Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Deep Cleaning Solutions on July 18, 2008, 01:42:46 am

Title: Estate or Van
Post by: Deep Cleaning Solutions on July 18, 2008, 01:42:46 am

Hi i am thinking of starting a carpet cleaning business.
At the moment i have a renault laguna estate and was thinking of using this.
Do you think it will be big enough for a cleaner and the other bits i will need.
Idealy i would like to use the estate for now,
as i need the extra seats to pick the kids up from school ect.
Then if i am doing ok in 6 months or so i could afford to buy a van aswell.
Cheers.

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: Ian Rochester on July 18, 2008, 06:23:39 am

To carry the equipment you need then a van is essential, though when I first started off I had a trailer made and towed in along behind my car.

Worked like this for about a year before eventually buying a Peugeot Partner van, wish I'd bought the van from the start, much more professional.

You can pick up a decent second hand small van for around £2-3K

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: Joe H on July 18, 2008, 06:30:14 am

I have worked from the back of Fiat Marea estates and a Mazda 6 estate (nice motor) and it is feasible.
What I found very beneficial was to have the load area flat. Some estates do dip down at the entry pont ie BMW which is an hinderance. Also a flat back tailgaate, some are angled too much so you loose potential space at the top.
Space wise, I got a CFR500 Perfect Heat in very easily, together with hoses, wand, bucket, cleaning fluids/powder, brush, cloths etc.
Can all get to be a bit of a squeeze but it works.
Recomend you get some magnetic signs for the outside of your van - even 1 job should pay for that.

How that matches in with your Laguna - you will know.
You will cope.
Of course if you went to a van, say Renault do a Laguna van - it would still be exactly the same as the estate except for windows.
So if/when you get a van it has to be for a reason ie more space, more professional looking etc
Without going to a larger van size such as a Transit, the Cit Dispatch, Fiat Scudo,Pugeot Expert is a very good sized van for its money.

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: Gary Webber on July 18, 2008, 07:41:11 am

The only serious way to run a carpet cleaning business is from a van. If you go through the list of equipment needed you will need space for a vacuum cleaner, extraction m/c, rotary m/c?, hoses, wand, chemicals, towels, buckets etc.

it will also need to be of decent size. I would suggest something the size of Fiat Scudo size or greater. The worst thing would be to bu a vehicle and realise all your kit doesnt fit as you gradually increase you equipment.

Gary

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: Wayne Dean on July 18, 2008, 08:26:18 am

Keyplus

In my opinion I would personally use your estate to minimize initial outlay especially with the way things are at the moment, I know many guys that have started out in carpet cleaning only to be out of business within 6 months. You have to remember that we are in one of the most competitive businesses and for a newbie to start out in the game nowadays is going to be a very bumpy experience, it's hard enough for us guys that have been in the industry for many years! Keep costs low or maybe spend more money and time on advertising and like you say assess where you are in 6-12 months then start thinking about that van!

I wish you all the best

Wayne

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: nick p on July 18, 2008, 08:56:50 am

when i first started i had an estate car for about a year, then bought a small van got it sign written makes you feel more confident and looks more professional
i now drive a vito and with everything in there i could still do with a bigger van now

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: Roy Edwards on July 18, 2008, 01:33:50 pm

The amount of work you may get, having  a sign  written van sitting outside for all the custy's neighbours to see is worth every penny.

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: M.Acorn on July 18, 2008, 01:40:44 pm

I started out with a knackered old ford estate,i did remove the rear seats completley but found it was still really 2 small had the machine behind drivers seat ,as it would not fit in the back.Got hit by a car coming out of a side road,and it was written off so put the money twords my Astra van which i am finding is getting 2 small now with all the extra gear you accumalate :)

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: Joe H on July 18, 2008, 01:56:03 pm

The original question was.......

"At the moment i have a renault laguna estate and was thinking of using this.
Do you think it will be big enough for a cleaner and the other bits i will need?".


The answer is YES

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: gwrightson on July 18, 2008, 02:56:08 pm

and my answer is no!!

sorry to disagree with those who think an esate is big enough, i cannot imagine the hassle and clutter that comes with this, even with a limited amount of equpment.
geoff

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: Mike Osbourne on July 18, 2008, 03:06:17 pm

Get the kids to walk or give them the bus money.

Also women used to use the bus to get around or had an Austin 1100. Now they must have 3ltr 4x4s on the easy payment plans or divorce windfalls.

