Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: bcd on August 01, 2008, 02:07:39 pm
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Hello, I'm new to the forum i am considering along with my son to start providing a domestic carpet cleaning and upholstery business. I would be most grateful if anybody could give me any advice and guidance as to the difficulties i am likely to encounter. i have seen some posts on this site that have indicated the difficulties e.g getting enough customers, enough profit margins.
Could anybody also give me any advice as to how long the cleaning process takes per room and the amount of physical demands it involves.
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Hi,
Its always nice to see new ones joining the forum, pity we dont know your name or where you are from.
If you wish you can go back to your profile and enter some details, we would appreciate that.
Getting enough customers is the key to any business. However carpet cleaning (cc) is not like going shopping for food which is a neccesity. The potential client has to want their carpets cleaned, many deem they dont need the service. ???
What you do now? Are you in full time employ and wanting to start off part time?
Do you have any equipment at all?
Physically you dont have to be super fit, but there is some lugging of machine, hoses, buckets etc plus bending down and knee jobs.
Give some more detail and we'll see where it goes.
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im a full time sales rep from manchester.
im already knocking on doors selling energy products.
we are hoping to start with a few of full-time as earlier as possible.
we do not have any equipment and we were considering leasing machinery.
could you also give any advice on the best type of cleaning equipment.
would really like to know the potential within this business and the amount of time it takes for the average clean to take place in a house
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bcd
You have come to the right place for answers to your questions - however, you can find all those answers simply by reading the old posts in this section.
You can also use the search option for topics relating to equipment.
Regarding the best equipment, for that question you could receive 10 different answers - all the leading manufacturers and suppliers have websites with photos and specifications.
You need to do a bit of research to narrow the field a bit.
Steve
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i researched my start up for 8 months before taking the plunge, and oh boy what a plunge it was.
every question you ask about this business may aswell be "how long is a piece of string,
for instance, how long does it take to clean a room, depends on soilage, stains equipment used, amount of furniture etc....
you just need to get as much information as you can get, do some traing, if you have the money do lots of training, going to the training events is the best thing you can do, not only do you learn how to clean safely but you meet a lot of carpet cleaners, newbies and veterans, talking to them is worth the training fee alone.
like steve.
trawl the back posts on this forum, theres lots of varied answers on here, so take it all in, evaluate and then make your decision.
check out you opposition and see what you can do that makes you more appealing than them, dont base your new start up on cheaper than the rest, cheap is good but not the b all.
good luck and i hope this helps a little.
derek
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Have you been making your living selling energy products if so you could be off to a flying start as I believe door knocking is the fastest way to get customers.
My concern is you are talking about leasing the equipment.
There are deals out there but usually over two to five years.
What happens if you are not successful you do not get customers etc how are you going to pay for the lease.
I would advise talking to suppliers
express cleaning supplies
Alltec
Ashbys
Prochem
sollutions
as they all do training courses and know the market
But the key is Marketing
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Many thanks for the info. I do know that door knocking works it is just a numbers game also I have looked at a two day training course with Cleansmart they are offering the second day free of charge which relates to upholstery and carpets what do you think of Cleansmart many thanks
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But the key is Marketing
And finding alot of money to do the above...
Without it, it doesnt work.
PS:- Buy a really good pair of trainers for delivering lots of leaflets!
PPS:- And an iPod, as delivering leaflets is the second most boring job in the World
PPS:- Oh, the first most boring jobs in the World, can be viewed on "How it's Made", on Discovery Channel ;)
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i did day two of the cleansmart, enjoyed it, derek bolton takes it, or did do. top bloke.
its a lot to take in, if youve got the funds, do a couple of courses, it sinks in better the second time around.
ive done 4 courses to date, and i'm gonna do some more late in the year.
the more the merrier and it gives you confidence.
derek
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BCD you are welcome to come out on the road with me for a couple of days if you wish, this way you can see what to expect head on, you are only about 45 mins away drom me.
Mark
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I started out with leaflets, I always get 3 jobs per 1000 leaflets + refferals and repeat etc. As long as you get the leaflets out consistently you WILL get work.
When |I started I spent months researching on sites like this and went on the NCCA course first (I had a little experience as my brother used to run a cc business) I would suggest starting part time first if you can. Ive just reached my 3rd year and only this year have things really taken off for me. Good luck anyway!
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please please Manchester doesn't need any more carpet cleaners . train to be a tiler instead you can make daft money , or a plumber or a gardener , or anything .
Good look John
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please please Manchester doesn't need any more carpet cleaners . train to be a tiler instead you can make daft money , or a plumber or a gardener , or anything .
Good look John
Become a tiler and make daft money....im a tiler and i started carpet cleaning around 4 months ago and i can make more money a daycarpet cleaning than tiling, and its alot easier work.
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So John,
Why don't you become a Tiler or a Plumber then?
