Profit Margins
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=3051
Printed Date: 08/May/2024 at 11:06am
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Topic: Profit Margins
Posted By: talzee
Subject: Profit Margins
Date Posted: 01/November/2006 at 12:47pm
| Does anybody look at and track their profit margins, itemized by services (ie upholstery cleaning , wr, carpet cleaning, duct cleaning, protector, etc.) Anybody care to share some of their results? |
Replies:
Posted By: Hammy
Date Posted: 01/November/2006 at 12:56pm
That is an open ended question since everbodys overhead is going to be different. You cannot compare your margins to another company unless sales are equal.  ------------- Could somebody just clean my carpets! |
Posted By: talzee
Date Posted: 01/November/2006 at 12:58pm
| Looking more for industry trends...I am full aware of the variances in operations and sales, more looking for margin examples across the board. |
Posted By: Hammy
Date Posted: 01/November/2006 at 1:13pm
Industry trends should only be used as a guidline at best. Using an accountant is the only way to go. It is the real numbers. What is healthy for you is what counts.  The majority of cleaners don't know their real margins. ------------- Could somebody just clean my carpets! |
Posted By: nightrider
Date Posted: 01/November/2006 at 2:03pm
Profit margins..................most cleaners are lucky to get to eat supper at McDonalds as a profit at the end of the day..............they work all summer just to buy a good heater to keep their truck warm for the winter.................WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU WHEN A GUY WITH A 50,000 DOLLAR TRUCKMOUNT AND CALLS HIMSELF A BUSINESSMAN AND A PROFESSIONAL CARPET CLEANER CAN'T AFFORD A HEATED GARAGE TO KEEP HIS MOST VALUABLE AND EXPENSIVE TOOL IN A WARM PLACE FOR THE WINTER..........................JOKERS
NIGHTRIDER
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Posted By: Hammy
Date Posted: 01/November/2006 at 2:29pm
And It's going to be a cold winter for many!  ------------- Could somebody just clean my carpets! |
Posted By: danmarck82
Date Posted: 01/November/2006 at 2:59pm
| NR Is that why you moved on to greener pastures??? |
Posted By: Superglide Ken
Date Posted: 01/November/2006 at 3:00pm
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It tells me that there is going to be great deals on used TMs before Spring. ------------- Inventor of the Teflon Wand Glide and the Turboteck Rotary Air Duct Cleaners for TMs. |
Posted By: nightrider
Date Posted: 01/November/2006 at 4:27pm
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I have many pokers in the fire, carpet cleaning is a hit & miss kind of business for many unless you have the contacts to grow. From day one back in 1985 I had a 4000 sq.ft heated garage for chemicals, equipment and trucks plus 2000 sq ft office space . If you're serious about carpet cleaning and making money get a proper setup or go work at a Canadian Tire Store
Nightrider
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Posted By: danmarck82
Date Posted: 01/November/2006 at 5:35pm
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Thats one opinion. I have a Degree in international Business and could be working elsewhere, I had this business on the side 25 years ago and got laid off from Regular Office work the same day my truck mount had been shipped to me . I made a decision to clean carpets while I was looking for other work...24 years later I realize I am still in it because I like relationship where I make a difference everyday and please someone every day. Also when I want to leave for my Lake cabin on Friday in the Summer the BOSS or customers don't stop me from going . I Run a fairly small company , but I make a good living that I control , not the customer or Boss.
I am small by choice , I have the education, and the knowledge to run a 5 unit company, But that is not the choice I made years ago. It was to remain small and enjoy a lower stress less employee ( headache) driven company. I have two part time employees and have many loyal customers and many new faces referred every year. Play with the BIG BOYs or GO HOME philosophy is EGO DRIVEN . If you need to feed that EGO that's fine. knock yourself out. My ego is just fine where it is at and much happier. Each to his or her own. Find what works for you , and go for it! |
Posted By: nightrider
Date Posted: 01/November/2006 at 5:55pm
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What a great post Danmarck82, it's strage when your life is thrown a curve and you dust yourself off and stay standing at the plate waiting for the next ball to bounce back is in itself a great accomplishment.
Your choice to stay small in not bad , but it limits potential & personal satisfaction to expand fulfillment of intellectual being and creativity.
Business is not all about dollars & cents..........it's a game, it's Chess, Checkers, Monopoly, Clue, & poker all rolled up in one. It's NOT about EGO or better & bigger toys, or stock splits, or mergers....all that stuff is what greety bastards do to please stock holders and investors just to suck them dry for more money.
What I'm saying is that have the proper setup, do the right things, stop living from job to job, get yourself a business plan and set goals that are realistic baby steps to suceed from year to year.
nightrider
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Posted By: Hammy
Date Posted: 01/November/2006 at 6:40pm
A degree in international business 24 years ago; what the f*ck is that. Yah: I'd rather be a carpet cleaner. 24 years later your still telling people about your past acomplishments...............makes me wonder ------------- Could somebody just clean my carpets! |
Posted By: danmarck82
Date Posted: 01/November/2006 at 9:47pm
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Night Rider, Your last two paragraphs are right on point. I agree 100% .
