[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

Carpet cleaning has always been a difficult business to get established in but has it become harder?

Years ago someone with money could take a largish advert in YP, spend money on leaflets etc and get establised.

Now YP is much less effective and the internet grows in importance but is much harder to break into. With YP a first time entrant had the same clout as someone who had been in for 20 years, with the internet some areas are really difficult to get on the first page, let alone top. Adwords are currently being pushed but can only support a few CC's as the cost rises with increasing numbers

Are we going to see the rise of fewer, larger CC companies?

Cheers

Doug

[jasonl]

I would say , different , rather than harder.

I would also say it is more expensive , and that a larger spectrum of skills is needed.

Carpet cleaning on its own  I would think would be almost impossible to make a living from for a new starter.

Someone investing in ,, leather cleaning ,, leather repair,, upholstery cleaning ,, fire and flood clean up , drying, carpet repair, EOT cleaning, bonnet buffing , curtain cleaning, etc would stand a much greater chance of success.

Making a living , I define as , £2000 a month  after tax , plus a car , phone, a meal out a week and home electric bill paid.

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

I wouldn't say harder - you just have to be smarter.

As you say Doug, years ago you just placed an ad in YP and delivered some leaflets - that didn't take a lot of business sense or much thought.

The cleaners that say the likes of Joe Polish or Howard Partridge are crap are the same type of person that come on here saying I've delivered 5000 leaflets and the phones not ringing.

There is a mountain of information out there, all you have to do is implement it.

Sometimes you have to think outside the box and not follow the herd.


Steve

[Shaun_Ashmore]

With the new starters that florish with the internet more or less straight away i would say it's easier IMO, can you remember when carpet cleaning wasn't as widely used or advertised? I do and also the endless walking around the streets with leaflets, took longer ti get established and also there seemed to be a lot more half price in your area flyers around.

An internet site can be up and running and only a click away in no time at all.

Shaun

[Peter Sweeney]

I agree it is both harder and different.

You do need more skills as you can't just sit in a comfort zone of CCing. I also think that this industry needs a major shake up and the suppliers could play a big part if they wanted to but to be honest (with perhaps one exception) they either can't see it or they can and just can't be bothered but for the most part its the former. This is a shame because ultimately, they have the most to gain.

As for the mktg side this is where you have to be much more than just a CC as Doug says, 20 years ago a big advert in YP and you were off. I don't agree that bigger Co's will grow organically as a result of this shift (look at Chemdry now).

Excellent post Doug. Oh and before anyone starts, this is not a plug for anything going on in the background.

Pete

[Peter Sweeney]

Just posted before I checked out the replies (and from who )

Steve is spot on about thinking outside the box

[Shaun_Ashmore]

You only have to look across the pond to see what's going to happen but 5 years ago YP was a massive hit then it more or less died overnight, the internet will take the YP's share of % of new customers but don't forget that most of our work comes from referals and past customers which is the best marketing spend.

If I were to start again I would have a website and go for EOT and have no advertising outlay untill I got going.

Shaun

[andrew christopher]

Gone are the days when you could fall into becoming a carpet cleaner.

It has to be done like any other business, find your market and market yourself to it.
The information is available the hard part is sifting through it and using the bits that are effective.
It is possible to get customers but to get them you have to appeal to them, they either like your web site/leaflets or you when they call or a combination of all. The skills in making a sucess in this industry is to appeal to the customer.

Customers like most things are instant, the web site/leaflet has to appeal immediately, when they call they want to speak to someone immediately not leave messages. There is work for a new starter but you have to be marketing and people savvy and always get to the phone. Carpet cleaning now is a business, the fact we clean carpets is irelevent, most sucessful carpet cleaners could run any type of business.

I dont know if it was always like that, hard graft and a good reputation may well have been enough in the past.

Id be interested to hear Peters views with what needs to be shaken up or how.

For me personly carpet cleaning is simply a means to an end , to make money, i looked at it tried it and realised it suited me and would deliver the money i wanted to earn in the time i wanted to devote to it. (which has initaly been a lot of time) now im up and running im hoping it wont dominate my life so much but have feeling i will always be glued to a diverted mobile phone.

[clinton]

As some have posted above regarding y pages i too started out this way.

I started with a small add and then had a half page at one point.The small add brought me regular jobs maybe 5 a week at least and were guaranteed work..

Looking back i think it was easier then.

As a nebwie in the web sites i will have to wait and see myself.

Be good to know how the newbies are getting work..

[Peter Sweeney]

Hi Andrew

Take a look at the U.S.,the domestic market. They view having there carpets cleaned as we do having a window cleaner (albeit not as regularly but I think you know what I mean). Yes that's a genralisation but very few could argue with this point. Do you think the UK market is like this? No it is'nt. In case you don't know why it's like that there then I can tell you it's down to the IICRC.

How about the suppliers and the CCs get together and push forward the point to the general public? I have heard that this will cost alot of money, nonsense absolute nonsense. In fact, using non-cost methods would be far more effective. Yes it will take time and yes it will require the patience and input of CCs and supplier alike (the more that buy in the quicker it will happen) but it will happen because it is so obvious it has become inevitable.

