I am a young entrepenuer looking for a business idea. Carpet cleaning is on the list as "very high level of interest" A few questions please:

Is franchising a good idea? Chemdry,heavens best ect...

What is the best way to get started?Is it a good idea to work for someone else to get a better idea of the business?

Does anyone have any stories of "just starting out"

Any info would be appreciated. Thanks

Rotovac is the way to go my friend.  Check out my websites that are under construction and see how you can set your self apart from the old school steam wand.  Being better than everyone else pays big bucks.

                Forget about the people in this forum to give 2 sh*ts about the topics we post.  This forum really does suck for the most part, but there are a few of us that take this serious.  Anyway your question was about franchising and stories about starting out.  Well starting out is tuff stuff and a franchise is only a good idea if you don't pay to much.  My advice is find something that makes you stand out from the rest of these fat clowns and go with it.  There is a good amount of money cleaning carpets, but the trick is finding the ability to string job after job so you can pay your bills.

We spend a lot of money for all types of advertising and stay real busy, but it comes with a high cost.  You have to find away to stay profitable, and give A+ service.  The hardest thing is to get the jobs, not cleaning the carpet.  You also need to make sure you do a kick ass job so you will have repeat business and referrals.

To answer your question bluntly, you need to have balls to be a business owner and nothing comes easy.  But one thing that is true, working as hard as you can to achieve your goals is the best strategy.  Good luck my friend! "Don't make excuses, make it happen"

I've been running my RX for three years (I got it used) for bonneting,extracting,and hard floors.

I've replaced nothing

no need to replace the shoes nowadays with glides and skids.

Cleaners complain about the price of these items but they're much cheaper than new shoes and dry carpet faster.

no need to go with a limited use plastic drimaster when you can get pretty much the same dry times with a versatile and built like a tank RX-20.

as far as the rotovac.....it cleans well IMO but is just as much work as pushing a wand

as far as franchises,I looked into one,didn't like it.......I went into business for myself to work for myself...........sure it's more work to get the phone to ring at first but at least I don't have to send money to someone and run my business the way they tell me to.

as Doug would say

it's just my opinion

The rotovac has very little maintence.  You clean the heads in the sink once a day and that is it.  To be honest check out rotovac.com and look around.  If you call them for more info ask for Steve, he is one of the nicest people I have ever had the pleasure of givining my money to.

Are you from Illinois? If so, the rotovac sucks and I would not recomend it.

What do you have against Illinois?  Chicago, Jordan, Cubs, Sox, Deep-dish pizza, Da Bears, Ditka, Mayor Daily, President Lincoln, Northwestern, The Atomic bomb, Al Capone, The Simpsons real home state, heart-land beef(the best steaks in the world).....I could go on for ever. 

Chicago Illinois happens to be one of the nicest cities in the world.  The nighlife, history, arts, entertainment, cleanliness, and overall quality of mid-western people make Chi-town a very interesting and wonderful place to live.  Plus, the outlying suburbs, know as Chicagoland, is rich suburb after rich suburb.  The economy is thriving, our crime is very low, and people here are down to earth. That is a lot more to say about other places of this country.  I lived on the east coast, west coast, and Arizona and I can honestly say that Illinois is a great place to live.

There are to many people on this forum that just talk sh*t instead of post stupid remarks to each other.  I only wrote that the rotovac sucks if you live in Illinois because I don't need any competition. 

JaredW wrote: Yeah, Illinois rotovacs do suck. I heard that they are more expensive there, the operators can't make them work right, they skip around on comercial glue down, among many other things. Plus, what good ever comes from Illinois?

Jaredw-

Sorry dude but you kind of pissed me off so I have to do this. You are form good old Mont Vernon, NH Population: 2,275. The town of Mont Vernon is located in the hills of south-central New Hampshire, in the New England region of the United States. Established in 1803, the town still maintains a very rural character while offering proximity to the http://town.mont-vernon.nh.us/entertainment.php3 - cultural and http://town.mont-vernon.nh.us/recreation.php3 - recreational activities of the http://town.mont-vernon.nh.us/info.php3 - New England area.