Hammy , Makes you wonder about what ? Did I confuse you someplace. For starters try to complete a sentence without the F word and I may respectfully answer your questions? |
Posted By: Hammy
Date Posted: 01/November/2006 at 10:12pm
Danmarck82; Please read the first post. Now read your last post. If you want to critique me thats fine. You might want to start looking at your own posts before making a reply! Did I insult you with the F - Word. My apology! I guess a international business degree was not in your cards, Maybe you can start selling glides overseas with all that experience ------------- Could somebody just clean my carpets! |
Posted By: Superglide Ken
Date Posted: 01/November/2006 at 10:49pm
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Hey Hammy; when did one ever need an international business degree to sell glides.I do not even have a national one, and I still manage to sell the majority of them . ------------- Inventor of the Teflon Wand Glide and the Turboteck Rotary Air Duct Cleaners for TMs. |
Posted By: Hammy
Date Posted: 01/November/2006 at 10:52pm
Danmarck82 is the resident international export glide salesman! ------------- Could somebody just clean my carpets! |
Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 01/November/2006 at 11:39pm
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I can understand why one would want to stay small...insurance ...gas...payroll...and employees that don't respect your equipment or customers...
Maybe Danmarck82 should think about hiring a few Subs????
Growth makes money....say if you get hurt at least business will go on..and you'll still have a healthy income comming in
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Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 01/November/2006 at 11:44pm
Talzee it sounds to me like your doing a business plan to grab some government money.....
how is it going???
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talzee wrote:Posted By: danmarck82
Date Posted: 01/November/2006 at 11:47pm
|
I spent a semester in Salzburg Austria during College, have visited Relatives and friends in Germany and Norway 6 times and would fit the position . Not a whole lot of carpet in Europe. Lots of Hard surface.... marble, slate, stone etc.
Hammy send me my application! Hope it pays well don't want to give up Carpet cleaning that easy, you know. |
Posted By: danmarck82
Date Posted: 01/November/2006 at 11:56pm
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Steamer. Do you really think subs would maintain the quality of an owner.
Do they have magnetic signs with your logo? We don't have such a thing as Sub contractors in our market so I'm pretty ignorant on that subject. |
Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 02/November/2006 at 12:04am
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I think a sub would maintain owner quality...why??? because it's his equipment, chemical, sweat, and gas.... He wants to get paid at the end of the month...
If you have the capital... the best thing to do is hire them as an employee first and then sell them the equipment through you.
This way you hold all the cards
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Posted By: danmarck82
Date Posted: 02/November/2006 at 12:12am
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Are you taking your own advice. Does it work for you???
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Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 02/November/2006 at 12:38am
| not at the point to have subs yet...need more owrk first.... but I've been a sub...and I've worked with subs...ownership makes a tech feel proud |
Posted By: nightrider
Date Posted: 02/November/2006 at 2:06am
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WHEN STEAMER SAYS " SUB " ......HE MEANS " SUBMISSIVE " So the above post should read like this :
not at the point to have subsmissives yet...need more owrk first.... but I've been a submissive...and I've worked with subsmissives...ownership makes a tech feel proud
nightrider
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Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 02/November/2006 at 7:23am
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kewl NR if you think that...then think it...
I don't know how you missed the point!....sound firmiliar???
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Posted By: talzee
Date Posted: 02/November/2006 at 9:23am
Actually our business plan evolves every year as we constantly try to improve the bottom line. We get a lot of good ideas (and a lot of bad ideas) from our fellow professionals. There are a lot of "dumb" carpet cleaners out there that are sitting on a cold mine and don't know it! We wouldn't touch government money with a ten foot pole...We had a few opportunities but you were handcuffed by their terms. |
Posted By: nightrider
Date Posted: 02/November/2006 at 11:18am
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I never miss the point.............I just like to make points of my own
nightrider
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Posted By: doug
Date Posted: 02/November/2006 at 3:48pm
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Point taken?? ------------- Just My opinion |
Posted By: Superglide Ken
Date Posted: 02/November/2006 at 3:59pm
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Profit Margin? Whats that? Don't you need to make a profit first? Maybe next year. ------------- Inventor of the Teflon Wand Glide and the Turboteck Rotary Air Duct Cleaners for TMs. |
Posted By: splash_$$$_dash
Date Posted: 02/November/2006 at 4:13pm
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How many restaurants do you own?
take your own advice man!
babysitting employees and putting up with their s h i t ---for some people is just NOT worth it.
It ALL depends on the personality of the business owner.
not sure NR actually has a personality
The worst job you can have is to be the boss of people who make less than $12.00/hour
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Posted By: nightrider
Date Posted: 02/November/2006 at 11:44pm
I'M NOT THE BOSS OF THE EMPLOYESS, ..........I'M THE BOSS OF THE BOSSES......AS FAR AS MY PERSONALITY.........YOU'RE RIGHT.............I DON'T HAVE ONE , AND I DON'T NEED ONE AS LONG AS PEOPLE DO AS I WANT THEM TO DO..........
 NIGHTRIDER
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