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Starting and Building a Business

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medcleanco View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote medcleanco Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19/October/2006 at 7:00pm
Hi All!  FIrst time poster here. Forty years in carpet cleaning. Just relaxing on a rainy day here and started surfing so here I am.
 
My take on marketing- after 40 years of my own company. I sold my business in Nashville back in 2000. Just restarted a new company down here in Birmingham this year with a young partner.
 
I have never- ever spent money on flyers, mailouts, or ads except the one line yellow page ad. In 10 months here in B'ham the competition is already asking: "How the hell are you getting your business?"
 
First of all- I do maybe 1% residential. Residential clients only get their carpets cleaned every 18 months to 2 years on an average. I target commercial work. We work steady every month all years long. And we grow every month all year long. I have annual contracts with regional customers. With one van and three guys we are covering from the Gulf Coast to Kentucky each and every month. We frequent our commercial customers each month and demand keys and alarm codes to each location. Bottom line is that with almost zero marketing budget in ten months we are now servicing over 100 customers each month. Our average invoice is over $200.00. We know what we are doing and do our work when no one is around. We are able to accomplish our tasks in a timely and profitable manner. I personally sold each account that we service. Our largest customer signed our contract and I have never been in their corporate office nor have they met me face to face. The deal was done all via phone, fax and email.
 
Persistance, determination and a love of what you do are key. Know your market, Know your work, and love to clean carpet- it shows in your voice. Carry your biz cards in your pocket everywhere you go. If you go to church make certain they know what you are doing. I have never networked in the industry- never joined any community clubs or played golf with anyone to get any biz I ever got. My sales approach is simple, to the point and laiden with confidence. I waste no ones time including my own. My confidence is easily heard by the potential client and that alone brings them to me. I know what the market is paying in my market areas and I am competative within a few dollars.
 
All the fine folks I know who specialize in residential and apartments starve all winter. My mail box is filled with checks all year round.... And my marketing budget as I said is almost zero.
 
By the way- I never give anything away for my work- no freebies. I charge fair prices and provide consistant quality work.
 
My approach to this business had me doing over a million dollars a year in 2000. I promise that within 3 years I will again be doing over a million a year in this new venture- all with almost zero dollars in marketing budget.
 
Let me add this: Yes if you choose residential as your market you will need a huge marketing budget to get started. Marketing to homeonwers is a whole different story than to commerical. I made my choice 40 years ago that I wanted good year round income with the least amount of outgo as possible. A homeowner is normally a lot more demanding than a commerical account. And as one can expect they will stand over you and detail your work along the way as they remind you of thier fine furniture and nice lamps that they do not want damaged. In commercial work they are more result oriented and ususally are more than happy to turn you lose due to their having more important issues to deal with. I personally find the commerical aspect of the business much more rewarding and profitable.


Edited by medcleanco - 19/October/2006 at 9:02pm
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Hammy View Drop Down
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Joined: 27/September/2006
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hammy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19/October/2006 at 9:08pm
Very few people are born salesman. Gift of the gab! Call it what you will. For the rest of us you do what works for you. There is no magic answer. Otherwise we would all be rich! What works for some may not work for others. Believe in yourself, your method and products. Educate yourself , and most of all network! network! network! You are selling yourself. The more people you contact = more jobs. simple math! Smile 

Edited by Hammy - 19/October/2006 at 9:29pm
Could somebody just clean my carpets!
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carpetologist View Drop Down
The Great Hardini
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote carpetologist Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22/October/2006 at 8:38pm
Medcleanco,
 
We appreciate your honest info and advice. I can see a love for the business you are in goes a long way in becoming successfull. With your approach you don't need Joe Polish or Howard Partridge...and that's not to say that they don't have much to offer.
 
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thermedix View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote thermedix Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24/October/2006 at 9:22pm

Medcleanco

Great insight into your business ideas, Well done!

