How I started carpet cleaning and was successful. My advise for new people.

[Andrew1986]

Few Advises that can help you when you start carpet cleaning business.

1. Here is my advise for new people. When you think of opening carpet/upholstery or tile cleaning business look at the area where you live very closely. If you want to make good money its better to be in area with high population vs rural. If you live in xxxx State than most of the homes will have carpet. So, there are a lot of jobs for carpet cleaning. In rural areas many homes will have hardwood, because these homes are more custom build.
2. You also want to know which method of advertising works in your city/area. People will search for your business differently in west coast state vs. Missouri. You want to be sure that your business is at right place and can be found by most people who need your service. One way of checking that is by finding few carpet cleaning companies in your area and look online where they are listed (Google, Yelp, or what ever the site is) This is usually where your business needs to be. If you can find apartment complexes to clean carpet, this is probably best as you than don't have to advertise that much. At this point you need to have a website (its not hard to build it by your self)
3. Remember to always strive for quality and 5 star customer experience. This is hard, but it will be worth it once your business is highly rated $$$. I would suggest to do what ever possible to never have negative reviews. If your average is bellow 4 stars than you are doing something wrong. This advise only for small business.
4. Try to answer your phone as much as possible. Many times when you call back the customer will already go with another business. Reply to text ASAP. Always call back if customer has left you a voicemail. Some customers will leave you negative review if you don't call them back.
5. Watch your prices. You don't want to be cheapest or most expensive. I would not recommend to go fo high end customers only when you start a business. Customers will usually get 2 or 3 price estimates before they choose who will be their company.
6. Avoid being late problems by never giving customers exact appointment times. Say "your appointment is from 9am to 12pm or 3pm to 6pm... Sometimes I would be late because another job took longer. I would always update my customers, usually by a text, if I am on my way/or being late. Most of the time it was ok to be late, as long as I updated my customers.
7. Be able to accept most of the payment types and this way you will not loose any customers who want to pay other than cash.
8. First few month can be the hardest in terms on finding cleaning jobs.

This can be helpful to someone who starting or started. Usually there will be people who will scrutinize what I wrote, but I am not going to reply to any comments or questions. This story is based on my experience. Good luck!

 

[mrotto]

Some of what you say I agree with. Others not so much. Such as

-If you can find apartment complexes to clean carpet, this is probably best as you than don't have to advertise that much. Apartment complexes is where everybody likes to start. BUT out of the three type of customers (residential, apartment and commercial) its the worst in profit.

-Watch your prices. Customers will usually get 2 or 3 price estimates before they choose who will be their company. Heres what you dont realize. despite what all unknowing consumers think, not all carpet cleaners are equal. In fact, no two are alike unless you are a franchise. Call ten different carpet cleaners and you will get 10 different prices and 10 different levels of service. Different cleaning methods, ideology I could go on and on. and sadly 10 different results.

your prices should NOT be determined on your competitions prices. your prices should NOT be determined by what your level of income is (unless you want your customers to be like you) I want my customers to drive Lincolns, Audis, Suburbans. and guess what? They can afford higher prices!

I would recommend to target your market and set your standards and prices accordingly.

So if your going to go for the high income customer, be ready to go over and above on each and every job. But you will make more money per hour.

If you want to target apartments, be prepared to bid what they expect to pay which may not be enough to cover your bills.

 

[Andrew1986]

I definitely agree with you on your point. My advise is more for people who are about to start or just started, but not really got their foot in the door of success. When I started, with just carpet cleaning skills, but without really knowing how to run advertising correctly or where to find jobs/customers it was a struggle to survive. Because in reality not a lot of people will share on how and where to find customers because it is actually the most important part of carpet cleaning business. When I started there was no struggle as to choose between high or low paying carpet cleaning jobs, but more about where/how to find any jobs. Once I have learned how advertising works and got my foot into this business than it was a different story. After a year in business and pricing my jobs not high, not too low, but at about less than average, I was able to catch more than few real estate agents, landlords and property managers. Second year I started rising my prices, and I kept increasing my prices every 3 or 4 months. It was success because I was still fully booked and even turning down some jobs. But, this is my story. The problem of going for high end customers that pay big $ is that you usually need some/good reputation because these people are smart. Many high end customers will not go for anyone and they will do their research. Some things that they will usually check is reputation/rating and compare the price from few businesses. If they can find two 5 star rated companies, but one will do the job for $400 and another one for $500, than they will usually go with $400. To be able to price your work right and be competitive are important business skills. I took any jobs I could find when started (lower, middle and high paying) But, this is what worked for me. There are always those who are supper cheap and do bad quality work. Than there are those who over price their work and do bait and switch deals. Once the business is established, has customer base and good reputation than usually business will find their right price level based on their goals, services they provide and quality of their work

It is important to note that sometimes the reason why two 5 star rated companies are pricing their work differently is because their overhead expense is different. For example, if a company has managers, office workers and so forth than this company will usually have higher price to cover their expense. But, if the business has two vans and owner is cleaning carpet, does scheduling and customer service than their prices will be usually lower. Because their overhead expense is lower and they are able to charge less for their work.

 

[mrotto]

you are (like most cleaners) are fixated on price. therefore your customer will be too.

Switch it around and you will make more money.

 

[The Universe is a Donut]

Few Advises that can help you when you start carpet cleaning business.