What kind of happening  town is this.  I had 5,000 people in my highschool.  I can only image the nightlife and economy in Mont Vernon.  I am sure there is enough economy to support your business with 2,275 people.  That is a whole lot of carpet that needs cleaning

How could the magnificant  mjzivko have any competition. The man on the leading edge of technology? Man of the world?  I read your remark.

There to many people on this form that just talk sh*t instead of posting stupid remarks to each other. I guess you must talking  sh*t then. Would that be a fair statement?

Anthony wrote:  I am a young entrepenuer looking for a business idea. Carpet cleaning is on the list as "very high level of interest" A few questions please: Is franchising a good idea? Chemdry,heavens best ect... What is the best way to get started?Is it a good idea to work for someone else to get a better idea of the business? Does anyone have any stories of "just starting out" Any info would be appreciated. Thanks

I am a part of other quality forums where sh*t talking is not allowed.  If you read the entire thread you will see that it was going in a good direction until somebody had to step in and talk sh*t.  It is to bad that he had to get called out that he lives in some obscure hick town. 

And for yourself Doug, I have not read one post that you have made that was relevant to the topic at hand.  You usually babble with your boyfriends about nothing. Plus you hide your identity in your profile and talk sh*t.  Anybody with this much time there hands really can't be running a successful business. Look at the times me and my partner Erik06 leave posts.  Usually late at night or early in the morning.  That is because we are out busting our ass 12+ hours a day to provide a good life for our familes.  So basically Doug, get f**ked, this forum can get f**ked and be a man and reveal something about yourself in your profile and stay the hell out of Chi-town!

Everybody already knows who I am I hide behind nothing. if it takes you 12 hours a day to make a living than you are in the wrong business.  When you learn how to clean you will cut a few hours a day off your busy schedule.  You have a partener? You must sit on his knee and he shoves his hand up your a$$ to make your lips move.  Can you speak whike he is drinking??

Who are you and what are you about.  I just don't do carpet cleaning pal. Plus I work 12 hours a day plus because that is who I am and what I am about.  There is nothing wrong with working hard.  Plus if you are a real business owner you should never be off the clock.  That is just the work ethic that I have.  Laziness is for fat slobs.  Phat houses, hot wives, pretty children, and the good things in life are for those who put in the work. Nothing that is worth something comes easy.

 If you have done this in your life, than good for you.  Then you would understand that I am at that point in my life where I am working double time so I won't always have to. There is nothing wrong with somebody busting their ass to obtain their goals.  That is what life is about.  Going after what you desire and taking it.  My partner and I are never satisfied and that fuels us to push and push and push.  We are tuff sons of bitches that back down from a hard long day of work to provide for are families. 

wrote this before reading your new post.

Doug,

         This is usually where you chime in.  Your slipping man!

That side by side comparison on your website is bias.... Whoever ran the wand probably didnt prespray the same amount as the roto-vac side....

I can take my wand and it will look as good or better than the roto-vac side comparison.........

You are right about getting the carpet to look as good as with the wand, but for one major detail.  If you click on the rotovac demo on my page and read the text you will see that this is not a trick.  This is a 2 minute test.  2 minutes of wand versus 2 minutes of the rotovac.  Both sides a treated the same.

Sure, if you sat there all day with the wand you will get similar results, but with the rotovac you won't have to bust your butt.  I can asure all that the rotovac cleans with less effort than the wand.  I do agree that with a considerable more time spent with the wand you will achive the same results. But time is money and with the rotovac you can achieve a deep clean in less time than with the traditional wand.

Don't beleive me....go to rotovac.com and watch the online video.  There is a lot of marketing stuff to watch first, but then they show this actual test between the two methods.  You should be impressed!

JaredW wrote: No problem. And Matthew, no need for the "curse words" here, just write your comments and get your point across, no need for the words containing bleeped out letters. For someone who's mother was an English teacher, a high school guidance counselor and has two masters' degrees, i would think you could use the english language a little more carefully. Didn't you learn anything from cub scouts? We're all trying to enjoy these posts, just have some fun. P.S.- Sorry for having to include some personal info there, but i had to get you back a little bit for the Mont Vernon comments. Don't worry, i won't post you credit card number(s) or your social security number (unless you want me to?) It's amazing what's on file with the state when you do business with them, isn't it? Thanks.

