[matt jones]

Hi peeps,
Anyone see in the paper last week about the guy who started chemdry. He has 17 francise businesses and in total turns over 1.1 million is it just me or does that seem quite low considering the size of the business?
Would be intersting to hear others views
regards
matt

[Len Gribble]

Matt

Can you scan and post

Len 

[gmccleaning]

Worked it out  £1,100,000 divide by 17 =£64,705.88, must be plenty of c/c turning that over with there own business (would like it myself but im only p/t ) never mind 17 ,when you think he ll be paying 17 franchies fees,wages ,diesel  and all related out goings for a business sounds a lot of out goings, like i said must be plenty of indpendant c/c doing better, only my opinion

cheers  george

[John Kelly]

What he'll have is 17 licenses. This gives you fire & flood work in all those license areas. You can also sell your carpet cleaning in those areas.
He'll have 17 license fees to pay for but all overheads will be as one business. Nothing unusual as most of the big Chem-Dry businesses have lots of licenses. Its the only way to make good money out of a franchise, having 1 or 2 you may as well be independant.

[matt jones]

sorry len wish i could mate but no longer have paper it was in the daily mirror last mon or tues?
My thoughts intirely there must be many people who turn over these figures with their own businesses, would you really say it is worth all the extra agro. I was quite surprised it wasn't alot more than this.
Thought chemdry got taken over by homeserve anyway?

[Ian Gourlay]

One of the problems people have on here is being able to develop a business instead of a job.

Just shows you can run this type of business with staff but is it fire and flood that makes it possible

[John Kelly]

Ian, it is quite possible to run a multi van operation just doing carpet cleaning. I have a number of customers who do that. Obviously you have to market quite intensively but then that is the only way you can generate enough work. I will say that they aren't bargain basement outfits either and charge quite high prices.

[matt jones]

Anyone see in todays daily mirror lol
The big 'C' are now advertising for more people to buy into a franchise with them. No thanks
matt

[Matt Lindus]

John K,

With all respect, you run a Carpet Cleaning supply business. Most suppliers tell carpet cleaning customers that multi van operations are achievable, it keeps the orders flowing for suppliers as carpet cleaners attempt the impossible.
As someone once told me..........."You don't expand a carpet cleaning business, you hang on for dear life"

Matt

[John Kelly]

Matt, there is a serious flaw in your diagnosis. You would only buy products to service the work you have to do
Also, as I am sure any of my customers would tell you, I tell it like it is. I don't deal in bulls**t.
Seriously I have one customer who's turnover exceeds 200k with 3 vans. I don't see how the limitation exists. If you can create enough work to make a healthy living for 1 man, then targetting a bigger customer base, either by expanding into other areas or increased marketing, can give you the turnover and profit to enable putting another van on the road and paying someone a wage.
At the end of the day this industry, like many other has a wide cross section of people. A lot are quite happy making a good wage and having the freedom self employment brings. Others are more interested in reaping the rewards (and problems) a well run business with employees can reap. What I can't understand is the guys who struggle on always saying how they can't make ends meet, can't afford new kit and the old chesnut my customer won't pay anymore, get some different customers. If you are one of these then you need to ask yourself is this right for me? if it is then do something drastic to change your business before like many others you decide to just pack it in without giving it a fair crack of the whip.

[carpetguy]

Well said Mr Kelly

In the past, when I would have been regarded as " comparatively well off " I employed 12 people and paid them well above the average rate.

I could never have earned as much on my own. At that time, 25 years ago, I banked just over £2k per week - about £6k-£7k per week in todays terms.

With things a bit more competetive these days, it might be difficult to achieve these figures, but maybe not !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

rob

[Liahona]

John, I am glad you remarked on the somewhat very inaccurate post preceding yours.  I was going to make a comment in your support but now I see it is not needed.

What I will say is that  (I know this is a sweeping statement) if you want to make your business worth while and a very high profit then it can't be done with just one van.  Some of the highest profit "makers" I know in this business are all part of a multi-van organisation or owners of the same.

