Opened PennySaver to see Carpet Cleaners are only charging $8 per room with $32 MIN??

[Dave Y]

The only race I care about is the race to the top!

We all will take a different route to get there.

Very few will make it.

But it's the journey, not the destination that really counts.

 

[cleaningservicepros]

Rickie says a lot of things that I don't necessarily agree with....let alone his delivery.

Regardless, the wage/income in the home service and construction industry has gone down over the years and this in undeniable. The fact of the matter is that there is a lot of cheap, plentiful labor in this country right now. Is all of this labor coming from Mexico? No, of course not. Frankly though, it doesn't matter where the labor is coming from - there is just too much of it.

At the same time I don't fault anyone for coming to this country. We have a world of opportunity here. It's a complex issue. But we cannot kid ourselves and not think that a surplus of manual and semi skilled labor (regardless of where they are from) hasn't had an effect on the bottom line of the middle class owner/operator/tech.

At the end of the day these low prices and excess labor is also a tangible byproduct of a terrible economy.

Touchy issue here, hope I didn't offend anyone....

Are you serious illegal aliens? Is Mexico the only place that illegal immigrants come from? You don't look much Native American to me Rickie. You seem to be a very knowledgeable and professional guy when it comes to cleaning but you really blew it on this one. Wow some people can be very ignorant.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCOaNpinFPM
Do any of the guys on this video look Mexican?

 

[johnny916]

I'm tired for selling period, been a car salesmen for over 10 years! I just want to go and clean.

 

[shane deubell]

lets not pretend most are from mexico or south america and yes we have wayyyy to many day laborers and semi skilled workers already in this country. You throw in bad free trade deals and crummy economy and the result is alot of desperate people and very depressed wages{prices}.
Very frustrating for sure

My answer is 5% of any service in any market will always be willing to pay a premium, the hard part is finding that 5% profitably and being very patient.

 

[Dave Y]

I'm tired for selling period, been a car salesmen for over 10 years! I just want to go and clean.

If you don't want to sell you are in the wrong business.

This business is all about SALES and service.

A great cleaner will go out off business if they can't market their services.

Proper selling at each appointment can also double or tripple your bottom line while driving more referrals and clients.

Use the proper skills you learned as a car salesman.

Aproach every sales opportunity the intention to sincerly benefit your client.

The rest is easy if your heart is in the right place.

 

[ToddBenne]

It's not only the $8 per room guys that make things difficult. Here in my area we have three or so very nicely published advertisement magazines, all done on glossy stock and a very nice presentation, each filled with the usual various local businesses. There are guys around here that use truckmounts, include prespray, proper rinse, move most furniture etc....do things that I guess should be expected of a cleaner and they do it for pricing like $95 for any size three bedroom ranch or $19.95 per room or similar pricing. I often wonder if any of them have run a COG spreadsheet?

 

[steam king]

Well you haven't seen how many illegals are here in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi. As far as my Native American Heritage I don't have any idea what illegal immigrants have to do with that. My late wife was American Mexican; ignorance isn't my short fall; it is losing great share of my market to someone that employs, helps employers of illegals, and buys from illegals or their employers. I lived in Mexico for 2 years and commuted back and forth from Tequana, Rosarita, and Ensanada. And no those guys aren't Mexican Illegals.

I live in Southern CA and trust me I know how many illegals there is but to say that they all come from Mexico is just not right. There are illegal immigrants from all over the world but for some reason everyone focuses on the ones from Mexico. I also know about losing market share to low ballers but instead of blaming people I strive to provide my customers the best service possible and that seems to work. All of my desirable customers have stayed with me regardless of what others charge. Also as far as people who employ, helps or anything to illegals we have no control of because in that case all of our vegetation and food wouldn't make it to the supermarkets because citizens are not willing to work so hard for low wages and immigrants don't have a choice. Even Lou Dobbs the biggest critic of illegals employs them. Anyways I don't want to turn this into a debate, I guess we are all entitled to have the freedom of having our own opinions and thinking the way we want thanks to our troops who put everything on the line so that we can live a good life.

 

[locko-fabara]

This is for Rickie F
Ilegal alliens not only are from Mexico, they are from China, India, Russia, and many others country.
people confuse Mexican= ilegal allien.
I am against ilegal immigration, but you are being Nationalist when you talk about Mexican. and BTW I am not Mexican.

 

[shane deubell]

yeah yeah immigration, we all know the story. 20 million is too many we cannot afford it

As for bad competition, cleaning has always been like this always, it is just worse because the economy stinks but people always come and people go.

Remember "is this truck acceptable" thread ? this is one way you work around it, you have to stand out or people will not pay.

 

[shane deubell]

One simple solution to dealing with these characters

Spend 5 hours a week on education/training over a long period of time.I mean the basics of business, bookeeping,accounting, service, marketing mixed in with specifics to this industry.

At end of 2 years, 4 years, 6 years you will look at these people and laugh, you will realize they have 0 chance of long term success. Everyday someone in your county starts a cleaning business and everyday someone goes out, never ever will change only the faces change.

so knuckle up, make a real comittment to your long term success and turn the darn TV set off. 5 Hours per week and i can 100% guarantee you success.Just not when

 

[TheEyeball]

I have a good friend who is about my Dad's age who has owned and operated a small but high quality painting business for 2 decades. He's smart, college educated, and has worked in other fields besides painting. If anyone should be successful, it's this guy.