When it does happen this industry will be far harder to break into and be successful because the standards will be so much higher and more to the point, the general public will be aware of this so your cowboys will not last 5 minutes if at all.

Pete

[Mike Halliday]

I think the internet has made it a lot easier for people to enter the industry, I remember years ago the only information available was 'Specialist cleaner' magazine from Prochem ( is it still published? ) that and what the chemical suppliers told us.

now someone can search the internet and get all the information they need, Paul Moss started a topic about perhaps we were giving away too much information I think he could be right.

also I think self employment is now see more as a viable career choice, so more people are looking at what industries they can enter with little investment and will provide an almost immediate income, which carpet cleaning does.

the type of people entering the industry is also more educated some might have worked for companies so know what is needed to run a succesful company which will evnventually become 'established' .........all I think a company needs to become 'established' is years under the belt

[Mike_Roper]

I am sure that people/ companies who have grown as they say 'organically' or gradually through repeat /referalls building up  reputation through giving a 1st class service at a reasonable price are he ones who will survive.
Forced or un natural growth via advertising or marketing doesnt build the same strong foundation although it may be faster.
The only problem is not everyone can survive while the natural growth takes place.
Those who have been in the game for years must not rest on there laurals but adapt to the changing market , be ready to offer more services , while keeping the quality top class .
Mike   

[Peter Sweeney]

Hi Mike

I think the info on the internet could be said about any industry so thats not going to go away. You could have paid for forums but there will always be a supplier looking to capitalise on the situation much like Mike has and very successfully too (and why not).

Our industry is open to anyone joining because the customers (ie the public, both com & dom) don't know whats right or wrong. Why? Because nobody told them. And I'm not talking about legislation or "must have" accreditation but a better understanding and awareness of what they should be looking for. Only then will it become a bit more exclusive and not so easy to make a "quick buck" but more for those looking to grow into and become real professionals.

Pete

[daz1977]

could it be a harder industry to get work in as a lot of carpets are getting cheaper to buy and have fitted,  i recently had my stairs landing, and living room replaced supplied and fitted for 240, as i got a quote for 60 for the living room to be cleaned, but they could not guaranteee to get it clean, if you know what i mean   it was a cream carpet

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

Some interesting points.

I am thinking that a company could through a network of high ranking sites set up a regional or even national CC business and that only a few big players dominate the market.

Cheers

Doug

[fresh]

i think its what you put into it myself end of the day we all started some where including me which  be going 9 months and has worked my knackers off advertising  wise and now got truck mount i believe if you want it bad enough you will get it and with help from sites like this and friends like i have you can learn and achieve alot so good luck to any 1 who ives it ago

[robert meldrum]

Can't see domination by large companies ever happen. It's been tried but there are so many sectors in carpet / upholstery cleaning and niches within the sectors.

If Pete's hinting at a properly qualified and regulated industry that I believe will happen ( been suggesting it for the past 3 years ) the major problem that causes is MONITORING and REGULATION by paper tigers who will be paid by YOU.

Not saying it's all bad as proper and ongoing training is good for any industry BUT what's happened in regulated industries is ............The companies who can look fantastic on paper get the big contracts while the smaller companies who do excellent work but don't have the resources to produce winning presentations do NOT get the big jobs.

What WILL be created is Approved Training Providers throughout the country to deliver the training ( at some cost ) to cleaning companies.

I may be well off the mark as far as Pete and company's proposals are concerned but I reckon it won't be long before a Cleaning Commission is set up and to have a professional organisation capable of producing policies / procedures and training proposals would be a good thing

[Michael Smallwood]

I am thinking that a company could through a network of high ranking sites set up a regional or even national CC business and that only a few big players dominate the market.

There seems to be a growth of networking organisation already starting, trying to join allied trades under the same banner. These ultimately depend on the people running them. Your own "networking" contacts are the best especially when they are referrals or repeats.

Also the point about offering a wider range of services is on the button. You dont need to become a Jack of all trades but a few extra services can add value to your business. I have "wet cleaned" for 12 years and resisted getting into dry cleaning but improvements in the dry cleaning process and increasing enquires means I will be getting additional kit.

Cheers Mike

[richy27]

I believe the hardest part of setting any business is knowing how to advertise and promote your business. Many ££££££ can be lost or won. My general way of thinking is if they are trying to sell it to you it prob does not work.

I believe access to information is more readily available with the web and also anetwork of contacts within the industry is more reasily obtained.  But its still my strong belief whether its present day or 30 yrs ago you still need the drive to make it work. 

I would say that the information available has prob made the industry better with the pool of knowledge and tips being there to tap into whenever you need too but on the other hand its prob made it harder to establish yourself because competition is stiffer.

Regards

Rich

[mark_roberts]

A lot of you seem to be getting work from the web or assume you will be in the future.

Ive a web site although only on page two and yell.com second place and they are worst than newspapers at getting the phone to ring/enquiries. 

Its getting harder as people seem to think they deserve a discount even for only one carpet and are more price concious even the rich people.  Also years ago people had a few carpets in the house now Id say 20% of enquires are for stairs and landing only as they have other type of floor coverings in the home.

Mark