You don't have to apologize Earl.  However you may someday realize that "...you can't listen to anyone but yourself..." was not the best mantra of life.

I'd suggest keeping your ears eyes and mind open.  We learn new things every day, and interchanges like this forum have only accelerated that.  Listen to everything with an intelligent critical ear.  If I understand your perspective in this thread correctly I'd say we agree "each person is responsible for his own decisions".

To borrow a metaphor from your family's bottling biz, my dad used to say "the bottleneck is always at the top", which came from his service in Korea dealing with snafu's from bad decisions.  If we own a biz, we are personally responsible for everything that happens at our firm.  We can't blame it on techs, salespeople, or the economy.  If there's a problem, it's us.

Thanks,

Lee

Well done Cleaner1... only you can make it happen. 

It was sure a love-in in this thread all blowing sunshine up the others butt...

I own 2 trucks no payments... I have a 500 psi portable...I have duct cleaning equipment.....I live in a nice house... I have everything I need except that 72" big screen. I started with a rag and a bottle of windex....nothing was handed to me.  I have high speed internet....

I think I have made it... and it all came from the sweat off my brow...

Most of you laugh at my subbing...I've made money at subbing... you laugh at my ad...my ad has covered itself.... you laugh at my ability..I'm more able than most...

so there you go cleaner1 it just goes to show you that you can't listen to anyone but yourself....

Go get'em, Cleaner1 ! And, the very best to your future too.

To emphasize a small part of Ted's advice regarding this Profession is this:

Always keep in mind that YOU choose this profession so therefore, be very proud of it and your honest goals to build your own business. This is something that I have never forgotten because when we are proud of what we do, this will radiate to our customers and friends in a very positive way.

Everyone like a winner. Be one.

Good Fortune to all;

Ed Valentine

www.cross-american.com

THANKS FOR THAT TED. I AGREE. ALOT OF OLD CELANERS HAVE BEEN SCREWED OVER BEFORE....INCLUDING ME....SO SOMETIMES WE ARE A LITTLE "GUN SHY" ....IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.......WE GET BURIED IN THE DAY TO DAY AND DONT TAKE A STEP BACK TO SEE WHAT IT TAKES TO GROW!!

ALSO, JUST BECAUSE ONE TIME YOU HIRE SOMEONE AND IT DOESN'T WORK OUT DOES THIS MEAN WE STOP TRYING?

IF I DID THAT I WOULDNT BE ON THIS BOARD TALKING ABOUT IT. EVERYONE KNOWS THE SECRET TO SUCESS AS MR. VALENTINE SAYS IS PERSISTANCE PEOPLE........PERSISTANCE....DID I QUOTE THE RIGHT GUY? MAYBE IT WAS STEMAER THAT SAID THIS.....ANYWAY IT DOESN'T MATTER...WHOEVER SAID IT WAS RIGHT AND I AGREE WITH TED...GO WITH YOUR GUT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS....I'LL LET YOU ALL KNOW HOW IT WORKS OUT.

After making my last post and thinking about it I would like to make sure I have not discouraged any one who is full of Piss & Vinegar and starting out making their mark in life.  Sometimes taking advise from an old fart can save you a lot of money and aggravation, but sometimes old farts show a little cynicism as they have been through some serious wars and been scared and screwed over by many including their salesman and cleaners.

Go with your gut feeling.

Here we are back to Gunky Cleaning again.  Who really wants to tell their mother in Law they do cleaning or sell cleaning. (Noooo Body)  Now cleaning or selling carpet cleaning is not that bad a job, but today younger generations for that matter fine a stigma attached to it.  Now if you find that Super Sales Man we are all looking for who is soooo good, then why is he not selling computers etc. get the point? If he is this good and works for you, he will sooner or later steal your customers and employees.  It just seems to be the way it is time after time.

This appears to give me my answers why most carpet cleaning companies can't sustain growth.  The only way this could change would be if the investment to go into the carpet cleaning business were to be out of our reach of the unemployed.  The demand for less expensive cleaning equipment is now allowing welfare recipients to get into our industry. The biggest hardship is most carpet cleaners want to stay a one man operation until they find they are 45 or 50 years old and can no longer clean and then have nothing to sell.  Cheer up you could have been a coal miner.

The auto edit function here is interesting.  Big brother is alive and well, protecting us from ourselves...lol

Change your name Gary, it offends the machine.  Actually Gary (I call him Mr) Heac...(I'll spare the machine) only recently retired after cleaning since 1955.  Truely one of the GURUs of the industry, and sceduled to be host of Summerfest #7 next September in Portland OR.  He never fails to give friendly, accurate and innovative help to the industry when asked.

Thanks,

Lee

I haven't had the pleasure of personally meeting Lee, but I will say he is one of the MOST knowledgable people in our industry. He's head and shoulders above a lot of us in experience and intelligent advice in this business. And above all, Lee is a gentleman who treats others with class and a genuine desire to help. I can say the advice he offers is based on sound experience, not a hit and miss approach. The same goes for Ed Valentine- both of these men are very free with advice and help. If the industry was as classy as these two gents......

(BTW- Ted's a good egg too!)

The group pic from Summerfest6 in Knoxville is a group of very good guys from all over.

from L Jaime Coehlo from MA,  Steven L Smith from TN, Jeff Cross from Cleanfax, Rick Gelinas from FL, Me (sans crutches!), Wayne Miller from MD,  Gary Hea*ock from OR, Larry Capitoni, and Bud Nutter both from Ohio.  If you don't get to know each one of them you are really missing something, good friends just a ring away.  Many of the brightest in the industry.

*ocky?  That's funny.  You sure don't know me.

Thanks,

Lee

ps. Thanks Ed, I wish more would take the opportunity to swing by Ann Arbor.