1. Here is my advise for new people. When you think of opening carpet/upholstery or tile cleaning business look at the area where you live very closely. If you want to make good money its better to be in area with high population vs rural. If you live in xxxx State than most of the homes will have carpet. So, there are a lot of jobs for carpet cleaning. In rural areas many homes will have hardwood, because these homes are more custom build.
2. You also want to know which method of advertising works in your city/area. People will search for your business differently in west coast state vs. Missouri. You want to be sure that your business is at right place and can be found by most people who need your service. One way of checking that is by finding few carpet cleaning companies in your area and look online where they are listed (Google, Yelp, or what ever the site is) This is usually where your business needs to be. If you can find apartment complexes to clean carpet, this is probably best as you than don't have to advertise that much. At this point you need to have a website (its not hard to build it by your self)
3. Remember to always strive for quality and 5 star customer experience. This is hard, but it will be worth it once your business is highly rated $$$. I would suggest to do what ever possible to never have negative reviews. If your average is bellow 4 stars than you are doing something wrong. This advise only for small business.
4. Try to answer your phone as much as possible. Many times when you call back the customer will already go with another business. Reply to text ASAP. Always call back if customer has left you a voicemail. Some customers will leave you negative review if you don't call them back.
5. Watch your prices. You don't want to be cheapest or most expensive. I would not recommend to go fo high end customers only when you start a business. Customers will usually get 2 or 3 price estimates before they choose who will be their company.
6. Avoid being late problems by never giving customers exact appointment times. Say "your appointment is from 9am to 12pm or 3pm to 6pm... Sometimes I would be late because another job took longer. I would always update my customers, usually by a text, if I am on my way/or being late. Most of the time it was ok to be late, as long as I updated my customers.
7. Be able to accept most of the payment types and this way you will not loose any customers who want to pay other than cash.
8. First few month can be the hardest in terms on finding cleaning jobs.

This can be helpful to someone who starting or started. Usually there will be people who will scrutinize what I wrote, but I am not going to reply to any comments or questions. This story is based on my experience. Good luck!

All good advice. I would add joining a networking group or frequenting Chamber of Commerce meetings. One or two well-connected people is sometimes all it takes to get you rolling in a community.

 

[The Universe is a Donut]

Some of what you say I agree with. Others not so much. Such as

-If you can find apartment complexes to clean carpet, this is probably best as you than don't have to advertise that much. Apartment complexes is where everybody likes to start. BUT out of the three type of customers (residential, apartment and commercial) its the worst in profit.

-Watch your prices. Customers will usually get 2 or 3 price estimates before they choose who will be their company. Heres what you dont realize. despite what all unknowing consumers think, not all carpet cleaners are equal. In fact, no two are alike unless you are a franchise. Call ten different carpet cleaners and you will get 10 different prices and 10 different levels of service. Different cleaning methods, ideology I could go on and on. and sadly 10 different results.

your prices should NOT be determined on your competitions prices. your prices should NOT be determined by what your level of income is (unless you want your customers to be like you) I want my customers to drive Lincolns, Audis, Suburbans. and guess what? They can afford higher prices!

I would recommend to target your market and set your standards and prices accordingly.

So if your going to go for the high income customer, be ready to go over and above on each and every job. But you will make more money per hour.

If you want to target apartments, be prepared to bid what they expect to pay which may not be enough to cover your bills.

Can't like this comment enough. Right on. My experience as well. If you want to attract the clients that really drive a successful cleaning business (the top 5%) then don't try to compete with the dumpster divers. Up your game and look Mrs. Smith in the eye and tell her, confidently, what she is going to pay, tell her why you're worth it, and then prove it by working your ass off to please her. You'll never have to advertise. Trust me. I'm 30 years in.

 

[The Universe is a Donut]

I definitely agree with you on your point. My advise is more for people who are about to start or just started, but not really got their foot in the door of success. When I started, with just carpet cleaning skills, but without really knowing how to run advertising correctly or where to find jobs/customers it was a struggle to survive. Because in reality not a lot of people will share on how and where to find customers because it is actually the most important part of carpet cleaning business. When I started there was no struggle as to choose between high or low paying carpet cleaning jobs, but more about where/how to find any jobs. Once I have learned how advertising works and got my foot into this business than it was a different story. After a year in business and pricing my jobs not high, not too low, but at about less than average, I was able to catch more than few real estate agents, landlords and property managers. Second year I started rising my prices, and I kept increasing my prices every 3 or 4 months. It was success because I was still fully booked and even turning down some jobs. But, this is my story. The problem of going for high end customers that pay big $ is that you usually need some/good reputation because these people are smart. Many high end customers will not go for anyone and they will do their research. Some things that they will usually check is reputation/rating and compare the price from few businesses. If they can find two 5 star rated companies, but one will do the job for $400 and another one for $500, than they will usually go with $400. To be able to price your work right and be competitive are important business skills. I took any jobs I could find when started (lower, middle and high paying) But, this is what worked for me. There are always those who are supper cheap and do bad quality work. Than there are those who over price their work and do bait and switch deals. Once the business is established, has customer base and good reputation than usually business will find their right price level based on their goals, services they provide and quality of their work

It is important to note that sometimes the reason why two 5 star rated companies are pricing their work differently is because their overhead expense is different. For example, if a company has managers, office workers and so forth than this company will usually have higher price to cover their expense. But, if the business has two vans and owner is cleaning carpet, does scheduling and customer service than their prices will be usually lower. Because their overhead expense is lower and they are able to charge less for their work.

I would disagree with you on the high-end clients. I've had hundreds of them. Yes, some are cheap and will choose on price, but you are wrong if you think that most are like this. Broke people think like this. The affluent do not.
Let me educate you on the affluent mindset. They KNOW they're loaded. They KNOW everyone wants a piece of their wallet. But they are INSULTED by specials, discounts and price-gouging. They WANT to pay the higher price, ALWAYS. Your job is to convince them you're worth it. If you digest what I just told you, you'll never need to advertise.

 

[Clean_monster]

Helpful advices sir . Thank you so much