Newbie

Congratulations on starting up a new venture.

Lessee... free info, eh?

Take the carpet cleaning courses.
Track your advertising.
Treat your customers like gold.
Don't take shortcuts.
Measure your chemical properly.
Get a good vacuum cleaner. Change the filter or clean the trap often.
Rinse your portable after every job.
Be on time.
Keep your wand looking nice.
Keep your van clean.
Ensure that you don't overwet the carpets.
Raise your rates.
Take the carpet cleaning courses.
Smile when you answer the phone, and state your & your company name clearly.
Keep your promises.
Look clean and presentable.
Never talk down other companies.
Write down your questions as you think of them for later research.

& take some carpet cleaning courses.

-Allen

Take the carpet cleaning courses. Track your advertising. Treat your customers like gold. Don't take shortcuts. Measure your chemical properly. Get a good vacuum cleaner. Change the filter or clean the trap often. Rinse your portable after every job. Be on time. Keep your wand looking nice. Keep your van clean. Ensure that you don't overwet the carpets. Raise your rates. Take the carpet cleaning courses. Smile when you answer the phone, and state your & your company name clearly. Keep your promises. Look clean and presentable. Never talk down other companies. Write down your questions as you think of them for later research. & take some carpet cleaning courses. -Allen

Not only is this info for a Newbie but many who have been in it for years should heed to it. This is great info. Thanks for the post Allen.

P.S.
It's not necessarily easy to get started and be profitable at any business right out of the starting gate the first week. But I will say that my customers who hire telephone marketers increase their business much faster than those who use other advertising avenues. Everyone says they don't like telephone solicitors. BUT IT WORKS.

When I first started my carpet cleaning business I offered lots of free single room cleaning. This worked for me. Probably means 12 & 18 hour days.

Thank you, Carpetologist.

Suction: after being in business for 6 months, I have the set-up / tear-down of the portable to a fine art, but my best time is still 20 min set-up, and 15 for tear-down. It was a vacant place, so no need to chit chat with the customer.

Everything is put into my van in order so that the following procedure is simple, and orderful (is that a word?).

My set-up procedure:

Walk in with vacuum & scope out possible site for portable (laundry rooms are good, garages or carports, the porch outside of a kitchen, the kitchen itself) and figure out where the waste water will be going.  Here in South Australia, we can put it on a garden bed,  but not out into the street.  You can also empty into a toilet / bath, but be prepared to then clean up your mess.  Check your own local laws.

Bring in portable, and fresh water hose. set up in laundry, venting towards open exterior door.

Hook up hot water (get a ring with various tap fittings, keep a spanner in your back pocket, and get some extra washers just in case theirs are thrashed... I have auto-fill & auto dump.  Very handy!)

Place white spotting towel over tap connection just in case it slips off.

Bring in vac hose & solution hose and corner protectors.

Bring in auto-dump hose, carpet rake and pump-up sprayer (with pre-mixed neutral pre-spray and a dash of Citrus-Solv)

Bring in RX-20 (or wand) and in-line heater.  Never rest the wand against a wall.  It will slide sometime, scratching the wall or cracking a tile.  Place it instead along a wall.

Attatch auto-dump hose first, then hook up in-line heater & solution & vac hose to RX or wand. Here, I also place velcro straps around the first metre and a half of solution hose, vac hose, and RX-20 powercord coming off the RX (wand) side.  It makes it easier to kick out of your way & handle.

Plug in equipment, ensuring that the in-line heater is OFF until water is passing through it.

Turn on hot water...

set up is now complete.  Vacuum while it fills, then prespray, agitate, & clean... I start at the WORST room first when possible.

Tear down is pretty much in reverse order so that the van is packed as logically as space will allow.

Have fun!

-Allen

Allen:  I am  ready for a break and I haven't started to clean yet.  I guess I just haven't setup a portable lately.  Just my upholstery machine an ultimate, I also have a kleenrite machine but I can't remember going through all that to set one of them up.

10 Minutes set up and tear down with a truckmount