He is so frustrated because, much like our field, anyone with half a brain (or less) can start a painting business. As you know insurance for painters is very expensive since they deal with ladders and usually have employees. Well, the illegal immigrants are killing his business because they don't pay for insurance, and they don't pay taxes, so they have zero operating costs. After material it's free money.

He did an estimate for $650 for a lady. He said her jaw hit the floor. She had another estimate for FIFTY STINKIN' BUCKS if she bought the paint. He said "If you think my skills are worth $50 then you've wasted my time."

I was behind an obvious immigrant at the bank last Friday, and the teller was peeling off hundreds onto the counter for him like a printing press. I counted 30, but she was so fast I could be a little off. He literally danced his way into the parking lot with two fists full of cash and started distributing it to about 6 other dudes waiting in their broke down rusted out vans. And I wrote in my notebook, "tax free, insurance free".

 

[locko-fabara]

it is our fault, we have to ask for insurance, proper documents etc etc.. We should tell all our friends and tell them to ask any contractor their insurance, they can be accountable if something happen and there is not work comp.
I know a guy who hired ad lady with her " house cleaning biz", and one of the ladies who was helping cleaning fell in the bathroom, the owner of the company never had the company, she was getting pay in cash, so the lady fell sue this guy, he was considered as the employer.

 

[Dave Y]

These are some of the examples of how illegal imigration is harming the economy.

When millions are willing to work for less or entirely off the books it lowers the oportunities and wages for the real citizens of America.

You can really see this in construction trades, cement work, roofing, landscaping, framing ect...

I wonder what would happen if the unions and goverment workers had to accept lower wages or be pushed out of their jobs and be replaced by illigal aliens.

It's ironic that these people that are so for it with their guaranteed jobs and guaranteed wage increases are the loudest to shout about the rights of illegal aliens.

While they are shutting out illegals from entering their professoins.

Where is their openess ?

 

[shane deubell]

I have a good friend who is about my Dad's age who has owned and operated a small but high quality painting business for 2 decades. He's smart, college educated, and has worked in other fields besides painting. If anyone should be successful, it's this guy.

He is so frustrated because, much like our field, anyone with half a brain (or less) can start a painting business. As you know insurance for painters is very expensive since they deal with ladders and usually have employees. Well, the illegal immigrants are killing his business because they don't pay for insurance, and they don't pay taxes, so they have zero operating costs. After material it's free money.

He did an estimate for $650 for a lady. He said her jaw hit the floor. She had another estimate for FIFTY STINKIN' BUCKS if she bought the paint. He said "If you think my skills are worth $50 then you've wasted my time."

I was behind an obvious immigrant at the bank last Friday, and the teller was peeling off hundreds onto the counter for him like a printing press. I counted 30, but she was so fast I could be a little off. He literally danced his way into the parking lot with two fists full of cash and started distributing it to about 6 other dudes waiting in their broke down rusted out vans. And I wrote in my notebook, "tax free, insurance free".

You are preaching to the choir, the solution is pretty simple... cut off the money supply and they will leave
Have all these people on welfare pick up the slack, done.

But 5% of the marketplace still will pay, it is just hard to find that 5%

 

[shane deubell]

These are some of the examples of how illegal imigration is harming the economy. Past tense it has destroyed it.

When millions are willing to work for less or entirely off the books it lowers the oportunities and wages for the real citizens of America.

You can really see this in construction trades, cement work, roofing, landscaping, framing ect...

I wonder what would happen if the unions and goverment workers had to accept lower wages or be pushed out of their jobs and be replaced by illigal aliens.

It's ironic that these people that are so for it with their guaranteed jobs and guaranteed wage increases are the loudest to shout about the rights of illegal aliens.

While they are shutting out illegals from entering their professoins.

Where is their openess ?

Past tense it has destroyed it

 

[Dave Y]

Past tense it has destroyed it

Too bad it's just one of the things that are pushed by progressives(left and right)to intentually harm the public sector.

Socialsm has never worked.

It is promoted as a way to enact fairness and a better life for all citizens and even non-citizens.(kumbiya)

But, it works out to give intense power, control and wealth to an alitest controling class.

The true aim of this idiology.

Welcome to the new America.

 

[1ST CHOICE CLEANING]

What happened to the penny saver thread?

 

[TheEyeball]

What happened to the penny saver thread?

A quick buzz over the thread will help you see how it led here, rather logically I'd say. Was it ever really that interesting anyway?

 

[1ST CHOICE CLEANING]

A quick buzz over the thread will help you see how it led here, rather logically I'd say. Was it ever really that interesting anyway?

Yea I read the entire thread, it all started when someone (Rickie) posted about mexicans. My wife is 100% mexican and when we go visit her family I feel bad for they way they live. I am not saying open the borders and letting them all come when they want but if I was in there shoes and that was they only way I could provied for my family I would be tempted.

 

[shane deubell]

We cant solve the worlds problems, they have to solve their own