The first week of 2017. Who's busy and who's slow? How and why on both?

BIG WOOD

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Matt w.
I'm very slow this week. It's good, because I need to get my 2016 expenses put together, and it's a perfect week to do it. And I'm gonna arrange my goal to market to my current customers also.

I don't know why I'm slow, other than the obvious of everyone winding down from New Year's.

But I'd like to hear from the others who are slammed. What did you do different to keep busy this week?
 

Mark Saiger

Mr Happy!
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Dec 26, 2006
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Grand Rapids, MN
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Mark Saiger
Slow....

So I am putting together the 2016 Mileage logs and machine hours right now today.

We have work in the shop that has been staring at us for months...

And.....It's going to snow a bunch again today and tomorrow....so probably a good thing slow as it is already getting old shoveling the vans in and out of job sites!

Prepping also for my Florida Trip and tour to start in couple weeks....will be here fast...

Looking at last year, most of the first 2 of January were slow....so....kind of following last years pattern so far today...

But, all it takes is a couple calls to get thing rolling this time of year :)
 
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hogjowl

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IMG_0103.JPG This is how busy I am
 

Desk Jockey

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Rico Suave
Slammed but mainly restoration. We've blocked off all carpet & air ducts for the next two weeks until we complete a commercial fire involving 3 businesses.

WDR won't quit! We had 19 wdr losses we processed in the last two weeks and then they had 1 Friday night and all day sucker for 3 technicians Saturday. Just as they got home they got another one. I felt bad for them but it goes with the territory. Some Happy New Years Eve. lol

We are off today but 3 tech's are doing Air Ducts at the fire this AM.

We start a small mold and finish up the 6 wdr we are different stages of competition. Plus the big fire.

Its nutz. The new Spartan goes in for the Everest install this week and they got partial walls in the new Transit. I'm just waiting on etrac to complete it. Slow but progress.

I personally have a dozen marketing pieces I'm in the middle of and just started designing comps for up coming Home Shows in February & March.

Busy bees! :biggrin:
 

steve_64

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Aug 11, 2012
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No work at all for me last week and I'm glad. I really need more rest.

Got four restaurants this week and a couple apartments so far.

Genny has a remodel cleaning and is starting a new construction cleanup this week as well as her weekly work.

Got some things done around here like a new garage door opener and put in some electric outlets and lights and did some rewiring of existing lights to meet our wants.

Still need to get water to the garage so I hope I don't get to busy.
 
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PrimaDonna

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MB
Quiet last week and this, but that is typical for this time of year. We had two full days last week. Full day tomorrow and Friday, some more sure to fill in. Planning to run an upholstery special for our clients for January. Did it a few years back and it was very successful. Last year we did a carpet one, so we are going to go back to the upholstery this time.

Lots of shop work to catch up on. Have to practice dying so John is sharp with his skills to really grow this segment this year. Also have to fire up the new Dwell Pro for a commercial account we have some work at on Friday.
Trucks need complete overhaul. This season was really hard on them. Many little repairs, tightening,etc and just tweaking things.

We have our budget, proforma and goals for the year....now to lay out the marketing calendar. New admin assistant starts this week. Some office organization happening too. Planning a thank you luncheon for local carpet retailer with 12 employees that have given us a lot of work this year. Have to send out all our referral thank you/bonuses as well.

Got some stuff done and over to accountant for taxes....need to finish that up as well.

Down time is good to be able catch up on these things.
 

Russ T.

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Slater, IA
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Russ Terhaar
We just got back from hanging out with Mel's fam in MT. The schedule looks very similar to other years here.

Our biggest strength is residential carpet cleaning and it slows WAY down for the entire 1st quarter. It takes real planning to deal with the slow down.

I wish I had the love for WDR like Chavez. It would probably convert our slowest quarter into our biggest...

...and may be what we need to move on that 2 acre plot and building...and employee.

I'm just so comfy sticking with cleaning during the day.

Come on SPRING!
 

Chris Howell

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Chris Howell
I get it that equipment/vehicles need maintenance. But I feel sorry for you guys who are using truck mounts. $30K - $60K for a truck mount....+ all of the maintenance....not to mention repairs. Sheesh.

My most expensive piece of equipment for spot dyeing is a $30 Shop Vac. (but in all honesty....I go through at least 2 of them per year)

Not knocking truck mounts. I completely agree that they do a much better job of cleaning carpets than a porty. But how many carpets do you have to clean to pay for the costs of a truck mount???

It's like a barbershop. How many friggin' haircuts do you have to do (at $11 per cut) just to pay your monthly lease payment?? In Maryland it's about $2,800.00 per month to lease space in a decent strip mall.

My beef with the carpet cleaning industry is that it's SATURATED. Do this: How many carpet cleaning companies are there within your service area? (all zip codes that you service).
 
