Most carpet Cleaning companies fail why?? |
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Michael
Carpet Cleaning Specialist Joined: 18/June/2005 Status: Offline Points: 557 |
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I admit that I jumped in with both feet, and I haven't been super prudent. I should've had more ducks in a row. The main thing that helps me is that I've lived in this city all my life, and I have a good network here. For example, I got the money to outfit my rig for tile and grout, because the title rep at my friends mortgage brokerage needed her tile done. I told her we weren't set up for it, told her how much I needed to start, and she paid me that amount to do clean her tile. I was still cheaper than Stanely Steemer, plus she actually trusts me. I'm not ahead monetarily, but I'm all set to offer this service (just have to update my marketing).
It also helps that my business partner and I are both single with no kids. We can live on chilli-mac as we build the business, without having to worry about supporting anyone but ourselves. Good thing my gf isn't materialistic. ;) On the subject of her . . . I took her to Disneyland for Valentine's Day. Wow . . . I'm so thankful to have such a pretty girl--if Disneyland guests represent an accurate cross-section of the United States, I need to thank my lucky stars I'm not paired up with a mutant. |
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MR. STEAMER
True Patriot Only in the GTA Joined: 03/March/2004 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 14544 |
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Ted, you said it.... Lack of experience.... you all get ill when anyone mentions sub-contracting... I haven't heard one of you say anything good about subbing... Let me tell you it gives you good experience, if your not willing to work for someone or learn from someone you stand no chance. Many of you buy equipment and its beneath you to work for anyone else, you rather bring the stuff back to Ted or let the bank take it, or sell it cheap just to get out. Experience is the key to any business, the do's and dont's you have to know... learn while getting paid to do it. I've subbed for a long time... this year was my first year running my trucks under my own flag. but it was the years of experience from subbing that gave me the know how to run my own operation. Without that experience I would surely fail... like so many weekend warriors or part timers I see just jump in blind |
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nightrider
Marketing Master Joined: 12/March/2004 Status: Offline Points: 4656 |
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Taking advantage of the Canadian Immigration laws and kindness doen't hurt either. Taking advantage of the Canadian Welfare system for newly arrived immigrants are a great cash advance not offered to all those Real Canadian Born Citizens that do fail because of not having the same safety net. Taking advantage of their own closed knit society of immigrants that arrived before them also helps. I suppose if we natural born Canadians want to succeed in any type of business be it carpet cleaning or any others we must first go on Welfare, buy our clothes at the local church basements, apply for food baskets, and horde our earned cash money we didn't pay tax on, then when we have enough of Canadian hospitality...........move to the states Nightrider |
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carpetologist
The Great Hardini Hocus Pocus Joined: 20/January/2004 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 1712 |
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The people I see fail is because they borrow the money to buy the equipment starting out day-one in debt. They have no money left for promotion and advertising and do not have the ability to go out and sell or telemarket in any way, shape, or form. They send out 20,000 flyers and have an answering machine on their phone. The first round of flyers generally never work, I buy their equipment back and the cycle starts all over again. But yes some do make it and do well and that does my heart good to think I was part of it all happening. Money is not everything in life. You need satisfaction. It's not surprising though that a greater rate of success comes to our new Canadians who came to this country from more difficult backgrounds. They hang in longer and are very persistent and even have much less going for themselves but persistence can bring prosperity. |
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John L
Carpet Cleaning Guru Joined: 29/November/2004 Location: I'm Right Here! Status: Offline Points: 4013 |
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I hear ya Mr.Steamer.,, and agree,, Auto mechanic experience sure is a plus... Have car problems you can't figure out and if your like me never take your ride to the repair shop here is a good forum that i visit once in a while....
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MR. STEAMER
True Patriot Only in the GTA Joined: 03/March/2004 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 14544 |
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Most cleaners never bother to learn about the machines they buy... the service man makes all the profit. there are so many things you need to know and learn...before you just jump into this business don't buy a machine if you can't do most the service yourself. Edited by MR. STEAMER |
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John L
Carpet Cleaning Guru Joined: 29/November/2004 Location: I'm Right Here! Status: Offline Points: 4013 |
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Success comes to the man who does today what you were thinking of doing tomorrow..
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doug
King of the One Liners Just My opinion Joined: 31/January/2004 Status: Offline Points: 32701 |
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[/QUOTE] That's what you learn... upsell upsell..... when you work for a high volume cleaning company you have to have alot of stock... Are you still on your own or back subbing? Or are old habits hard to break? |
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Just My opinion
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MR. STEAMER
True Patriot Only in the GTA Joined: 03/March/2004 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 14544 |
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I try to buy stuff on sale or at a good price and stock pile it... actually right now, what I have is nothing. JoeNoob cleaner runs out and buys one jug of gard for $60, and then he mixes it to strong, which makes the carpet stiff, so he has to go back to re-clean and re-apply the gard(to make the customer happy), but it goes stiff again.. the customer calls him back to fix it again...and then they never call him ever. his portable ends up at teds and his out of money and out of business I've seen this too |
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MR. STEAMER
True Patriot Only in the GTA Joined: 03/March/2004 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 14544 |
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look cleanex's post Chemical costs represent about 3% of gross sales in the average carpet cleaning companies. That is one of the smallest costs in our business, don't know about Steamer's costs, if I was going to waste my time on anything it would looking for ways to reduce labour, taxes, gasoline, heat & hydro costs long before trying to save pennies on some SOAP mixture, that may or may not save so little my bottom line would not change. To each his own, maybe a one man operation could get away with using laundry soap end post
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doug
King of the One Liners Just My opinion Joined: 31/January/2004 Status: Offline Points: 32701 |
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Lately Steamer has been Steamin? If he didn't waste all his money on garbage to try and upsell it to unsespecting customers he wouldn't have so much inventory?
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Just My opinion
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Steaminpile
Master Carpet Cleaner Joined: 04/February/2004 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 1150 |
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cleanex
you have steamer and steamin mixed up
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A.K.A.
Andy |
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Cleaner_n_TX
Newbie Joined: 27/December/2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 20 |
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Wrong!!!! Better check that post again.
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cleanex
Carpet Cleaning Specialist Joined: 17/October/2004 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 705 |
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Steamer say's { It's still a VERY low percentage of costs.} Than he jumps all over me when I said chemical costs should be 3% of gross sales, which is a lot different than 3% of total costs. Make up your mind, 3% of gross sales is the average amount spent by carpet cleaners in North America. |
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DON ELDRED
YOU CAN "STAND" ON OUR REPUTATION |
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