I have alway been a one man band so to speak and accordingly I have always been limited in the amount of profit that I have been able to produce.

But I also dont care as I am happy with what and how I do things.

If I wanted more monies out of this "job" then I would have more vans and get more work.  However I dont want to work this way and so I dont.

There is a company in Southern California that profits form having 75 vans cleaning for 3 or 4 clients each day.  If I remember correctly the daily average was $54,000 per day.

 The owner of the company takes 30% of this amount to equal $16,200 per day.

I add at this point that all and its a big all, she does is all the marketing and relevant paperwork for the techs.  Still in pounds thats not a bad days pay out, £8,100.

Of course she then has her expenditure but she only has 2 people working for her and she bought a printing company as that was cheeper for her to do so instead of having to pay for all her printing.

Her techs average about $500 per day.  They dont have to advertise, deal with phones or anything apart from to clean.

I know this was a bit long winded but wanted to show you that to make it big you really do have to be a part of something bigger than a one man band.

Take also into consideration these figures are 10 years old when the dollar was a lot stronger than it is now so relatively speaking would have been a lot more.  

I will find out from the lady how the prices are now and if drastically different I will let you know.

Best, Dave.

P.S. For those knocking Chem dry and or similar..... There is a Chem dry company near me who I help out from time to time and they pass me on area rugs, who usually turn over £25k to £30k per month.  With the floods around Gloucester and Tewkesbury as well as where they are from, which is over 120 miles away they have peaked at £60k because they just dont have the machines or man power to do any more floods.

In two months and of course a few more to follow they will have turned over more than most on here do in a year.  Even after their high percentages they will have profited more than most do in a year.  

[gwrightson]

Well you would say that wouldnt you Dave
P.S. For those knocking Chem dry and or similar..... There is a Chem dry company near me who I help out from time to time and they pass me on area rugs, who usually turn over £25k to £30k per month.  With the floods around Gloucester and Tewkesbury as well as where they are from, which is over 120 miles away they have peaked at £60k because they just dont have the machines or man power to do any more floods.

In two months and of course a few more to follow they will have turned over more than most on here do in a year.  Even after their high percentages they will have profited more than most do in a year. 


I would say exactly the same if they were passing me work on

Geoff

[Matt Lindus]

Good reply John.

[Liahona]

Geoff, what difference does their monies have if they pass on area rugs to me or not?

In the states no one likes Chem Dry because they are to cheep.  It would appear here in Britain no one likes them because they are too expensive.  But again none of this makes any difference on the figures I gave. 

If you want to "make" more money then you have to be bigger than a one man band.

Rob has mentioned about his monies being greater by having more people working for him and I am sure it is the same with others.

Best, Dave.

[carpetguy]

It's a no win situation when we compare earnings

Dave is a very high earner by being " smart " but he is also meticulous in his operation. Most in this business are relatively happy to earn what they do, although some would like to earn more,

To increase your income, requires " change " you have to change what you're doing, maybe just a little change, but if you do the same thing as you did, last year, you won't increase your personal wealth.

I was pro rata, probably earning more than Dave 25 years ago..............but...............not from the sweat of my own brow, there were several others working for me and I benefitted.

Today, I do very little in this business, but could survive on the little I do, but I have another business, which employs around 16 people and collectively turns over, a little over £300k.

This business was started nearly 7 years ago, to provide work for two relatives and to provide funds for another venture.  I have just appointed RTA ( they have 14 pages in Daltons Weekly ) as our selling agents...................the business should raise approx' £250k.

That is what you should be building a business for...................to sell it !

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Robert you are speaking in the future most people on here are only thinking of tomorrow, please keeping preaching as they will eventually get it!

Shaun

PS I was in your neck of the woods (well your country) on Wednesday as me and the family went to Edinburgh for the day (was in Nothumberland for the week) really enjoyed it full of students and blokes in skirts.