any advice starting out??please!

and steamer put your price up man. your the best cleaner in TO, are you not? than charge for it.... did you contact some of your old repeat clients and tell them you were on your own.  how did that work out? 

price is NOT a factor in repeat business...it's the way you handle yourself with your customers...I make it a point to make a customer into a CLIENT...If I clean a client's home more than 2 times, then we are on a first name basis from then on...after all, the whole purpose of advertising is to get the customer to try you the FIRST time...after that, it's up to you to KEEP them using your service...if you are depending on mass mail just to keep you working, then you won't last long in this business...or any other business for that fact...I used mass mail to attract customers untill I built up a client base big enough to keep me working year round...and I haven't used mass mail for 10-15 yrs now...sure it was expensive at first, but it was an investment into my company that did pay off in the long run...it's much easier and less expensive to keep a CLIENT than it is to attract new customers...not that I don't always welcome new customers...but, I get them from referals now...and yes, I do agree...let the low ballers and bait and switchers have the low end of the market...I don't waste my time with people who don't want to pay my price for my service...remember, it's who you don't clean for that also helps you succeed...It sounds snobbish, but I am not interested in a low income home that hasn't been cleaned in 4-5 yrs...I'll stick with the upper income homes that are cleaned 2-4 times per year...they pay well, don't quibble about price and their checks don't bounce...

i see your point adwa, i just hate to see someone with talent get under paid is all. steamer is worth more than he's charging. all of us are. i had a client today compain about her bill. she said "thats more than i paid last year" and i told her our price went up 2 cents per sq foot and 50 cents per step since the last time. she fussed a bit but paid. others have complained too and thats not a big increase. i hope steamer doesn't have the same problem. even if the client is happy with your work they may stray for a lower price.

darrell

if you came to my house and wanted 355$ for anything i would shoot you.joke.dont find me and kill me.

so are you mean i should change me fees for every job?

355 just for the carpet?i could use jobs like that.

if people dont know what i charge, why would they call.

i want to be as honest as i can.maybe charge per /ft is way to go?

jcooper,

u need a unique selling propostion, IE your add should show the customer what is different about you to your customer.  earlier you said you only listed in the service directory, not much you can say there, so when they call you have to first, get them to tell you all about their situation, ask questions, lots of them, then after they start to get comfortable on the phone with you reassure them that the special methods you use will take care of their problems, then ask them when they want to scedule you in.  Some will give you a time, and your in without having to give away the farm.  Others will ask you how much you think it will cost them.  Say, I charge a $100 minimum, or .30 cents a square foot.  We can do as little or as much as you want when we take a look at the carpet together so I can make sure I can complete the job better than what you were even expecting.  They will bite down, and you will make money that way.  even if you end up doing $100 worth, they will see the difference and get emotional about wanting the whole house to look the same way.  Then you have them at your rates, because they upsold themselves, not you.  It works.  Just be confident and you will see.

jcooper...you would shoot me twice then...last Monday, I cleaned 3 sofas, 2 loveseats, and 2 chairs with 1 ottoman...billed the client $490.00...she wrote me a check for $530.00...I didn't notice this untill I got home and was making out the bank deposit...I called her and asked why she did this thinking it must have been a mistake on her part...and she told me that I deserved a $40.00 tip for doing such a good job...and for working her in on such short notice...she called Sunday night and I happened to have Monday afternoon open...she is a client and her home is a multi-million dollar house in a sub division with a security gate that she has to make sure that every time I come she has me on the list so I can get into the sub division...a little extra work on her part...this is a prime example of what Ron Toney told me 20 yrs ago about customers' investment in ME...the more the customer does for you, such as moving furniture out before you get there...giving you a drink of water or a soft drink, or calling the guard shack to put your name on the list... the more valuable you become to the customer

she got my name from her friend who I clean for also...one of my cheerleaders...

CUSTOMER:...someone who tries your service

CLIENT:...someone who uses your service on a regular basis

CHEERLEADER:...someone who is a client and brags about you to all of their friends