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c.sutton 
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Joined: 17/January/2011 Location: wilmington nc Status: Offline Points: 16 |
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 Topic: New to businessPosted: 17/January/2011 at 5:37pm |
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Hi my name is Chris and live in Wilmington NC and I'm looking to get into the carpet cleaning business within the next month. I am a "newbie" and don't know much about the business but I listen and I'm a quick learner.
The past 10 years of my life I worked installing bank equipment and doing upgrading on old equipment so I'm not scared of a hard days work. I even tried being a tech for the same company that I use to sub from but, with being laid off for 2nd time in 18 months....I'm done with that and I going to work for myself.
I'll take all advise on starting up...esp. equipment and chem's to use. I have 3 kids and stay at home mom for a wife so I can't jump into a tm right now.
I've been looking and a Mytee 1003DX or the Recoil 3 XPS seems to be where I'm at with an extractor....not set in stone with those just like those for some reason.
And for some reason I like the rotovac 360i...like I said I don't mind hard work but if there is something thats going to save some time and my butt, I like it.
Hey, if someone has a big company and would to sell some used equipment that I need to get started...contact me.
As far as chem's...everyone has the "best" so I was looking to guys that has experience in this field for some help.
I looked at the 3k start up equpment the rotovac is offering and I not sure about that, the extractor looks to be a bottom feeder cheap model...Am I wrong?
I have to start on the lowest buget I can get away with and not look like some billy bob jack leg. Basically if I can't do something right then I'm not doing it, period.
I'm looking to craw before I walk and I know with any new business it's going to take some hard work to get it where I want it....but I'll get it there.
I want to thank everyone for their help in advance.
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westcovina
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Joined: 17/December/2010 Location: West Covina Status: Offline Points: 103 |
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Posted: 19/January/2011 at 6:28pm |
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You might want to get a job as a cleaner with an established company to learn the ropes. I worked around 9 years before I went it on my own. Learn to clean properly from someone who knows firsts. And btw the rotovac is a great machine in certain situations.
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MR. STEAMER
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Only in the GTA Joined: 03/March/2004 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 14544 |
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Posted: 19/January/2011 at 10:24pm |
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Have you ever done any cleaning? I find a lot of people go into carpet cleaning when they are out of work and in need. 3k isn't going to get you a lot in quality equipment and cleaning chemicals. How are you going to market your service??? where are the jobs going to come from??? Calls just don't come out of thin air.
do you have a plan????
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c.sutton
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Joined: 17/January/2011 Location: wilmington nc Status: Offline Points: 16 |
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Posted: 19/January/2011 at 10:43pm |
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personally not alot of experience..I help a buddy of mine a few times that been in the business for 20+ years...I don't live no where near him anymore so I won't be his comp...he was the one who suggested that I was a good fit for this type of work...I'll really good with people and I do whatever to make sure someone is happy..He has offered his years`of experience to help me with whatever I need, so I'm trying to gather as much information as I can before making this leap. I can't afford to put in 9 years of training...I'm already 46.lol
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c.sutton
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Joined: 17/January/2011 Location: wilmington nc Status: Offline Points: 16 |
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Posted: 19/January/2011 at 11:01pm |
2)As far as marketing, I already have a line on doing 15 beach rental homes and have several friends that work in real estate in the property man. and finally my sister in laws is a general manager with a company that owns 3 apartment complex with over 900 units between the 3.
3) I'm still going to start out with a portable unit untill all off this pans outs, I get some ojt and I'll probably wind up with a tm....who knows this is still in the early stages for me.
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MR. STEAMER
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Only in the GTA Joined: 03/March/2004 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 14544 |
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Posted: 19/January/2011 at 11:12pm |
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So it sounds like you are taking this serious.... O.K. your equipment choices sound good either choice will do the job. Sometimes it's not the song it's the singer.
Having equipment is great but without jobs they are useless.... I would start marketing right away.... do you have a business line??? Have you chosen your Business name?? Have you looked at what you should charge as compared to undercutting prices?
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c.sutton
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Joined: 17/January/2011 Location: wilmington nc Status: Offline Points: 16 |
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Posted: 19/January/2011 at 11:21pm |
No business line, name yet..still working on those "keywords".just looking a cc in this area there isn't a wide margin as far as what they charge from one to the next...they seem to run "specials" as their niche...
