$$$what's up with pricing$$$

use a web ads...poor people don't have a computer

I started up a cleaning company 10 years ago i always bid high dont have alot of accounts but the ones i do have pay will sometimes1,000 more then other bids they get...i got a freind that does the some work bids cheap works 9 hour a night i work 3 made 30,000 more then him last year...WORK SMART NOT HARD ALWAYS STICK TO YOUR PRICES....http://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/smileys/smiley1.gif

You have it backwards. Never start out trying to make residential the core of your business. Even if you were moderatly sucessful at it, you would starve before you got them back as repeat customers. Referals will not be enough to keep you going either, unless you are very well capitalized when you start.

You need a plan, and a very regular source of income when you are starting out. Draw up a cash flow projection for the next 12 months, showing what you expect to spend in goods and services each month. It will be close to $1000/month if you are using a single truck and portable. If you use a TM, it will be closer to $2000/month. Now add to that what you need your business to pay you each month to keep going. Most will need to put at least $2000 more per month down for this.

You will now have monthly expenses of $3000 to $4000 each month just to break even. If you don't do it you are out of business. So how do you cover this?

You start off in the commercial side of the business FIRST. Forget the residential except what comes to you FREE from your commercial accounts. Commercial business can be set up to pay you MONTHLY. So you need to knock on doors and get the business yourself. In the begining, set aside 3 days per week to knock on business prospects in your area. Only 2 or 3 days for cleaning. Once your monthly sales reach $5000/month, and you are coving expenses every month, cut your sales days down to 2 days per week and do more cleaning.Only cut back to 1 sales day per week when your monthly sales exceed $20,000/month, and never reduce it below that number.

When your cashflow is over $20,000/month, then go after the residential market. Most companies fail in this business because they starve for sales . They starve for sales because they are poor business managers, not bad carpet cleaners.

As Ted would say, clean smart. A little thought would keep you in the game long enough to do well, without the need to close the doors or waste thousands on flyers that nearly always end up in the garbage. Execute your business well on the commercial side, and you will have more refferals than you can handle. Then YOU can pick and choose what you want to do.

John L wrote: Please.. Its not going to cost a 1000 more a month using a TM vs a portable.. The Van is the major gas hog.. Go for both.. Don't wait till you make 20K month.. You may never reach that goal..

Guess you have never run a direct drive TM then John. If you look at all the costs(including depreciation) the cost is easily $1000 more per month to put out than running a portable.I took it in to account a cleaner paid Cash for the portable, but had to make payments of $600/mo on the TM. Add in the gas of a couple of hundred and insurance and you are there.

Superglide Ken wrote: John L wrote: Please.. Its not going to cost a 1000 more a month using a TM vs a portable.. The Van is the major gas hog.. Go for both.. Don't wait till you make 20K month.. You may never reach that goal.. Guess you have never run a direct drive TM then John. If you look at all the costs(including depreciation) the cost is easily $1000 more per month to put out than running a portable.I took it in to account a cleaner paid Cash for the portable, but had to make payments of $600/mo on the TM. Add in the gas of a couple of hundred and insurance and you are there.

Hammy wrote: Kenny just wants to sell his bullsh*t!

Can I make money doing that? Please identify the buyers hammy and I will get right on it!

Nope. I wouldn't even steal from YOUR mother, Hammy. I am toohonest a person for that.