[Kriss]

Im just about to start a carpet cleaning business. I have saved around 1500 pounds. Is there any particular carpet cleaning equipment you would recommend 

[Aquakleen Restoration Services]

If you want to offer a good service I would say you will need to save up more money than that...

[Kriss]

what money we are talking about 

[AshWhite]

Kriss,

I started trading in June this year, and invested just over £7k in equipment to start off. Then you have to factor in your living costs while you get off the ground, costs for advertising, chemicals, some money for when things break or go wrong.

I've put in another £1500 since I started, and still have a shopping list as long as my arm.

You can of course do it cheaper, but it depends what results you want to get, and what impression you want to give off.

Good luck however you proceed

[Kriss]

Thank You AshWhite, I Have no chance to invest that much money. But I still try my best to do best service for little bit less. I was just wonder for a bit cheaper good quality equipment. I wish You all the best

[Hilton]

Look on the for sale board theres some decent kit at good prices, factor in training and working capital for at least 3 months.

Probably better if you started off part-time though.

[Warren Aldridge]

You wont get a good extraction machine for that so I would spend £350ish on a good agitator to help break down the dirt more so you rely less on the extraction machine.

Find a supplier for one of these
http://www.oreck.com/Orbiter-Multi-Purpose-Floor-Machine

Then look on ebay for an extraction machine for about a grand.

With the left over get some prespray gold from Prochem for your "shampoo" and a tub of Prochem Pure Clean powder for prespraying as well but mix extra high strength for spotting with a small 1 liter sprayer bottle. You need a big 5 litre pump up sprayer bottle for spraying the Prochem prespray gold, and a small brush for spotting.

That will max your budget. If you do get any jobs you will need to spend the majority of your income on marketing from then on in

[Kriss]

Thank You Hilton, i will look  for sale board. Actually, part - time would be the best option for now   

[Colin Day]

You could perhaps consider starting oven cleaning first. Cheap to set up and you can be earning £500 a week with good advertising and referrals. That way you can build money up for better equipment and training for carpet cleaning..

If you're interested, PM me..

Cheers, Colin....

[Buckland]

If I was starting now and not ten years ago I'd buy a really good twin-vac or triple vac machines PLUS that new Italian Hotbox solutions is selling at £999 or if short of funds the CFR perfect heat 500psi - the minimum sum to set up is going to be best part of 3-4k new plus a vehicle - unless you get lucky on ebay or buy the underpowerd cheaper gear which will not do you any real favours some of it is useable though but at that stage a newbie ain't got the knowledge...

No worthwhile service business has low start-up costs - buy good gear look after it and you have a saleable asset - dont buy a franchise!

dave

[garry22]

You could always lease the equipment. This way you would have good stuff from day one with greater earning capacity.

The number one thing is still GETTING customers.

[Aquakleen Restoration Services]

what money we are talking about 

1500 hundred quid you just mentioned 

[Mike Mahoney]

I agree with Colin on this one,

oven cleaning is a good starting point, I started off with a low budget 4k, used oven cleaning for 18 months part time to raise enough for really good equipment for my commercial kitchen / extraction system cleaning business which was the main aim, would not have survived without the full time job tho, I am by nop means alan sugar but my best advice would be, research, research and then some more research, know your target market and also your local competition. It is always handy to have more than one string to your bow.

Good luck, don't get disheartened you are entering a cut throat market where the customer expects to pay peanuts and has no Idea of the costs involved in setting up a cleaning Co.


MCM

[Simon Gerrard]

Kriss,
The first thing you need to do is attend a carpet cleaning training course, a two day one is best for newbies and then an upholstery cleaning course. If you're not prepared to spend money on this your chances of suceeding in this industry are non existent. The only way you make money in carpet cleaning is by offering good service and fantastic results so that people recommend you to friends and family etc. You don't make money on the first visit to a customer because of all the advertising costs that a newbie needs to spend money on to get the phone ringing. If you haven't got a good deal more than £1,500 you're probably wasting your time and your money.

Simon

[james roffey]

I started with £15000 and still did not have everything i really needed, a lot of that money was for marketing too no good having equipment if the phone dont ring. i wanted a good machine, now have a triple vac Airflex which is great, i got some training with the NCCA and practical knowledge by spending some time with a couple of very good carpet cleaners.
I also wanted to build a good reputation as i think that is the best marketing, repeat work etc, if you start with the idea of being cheap and chearful then your customer base you build will always want that cheap price, it would be quicker though.
I have been going 3 years and its just started to really pick up, so it takes time.

[Paul H]

i agree with james... it takes time effort and...money...but it is doable..

regarding machine i started with a single vac machine... got good results and made money too... it was 2nd hand.... i have since re invested in a new machine ...

i can get my hands on a 2nd hand machine for you .. single vac... 7.5mtrs of hose carry bag... handtool (for stairs / uholstery)... and a mini scrubba tool..( no its not my old one!)... its an old fella i know who has retired and he's looking to off load it..

Might not be what you want but given your budget it would still leave you with a decent 2/3rds of it...

[wynne jones]

Where there's a will there's a way. Carpet cleaning is something people come into thinking they can turn a profit soon after start up, but in reality the rewards are 2-3 years down the road.

Your biggest cost is living expenses not the equipment!

On the other hand you could go down this route which apparently works.

Buy a second hand rotary buffer and vacuum cleaner off ebay, some Mpower and you will need an estate car to put all your kit in.

Then run a Groupon campaign which means you don't have any marketing costs to build your business. Apparently you can earn over £300 per day doing this.

 

[Steve Rothwell]

really??

[Carpet Dawg]

I started out of the back of a Fiat Bravo using a Numatic ctd 572, pile brush and a pump up sprayer from B&Q!  

Made £21,000 profit in my first year with that gear. Alot of bones for a 17 year old!

Needless to say, I bought a van and Prochem SteamPro machine in year 2. Still got the brush tho!  

Tony

[Simon Gerrard]

Wynne,

Then run a Groupon campaign which means you don't have any marketing costs to build your business. Apparently you can earn over £300 per day doing this.

Love it