Hey guys,
I am ready to take the jump into CC.  I will be able to get a decent portable setup, van, uniform, and will be working with a relative to learn the business.  The one thing I am worried about is getting my initial customer base started...

Here is my plan.  I am currently a meter reader for an electric company and am a very fast long distance walker.  So, I am sure I can nock out 200 flyers a day easy.  I have a computer and a printer to make my own flyers daily.  So if I do this religously 5 days a week what kind of results should I have assuming my flyers look good and my price is fairly low.  Not too low of course.

Thanks

Hate to burst your bubble Pirate, but the carpet cleaning ship has NO GOLD to pillage and NO JEWELRY to bring home as a trophy for your girlfriend.

You can count on 1% return on giving out flyers, perhaps you might achieve 2% but don't bet on it.

In other words .......hand out 1,000 flyers and you probably will get 10 calls, whether you will actually clean those 10 calls is another story.

When you call them back, they will ask you what type of cleaning you do, then they will ask " Do you guys come with a big truck and just come into my home with the hoses " or do you guys flush all that sh*t from my carpet down my toilet and make a mess like the guys that did Mrs. Smith down the road.

I think at this time reading meters sounds real good.

Why not put a flyer into each house where you go offering them consultation of how to cut their electricity bills. You should have the knowledge as to where they are going wrong in the way they heat or cool their homes, wattage used in the light, outside lighting, timers, whatever.................you'll always make money in a service offering your customer ways to save money.

                                 Nightrider

So what would you suggest to get initial customers. Every one has to start somewere and Im willing to bust my ass from the beginning until I start getting repeat business, referals, and a few ads here and there.

Also being a meter reader I have as much knowledge on home efficeincy as the next guy..   I am ready for CC..

The best advice I can give you is..........don't re-invent the wheel.

See what the other cleaners in your area are doing, and if it's working for them .........it will work for you.

Every cleaner will give you different advice, only because every cleaner lives in a different area that you do.

Go to a bookstore and read up on marketing, and use your creative imagination to sway the customer towards you.

You can take the " Green Clean route "

You can offer emergency service whereas if they drop a pot of coffee within 2 months after the cleaning you will return and clean it free.

2 for 1 always works.

best thing.........see what the others offer, and outdo them.

                                Nightrider

still clean for many of those same customers though

Hey pirate...Keep your City job...If you have no experience in marketing you will be eating macaroni and cheese 32 different ways...hope your a good cook...

Not trying to discourage you.... Having business/marketing/accounting/sales/communications skills knowledge is a plus and also the adrenalin and persistence for being an entrepreneur...

good luck man.........

Go for it... you might want to knock on the door or ring the bell and hand it to the person...in person.

I send out over 250 thousand flyers every month

I'm lucky to get .00004%...lol

but nothing tried nothing done

Alright then pirate...u have your goals set now go for it.... We all started with an itch to be free from that jerk boss....

1000 flyers every week... ads in weeklys...the 3' rule which is anyone within 3' of you...you hand them your calling card...you know what I'm saying??? right???

Make a 2 sided biz card that you can fold in half... the inside has your info and the outside looks like someone dropped a $20 bill... Drop'em everywhere you go....People pick'em up real quick....The $20  they get off the cleaning...

JUST DO IT.....................goodluck man...............

I think you got some pretty good encouragement from the pro's in the trade.........don't take my posts to heart I'm just the KleenKuip Joker.

                              Nightrider

Mr. Steamer,

Those 250 thousand flyers every month..  Are those hand delivered to the door or do they arive in the mail?  Myself, nothing in my mail gets looked at if its an advertisement but I always look at the flyers on my door.  So this is the reason I am thinking using my walking speed 2 -3 hours a day to hang some catchy flyers with a guarenteed prequoted price.    I have read on here some of you guys hang flyers on the block you just worked and get good call returns off that.  So are those thousands from mail or on the door?

pirate... the fastest way to pass flyers out is drive...grab a passenger... have 1" masking tape...your passenger will tape your flyer to the maibox post... not the mailbox....It's faster...you will get more out...but also cost some gas expense but worth it...

pirate wrote: Mr. Steamer, Those 250 thousand flyers every month..  Are those hand delivered to the door or do they arive in the mail?

In my area we have a lot of competition.... one of the biggest advertisers here CANADIAN STEAM does 2 rooms and a hall for 34.95..

and they send out a coupon twice a week.....I loose alot to them

Can Steam does 8 houses a day.

forget that Sh**

with no moving furniture...

and no pre spray

just water

and if you get a reservice...they charge the customer 50% of the bill

it's big money not to do the job right the first time

“Applying this technology with our Carpet Cleaning System will yield results unbeatable by any other system on the market.....even our carbonated competitors!”

hey with Cleanpro it's the chems

I've seen some of the local Cleanpro work (the old owners anyways) and it was alot better than I thought it would be.

apartment managers liked em cuz tenants could move in right away

don't knock it till you try it is my opinion

my personal choice is HWE but whatever floats yer boat

kelpro wrote: The best thing to do, pirate, is...do what you think is best. Don't listen to too many of the clowns on this board.

so who are you head clown....???

he wanted replies so we gave him replies...

Kelpro, are you referring to me as a clown..........or are you talking about someone else...........name your clown or forever hold your piece...............

                               Nightrider