Canadian Startup

[JamesInOnt]

Hi all,

I'm looking to start a small residential service which would be a one-man operation for now and be operated out of a pickup truck. I know it's not optimal, but it's all I have.
My personal life, and now business life took an unexpected turn so I'm looking for some advice.

I would be servicing houses primarily (carpet and tile/grout cleaning), but open to vlm and other flooring care eventually as it's an interest I'd like to pursue as well.
From research and experience it seems extraction is best for the residential side of things but I have never tried any sort of vlm, so I'm not familiar with the efficiency and quality on residential carpet. My experience is limited, especially with machines on tile and grout, as I've always done it by hand.

Most of my work has been in between tenants for rentals, or for realtors selling a home.
(I used to work with someone else and provided a few different services) My main focus is now carpet cleaning and eventually other types of floor care.
I've used small, old and worn Powr-Flite equipment (pfx10s-nw?) which was fine for portability and specific room work but an absolute pain to tend to when working a whole house alone and wholly undersized and underpowered. Chemicals were sub-par as well, so I usually put a lot more time and effort in to get satisfactory results. It sucked but it paid the bills.

Now I'm interested in getting new equipment that's updated and up to the task of whole home cleaning but can preferably be loaded in a pickup and operated by a single person.
I've heard with more powerful equipment an issue I face here is needing different circuits. Would that really be an issue with a good portable extractor? Is there an easy way to tell when I'm on a separate circuit? I'm open to a generator if needed as long as I can determine the size/output required and fit all the equipment in the truck, I don't know if that's feasible or I should just look for different outlets if applicable?

My previous machine was small and followed me to different rooms, but with a larger one I'm sure I'd try to leave it stationary if possible and definitely not going up the stairs with me. How long of a hose setup would i need for something like that?

I'm looking for help and suggestions, especially those familiar with equipment and chemicals available in Canada. I would be open to meeting in person or over the phone to discuss my situation with someone local if it would make it easier.

I guess you could say I'm looking for guidance on what all I would need for a total start-up package to get the job done right. There's so many options and I don't want to get something that's over-kill if I don't need it, but I also don't want a useless machine or to forget something important.

If anything doesn't sound right or won't work please say so, name of the game here is knowledge, I'm doing a lot of research and I'd like to learn as much as I can and provide the best service I can.

Does anyone have opinions on equip. such as a Brush Pro crb for agitation and hard surface scrubbing, maybe along side an extractor?
I've heard a lot of good things about TMF chems. Is it worth it to buy them and have them shipped here, or are there brands that are reputable in Canada? I've had a lot of hit-and-miss ones.

I'm located in Southern Ontario, Canada.


I appreciate any feedback,

James

 

[Canada-Eh]

(416) 717-8455

 

[pgcleaner]

Hi all,

I'm looking to start a small residential service which would be a one-man operation for now and be operated out of a pickup truck. I know it's not optimal, but it's all I have.
My personal life, and now business life took an unexpected turn so I'm looking for some advice.

I would be servicing houses primarily (carpet and tile/grout cleaning), but open to vlm and other flooring care eventually as it's an interest I'd like to pursue as well.
From research and experience it seems extraction is best for the residential side of things but I have never tried any sort of vlm, so I'm not familiar with the efficiency and quality on residential carpet. My experience is limited, especially with machines on tile and grout, as I've always done it by hand.

Most of my work has been in between tenants for rentals, or for realtors selling a home.
(I used to work with someone else and provided a few different services) My main focus is now carpet cleaning and eventually other types of floor care.
I've used small, old and worn Powr-Flite equipment (pfx10s-nw?) which was fine for portability and specific room work but an absolute pain to tend to when working a whole house alone and wholly undersized and underpowered. Chemicals were sub-par as well, so I usually put a lot more time and effort in to get satisfactory results. It sucked but it paid the bills.

Now I'm interested in getting new equipment that's updated and up to the task of whole home cleaning but can preferably be loaded in a pickup and operated by a single person.
I've heard with more powerful equipment an issue I face here is needing different circuits. Would that really be an issue with a good portable extractor? Is there an easy way to tell when I'm on a separate circuit? I'm open to a generator if needed as long as I can determine the size/output required and fit all the equipment in the truck, I don't know if that's feasible or I should just look for different outlets if applicable?

