[Shaun_Ashmore]

I work to keep the empire running

Actually it goes beyond cleaning, I have a dry cleaners and 2 houses I let, and a Missus who locks the door until I've brought enough money home.

Shaun

[jasonl]

Thats the first thing I learned as a ChemDry franchissee, 13 years ago, DIVERSIFY, from starting offbeing a carpet cleaner, now I am into a few related businesses, fire/flood restoration, leather cleaning, van hire, biodiesel, renting out houses, limo hire and builders cleans, all these things are carpet cleaning related and so long as they fit my criteria for ROI the list will be added to.

[Liahona]

Glynn, in answer to your question of why so many cleaners are hard up. I think its because they purely and simply dont charge enough for what it is they do. They or some clean rooms for free, offer more rooms for less money.... well you know the story. I get paid to clean or whatever I may be doing I get paid for. I dont clean anything for free. Nor do I discount more rooms for example. I also think that a lot of cleaners and granted not all are scared of charging what they think is a lot of money to clean. In most cases it is in their own head that they are expensive. They will come up with excuses why they cant charge more but it is only themselves they are convincing that they cant get more money. Last comment, too many cleaners all clean the same way and dont offer anything that might be out of the ordinary to charge more for. As long as they dont differ in what they do they will have to be content with the measley 30, 40, 50 or however many p they charge per square foot. If you are doing a 50p job then charge 50p. I do considerably more than a 50p job so I charge more. Best, Dave.

[Mike Halliday]

are carpetcleaners hard up?

ok people new to the industry might earn less, but I know  a lot of C/C and most of them make a very good living.

Glynn did my sister ring you? she lives in Poulton-le-Fyde, I was there last month and gave her your number.

Mike

[CLEANCARE LIMITED]

Glynn, in answer to your question of why so many cleaners are hard up. I think its because they purely and simply dont charge enough for what it is they do. They or some clean rooms for free, offer more rooms for less money.... well you know the story. I get paid to clean or whatever I may be doing I get paid for. I dont clean anything for free. Nor do I discount more rooms for example. I also think that a lot of cleaners and granted not all are scared of charging what they think is a lot of money to clean. In most cases it is in their own head that they are expensive. They will come up with excuses why they cant charge more but it is only themselves they are convincing that they cant get more money. Last comment, too many cleaners all clean the same way and dont offer anything that might be out of the ordinary to charge more for. As long as they dont differ in what they do they will have to be content with the measley 30, 40, 50 or however many p they charge per square foot. If you are doing a 50p job then charge 50p. I do considerably more than a 50p job so I charge more. Best, Dave.

I'm sorry, but I don't know what planet your on but your comments are pure nonsense. It is a competitive market place and everyone has to attract customers through discounts, special offers etc.

I don't know what or where you clean but the majority of cleaners work in every day Joe Bloggs house (the working class) and can't charge ridiculous prices.

After all, we're only putting water and a detergent on a fabric and it's not rocket science. Any fool can do it. In fact, this is probably the only job that any idiot can get into without serving an apprenticeship or under going training, brains or no brains. That is why this land is flooded with carpet cleaners all undercutting each other and this forum is full of them.

[Derek]

I don't give discounts.....don't do rooms for free or any other special offers.... I fully understand where Dave is coming from...he gives 'quality service'

That is the basis of my own business...quality service...pure and simple.

I don't do leaflets.....never have....they don't reflect the company image I wish to portray.

We all do things our own way and by doing this we serve the public's requirements.. those who want cheap... get cheap ...those who want to pay a little more are also catered for....the world keeps going round

[CLEANCARE LIMITED]

I don't give discounts.....don't do rooms for free or any other special offers.... I fully understand where Dave is coming from...he gives 'quality service'

That is the basis of my own business...quality service...pure and simple.

I don't do leaflets.....never have....they don't reflect the company image I wish to portray.

We all do things our own way and by doing this we serve the public requirements.. those who want cheap... get cheap ...those who want to pay a little more are also catered for....the world keeps going round

You obviously live and work in an affluential area and have probably been established for many years.

