CAUTION: Long Reply
You know it's interesting. I definitely have seen folks recomending newbies call local businesses to ride along or work with them to get exposure and really see if its something they can see themselves doing. I thought it was a good suggestion. So I called about a dozen local businesses and basically asked them if they could use some free labor (me) for a day or two or a couple jobs because I was thinking of getting involved in the industry and starting a business. In hindsight maybe I could have been more shrewd or clever and hid the fact I was thinking of starting business but I always figure honesty is the best policy.
The first guy thought I had nerve as he saw me asking for him to train me and then go compete with him. I tried to reframe it but as he was hanging up he told me to call Stanley steamer lol.
I think everyone else I called didn't pickup the phone so I left messages with basically that same proposition and no one called me back except one guy. He was actually really cool but just got out of his cleaning business. He said he and his wife ran a cleaning business and had some pretty big commercial contracts for like the past 10 years. Sounded like they worked super hard and made bank so when the changes came at the companies they had contracts with they just got out of the business and are on to the next thing. He even offered help as like a lifeline as I progress, etc. He even has a Solus 500 portable with wand and some other equipment he would sell for like $4500 for all.
And Stanley Steemer was like a big bureaucratic machine where no one can make decisions. Still waiting to here back if they can approve me going out. The manager mentioned they wouldn't want someone learning their trade secrets and using them against them or some crap. The manager said he would call me back so when he didn't I reached out and they took a message and he would call me back. Still waiting. Not really. Again, maybe I wasn't clever enough and should have just worked there for a little to see what cleaning carpets is really about. But, oh wait. No, I watch my 3 and 5 year old the 3 days a week my wife works and I didn't really feel like working for someone and trying to schedule around that. I like my freedom too much.
So I kind of resolved in my mind that yes cleaning carpets is physical work (sweaty, get tired, etc.) but if I can make customers happy and see the result I produce that would be a personal accomplishment each day. Plus, I was raised in a blue collar house hold and my mom actually ran a cleaning business for 5 years when I was young so I think I can visualize the work involved. Of course, if I'm making profit and striving for some goals working closer to freedom by earning on demand cash on my terms that would be good as well.
TL;DR (too long didn't read)
How can I be sure if carpet cleaning is for me since I didn't manage to find a local business to let me ride along and work with them to see before signing up for the IIICRC carpet tech certification class?
I am not afraid of hard work and I actually enjoy doing hard stuff on purpose either because I have some German and Irish in me
or because I like seeing the results of my work and the resulting satisfaction and also know that being active and mobile (cleaning carpets) is better than being lazy and fat. So for those reasons I am down to bust my ass. But I also know I am a detail oriented person and so that should translate into doing an awesome job for people. I don't cut corners and customers should see that.
Main concern is getting customers but luckily my wife seems to think things will fall into place.
Maybe there is someone here in NE PA with a similar mindset?