My previous machine was small and followed me to different rooms, but with a larger one I'm sure I'd try to leave it stationary if possible and definitely not going up the stairs with me. How long of a hose setup would i need for something like that?

I'm looking for help and suggestions, especially those familiar with equipment and chemicals available in Canada. I would be open to meeting in person or over the phone to discuss my situation with someone local if it would make it easier.

I guess you could say I'm looking for guidance on what all I would need for a total start-up package to get the job done right. There's so many options and I don't want to get something that's over-kill if I don't need it, but I also don't want a useless machine or to forget something important.

If anything doesn't sound right or won't work please say so, name of the game here is knowledge, I'm doing a lot of research and I'd like to learn as much as I can and provide the best service I can.

Does anyone have opinions on equip. such as a Brush Pro crb for agitation and hard surface scrubbing, maybe along side an extractor?
I've heard a lot of good things about TMF chems. Is it worth it to buy them and have them shipped here, or are there brands that are reputable in Canada? I've had a lot of hit-and-miss ones.

I'm located in Southern Ontario, Canada.


I appreciate any feedback,

James

Blah blah blah...Make your phone ring. You tube will help you with everything else. Any equipment you don't have you can rent, unless your in the middle of nowhere, in which case I don't suggest starting a home services business. Move somewhere with 500k + people and high real estate prices. Anywhere else and your gonna have a rough time. If that sounds harsh, well, business is harsh. Like Yoda said. There is no try...

 

[gordon qian]

Does anyone have opinions on equip. such as a Brush Pro crb for agitation and hard surface scrubbing, maybe along side an extractor?
I've heard a lot of good things about TMF chems. Is it worth it to buy them and have them shipped here, or are there brands that are reputable in Canada? I've had a lot of hit-and-miss ones.

I'm located in Southern Ontario, Canada.


I appreciate any feedback,

James

I used to live there 12 years ago, not an easy place unless you already own a real estate and has a stable income. Ideally you would want a 20-30hp slide in gas truckmount in a 1 ton cargo van or at least an efficient high powered 5kW+ new model portable with a minivan for carpet cleaning, but given the situation an entry/outdated portable in a pick up might do for a newbie. What's your budget and how long are you planning to stay in this labor and skill intensive job? This industry is far more skill intensive than it seems and there are many different types of equipments and methodology but hot water extraction often gets the best result. If you are just starting and very low on budget, I recommend get an used dual 2 stage warrior that has functional vacuum and 200+ psi pump. Then maybe buy 50ft+25ft of 2" vacuum hose, 50ft+25ft 1/4" hose, 12" wide dual jet wand, and dual jet stair wand at the very least. I believe TMF chems are available in Ontario, just buy one or two 6.5-8lb if you are just starting, but TMF chems are just the tips of the knowledge iceberg. Like pgcleaner said, youtube will help all the basic stuff and do your research on the market before make a commitment.

 

[alexpor00`]

Yeah, great information shared over here. Startup funding in the country exploded in 2021, beating out the previous record year in style. In total, by the end of the third quarter of 2021, startup funding in the country managed to reach a level of $11.8 Billion, which is a massive improvement from the figures of the previous year. You need to Start a Business in Canada Step by Step but before that perform a secretary of state business name search :

1. Come Up With a Good Idea.
2. Write a Business Plan.
3. Choose a Winning Name.
4. Choose a Form of Ownership.
5. Find Small Business Financing.
6. Get a Business License.
7. Register for the GST/HST.
8. Register for Provincial Sales Tax.

 

[DT Cleaning]

While it's a job that many of us would rather ignore, cleaning gutters is an important bi-annual ritual that all homeowners need to complete. When clogged gutters overflow, they can form ice dams on your roof that force water into your home.
When it rains, check for leaks and mark them with a porcelain marker so you can patch holes or fix pitch issues when it dries. Since nothing holds all the debris, you still need to clean the gutter at least every couple of years, and screens and end caps make this a lot harder.
There are many ways to clean up. You can find inventions such as extension pole tongs, store-bought chute nozzle vacuum cleaners, or even a remote-controlled chute robot. But most methods ultimately involve climbing stairs. If you have gutters above the ground floor or are uncomfortable climbing stairs, you're better off hiring a professionals from DT Cleaning company.