Threating stuff that could get people in a lot of trouble. I think this forum should stay away from threating each other.  Witty stabs and sarcastic remarks are fine, but this crosses the line. Identity theft is not something that you should even threaten about.  Lets keep this some what a professinal forum from here on please.

Thanks for the warming remarks Doug.  I must of pushed your button a little bit.  I know I look young but I am not wet behind the ears.  I am 25, married to a hot wife, have 2 gorgeous children, a degree from Univeristy of Illinois, I own my home, and am doing the carpet cleaning biz in conjunciton with my other job.  I really don't need your repsect.  I am a man that takes care of his family and that is a lot to say about anyone in today's world.  My family comes first and that is why I work so hard to provide for them. 

Sorry you are a fat wand stroker and I am a lean in shape hard core mo-fo.  The young lions take over the pride, that how life works.  Maybe one day I will be the fat old guy trying to hang on to my old ways and I'll be threaten by some young studs.

"Life is ours, we live it our way"

mjzivko

Great posts man. I have not been hanging out on these forum for too long, but I see that alot of CC's here are here to blow off steam and f around more than anything. Anyways, I like you use a rotovac, and I use it on the majority of my jobs. Why? Because fatigue is so much less  for me with the Rotovac. Time efficiency is not so much of an issue, I make enough per job to be satisfied (roughly 65-$90 per hour), but I do not have enough business to fully keep me busy. Just as well though, I am applying to dental school so I need time for my studies. Chi town is the best BTW. I run a portable by the way, how about you? I am in the SF Bay Area, so portables are great when I am up in the City. My minimum to do a job in SF is $125, whether it be a 500 sf studio or larger. Works for me. To the OP, I swear by the Rotovac, I love it. Down side is it can put out too much water and running a portable, you might find yourself refilling more often than with a reg wand.

The famous bucket brigade... fill dump... fill dump... 125 trip charge huh??? So if a prospect called for like 2rms and hall for 80$ you wouldn't do it???? I would... but that's me...

Beautiful City SF... Best of luck on your dental career...You won't have any problems with getting customers when the word gets out your REAL GOOD.....

John L, LOL, bucket brigade... your absolutely right. That is the cost I pay for staying with the portable, wish they made higher capacity tanks, but it's automatic to me now, just part of the job. I pretty much have to refill around 2-3 times at the average job. Yes, I will not do a job for $80, unless I am already in the area that day. When I started I used to do apartments for $50 a pop, to get experience... and check this out used a rug doctor I purchased direct from Rug Doctor. True, my stepup is not quite a truckmount now, but can you beleive it, starting w/ a rug doctor, a rug doctor? If that does not take balls to go to a custys house, I do not know what does. Anyways, I live 35 mile from SF, so to make a job worth my while, in the City$125 is the minimum. San jose minimums are $100. I set my pricing, and obviously some custys don't/won't pay for this, But if you are proud of your end result, you charge what you feel you are worth, otherwise, you are stuck in a situation where cutthroat pricing determines your income, don't you think?

Regarding your comment "when word gets out your real good", I assume you are implying that charging high prices will deter dental patients. My friend I work for weekly is an established orthodontist, he lives and practices in Saratoga, and San jose CA. He makes 550-$600k a year with these two practices alone. He did not get this way doing discount orthodontics. While markets determine for a most part what you can charge, you also have a say in it. There are different qualities of service in every profession, including dentistry and CC. Doing above quality work every single time will ensure you can charge what you are worth and differentiaties you from the competition. If you do this two things might happen: you either will sink or swim. why not go for it? I will be honest with you, I am 27, have not been in this biz more than 2.5 years, and probably don't have near the experiece many of you have, but the biz is not difficult, the work even less, an above intelligence monkey could probably do it. But when a customer see value in you service, you get the job.

Grammatical errors abound in this thread of mine, but no time to be proper as I have to take off.