Why do you think leaflets will reflect badly on your company?

Are you in the one man band up market category as Dave, if so, then you're in a minority. The rest of us compete and charge accordingly to attract customers day in day out regardless of how much money they have or willing to spend, colour or race.

You should be the same and not pick and choose what suits you. I thought the customer always comes first?
Do you say no to Mrs Smith wanting her rug cleaned for a tenner and yes to Mrs Parker-Bowles wanting her rug cleaned for £50 - to me that's discrimination and is unjust and unfair.

[Derek]

Cleancare

I cannot see any discrimination contained within my post..plus it was yourself who mentioned colour and race....I have many Mrs Smith's as my clients but not one Mrs Parker-Bowles as it happens... However I do have many customers with foreign sounding names too much of a variety to mention

I live just outside of Leicester one of the most mult-cultural Cities in the UK....The price I charge for my work reflects the effort I put in and I expect a reasonable return for that effort. If a potential customer doesn't choose to want to pay my price then they have many alternatives.

I said I didn't choose to produce and mailshot leaflets...that is the way I do business, you choose to run your business the way you want to....I wouldn't presume to tell you otherwise.

[Liahona]

Cleancare, your last paragraph of the second to last post sort of rests my case. I take it that is how you clean and so I refer to the answer that I gave Glynn. With re. your last post, why shouldnt we chose who we work for? Call it what you like but if you want to clean for Mrs Smith and not look for Mrs Parker-Bowles then that is your choice. Me, I dont want to nor do I work for Mrs Smith. For the record, Mrs Parker-Bowles paid a dxxm site more than £50 to have her carpets cleaned, a lot more. You have accused Derek and myself of being in the minority. That may well be the case. If so then join the minority. As I dont feel you will or can then you will have to be content with being the same as everyone else and carry on under-cutting to suit. Then you wont be able to offer the service that I feel Derek does and so you will be cheep and so on and so on. Best, Dave.

[Liahona]

Well said Derek. Likewise I never mentioned how anyone should run their business.  Nor did I mention colour or race. I would like to think I get people to think about how they do what. At the end of the day, each to their own, best, Dave.

[Terry_Burrows]

I think every one has to cut there cloth to suit some areas,you can get lots more for other areas are so tight, they need some oil and you get the people call who try to cut the price down over the phone before you have got there,we all know who they are dont we I see carpet cleaning as up and down price roller coaster thats what we have found

[Tony_Browning]

I believe it is important to have consistent costings.

Many of my customers have family and friends that also use my services, inconsistent pricing would offend.

I have always found that Some Mrs Smiths will not use my services because they think I am to expensive and also find some Mrs Parker- Bowles who will not use my services because they think I am to expensive.......and visa-versa of course. 

No matter what their background or social standing is, all of my customers appreciate excellent value for money.

A Large "Majority" of Carpet Cleaners, and many other types of business fail early for a variety of reasons, one of these just happens to be under valuing your service and charging to little.

So maybe it is better to be with the minority.     

[John Kelly]

At the end of the day you are supposed to be running a business. This requires planning. You can only be truly succesfull if you plan and operate your business on sound footings. One of these is deciding what level of charges you need to levy to enable you to operate and make a profit.
Carpet cleaners who do this are the ones regularly turning over 100k plus.
I would say these are in the minority.

[craigp]

yes i agree, if theres one thing i've learnt in my time carpet cleaning it's that all your work has to be profitable that is over and above all expenses

[Robert Watson]

You don't want all the work you can get.
You want all the profitable work you can get.

Cheers
Rab.

[martin19842]

hi there

it does appear however that some people define profit in a very fifferent way to others.

gross profit--  sales less materials and in some cases the labour to do the job, ie the cost of sales

nett profit  gross profit, less all other costs, including YOUR WAGES

i know people that dont invclude their own time on a job, and others that say their profit is £xxxx.oo when in fact that finger includes their own wages and salary.

quite simply, i have a costing template for all the standard works that we do, and then specialist cleans are costed per job.

and if it doesnt show a profit WE DONT DO IT.

regaards


martin