Discounts can vary from supplier to supplier although not by the same degree than prices do from carpet cleaner to carpet cleaner. We have to cover our costs just like you do and you'll find that distributors may well use 'loss leaders' on one product and make it up on another. That's just the way business works.
For cleaning supplies generally you'll get more 'discount' collecting from a local supplier than having it delivered by national one because of the extra cost of carriage. A supplier will have to pay £4 a case upwards to deliver it to you. However, is the local supplier cheaper if he offers an extra 'discount'?
If you take as an example an average £80 chemical order which one supplier may offer an extra 10% than another. That's an £8 'saving'. An average showroom / trade counter transaction will take maybe 20 minutes by the time it's been selected, picked, invoiced, paid, and loaded into the van etc. Plus the time and expense driving to the supplier an back. Let's just say it takes an hour off your potential 'cleaning time'.
Is your time worth more or less than £8 per hour? For that one hour you are not a carpet cleaner you're a collection driver. Would you not rather pick up the phone tell the supplier what you want and then get on with earning money while the supplier sorts out all the hassle of getting the order to you.
There is good potential to make a good living in every part of the cleaning industry but it's easy to lose focus on what should or shouldn't take up all your time. Materials and equipment should only ever be a small overhead for you and you will be much better off spending that odd hour working 'on your business' than 'in your business'.
You could spend hours and hours and hours trawling through suppliers prices saving a couple of pounds here and there but the truth of the matter is that all suppliers have to be competitive in this day and age. If you're spending hundreds or thousands of pounds on materials and equipment then obviously you have to make sure you're getting a competitive deal but you have to put it in perspective.
If you find a good supplier that sells good products and provides good service stick with them!
Regards
Mike (0800 9154 154)
