[gr cleaning solutions]

hi all im looking to start up a carpet cleaning service to run along my window cleaning am after some advice ie what the best type off machine to start off with , how do you price and job etc any help would be great many thanks

[daysdeepclean]

It's an expensive business to start up and to try and take short cuts, save money here and there could have a detrimental effect on your newly found venture... Start off as you mean to go on and invest primarily on good courses, IICRC to name but one.....

I had someone stop me the other day in our town and gloat about the fact that he was going to be my new "Competion"..... Then asked me what I thought of him buying a Rug "Muncher" Doctor...! I told him that they are the mutts and I'd be sure to lose all my custy's to his excellent standard of service So they are not even close to what you'll need....

The pricing structure he had was unique too.... "It only takes me 2 hours to clean a full 3 bed house, and at £45, I could do 3 in a day and walk away with £120"  : That is not even close to what you should be charging for your service....

[gr cleaning solutions]

thanks for your reply could you name me some machine what are worth looking at so i could look at them on the Internet cheers

[Joe H]

what budget do you have in mind for a machine? They range from say £500 to £3000 for an electric portable machine.
New or 2nd hand?

[gr cleaning solutions]

to start off second hand would do then hopfully move on from there i was  looking to buget up to around £250/300 just to get me up and running

[daysdeepclean]

Firstly, if you let us know where you're from you'll be inundated with friendly and helpful advice... For all I know you could live round the corner from me and I'd be a fool to give you any invaluable advice....

Best wishes.... Colin "Happy" Day.....

[gr cleaning solutions]

im from darlington in the north east

[daysdeepclean]

To be completely honest, your budget would get you through a course only.... If you bought a cheap machine you'd soon get sick of working a lot harder than you really need to and you also be fed up with complaints of wet carpet/upholstery.... I personally use Extracta Exel which came in at £2.5k then I had to buy all the extra's. Scrubba and chemicals, air movers etc etc.... You're gonna need a good £5-£10k to be honest mate.... But it's all worth it and I'd always urge anyone to take up this rewarding business.... As long as they live miles and miles away from Cornwall!

Good luck and best wishes... Colin.....

[Joe H]

with that budget I would be thinking of a good vac cleaner like a Sebo BS36, a low speed rotary machine with some pads and go for the commercial work. This, IMO, would give you the largest return in the shortest time.
Alternatively if you want to go HWE you are limited and may be best looking on Ebay - do a search for carpet cleaning machine for starters.

[elliott cleaning]

It really is not realistic to even consider getting into the carpet cleaning business if your budget is, as you say, £250/300.

[richy27]

suggest spending your budget on a training course your not goin to even scrape the surface with 350. you need a lot more to invest in a business startup.

[will01]

Is it just me or are there a lot more "Newbies" on here atm thinking that carpet cleaning is a quick way to make a "Quick buck and a fast getaway"

How on earth someone with a budget of 300 quid max thinks they could do a good job is beyond me.

Either that or they havent done their homework on just what the initial setup costs of setting up actually are.

[Ryan Smyth]

Obviously taking the p***, I personally have just shelled out a few thousand to add to what i already have and im just a newbie of less than a year people like this dont want advice,they want a quick buck,and give us all a bad name. £350 you must be having a laugh,stick with the window cleaning,that'll buy a few cloths!!!

Ryan

[Ben Lugg]

Hi
This is my first year in business and I would say that the best thing to do with your money is go on a quality course.   From this you will realise that your budget is too low, and you will find out the type of machine and products you need. 
I don't have a deep pocket full of funding to draw on either, but it's all about providing a quality service so that customers come back and recommend you to other people.
The other most important thing is to listen to the guys on this forum - they have the experience and knowledge to help you.  They've given me great advice and I really appreciate it.
Ben

[Griffus]

You will occasionally come accross full set ups on ebay. Your budget is unlikely to get anything worth having but you may get lucky.

I would research a whole lot more, including searching through old posts on here. A good starting point once you have at least a theoretical understanding would be a basic training course, again, search on here.

You may then have an idea of what you need and can start shopping around.

Just to put things into perspective, a HWE machine alone will probably cost less than a third of your initial budget. The cost of accessories (essential and non), chemicals, marketing etc. soon add up and will cost £1000's in their own right.

If you are looking at a quick turnaround then I would steer clear. If you intend this as a long term add on, then devise a proper plan and work to it.

[gr cleaning solutions]

thanks lads for your advice im sit down to night to re work my budget i am also looking to at course etc but im am really looking to start off so once again thanks for all your advice which i will take on board

[richy27]

if you are goin to jump straight in an go be carefull what you take on job wise. and make sure you have correct and adequate insurance otherwise you could be finished before you have even got goin. insurance is not expensive but peoples carpets and furnishings are. everyone is entitled to make there mind up and yes if you feel you can on a small budget go for it. be carefull though

ebay number  may help  310143049130

[Mike Roper]

Get in touch with Susan Dean Shes from Darlo area!! Only joking.Havnt heard much from her recently , mind you think she had alot of other ventures on.
Going from window cleaning into carpet cleaning is what I did progressively 20yrs ago and its certainly got potential as you have your customer base so youre in the door so to speak. Having said that unless you just want to be cheap ,splash and dash , you have to start as you mean to go on cos you'll only get one chance with most people and if your rubbish theres no way your going back to them or their friends and family.Repeat and recommendation is the only way to survive.
 You dont know the way you mean to go on till you get far more informed on what carpet and upholstery is all about, with all due respect you havnt a clue at present, so your budget will only cover getting some information via course then you can plan to do it properly if you still wish to.
Mike










 

[Griffus]

ebay number  may help  310143049130

Looks as good as you'll get for that price and at the minute 1/2 your budget!

Hoses would cost more than that!

[Joe H]

that machine is in Southampton with no delivery.
grwindows is in north east.
theres a few Puzzis for sale on ebay.