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No work! How is it for you? What should I do? |
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Ed Valentine 
Carpet Cleaning Specialist 
Joined: 14/September/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 770 |
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 Posted: 15/January/2009 at 1:36pm |
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Every Industry (Ours does not stand alone on this subject) in its natural state has its highs & lows in terms of business. And, then ofcourse, we can throw in the occasional economic cycles, like we are currently going through World-Wide.
If we want our service businesses to continue or to grow during these times, we must get off our chairs and go knocking on doors and shaking some hands. Yes, it may take alittle effort however, the pay offs can be very very good. I know this because this is the exact way I did my contracting business especially in the early days. I believe when you are in the "service" business, we have to go to them (sales on-location) ; and not wait for them to come to us (wait for the phone to ring).
Anyways, just my personal opinion.
Ed Valentine
cross-american corp.
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tfb
Newbie 
Joined: 15/January/2009 Location: USA Status: Offline Points: 2 |
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Posted: 15/January/2009 at 1:57pm |
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I am in the process of getting my own business together. I am going to work this weekend for someone who eventually will be a competitor. Right now, his back hurts and he is tired. He figures he pays the loan on his gear 24/7, it might as well work 24/7. A nearby hotel he does quarterly. He's going to do some rooms and halls today and more tomorrow. They also have a 75x225' room that can be partitioned as 75x75' or 75x150'. It has to be dry by noon Saturday. They want it done overnight. I'll probably work on it from 12-6am, hours he doesn't want to work, but can make money. He'll make some, I'll make some. Maybe you can hire a helper to do work you normally wouldn't even consider...
Edited by tfb - 15/January/2009 at 1:59pm |
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nightrider
Marketing Master 
Joined: 12/March/2004 Status: Offline Points: 4656 |
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Posted: 15/January/2009 at 9:11pm |
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Ed.....you are very old school and know what business is all about...........I'm 55 years old myself and can remember knocking on thousands of doors begging for business.............phone calls did not work......computers did not exist........contracts were based on a hand shake.........and gas was 37 cents gallon for premium.
What happened to the good ole days...............funny thing is , we're living in the good ole days of 20 years from now..........what should we be doing different Ed.
Nightrider
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danmarck82
Carpet Cleaning Specialist
Joined: 08/February/2004 Status: Offline Points: 618 |
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Posted: 15/January/2009 at 11:23pm |
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ONe thing I hope to implement this year is getting everyones email address. I have hundreds of customers from the past 27 years, but hardly any emails. Why, cause I didn't make it a priority. And it should have been ! because now when it is slow and if the Spring is also slow I would then have a cheap way to remain in contact and reach my customers without the heavy expense. Just thinking out loud, Sorry.
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nightrider
Marketing Master
Joined: 12/March/2004 Status: Offline Points: 4656 |
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Posted: 16/January/2009 at 11:30am |
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Funny you should mention that Danmarck82.............Last week I ran into one of my suppliers while shopping and he asked me how come I never answer his e-mails or respond to his bi-monthly specials of products I used to buy. I didn't even know what he was talking about........I never received a single thing from him.
The fact was that all his stuff was being filtered into " SPAM " folder.
Nightrider
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cleanex
Carpet Cleaning Specialist
Joined: 17/October/2004 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 705 |
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Posted: 16/January/2009 at 4:57pm |
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delete, delete, delete We all do it. At least a postcard or newsletter they need to handle, nothing like face to face sales calls.
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DON ELDRED
YOU CAN "STAND" ON OUR REPUTATION |
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cleanex
Carpet Cleaning Specialist
Joined: 17/October/2004 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 705 |
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Posted: 16/January/2009 at 4:59pm |
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I might add that this time of year we go after commercial chairs and fabric panels usually pick up 2 or 3 good size jobs to keep the wolf away from the door
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DON ELDRED
YOU CAN "STAND" ON OUR REPUTATION |
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tfb
Newbie
Joined: 15/January/2009 Location: USA Status: Offline Points: 2 |
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Posted: 16/January/2009 at 9:08pm |
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I met with the person I'll be working for tonight. I have to take a little nap soon. He wants helpers who can do as good of a job as he would so that he can go out and sell. Turns out he has 3 machines presently. A Powr-Flite 500 psi "BlackMax" model, an EDIC Polaris 1201 19" self contained and I forget the other portable he has. He'd rather have two portables, in case one goes down, because he has as much invested in his 3 machines as one truckmount would run (excluding the truck) and if went down, he couldn't work at all.
He has hopes to spend less time cleaning carpets and more time selling carpet cleaning. The only way he can do that is to hire a helper (me). He makes sense to me... |
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nightrider
Marketing Master
Joined: 12/March/2004 Status: Offline Points: 4656 |
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Posted: 16/January/2009 at 11:26pm |
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He makes alot of sence........except it's all for him ( doesn't make sence for you )
Hope he doesn't get any big jobs, because you'll be burnt out in a hurry. Not knowing all the info, perhaps it's a good deal, but doesn't sound like it.
Nightrider
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John L
Carpet Cleaning Guru 
Joined: 29/November/2004 Location: I'm Right Here! Status: Offline Points: 4013 |
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Posted: 17/January/2009 at 12:44am |
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Yea whats your take.. 50% or more??
       
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FoamerPhil
Newbie
Joined: 19/January/2009 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 2 |
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Posted: 30/January/2009 at 7:34pm |
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Get out there! Lots of face-to-face. Knock on business doors and let them know how you can help. Join networking groups and make some friends who will eventually send business your way.
When times are tough, those that promote themselves and there business will thrive. Those who wait for calls to come there way better start looking for a job. |
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