[jonesy14]

Hello everyone, my name is mark from nottingham area and i am new to the trade. I am looking to set up a part time carpet cleaning business to run alongside my full time employment in order to make 'ends meet'!

I really cannot find time to attend a training course due to work and child care commitments.

Basically i was looking for any experiance from you regarding HWE machines, pre sprays and chemicals which are best but on a small budget.

Please dont laugh but i hired a rug doctor the other day, and it gave great results on my carpets.

Would you recommend a rug doctor for me to start off with?

Also i hear Prochem chemicals are effective??

Any advice/views would be greatly appreciated..

Mark

[jonesy14]

On second thoughts looking at previous rug doctor posts, they are probably NOT the best choice!

Any other set up advice please?

[Helen]

On second thoughts looking at previous rug doctor posts, they are probably NOT the best choice!

Any other set up advice please?

Why did you hire a rug doctor and not get a local Carpet Cleaning business to do the work for you?....Just wondering 

[Richard Meads]

Hi Jonesy,

You would be better off staying away from Rug Doctor! lol

Starting off on a budget you'd be best to look maybe on ebay for Prochem's Galaxy or Steampro, or Ashby's Ninja machines. I got two blowers on ebay, still going today.

Don't go mad on chemicals to start with as we all have ones we like and you don't want stock you never use.

As a prespotter, prespray gold from prochem is woolsafe, and until you are able to tell what a carpet is made from, using Gold is safe.

Keep looking on the forum, that's what I did when I set up, and you get an idea on what spotters are best to use for different types of stain.

Hope it works out for you.

Richard

[Mike_Roper]

If your in nottingham go see Matt at cleansmart supplies. www.cleansmartsupplies.co.uk.  I'm 200 miles away and am going down to see him today so I think its worth it and I've been in the bsiness 20 odd years , well they havnt all been odd .
Going on your circumstances / needs / wants its always a catch 22 situation - dont / cant spend the time & money you need to to do the job right hence repeat and recommendation work highly unlikely . You'll just end up chasing the cheap jobs with countless others .
Mike 

[Joe H]

If you not prepared to INVEST in some training I wouldnt bother starting.

[jonesy14]

thankyou all for your opinions, much appreciated and taken on board

[clinton]

 

[Colin Day]

If you not prepared to INVEST in some training I wouldnt bother starting.

Bit of a short sharp answer there Joe

Training will help you avoid the pitfalls and day courses are ran by various suppliers, Extracta, Prochem and the prices are very reasonable. I had 2 years experience with a carpet cleaner

As important is Treatment risk insurance as well as public liability.

Maybe the first question you should ask is.... "How much money will I need  to start my own carpet cleaning business?" I started off with £12-£15k..... And still had to buy another machine 12 months later.... :

[Joe H]

It was really in response to one of jonesys original statement

"I really cannot find time to attend a training course due to work and child care commitments".

It will take him more time to sort out problems by not being trained then getting trained.

[derek west]

i'm backing jo all the way on this. ive just entered my third year of very hard slog and can hopefully say this year will be my first  profitable one. its all about repeats and referals. without them your spending money to make peanuts.

[Colin Day]

I'm backing Joe too, no question about it!

[Richard Meads]

I'm with Joe too, and Derek, you don't just buy a machine and automatically find work.  Leaflets, calling round, advertising, it all adds up in time and money. I'm still in my first year and I get referals, but not enough to keep me going.

If you buy a new machine Jonesy some companies will give you some free training, but they are also trying to sell you more products.

[gwrightson]

I only just read this post and got to admit my first reaction was.......... somebody taking the p*ss !!

To work alongside his full time emplyment , make ends meet,  etc  I get the vibes he believes he can just make a few extra £££,s on the side  with out much of a commimtment to investing or time to learn. I may well be wrong and apologise if I am wrong but lots out there who have similar thoughts and ideas as you have.

Remember , many other factors need to be taken into consideration ie. public liability, treatment risk, along with other requirments.

geoff

[clinton]

Could be right geoff lets face it who really wants there carpets cleaned at a night time and not many at the weekends.

A few already doing the job share thing to make money on the side..

Look at derek he bought the best and he is still on the up and has done it all on own and its either all or nothing if you really want to make a go..

[Mark Lawrence]

Geoff

You are spot on mate. I was going to post similar myself.

Why help someone when these are the exact sort of people who are damaging our industry

It beggars belief, when will people learn? Part timers who want to 'earn some extra cash' are BAD NEWS for all of us. It really aint rocket science is it.

Mark

[M.Acorn]

All or nothing here ! When i was looking into starting up,before i was made redundant,i went to the bank with my buis plan,bearing in mind my wife ran a cleaning company that turned our 120 grand plus per year,and i had in writing they would sub carpet cleans to me,and bear in mind i was working 6am / 2pm shifts,they said no,as there is not enough commitment,if your not going f/time !!
So a couple of months later,when i was made redundant,and got my pay out,i went back to Barclay`s and closed the account,borrowed the ££ off the wife,and not looked back since.
I think your deluded if you think you can do both at once,and looking back i was.
You won`t find many people who want their carpets doin late arvo early eve !
Think of the noise,although saying that,the machine your looking at is not much more than a car valeting item,you will be there hours with that doing a house,they will be wanting to go too bed ! And you won`t be done  :

[ryan mca]

  If you are serious spend £100 on a days training at cleansmart
before you even think about it but if you cant find the time or the money
forget it. FULL TIME or PART TIME you still need the same transport, equipment
and insurance not cheap then you need to advertise your services carpet cleaning is not a get rich quick game.

[david_claxton]

If you not prepared to INVEST in some training I wouldnt bother starting.

Or some decent equipment, don't even start

[murky]

Marc,

Just following on from your comment about leaving Barclays etc etc. I am with them and they are beating me to death with charges at the mo.

My fiance is with Natwest and we have a small joint account we use, started to use it for business, they rang to see what was happeneing. Told them what I was doing and they said do you know we do 2 years free banking to start up business.

Well I do now. I am slowly swapping all my accounts over to them, they speak English, ALL the time. I am never put onto some one else, I have a dedicated business adviser and I cant speak highly enough of them, wish I had done it years ago.

Just my 2 pennuth.

Murky