This is where the country started going wrong. ;D

ps get a van

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: Jim_77 on July 18, 2008, 03:59:16 pm

It depends on what kind of work philosophy you have.

If you absolutely must take 25 bits of hand kit around with you just in case you need them, you're going to need a decent sized van.  But if you manage to scrape by with just the bare essentials then it'll be fine.  Obviously the less kit you have the less able you are to deal with every eventuality, which may lead to corner-cutting.

There's a photo of someone's truckmount on another thread, installed in a SWB low roof transit.  It completely fills the load space, he can't even get his solution hose reel in there!  Throw stones at me if you like but that's bad planning.  Yes, there is some space left but it's not very useable space.  If you want whatever's at the back you have to move what's in front of it.

I know this problem well, because I prefer to be over-equipped rather than need something I haven't got half way through as job - what use is a tool if it's sitting at home in the garage?.  I run a Scudo with enough kit in it to fill a lorry :(

You value space more, the less of it you have.

One important point has already been mentioned, but this could save your life so I'll reiterate.  Estate cars are DANGEROUS to carry heavy objects such as extraction machines around in.  Imagine a head-on impact... The driving seat isn't going to afford you any sort of protection from flying machinery or tools, even a hand tool could seriously hurt you.

Vans have a steel bulkhead or at least a framework behind the seats, to cut this risk down.

A tidy, sign-written van looks infinitely more professional than a family car.

I'm not encouraging you to run out and get a van on HP and spend thousands but I definitely think it should be high on your priority list :)

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: The Great One on July 18, 2008, 04:30:38 pm

Quote from: Joe Hatton on July 18, 2008, 01:56:03 pm

The original question was.......

"At the moment i have a renault laguna estate and was thinking of using this.
Do you think it will be big enough for a cleaner and the other bits i will need?".


The answer is YES

Joe is correct, that was the original question asked and Joe is also correct it is enough for now, as the business grows (IF) then you can move onto maybe a second hand van, if it grows more then look at a newer van.

You are just starting, do NOT spend money you don't have to, let the business pay for what you NEED, not what you want.

Ask yourself, do I NEED this X piece of equipment, only have equipment you NEED, move ahead slowly, go too fast and you could come up an expensive cropper.

Regards

Martin 8)

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: Mike Osbourne on July 18, 2008, 04:42:36 pm

I asked exactly the same question when I started. I got a cheap van £2.5k.

However you can start with the car and when you get fed up after about a week, you can get a van.

The hidden loss of business due to looking like a fly by night is difficult to quantify.

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: Tony Gill Carpet Smart on July 18, 2008, 04:56:59 pm

GET A VAN      GET A VAN       GET A VAN

[/color]

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: derek west on July 18, 2008, 05:15:16 pm

my philosophy is think big, do a cash flow, business plan, do research in your area, work out how many jobs you need a week to break even, will this be feasible, its all hypethetical planning but it gives you an idea of what you need to achieve, my business was a year in the planning before i started.you really cant turn up in a car,your prices will have to reflect how you turn up, if one of the guys on this thread turned up in a nice sign written van and you turned up in a laguna estate, (nice car by the way) then you'd have to be a lot cheaper than the van guy to get the job, but to be honest as i'm not really a bargain hunter,(you get what you pay for person i am) i'd choose the van guy no matter how cheap you were, image and professionalism every time for me, then and only then would the price come into play.
i also agree with jim, your driving a death trap with all that machinery in the back of a car, is a few grand for a van worth risking your life,
buy a van and if it all goes tiits upyou can sell it as a complete business and probably get most of your money back.

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: Joe H on July 18, 2008, 05:24:04 pm

Actually, I used an estate car for a good few years before I got a van (which is still less then 12 months ago).

The customers I served then, I still serve now.

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: derek west on July 18, 2008, 05:43:35 pm

used to have one of them clinton. nice car in its day.

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: Jim_77 on July 18, 2008, 06:24:36 pm

hahaha

BOOM BOOM

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: AJB on July 18, 2008, 09:32:19 pm

After 10 years and 4 vans, i have used for the last 4 years
a Citroen Synergie, 2 to be precise.

It's a lot cheaper than having a family car and a van, it's a quarter of
the cost to insure, it's faster, more comfortable, and customers much to
my disgust still call it a van. It's got magnetic signs on so people know
what i'm doing at a house.

