting up for himself or was he just taking an interest and being polite? If he can afford to have a rental property....... ???
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Colin
you could be in australia as a pilot with a nice rug cleaning plant as a side line by now ;D
whats the old saying about the gold rush and selling tools to the minners. I hear JK lights his gas cooker with twenty pound notes ;)
Respect
Ian Harper
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I'm a bit gutted that I spent nearly £20k on starting up
Wow, £20k, no going back once you started then.
Don't think I could have committed that much to start up even if I had it.
I know others have really gone for it usually truckmount, van, etc so the cost would spiral but I started out with £2k albeit had an old van already at the time.
Probably wished I'd spent more on equipment knowing what I know now but hindsight is a wonderful thing :D
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It al depends on when you are starting.
If I was starting in the 1980s as I did I would definately have a go. I would have got a TM and gone for the commercial more than I did at the time.
As for now- it would need some careful thought and a detailed business plan with a lot of market research and probably quite a lot of cash upfront.
If I did not have the cash I would preobably look for a 2nd hand mc and do it spare time for a start.
Like most people starting now :)
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I think some of us have forgotton how tough it was way back when, let alone now! I was going through some old books, brought back horrible memories!!!!!!
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I think some of us have forgotton how tough it was way back when, let alone now! I was going through some old books, brought back horrible memories!!!!!!
Spooky, just doing a mailshot and going back through old stuff and custies, brought quite a few smiles to my face at some comments we put to make sure we "remembered" the next time :) eg "barking mad couple, but made loads of coffee"..... that sort of thing. Also around our start up time, noticed very big gaps in the work schedules (in between jobs) glad it's not as bad now!
I think I mentioned it at the end of 2008 when there were big signs about the country's finances and I thought then that I wouldn't want to be setting up from scratch then.....let alone now. To be honest I wouldn't want to set up from scratch full stop. :)
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I'm a bit gutted that I spent nearly £20k on starting up
Wow, £20k, no going back once you started then.
Don't think I could have committed that much to start up even if I had it.
I know others have really gone for it usually truckmount, van, etc so the cost would spiral but I started out with £2k albeit had an old van already at the time.
Probably wished I'd spent more on equipment knowing what I know now but hindsight is a wonderful thing :D
I dived right in without asking any advice whatsoever, didn't know CIU existed and thought that my Exel was the best machine money could possibly buy. I didn't even know HM was 15 miles away and certainly didn't know what a TM was. This is despite working for a C/C some years earlier....
Suffice to say, starting up a business has been a brilliant learning curve, I just wish I hadn't spent so much money doing so :-[
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I would have invested more in property ,and less in women , rows of terraced houses selling in Middlesbrough at 2k a time , now are snapped up at 70k , got offered a block of 25 in 1995.
Have invested in some plots recently. That is the pension.
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Colin maybe that would have put you off starting your business if you read up on here first.
You went for it and am sure building up a client base for the future mate.
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Colin, what did you spend the 20k on? Was the van new?
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would you start up a Carpet Cleaning business, knowing what you now know.
To be honest with you I don't know if I would or wouldn't.
Basically it's all about the past. You can't change the past so I don't spend too much time dwelling on it.
What is done is done wether good or bad, the main thing to do is learn from your experiences.
I could have stayed in the Police, been on top whack pay, loads of holiday and 15 years off a good pension. I don't dwell on it, I made a decision and good or bad I'll see it through.
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No regrets for me other than wishing I had not turned down the opportunities given to me every other month for around 8 years before setting up by my very enthusiastic brother in law who owns a successful cleaning business which started off with carpet cleaning around 15 years ago.
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Colin, what did you spend the 20k on? Was the van new?
It was actually £19k I got as a lump sum from the Navy. The van was £6k and the rest was wasted on things like YP (Nearly £2k) Thomsons, new computer, really really expensive leaflets £400 for about 5000 :o (from a local printer), exel, scrubba, second hand exel back up and loads of other rubbish....
Easy come, easy go I suppose. The next batch of cash I received for my medical pension went on moving house and buying a triple vac.... 2 good moves :)
If I had the cash now, I'd buy this.... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TRUCKMOUNT-VAN-Carpet-Cleaning-Machine-/280636193797?pt=UK_HomeGarden_CLV_Cleaning_CA&hash=item4157387c05#ht_2362wt_1139
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I came back into the cleaning industry about 4 months ago and I am having no difficulty finding work.
Already have 2 full time staff and 2 vehicles on the road.
My day is spent quoting and organising and very rarely cleaning but I am of course more than happy to help the guys out.
It is general cleaning rather than just carpet cleaning and is 95% commercial.
I am not going in cheap and take a fair amount of time at the quote process explaining this fact and building in the "value" I offer.
I feel the same amount of work is out there, you just need to look a little harder and be pro active in your sales approach.
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Around 20 yrs ago I had the chance to by a 4 b/room house for 6grand being cautious I didnt jump in and do it [[ a regret ]]
Spent the best of 20 years in engineering M.O.D and aerospace work before comming into the cleaning business for other people.
It took me and my partner 4 years before we jumped in with both feet told our bosses a few home truths and started up on our own in 2008 nearly 3 yrs later we have weeded out the better letting agents and have a steady flow of work from them in carpets cleaning and E.O.T cleaning, and have now returned back into the Fire and Flood restoration side of things.
So the only thing I have regrets about if any is that we didnt start sooner.
The down turn in the economy has made it a [[ lowest price madhouse]] but as Ive seen said before its how you sell yourself at the end of the day
Regards Mark