Thread: 6 MONTHS AWAY

I am six months away from starting my business, here is what I have so far.

The equipment I going to get.
The customers I want.
How to market (thanks TM)
Understanding of cleaning (thanks Rob)

This is what I have to work on.

What cleaners to use
Website.

Have I missed anything?

Best of luck starting out, the first year will be hardest. Keep working hard and marketing and you will be fine. The chemicals you will learn as you go, I am always trying new stuff out and you can get info on them here on TMF.

Insurance. Bond. Tylenol.

A detailed business plan. So you can go back to it if you feel you are not performing. Also make friends with your local community bank or credit union. Big banks dont give a crap but small ones do. Talk over your business plan with the manager / president. They have many contacts that can be beneficial to you.
Best wishes and good luck.

Originally Posted by NuTech Carpet Care

You may want to have a full time job during the first year. But as the economy being as it is. It may take longer than a year. but chems are easy to master. and once you do you can always go onsite and clean anything with out much effort. Best of luck.

yeah you might want to keep a job in the beginning, rough out there for start ups in any business

i had a full time 1st year and part-time 2nd, health insurance paid for 2 years. it helped alot to keep the stress off.

Originally Posted by NuTech Carpet Care

You may want to have a full time job during the first year. But as the economy being as it is. It may take longer than a year. but chems are easy to master. and once you do you can always go onsite and clean anything with out much effort. Best of luck.

Funny you should say that. I work from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm. It looks like all my work will be on the weekends or after 7:00 PM. That may be one job a day ( if lucky ). So I'm going to have to work my butt off on the weekend. As soon as I have enough money to last me for 6 months, I'm really on my own.

Start your google maps/places account today!! Fill it with lots of content, add 5 pics, 5 videos, coupons and get lots of citations for your business. This is assuming you have your company name and phone number. I have spent countless hours getting citations for my company and it has paid off with top ranking on google maps.
A citation is when you business name, address and phone number are mentioned online.
start with this list

http://www.superpages.com/about/new_chg_listing.html
http://listings.local.yahoo.com/csubmit/index.php
http://www.insiderpages.com/advertiser/find_business
https://register.kudzu.com/packageSelect.do
http://advertise.local.com/
http://www.merchantcircle.com/signup/
https://company.angieslist.com/Regis...istration.aspx
http://www.brownbook.net/business/add/
http://www.topix.com/merchants/signup/phone?
http://listings.yellowpages.com/Serv...aimSearch.aspx
http://dbupdate.infousa.com/dbupdate/startupdate?
http://local.botw.org/helpcenter/jumpstartproduct.aspx
http://cityvoter.com/signup?
http://ezlocal.com/signup/Default.aspx
https://biz.yelp.com/signup
http://findoha.com/member/register.php
http://www.macraesbluebook.com/searc...newAccount.cfm
https://www.cityslick.net/reg.php
http://www.evliving.com/business/mem...er_account.php
http://www.bizhwy.com/addlisting.php
https://www.bateekh.com/members/user_account_add.php

It can be mind numbing to do this but it does pay off.
They all should be free, if they want some money move on.
Verify them all if they ask.

Originally Posted by dmreed4311

Start your google maps/places account today!! Fill it with lots of content, add 5 pics, 5 videos, coupons and get lots of citations for your business. This is assuming you have your company name and phone number. I have spent countless hours getting citations for my company and it has paid off with top ranking on google maps.
A citation is when you business name, address and phone number are mentioned online.
start with this list

http://www.superpages.com/about/new_chg_listing.html
http://listings.local.yahoo.com/csubmit/index.php
http://www.insiderpages.com/advertiser/find_business
https://register.kudzu.com/packageSelect.do
http://advertise.local.com/
http://www.merchantcircle.com/signup/
https://company.angieslist.com/Regis...istration.aspx
http://www.brownbook.net/business/add/
http://www.topix.com/merchants/signup/phone?
http://listings.yellowpages.com/Serv...aimSearch.aspx
http://dbupdate.infousa.com/dbupdate/startupdate?
http://local.botw.org/helpcenter/jumpstartproduct.aspx
http://cityvoter.com/signup?
http://ezlocal.com/signup/Default.aspx
https://biz.yelp.com/signup
http://findoha.com/member/register.php
http://www.macraesbluebook.com/searc...newAccount.cfm
https://www.cityslick.net/reg.php
http://www.evliving.com/business/mem...er_account.php
http://www.bizhwy.com/addlisting.php
https://www.bateekh.com/members/user_account_add.php

It can be mind numbing to do this but it does pay off.
They all should be free, if they want some money move on.
Verify them all if they ask.

