How you started your business?
Printed From: Carpet Cleaning Forum
Category: Carpet Cleaners Discussion
Forum Name: Carpet Cleaners Hangout
Forum Description: General discussion on anything related to carpet cleaning
URL: https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2242
Printed Date: 26/February/2025 at 7:45am
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Topic: How you started your business?
Posted By: jtuseo
Subject: How you started your business?
Date Posted: 28/December/2005 at 1:31pm
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Hello everyone. Merry Christmas to all. How did you guys start out your business? Did you start it part time from scratch or did you buy someone's existing carpet cleaning business. Myself for example I am starting from scratch I started Nov.31 2005. Sinces then I have done 28 customers. All from Internet Ads & Handing out my flyers. I have a day job as a carpenter & I relly want my carpet cleaning business to do well enough that I could leave and run my business for myself. I was thinking that time would come when I have served 500 customers. Every customer so far has been very satisfied with the cleaning. I made sure I put my business card magnets on all of their refrigerators. I know it will be a slow process to get to turning the business to full time as I would need to make at least $1200 per week to pay my living bills. Is the one of the most important things in this business having set accounts such as resturants day care centers etc..??
Thank you Johnny from NYC ------------- WWW.PREFERREDCARPETCLEANING.COM |
Replies:
Posted By: nightrider
Date Posted: 28/December/2005 at 4:23pm
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I don't know what the market dictates in New York, but seeing you have a trade as a carpenter, would it not be better to pick up renovation jobs or other things within your trade experience. I would highly doubt if you are just starting off that you will generate $1,200.00/week in carpet cleaning year round. Don't give up your day job. Nightrider |
Posted By: Cleaner_n_TX
Date Posted: 28/December/2005 at 10:49pm
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From Scratch....Jumped in the fire and didnt look back. Fortunately, I
lowered my cost of living by over 50% prior to doing it. But trust me,
its gonna take awhile. Hell, i'm only sitting at around 11% of my
initial investment back thus far (7 months). Then again, I'm stuck in a
military town full of $39.00 jobs. Started out with a porty, but got my
TM 2 months ago after running into problems with electricity. Too many
rental properties around here to make a killing....yet, 15 miles down
the road, they're charging between .41-.65c per square foot! Oh well,
I'll get there eventually.....Also got off to a bad start with
advertising. Missed the deadline for the yellow pages and had to wait 3
months for a spot. So, I guess the easiest way to put it is that I have
learned alot so far, and have had many, many, sleepless nights in the
progress. Things are definately picking up for me though....Done more
business this month than the last 3 combined. Also, have made some
better advertisement choices, and have met with installers who hae
agreed to hand out my cards to customers of theirs and vise
versa.......hope this helps |
Posted By: bryan
Date Posted: 28/December/2005 at 10:55pm
| Ceaner what better advertisement choices have you made? |
Posted By: Bobby Clarke
Date Posted: 28/December/2005 at 11:08pm
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I am a retired school teacher and after my first year off of teaching my wife told me to get a job or else.
Bobby in salmon arm BC |
Posted By: Cleaner_n_TX
Date Posted: 29/December/2005 at 7:23pm
| There is a classified ad paper 'round here that comes out every thursday. I get 2 places fully customized for $75/8 weeks. That seems to be working well. Also, I linked up with a couple of installers who hand my cards out after every job, as well as being fortunate to be dating a girl whose parents both retired from the city in relatively high positions in their fileds and know EVERYONE around here. Being prior Army also helps me with the 50k GI's stationed here. Have gotten to know quite a few business owners and have placed cards in and around their restaurants, and hit up the hotels and nightclubs. So, if you look at the math, the $7500/yr that I am paying to advertise in both local phonebooks, is not REALLY worth the money. When I mention that i have found better ways to advertise, what i mean is more exposure, less dinero. Hope this helps....oh, not to mention sponsorship of a race car. Name is anounced no less than twice every Saturday night!! |
Posted By: pirate
Date Posted: 29/December/2005 at 7:31pm
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jtuseo, Just curious, how hard did you work the flyers and what was your return % ??? I am getting ready to start my CC adventure full time. My number one concern right now like most starting out is getting my first initial customers. My plan to get my initial customers is mainly flyers. I can print and walk out a couple of hundred flyers a day. I want to do this 5 days a week in selected neighborhoods as long as needed until business gets overwhelming, hopefuly.. 2 good jobs from 200 flyers a day would be nice.. Also will be working on yellow pages, news adds, referals, etc.. But the flyers I am thinking will help me get throught the first few hardest start up months.
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Posted By: Michael
Date Posted: 29/December/2005 at 8:03pm
| I'm also new to owning a business. Doorhangers are working, though not as well as I'd like. I really need to fine tune the copy--to this end, I get feedback from my customers about the ads. I've also found that doing email spams to realtors is starting to pan out. All it takes is time--less time than walking doorhangers around--and it doesn't cost anything. |
Posted By: jtuseo
Date Posted: 30/December/2005 at 12:31am
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Pirate for every 100 flyers I hand out I get 2 or 3 jobs. The flyers I have a full color artwork 6x9 both sides have artwork and they are uv coated they are very eye catchy. When I hand them out to private homes I get a much better response. When I hand them out to apartments or co-ops I am lucky if I get one call out of the 100. ------------- WWW.PREFERREDCARPETCLEANING.COM |