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Cleanworks

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New Westminster,BC
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Ron Marriott
Different tools for different jobs. When you buy a tool, you should know how you are going to make money from it. I use everything from low power portables to one that will suck your socks off. I use 175's with bonnets and pads, Brush Pro on some jobs. The truck mount is the ideal machine for doing residential work. With a truck mount, I can easily park in the driveway or close to the door, run 100 ft or hose on average and clean a 3 bedroom townhouse in 1 1/2 hours. If I had do the same job with a portable, I could do as good of a job but it is going to take a lot longer. Factor into, unloading the machine and accessories, either having to bring it up stairs or use extra hoses, plug in the machine, fill the machine, hook up the hoses and then reverse everything to pack up. Doing offices can be a pita with portable. Often you have only a 5 gallon hot water tank to provide hot water. With a truck mount, you just hook to a cold water supply and presto, you are cleaning with heat and power. Ever blow a breaker in a commercial building but the electrical panel in a locked electrical room. You have to clean a lot of carpets to pay for your truck mount but in the long run, it allows you the time to successfully clean all the carpet jobs you can sell. There are opportunities for portable only companies as well but you have to understand the limitations of your equipment. Although the carpet cleaning market may be saturated, it allows the premium cleaners to rise to the top, no matter what type of equipment they are using.
 

Desk Jockey

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You're thinking wrong. The more there are the more market there is for thoses services.

Why do you think there are so many Micky D's? They could just have one in each town and require the Happy Meal eaters to come from all parts of the city to one location.

TM'S are dirt cheap and require less maintenance than the vehices that haul them. Any complaining about the cost of a TM has taken the time to figure how much an hour that machine allow you to make you over its life time.

You want to save me some money figure out a way to save me labor. ; )


Wonder why in thoses same zip codes there are no or few color repair companies? Demand.
 

Able 1

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Wi
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Keith
Pretty slow here also, I think I have around 10 jobs... Off today and Wednesday..

Great time for maintenance, right now I'm swapping truck mounts.. I have this one installed just needs some little things done yet. No excuse for breakdowns!!
14833892768972055800933.jpg
 

Chris Howell

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Clarksville, Maryland
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Chris Howell
You're thinking wrong. The more there are the more market there is for thoses

Why do you think there are so many Micky D's? They could just have one in each town and require the Happy Meal eaters to come from all parts of the city to one location.

TM'S are dirt cheap and require less maintenance than the vehices that haul them. Any complaining about the cost of a TM has taken the time to figure how much an hour that machine allow you to make you over its life time.

You want to save me some money figure out a way to save me labor. ; )


Wonder why in thoses same zip codes there are no or few color repair companies? Demand.

Here's my challenge to you. I've made this challenge to many others as well.

There's just as much color repair (dyeing) work out there as there is cleaning work. Anyone who doubts this. Is likely doing so because they don't advertise the services.

As I've said before, we are typically booked 3–4 months in advance at all timea. Those who have come visited us can attest to this. In all fairness we are only booked out two months right now.

The biggest difference is that color repair is a far more profitable than cleaning work because it's a specialized service that illuminates the need of having to replace carpet. It's not priced as a maintenance service light cleaning.

If cleaning carpets is your thing and you're happy with the profits from doing this, more power to ya. I just don't get why people would want to spend some much money on a machine that's so prone to problems and breakdowns and requires so much maintenance.

But again, if this is what you enjoy and you're earning a good living at it, I'm happy for you :)
 
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Desk Jockey

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Hey nothing wrong with selling dreams, everyone loves to dream.

Soooo speaking of "reality" what percentage of cost of sale should one expect to spend on marketing to aquire the 3 month backlog in the color repair service business?

How many years will it take to build a business to that point?

Do you have anyone (other than yourself) that has reached that level of success in color repair?

Dreaming is fun but it doesn't pay the bills. :winky:
 

Chris Howell

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Chris Howell
Hey nothing wrong with selling dreams, everyone loves to dream.

Soooo speaking of "reality" what percentage of cost of sale should one expect to spend on marketing to aquire the 3 month backlog in the color repair service business?

How many years will it take to build a business to that point?

Do you have anyone (other than yourself) that has reached that level of success in color repair?

Dreaming is fun but it doesn't pay the bills. :winky:

It would be far better for you to speak with people that I've trained rather than asking me for my feedback.

Steve Sparling earned over half $1 million in his first year of doing color repair after taking my training. I will include a photo of his FB profile if you'd like to contact him.

David Mavilio and his brother Peter in Boston earned the entire cost of their training back with their very first job. Their first job was a $10,000 + job at a hotel to repair bleach spots straight out of the training.

Meg & John Burdick (Primadonna) landed a job to repair color loss on a high-end wool carpet for one of their customers straight out of the training. It was their first color repair job. Paid for their training in full.

But it really doesn't matter how many examples I provide here. People will always be skeptical. This is because they are unfamiliar with carpet and rug dyeing. I get that. :)

IMG_7477.PNG
 

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