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Mike because over the last 18 months I've invested probably 30 k plus in carpet cleaning , to be faced with competition off people spending £ 300 on karcher puzzie . no insurance, no training , day to day I am trying to compete on price with idiots
and I am losing
John
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john,
what kit you running?
derek
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Derek a truckmount just like you ,
john
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Derek if you ever need any proper advice about my own experiance of carpet cleaning over my first 18 months trading give me a email and we can meet and have a chat . I'm based in Urmston near the Trafford centre
all the best John
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do you show your clients the trucky, cos when i do there gobsmacked and so far ive not lost a single quote.
when the phone rings i know i'm getting paid,i'm just struggling to get the phone to ring. but its early days for me, only been going 9 weeks and 2 days, wont do the hours and mins as i'll bore you.
did 2 quotes 2day, got em both.
sorry if i sound cocky as i'm not but i love doing quotes, i get joking with them, make them feel at ease, give them the speel, show them the burn test, that always impresses, explain backing, they think i'm a bloody expert.
i also tell them it'll be dry before i leave which it is cos i got airmovers they love that fact.
but i'm sure you do all this, but thought i'd put it just incase.
ps, i'm crap on furniture though, dont seem to get any of them apart from leather.
derek
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love to john.
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Derek what price are quoting your suites at ? , don't listen to some of the people on hear saying they get £160 a suite cos it is nonsense. you need to get out working do a good job then get referalls , even thou I've only been trading 18 months I've got customers that I have worked for 3 or 4 time's for , then been passed down the family , then to friends etc , I don't understand why some carpet cleaners that have been trading 20 ,30 years still have to put out 5000 leaflets a week to get work , there the 1 s that are doing it wrong
John
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3 pce suite @ £35 per seat = 5 seats = £175
2 armchairs @ £35 each = £70
No problem achieving that as minimum price, more if badly soiled
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not alot john.
did a quote today for a small living room carpet, about 15 m square, £50, got that no problem, she asked how much for a 3 and a 2 so i said about £80, take about 2 hours so i was happy with that but she said i'll leave the suite, i think its my confidence with suites that let me down, with carpets i know they'll come up a treat but with upholstery i'm unsure as i struggled with mine so i play the results down with customers just incase.
need to find some more dirty suites and do them for free, but i hate doing them and for free is just taking the p, so its a catch 22 for me.
clinton.
yeah lets all find a pub with a carpet, wont take 4 of us long to clean it and the drinks will be on the house.
always thinking. ;D
derek
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John I know what you mean, it's very frustrating and yet there's load of business out there, it's your job to find it.
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Hi Derek
Good to see a fellow Newbie brimming with confidence.
When the phone rings and you get a carpet enquirey, take me through your speal - Like me do you try to get an onsite visit? I think this works better, once face to face you can not only sell yourself better, but to take the customer through the process - baffle with B/S ;D works best for me - but you say you haven't lost a single quote yet - So I am interested to hear you telephone pitch.
I too would meet up, Clintons been trading for donkeys years so he must be loaded, so drinks on Clinton ;D
Paul
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hi paul
ive lost one, but theres a story to that, to long to type, tell ya when we meet up.
the phone speel is nothing, they ring, we say we'll come round to make sure we can clean your carpets safely and the quote is free, then once i'm round there, no bull, just friendly honest banter, and make the complicated, easy to understand.
always do the burn test right in front of them, then just say if it melts its plastic and if it singes its wool, few little jokes then hit them with the quote, always ask them to sit down before i give them the quote, (tongue in cheek), this makes them feel like its going to be really high, and its not, my prices are in between, if they hesitate then its out to the trucky and bingo, bobs your uncle fanny's your aunt. job done.
simple but very effective,
did a £70 quid job today, lounge through diner and narrow landing, (it was an upside down house) gave me £80 and said you worked hard for that, keep the change. and i got a call 2 hours later from one of his friends, did the quote tonight and guess what, yeah you guessed it, BINGOOOOO!
its not all roses here though, i need a lot more work than i'm getting, but it'll come, only been going 9 + weeks, early doors, early doors.
derek
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Regarding the suite pricing... round about £150 for a standard 3-pc in average condition is about standard pricing... for a well experienced confident cleaner who can guarantee that the customer is going to feel they've had value for money.
Paul, don't set out to baffle with BS, smarter people see through this approach and dumber people feel alienated by it.
Set out to create a friendship.
People buy from people they like.
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Yes Clinton ........ if you say so, your not loaded ::) - Although when I came up last week you did give me the impression you were quite comfortable.....its the first time i've ever had quail eggs with a red currant sauce on a layer of caviar for my breakfast. I think the photo says it all, what band council tax is your place? you look more comfortable in the photo Clinton, out of your CC uniform. ;D
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One piece of advice which has held me in good stead is purchase equipment reasonably local to you. I live in north east and use an Extracta machine. If ever it gets a problem i can whip it up the road to Gateshead in 15 minutes and get it fixed while i wait. A bit hard doing that if your up here and the manufacturers are down there and you loose a lot of work while it is away being fixed!
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The prowler is an excellent machine but for most of the jobs I do I need a portable due to their location (apartment blocks etc...). Think ill just stick with my porty now, never let me down and very busy at mo. John
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John I know what you mean, it's very frustrating and yet there's load of business out there, it's your job to find it.
Mike going to eat my own words quoted a suite this morning at £140 and got it
John
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Good for you John.
I've always quoted £140 for suites and although with some you have to work for, I only lose a few. Here's a trick. In your mind imagine that it's just not worth the effort for anything less and you are prepared to walk away.
I'd prefer to put the effort into selling what I'm worth than slaving over greasy fabric for peanuts.
Give me carpets any day of the week.