I believe it is a balance of residential and commercial, heavy on the commercial, your right, in the middle of January, when there is very little residential going on, you can always rely on your commercial accounts. I have adapted pad cleaning into my customers maintenance schedules as well, have you dabbled in it? They really like the "dry" approach. Do you concentrate on office bldgs. retail, or restaurants?
Personally, I never do rest`s. love office bldgs.
Residential is a great money maker, but like you, I don`t spend much in advertising, mainly referal, the res. market is sooo inconsistent.
It`s not how far you fall...it`s how high you bounce back up...
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thermedix View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote thermedix Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24/October/2006 at 9:24pm
Carpetologist
Maybe Joe Polish or Howard Partridge could learn something from Medcleanco.  Wink
It`s not how far you fall...it`s how high you bounce back up...
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jtuseo View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jtuseo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19/November/2006 at 9:27pm
If you build it they will come?
WWW.PREFERREDCARPETCLEANING.COM
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Johnbraun View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Johnbraun Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29/June/2007 at 12:20pm
Well, from the beginning I used newspaper ads to start building my business.

Then, I passed out flyers to targeted neighborhoods. In these flyers, I mentioned my newspaper ad to give myself credibility.

This combination quickly built my company to one of the highest priced, busiest cleanign company in the area in about a year.
I started my carpet cleaning company while majoring in advertising. Ten years later, I started Hitman Advertising. We deliver specialty advertising to the carpet cleaning industry.
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cmaster View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cmaster Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29/June/2007 at 12:24pm
Do you have a website?

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John L View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote John L Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29/June/2007 at 2:05pm
JB, did you use classifieds or display ads? 4" deep and 2 columns wide work alot better than tiny classifieds. Sure, they cost more but also i seen they pulled in more cash..
 
Where are you in the USA? I'm in Wisconsin.
 
Took a lunch break gota go.. How about you cmaster? On lunch or off today?
 
 
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cleanaz View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cleanaz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03/July/2007 at 3:19am
Love all the posts, took about an hour to get through them all.  About time people started actually talking instead of flaming on this forum.....
 
I bought a defunct business in '98.  Had little to go on, but almost nine years later have only advertised once (untill now) and been able to survive.  All was word of mouth.  As I grew I "culled" out the bad and brought in more of the good.  I did this by RAISING MY PRICES. 
 
 Every time I did so I reached a new class of people.  Funny story, when I started I was at ten cents a foot.  I went to twelve and literally had people yelling at me!  I am now close to .30 and most people say I don't charge enough.  That is the difference between the type of client that you service.  I also rarely come across a "trashed" carpet anymore, higher class people don't trash carpets.
 
So that's how I did it: hard work, no cutting corners, enthusiasm and pride, and slowly working up the ladder of classes.  It's still a work in progress but things are looking up.
 
P.S.  I hate commercial and rarely do any, too much work, but it is a steady check if you are just getting started. 
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cmaster View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cmaster Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03/July/2007 at 8:24am
Originally posted by John L John L wrote:

JB, did you use classifieds or display ads? 4" deep and 2 columns wide work alot better than tiny classifieds. Sure, they cost more but also i seen they pulled in more cash..
 

Where are you in the USA? I'm in Wisconsin.

 

Took a lunch break gota go.. How about you cmaster? On lunch or off today?

 

 


Doing maintenance and upgrades on my trucks
     

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Jeff Van Buren View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jeff Van Buren Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03/July/2007 at 2:03pm
    Rick-
I have those vehicle pockets on my van for about a year best $30.00 I ever spent.
Build a business- FOCUS on your customer, your increased knowledge,meet and exceed expectations,Focus on your customers needs more than yours, fair pricing don't be a whore,Clean equipment,Clean uniformed appearence. Look professional, be professional. Figure a niche market and way to market it. Follow and read forums,books, etc. this is not a 9-5 job. Take pride in what you do and how you do it,
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John L View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote John L Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03/July/2007 at 8:50pm
What ya upgrading cmaster?
 
Cleanaz, Your sure right about raising price and the different clients you attract.. I no longer get the Hood ppl who always want low price for trashed carpet... NO THANKS!
 
Jeff, Those pockets, where did you get them?
 
 
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Jeff Van Buren View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jeff Van Buren Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03/July/2007 at 9:21pm
    JohnL-
Vehicle pockets    
http://www.cardpockets.com

800-700-3919
I paid around $30.00 for pair
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