Is this something I do before I'm ready to start?

Originally Posted by dmreed4311

Start your google maps/places account today!! Fill it with lots of content, add 5 pics, 5 videos, coupons and get lots of citations for your business. This is assuming you have your company name and phone number. I have spent countless hours getting citations for my company and it has paid off with top ranking on google maps.
A citation is when you business name, address and phone number are mentioned online.
start with this list

http://www.superpages.com/about/new_chg_listing.html
http://listings.local.yahoo.com/csubmit/index.php
http://www.insiderpages.com/advertiser/find_business
https://register.kudzu.com/packageSelect.do
http://advertise.local.com/
http://www.merchantcircle.com/signup/
https://company.angieslist.com/Regis...istration.aspx
http://www.brownbook.net/business/add/
http://www.topix.com/merchants/signup/phone?
http://listings.yellowpages.com/Serv...aimSearch.aspx
http://dbupdate.infousa.com/dbupdate/startupdate?
http://local.botw.org/helpcenter/jumpstartproduct.aspx
http://cityvoter.com/signup?
http://ezlocal.com/signup/Default.aspx
https://biz.yelp.com/signup
http://findoha.com/member/register.php
http://www.macraesbluebook.com/searc...newAccount.cfm
https://www.cityslick.net/reg.php
http://www.evliving.com/business/mem...er_account.php
http://www.bizhwy.com/addlisting.php
https://www.bateekh.com/members/user_account_add.php

It can be mind numbing to do this but it does pay off.
They all should be free, if they want some money move on.
Verify them all if they ask.

Awesome post. You had some in there I'd never heard of. I actually bookmarked this page because of this post.

Originally Posted by mclyburn1

Funny you should say that. I work from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm. It looks like all my work will be on the weekends or after 7:00 PM. That may be one job a day ( if lucky ). So I'm going to have to work my butt off on the weekend. As soon as I have enough money to last me for 6 months, I'm really on my own.

And can get people getting off work 5pm or later,good luck good info on this page.

Originally Posted by mclyburn1

Is this something I do before I'm ready to start?

I would, it takes a couple months to get up in the rankings. or at least it did for me.

Just remember to go above and beyond their expectations (no matter how long it takes) and you will do just fine in this trade!!!

Truly the best advice you can receive, take your time and win each and every customer over, one by one.At the end of 3-4 years your books will be filled.

Originally Posted by dmreed4311

I would, it takes a couple months to get up in the rankings. or at least it did for me.

What I mean is I will not be up and running until Feb-Mar., should I not do this until Dec. I hate for someone to call me and I'm not ready yet.

PS: This is a cool post Doc. Thank you very much. To be someone new to TMF you hit a homerun with this one.

ya december sounds about right.

Im just wondering why you want to wait 6 months???

I would do the beginning "freebees" now..... And do the initial referrals that might come from those now too.
(where you gain experience and your first paying clients)

Then, when you are ready for your "grand opening" you can have a slew of clients in hand ready to receive your grand opening newsletter, e-letter, or whatever....

And you can have a slew of references (from your freebee and freebee referred clients) in your book to show.

Originally Posted by braddaddy

Im just wondering why you want to wait 6 months???

I would do the beginning "freebees" now..... And do the initial referrals that might come from those now too.
(where you gain experience and your first paying clients)

Then, when you are ready for your "grand opening" you can have a slew of clients in hand ready to receive your grand opening newsletter, e-letter, or whatever....

And you can have a slew of references (from your freebee and freebee referred clients) in your book to show.

I should be getting my equipment in late Jan. I going to use all of Feb to market and train. That way when the spring time hit I should have my reference ready.

oh sorry.....I thought you had it already... nevermind

Good plan...you will be set for spring.