Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: jasonl on October 23, 2011, 05:12:09 pm
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I hope this helps some new people / struggling established operators.
1) You need customers to actually clean first - practically no carpet cleaning knowledge is needed to obtain these.
2) you need good quality reliable equipment and chemicals and a decent reliable vehicle - again , not a lot of carpet cleaning knowledge is required.
3) You need to have funds available to weather the hard times- again no carpet cleaning knowledge required.
4) In the past 20 years , I have used my carpet cleaning and very low cost extra equipment to make more revenue from add on services than I have from carpet cleaning , these include ,,,, Fire and flood restoration , pressure washing , grafitti removal, laundry, window cleaning , biohazard cleaning , upholstery cleaning , builders cleans.
5) The very best/ most profitable work comes from untraditonal sources , and talking /opening your mouth at the right time, that housewife you are dealing with has a husband who owns a restaurant that needs all the chairs cleaning.
6) Giving something away free is the best investment , spotters, a rug clean , a bathroom carpet clean, advice, a fridge magnet,it does not matter I always give something away , I remember hearing Robert Harris the Chem-dry founder saying this during a conference once , and thinking he was mad , 3 months later he sold his company for over $100 million.
7) Telling the customer that if there are any problems to call you back , they very rarely do , but telling them they can breeds confidence and trust.
8) Clean carpets honestly and as thoroughly as you can - unfortunately you ned training and common sense to do this , and most do.
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Excellent post
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Very true with that chem dry part in your paost jason.
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Jason, excellent and well thought post. But you would have been a lot richer if you had sussed this out a few more years earlier ;)
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Very good post!
Your right Its all about trust, once you have that you can offer people anything and they will keep coming back for more.
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Excellent post Jason with no bull***t or daft claims.
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Great post Jason.
For me, trust is everything - I have repeat clients who leave me keys and blank signed cheques.
Once trust is established, price ceases to be an issue and referrals come naturally.
BUT, this does not happen over night - you can have the best equipment money can buy but without clients it's meaningless - marketing is everything in this business and that is where you need to allocate the most funds.
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Without customers there is no business, simple as that. Unless you have a list from another business you can market to then every customer will be a new customer. I'm sure there are numerous figures out there detailing the cost of finding a new customer rather than selling to an existing one.
Without being able to both fund initial kit purchases and cashflow from another business I dread to think how hard it would be to start up at the moment. I guess I would have just had to work much harder, pounding the streets posting leaflets (not that I didn't do that anyway), and using any means necessary
to drum up business.
Great post by the way Jason and applicable to all business, not just carpet cleaning.
Chris
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Good post !! And 8 years down the line I have to agree
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Years ago many CD owners were ex sales reps a 2 weeks carpet cleaning course then they were off but the they had a great start as they knew how to sell.
Shaun
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And another thing , it is always a good idea to be careful who you marry , 3 divorces are very expensive .
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The only thing in life that is rocket science is -------- rocket science !!!
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All good comments. Id add that a nice personality and a smile go a long way too.
Id say to powerwash etc takes a bit more than a little extra investment in equipment unless you bought a 3000psi TM.
Mark
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And another thing , it is always a good idea to be careful who you marry , 3 divorces are very expensive .
You are a slow learner indeed ;) don't do it again :)
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I love this job sometimes, out of the house at 8.45, job done, home and showered for 1.00 pm, £200 cash, happy customer.
No, to pub or not to pub?
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save it ! save it ! save it !! , then when ur dead ur kids will spunk it on crap and shiny things :) :)
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save it ! save it ! save it !! , then when ur dead ur kids will spunk it on crap and shiny things :) :)
LOL Ain't that the truth.
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I'm taking it with me........if I had any!
Shaun
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I spend 80% of mine on wine, women and song. I just waste the rest. ;D
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It's all about getting the phone to ring :-\
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I spend 80% of mine on wine, women and song. I just waste the rest. ;D
;D
George Best RIP
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A great post!
You're right! Carpet cleaning isn't about carpet cleaning - to an extent. It's about marketing, marketing, marketing. There is serious amounts of money to be made if you can get the custom.
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to suggest that carpet cleaning knowledge isn't important is a little bit misleading,
I know a lot of carpet cleaners and ALL the successful ones have 2 things in common the have an extensive knowledge of all aspect of carpet cleaning and they charge high prices.
you can have all the marketing knowledge in the world and the phone can be ringing off the hook but in the end you need to clean a carpet and do it well. I've seen lots of marketing campaigns sky rocket through the roof but they never keep going unless the end product is good,
marketing is what boxers do before a fight , but its all waffle until they step into the ring and do the business.
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and......
jason's no5 point I totally disagree with
5) The very best/ most profitable work comes from untraditonal sources
the best work i believe come from the boring, traditional sources, database marketing, leaflets, websites etc.
running around town with a flag up your bum saying 'get carpet cleaning here' might bring in the odd job... but not that many ;)
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This is not aimed at Jason but follows on from what Mike said.
I watched a marketing conference on one of the obscure Sky channels.
A load of arty farty creative types (the ones who have never sold anything!) talking about "cutting edge" marketing.
One was having a real go at Coca Cola for it's "old fashioned, boring" marketing.
He was ridiculing them for giving free coke to young kids at a big summer festival at Brighton (really hot, sunny day).
The clown called it outdated and boring. I'd call it genius. Apparently, drug dealers use the same approach
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The post I originally made , said what I have come to realize , of course others will have realized other things.
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The post I originally made , said what I have come to realize , of course others will have realized other things.
As long as you have realised you shou'dn't get married again aswell ;D