Where to Begin?

[eli7440]

Hey guys, I'm 18, working part-time for a family business, and looking to start a small carpet cleaning company in my spare time and on weekends. I have done some small residential and one light commercial for friends and family and could find some jobs through a local realtor who is a long-time family friend. I've been fascinated by carpet cleaning since I was a little kid, so this seems like a natural progression for me, but I am not sure which way to go when it comes to equipment. I don't have a huge budget, but I'm also not sure of what is reasonable. I could spend $1500-2500 right now, with the possibility of a small loan from my parents in addition. Because of my limited budget, I would like to work out of my 2002 trailblazer. Is this even possible? Most, if not all, of the companies around here, use truck mounts, and I'm a little concerned about how a portable would be perceived so being able to run from the back of my car would be ideal. which circles around to my main question: should I get a cheap portable now and use it to save for a real truck mount, or should I just keep saving and go straight to a cheap used tm?

Also, a few misc questions i have:

what are good brands and which should I watch out for when it comes to portys and truck mounts?

is it possible to fit a small truck mount into an SUV?

if I have a truck mount how do I handle winters? (I live in West Michigan)

it's a little out of my budget right now, but the Mytee ETM looks promising, any thoughts?

 

[PistolPete]

Hey guys, I'm 18, working part-time for a family business, and looking to start a small carpet cleaning company in my spare time and on weekends. I have done some small residential and one light commercial for friends and family and could find some jobs through a local realtor who is a long-time family friend. I've been fascinated by carpet cleaning since I was a little kid, so this seems like a natural progression for me, but I am not sure which way to go when it comes to equipment. I don't have a huge budget, but I'm also not sure of what is reasonable. I could spend $1500-2500 right now, with the possibility of a small loan from my parents in addition. Because of my limited budget, I would like to work out of my 2002 trailblazer. Is this even possible? Most, if not all, of the companies around here, use truck mounts, and I'm a little concerned about how a portable would be perceived so being able to run from the back of my car would be ideal. which circles around to my main question: should I get a cheap portable now and use it to save for a real truck mount, or should I just keep saving and go straight to a cheap used tm?

Also, a few misc questions i have:

what are good brands and which should I watch out for when it comes to portys and truck mounts?

is it possible to fit a small truck mount into an SUV?

if I have a truck mount how do I handle winters? (I live in West Michigan)

it's a little out of my budget right now, but the Mytee ETM looks promising, any thoughts?

Spend some time searching the posts on this forum, that's what its here for.
All your questions have been asked and answered multiple times.

 

[The Universe is a Donut]

The biggest challenge is to win and retain high-value clients, not what your vehicle looks like or the equipment you use. Take an IICRC certification course and learn the field. Then find a way to make that magic happen within the budget you have, and always be positive and smile and focus on RELATIONSHIPS. Trust me. I started with nothing. People hire YOU, not your van.