Hi Angie,
Talking of day one.......
Officially started up in business this week. My first paying job was a dusky pink chenille suite quite heavily soiled on the arms and seat cushions.
I colour tested, checked my pH's, Prevaced, spotted stains, presprayed, agitated with a soft brush and extracted. It came up bright pink, like new. my client was very pleased and so was I.
I did the NCCA course at the end of May and followed what I was shown there using the chemicals I had already had.
The suite took me 4 hrs but I could have done it quicker, by the end I was just getting a good technique together with the hand tool.
Looking forward to doing many more in future. Also saves you having to wash you're trousers in a machine!

Martin, I would say (with limited experience) if you use the fabric presprays and extraction chems from all of the big guns, and do exactly what it says on the tin, you'll get good results.
TECHNICLEAN.