Starting and Building a Business

MR. STEAMER wrote: I noticed everyone had a lot to say... but no one mention MONEY... It takes money to build a successful business.... Start-up capital is one of the most important things... How much Capital should a beginner have to start a carpet cleaning business????

Steamer,

You hit the nail right on the head. Yes it takes money to start, run and grow a business. So this is why so many fail. After I take approximately $2,500 in selling a newbie a carpet cleaning machine they generally don't have enough left over to buy a cheap pre-sprayer.

It's a good thing I throw in the chemical or they couldn't afford to do the first job.

Yes, money is the stumbling block.

Over the last 31 years I have started and run four business's.

First in San Diego area, then Dallas, then Wisconsin and now in Lexington, Ky.

Carpet cleaning is SUPER easy to make money at, however ONLY if you have THE WORK..LOl

So many DO make the mistake of counting chickens before they hatch, it takes WORK people, plenty of work, but one thing I do that has worked the BEST for me over the years is: When you are being paid and the customer is raving about your work, THAT is the time to hand them three small brochures about your company, ASK them to tell thier freinds and family, TELL THEM you want to grow your business.

So many people just talk and don't ASK or give them a tool  to HELP you, if you do great work they WANT to help you.

WE give $10.00 referral cards redeemable at the time of cleaning for EACH customer they have referred us to. USUALLY they THROW the 10 dollar cards away... WHY???????? Because they say telling thier freinds about our cleaning makes THEM look good.

As much as I am for doing the BEST job, that is second in importance to how you HANDLE customers. What do you do to make them remember you? Just the cleaning? Humm, works sometimes but more often it will be something you SAY or discuss with them that will make them remember you.

The other day Bri, my daughter was cleaning for a old fart biker with a big belly and a gray beard. HE grumpily asked her is she was any good at cleaning and IF she could handle the job. She looked him in the eye and said, "I can probably handle this machine and cleaning job BETTER than you handle your Harley."  He belted out a big laugh and told her, he would NEVER forget that.

ANother time a customer stood their watching every move, Bri spun the handle around of the Conqueror and told her, if you are going to watch you might as well learn...LOL the lady loved it, again she will NEVER forget her.

Love your customers, remember THEY are your reason for success. Your attitude should be more like you are going to see a freind than a client. Many deny this, but it has worked very weill for us over the decades and also for those who worked with us and then went on to run their own businesses.

Great info up above, great thread!

PadMan

With the right funding and the proper Marketing ploy along with all the good service tips, sure sounds like a money maker to me.

I think it's hard to start from cold turkey... you have to work for someone to gain enough experience.

What I see everyday is people starting a full blown business with no back ground, no experience, no money..  Doug you're 100% right when you say you have to walk before you run

Move to a big city of at least 5 million people, then you can not fail.

Spend your money on adverstsing.

GET IN, SPLASH SOME WATER AROUND, CHARGE FOR THE CHERRY DEODORIZER, CHARGE HUGE FOR THE STAIN GARD, GET YER CASH AND RUN LIKE HELL