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c.sutton
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Joined: 17/January/2011 Location: wilmington nc Status: Offline Points: 16 |
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Posted: 19/January/2011 at 11:46pm |
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BTW I'll figure some little niche that will help me out. eg when I use to do bank equipment upgrades for banks and we did alot of them in nc and sc, they would have us install new drive up equipment but the bollards would always look like crap next to all that new stuff so I started painting them for free..it wasn't in the contract nor a big expense and didn't take alot of time...but we would always get the "wow factor" from branch managers..the next thing you know we where being requested by banks because we always did a good job and there was always something extra done that wasn't in the contract....and always left the place cleaner than when we got there...so it may take me a bit to figure out what I need to do to get that "wow factor" but I'll find it
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MR. STEAMER
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Only in the GTA Joined: 03/March/2004 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 14544 |
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Posted: 20/January/2011 at 12:16am |
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Ok... that's a start how many banks? banks are cheap bastards and most times they get the carpet cleaning done by the guy that cleans the bank nightly...
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NJPSR
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Joined: 26/October/2010 Location: Florida Status: Offline Points: 90 |
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Posted: 20/January/2011 at 9:12am |
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I agree, banks are cheap but it's a start if you can get them. Something is better than
nothing. The recoil xps is a great machine. Also talk with Larry cobb from Cobb carpet
he sells many machines including the Mytee your looking at. Look at the mytee breeze
also. By the way, rotovac does put out good equipment. I have severalpieces of there equipment.
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N.J.P. Property Maintenance, "We take care of all your cleaning needs"
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c.sutton
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Joined: 17/January/2011 Location: wilmington nc Status: Offline Points: 16 |
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Posted: 20/January/2011 at 1:48pm |
I haven't thought of using my contact's for bank's, and after 10 years in the business I have a few, until I really learned how to use the equipment. This would also include me hiring someone to help with those as I really did to spend more time with my kids in the afternoon's. It's not out of the question as I'll do whatever it going to take to suceed.
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c.sutton
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Joined: 17/January/2011 Location: wilmington nc Status: Offline Points: 16 |
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Posted: 20/January/2011 at 1:58pm |
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[QUOTE=NJPSR]I agree, banks are cheap but it's a start if you can get them. Something is better than
nothing. The recoil xps is a great machine. Also talk with Larry cobb from Cobb carpet
he sells many machines including the Mytee your looking at. Look at the mytee breeze
also. By the way, rotovac does put out good equipment. I have severalpieces of there equipment. [/QUOTE
What are you using from rotovac...I was eye balling the 360i. I did have a pressure washing business at one time and had a surface cleaner for driveways, and the 360i basically has the same idea. the dual head cleaners bother me in the fact of the space between the heads, not sure if it's a big draw back or I'm just weird.
I'll take a look a the breeze...the 1003DX is in the price range and type of functions that I (think) I need. I want something with some heat..got that from the pressure washing days...not sure about the external type's as it looks like I will be doing alot of beach type home and I'm trying to use as little of hose as I can. I did see Mytee did have an adjustable portable type of external heater, do you have any experience with it?
Thanks for you input.
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MR. STEAMER
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Only in the GTA Joined: 03/March/2004 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 14544 |
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Posted: 20/January/2011 at 2:35pm |
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Don't worry about all the fancy dancy equipment... make sure you get the basics... you have to crawl before you can walk. Learn to clean with an everyday scrub wand first before you step up to the more advanced tools like a rotovac... Learn your different type of stains and the best method of getting them out. So when you get a job you can actually do a good job and not just a splash and dash
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c.sutton
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Joined: 17/January/2011 Location: wilmington nc Status: Offline Points: 16 |
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Posted: 20/January/2011 at 2:50pm |
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I think the portable's I was looking at were about mid range as far as the best that each company had to offer. I was going to have both the wand and rotovac, I am really just now looking at the different wands on the market. again everyone has the best here too. any suggetions on wands to look at? With 3 kids I going to get some pratice on spots..koolaid/fruit drinks, and they will knock over my wifes coffee or my glass of tea. A couple of them are still young so wiping their feet before they come in makes something else for me to clean.
I have a few friends with the type of family as me and I'm going to do a couple of freebie's for them to get the experience and get their honest opinion on the service.
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MR. STEAMER wrote:
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