It carries all the equipment i wish to carry, due to the perfect size for
my requirements, my Powrflite machine is so securely held in place that
nothing will move it, this includes a dozy woman trying to write the first
one off. My last van which was written off by a skip lorry, was reduced in value
by the insurance company by £200 because it was sign written!!

In the 10 years of sign written vans i never had one job which was attrubuted
to anyone seeing the van and calling the number, several people would approach
me when cleaning, and they still do to the same extent.

Use the car for 12 months at least, then assess the situation, i know loads of
people who have packed it in within the first year, get by with what you must have
and worry about what you would like, if and when the business is successful.

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: magic_carpet on July 18, 2008, 09:39:22 pm

here is a great van for carpet cleaning
ht tp://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=180266742340&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=008

close space between ht and tp

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: *c4carpetcleaning on July 18, 2008, 09:40:47 pm

Quote from: AJB on July 18, 2008, 09:32:19 pm

In the 10 years of sign written vans i never had one job which was attrubuted
to anyone seeing the van and calling the number, several people would approach
me when cleaning, and they still do to the same extent.

I don't believe that for a minute, how on earth can you say that, do you ask everyone who walks down the street or passes your vehicle, no, so you dont know if vehicle advertising works, or not, in most cases it does.

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: derek west on July 18, 2008, 10:45:17 pm

2nd job i did, (started 6 weeks ago) was from a women who saw my van at trafic lights and got my number, (£135) and a bloke rang my wife only yesterday and said i'm behind your van and wanted a quote,
AJB, maybe your livery's phone number was wrong. lol, really cant believe 4 years and no phone calls from ya van. have you got a picture of it?

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: Jim_77 on July 18, 2008, 11:10:06 pm

I can count the num,ber of DIRECT enquiries from seeing my van on the fingers of one hand.

Normally seeing the van is in conjunction with seeing your advert in a directory or online.  In most cases customers who mention "well I've seen your vans around" (little do they know it's only one ;)) have been looking through the directories and made the connection with the logo on the page and the sign on the van.

Unless you ask absolutely every customer, you have no idea!

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: Tony Gill Carpet Smart on July 18, 2008, 11:37:35 pm

 :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o  lots of people see the van at customers ans get the phone number i find

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: RAM Cleaning on July 18, 2008, 11:42:15 pm

I started in a car (hatchback toyota), before upgrading to a van.  The main reason for this was to keep my outlay low in the beginning, its ok to say you need a van you need this you need that, but you have to be realistic when starting out and do it the way you can afford.  It is no good going out and spending 3k on a van 2k on a machine and another 1k on all the bits you need when you may only have 2k to start with.  I have seen so many people start up in this industry around my way going out and getting the loans for the machines and vans and not having any cash left for the most important part.................advertising.
When starting get what you NEED, not what you would like, once you get the work and you get repeat business then look at upgrading everything, machine vans etc.

So stick with your car until you know you can make a living from this cutthroat industry before spending all your cash.

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: Deep Cleaning Solutions on July 19, 2008, 12:46:29 am

I would like to thank everyone for there imput.
After much thought i have decided to start with a van.
One reason why was the safety aspect some of you mentioned,
i must admit that safety never even crossed my mind.
I am sure i will be back again over the next few months,
for a bit more advice.Cheers chaps.

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: Ian Rochester on July 19, 2008, 07:45:13 am

Another satisfied customer  ;D

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: Ian Gourlay on July 19, 2008, 10:38:24 am

Put signs on your estate.

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: RAM Cleaning on July 19, 2008, 11:44:41 am

personally i think a kangoo is too small, by the time you have all your bits of kit and a backup machine on, it will be tight, and without sideloading doors, its a pain to get to the stuff thats not by the door, a side loading door is a must, and twin side loading doors are even better

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: sherco on July 19, 2008, 11:49:18 am

A mate of mine was killed several years ago, he was a Mobile mechanic and he used his estate car for work, he was involved in a accident, a tool kit hit him on the head and killed him instantly. Unless you can secure things down properly which i dont think you can in a estate car. Get a van.

Title: Re: Estate or Van
Post by: RAM Cleaning on July 19, 2008, 11:59:30 am

a lot of good estate cars do have the tie down rings in the back, but you could also fit a good quailty dog guard to help objects fly through.  Unfortunetly the same can happen in a van if you dont secure things down and you have no bulk head or protective cage fitted