[clinton]

They might do it for free if you ask nice

[Steve. Taylor]

Id do it for the crack

[Colin Day]

Pete,
Most on this forum would clean other peoples arses if it paid a few quid, so what you say about pride and self respect is nonsense. They have non.

Matt

It's funny that, you'd be like cleaning a double oven....seeing as you have an a**e on both ends of your digestive system.....

[gordon fraser]

No offence but I could imagine it being humiliating and demining work, especially with the customer or other people in the home watching you with a smug grin.
You have to draw the line at some point guys. Cleaning other people’s ovens is sad situation to find yourself in.

Have some pride in yourself, let them clean their own f***ing ovens!

Pete

What a co*k! its only removing burnt food,Whats the big deal?

[Colin Day]

The thing is, I've done a few carpet cleaning jobs where I still nearly throw up thinking about it (Blood, human extrement and plenty of carpet pizza ) and one upholstery job.... Bleurgggh

Oven cleaning is actually a doddle to be honest and I enjoy the job satisfaction... It doesn't matter how old and minging an oven is.... It's still comes up  like new

[jasonl]

carpets, ovens, muld ,fire, flood . All dignified ways of earning an honest living , providing a service.

It all buys a nice life for our families, all that matters really.

[Andrew Briscoe]

Also,never had an oven shrink yet .

Andrew

[Simon Gerrard]

The risk you run when adding more and more services is that you end up being not much good at a lot of things instead of really good at one thing. Years ago we did hard floors, curtains, ceilings, fire & flood, carpet fitting, etc, etc and found that really we were a bit of a jack of all trades and so we specialised in carpet & upholstery cleaning and haven't done half bad out of it ever since.
The problem is when carpet & upholstery cleaning is only part of your focus, instead of all of you focus, especially in the early years and you get tempted to add more and more services believing that that is progress you could end up being ok at a lot of things instead of fantastic at one. If you can offer a service that you are really really good at you will always have money in your pocket.

Simon

[Colin Day]

Oven cleaning's been a cheap add on and see's me through quiet times, it has kept my business going when the chips have been down.

The intention is to employ someone to do the oven cleaning once I am properly established, but you can't run before you can walk.... Even you Simon, with your infinate wisdom, can't argue with that! Because you've been there yourself, presumably.

I think there's a cut off point as to how many services you should offer, but never kid yourself that people can't be multi-skilled... Maybe "you" can't cope but many many people can and do, hats off to them!!!

I am not tempted to offer any other services even though I do get asked a lot about pressure washing :

[jasonl]

Oven cleaning's been a cheap add on and see's me through quiet times, it has kept my business going when the chips have been down.

The intention is to employ someone to do the oven cleaning once I am properly established, but you can't run before you can walk.... Even you Simon, with your infinate wisdom, can't argue with that! Because you've been there yourself, presumably.

I think there's a cut off point as to how many services you should offer, but never kid yourself that people can't be multi-skilled... Maybe "you" can't cope but many many people can and do, hats off to them!!!

I am not tempted to offer any other services even though I do get asked a lot about pressure washing :

"multiskilled"   It is hardly a skill cleaning things , once you have a van and fully understand the cleaning pie and customer care, add-ons can be a great way to  make a good business great.   I am thinking Tescos,, into insurance , homeware goods , banking, mobile phones the list goes on.

[Simon@arenaclean]

The one thing we must all look after are our customers, and when you have them make sure they don't wander off. Offering related multi services is no bad thing. If I don't provide a particular service I probably know someone who will and I just ensure they don't clean carpets too. The only thing I have found important is the value of my time and how I use it, if i'm getting a good return I'm happy. End of tenancy in particular has been good to me but I have to be particular who I work for as some are not prepared to pay what I charge.

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

Simon

I agree with you!

Colin, I understand exactly where you are coming from but all Simon said was "the risk....". I'm sure there are many who can multi-task but I believe Simon's warning is a valid one.

When I started I did pressure washing and curtains, dry compound cleaning and a few other things which I can't remember. I do agree with you that as you get busier you do drop off some add-on services because once you become time poor you will naturally persevere with the more profitable services you offer and drop the less profitable ones.

To some extent you could then argue that the whole business becomes slightly self-fulfilling. Concentrating on more profitable jobs brings in more (and often complex work) which then extablishes you as an expert in your field; which then attracts more work to you etc etc ad infinitum.

I'd like to think that I was somewhere along that path.....

Roger

[derek west]

sorry doc and simon, ahem, i mean mr gerrard.
got to disagree.

i can't understand how you can be an expert at carpet cleaning then add on hard floors and all of a sudden, your not an expert at carpet cleaning, unless you mean from the customers point of view

the thing is to advertise your carpet cleaning and then market your add ons to your clients. the amount of clients i have that are all ready interested in having there hardfloors done because of my quality carpet cleans is good so why would i let someone else in to do the hard floors and maybe (but i doubt it) turn it around on me.

don't want a row about it, i'm a changed man , just my opinion.

[Simon Gerrard]

Derek,

It is perfectly reasonable to add things like hard floors to your list of services as carpet is as much a floor covering as vinyl or laminate is. The problem is when you start adding services that are not within an 'area of expertise' where the services seem erratic and can make you look a bit of a 'jack of all trades,' which is fine if you are happy to be seen that way rather than an expert in a particular field.
I know the temptation for some is to fill your diary any old way you can but I think it is the perception that it leaves the customers with that is the most damaging in the long term. I suppose it is what you hope to build in the long term that matters.
Simon

[Colin Day]

Simon, you are contradicting yourself as usual and back peddling like a Tory. 

Derek also does pressure washing, I suppose that can be classed as a sort of carpet cleaning too, can it

It's not as if I'm offering carpet/upholstery cleaning and bouncy castle hire : : :

[derek west]

i just love to learn, got my hardfloor course at the end of the month and really looking forward to it.

ive then got a painting and decorating course and then hedge cutting, and finally ironing with speed (not on speed) that'll do for this month, roll on next month, hairdressing, i'll be offering a free haircut with every carpet clean, got to be a winner

seriously though, if thats the sort of expansion you mean then yeah, i totally agree.

[Simon Gerrard]

Derek,

That's exactly what I meant. Expansion purely for the sake. In fact, it's not expansion at all, but diversification and that is something you should choose to do and not something you feel obliged to do because you can't fill your diary any other way. (not suggesting that you can't fill your diary - just trying to clarify the point with others)

Simon

[Mike Halliday]

I think Colin give the best reason fot not diversify into oven cleaning in his first reply.......

The money's not as good as Carpet Cleaning

why diversyfy into something that makes less money?  : : seems a bit daft to me

[Colin Day]

Mike.... Isn't carpet cleaning better money than upholstery cleaning in most cases... (I expect you'll have a smart Alec reply for that : ) So should I not bother cleaning sofa's

It's cheaper to clean an oven and the outlay was considerably less, as are the running costs, but I've explained all of this before....  :


For the record, I started oven cleaning about 2 months after I started up, do you suggest I give it up or what....? Try and be a bit more constructive in your critisism Mike, I would at least expect that from you in your position!

[Mike Halliday]

touched a bit of a raw nerve there eh colin

from the amount of smilies you needed to use in that post you must deep down totally agree with me and are a little embarrassed about it.

all i did was quote you and give my opinion.

I stick by my first comment, why would anyone diversify into something that makes less money.