hogjowl
Idiot™
Mikey's not human.
He's a threat to us all
He's a threat to us all
Cheap Startup
- Thread starter knapster
- Start date
No real cheap way to get in.. Don't believe any craigslist ad trying to sell a truck mount, mostly they are all FOS!! If I was looking to get in cheap I would go with a Judson or Cobb that was used..
Desk Jockey
Member
The real name is Richard but most people just call me MIGHTY.
Ok, few people call me Mighty...ok so nobody calls me Mighty. But they are should!
Rico is fine.
Ok, few people call me Mighty...ok so nobody calls me Mighty. But they are should!
Rico is fine.
Oh, come on! Most just call you Dick!
Cleanworks
Moderator
Or Dik HedOh, come on! Most just call you Dick!
Desk Jockey
Member
Fookers!
SamIam
Member
Not true his aunt told me he could
Wolf down three Big Macs as a kid!
Ok maybe that's not human after all.
Maybe I should just call you Suave'The real name is Richard but most people just call me MIGHTY.
Ok, few people call me Mighty...ok so nobody calls me Mighty. But they are should!
Rico is fine.
I never did like buying cheap tools but even the cheap extractors cost a left nut! I've got a few tricks up my sleeve but this is going to take a lot of sweat, just like anything else.
That why he's a vegetarian now...
Nate The Great
Member
The word Vegetarian comes from the Cherokee Indians, it means "poor hunter"........
Kenny Hayes
Member
After you figure out how you're gonna get your 40+customer, the you can figure out what you're gonna use, (assuming your first 39 will be friends
and relatives) I pull a 6/14 tandem trailer daily, but not for residential.
and relatives) I pull a 6/14 tandem trailer daily, but not for residential.
hogjowl
Idiot™
The word Vegetarian comes from the Cherokee Indians, it means "poor hunter"........
Idiot
Bob Pruitt
Member
The cheap way is to buy a decent portable, put a shell on the truck and toss the portable and a couple white buckets in the back and go clean budget motel rooms and thrashed apartments. You will eventually get very good at stain removal and when your back is damaged enough... you will buy a nice van and a good truck mount. The cheap way is how I/most get started.
I think a $10k-$12k van/truckmount is a good starting point, unlike these douchebags who want you to pay $20k+ on a combo. If you're just starting out, you'll have plenty of time to work on it, and figure out what's wrong if anything is wrong with it. You're not gonna be slammed with work from the startup, and you're not gonna have that 6hr job to do yesterday at that big office complex yet. Like Bob said, you'll have some empty apartments to clean and all your family and friends will want you to clean for them. That'll give you plenty of time to get used to your setup and give you some good training on doing some minor repairs.
Just don't get the first one you see.. And is there a dealer with a good service department nearby? If not, be sure to get one of the 3 big named truck mounts. They have a good service department that you can call for immediate support if and when you break down. Just invest in a good tool kit with the extra brass fittings, plenty of pipe tape, extra oil, etc. And you'll be ready to go to work.
If you're already convinced on spending $20k, think about buying the $10k setup and using the extra $10k to market.
Old Coastie
Supportive Member
For 10k you can buy a nine-day vacation in Tahiti. Screw the customers.
That leaves you 10k to stay another two weeks, since you already are there. Screw 'em some more!
That leaves you 10k to stay another two weeks, since you already are there. Screw 'em some more!
Thanks Matt, I'm no stranger to pipe tape or a wrench!
I hear Fiji is nice this time of year. My kid don't need food anyhow...when I was three I had 2 full time jobs.
Jim Williams
Member
Carpet cleaning is a great business. The first 3 years can be brutal though. I would advise not getting in too deep in any monthly payments unless you plan on keeping your full time job for awhile or have a wife that can keep you up. Keep in mind you will also need LOTS of marketing $$$$ to get the ball rolling. There's no shame in a good professional portable for awhile. To be honest most customers probably don't care if you have a monster truckmount. I have a truckmount but I can't tell you how many times per week people ask me if I need somewhere to plug in my machine. They don't care if I'm a porty guy or truckmount guy. They called me because of my reputation or a referral. A porty can clean just fine, it's just slower. I keep a portable Ninja for condos and it cleans great with a good quality prespray. Good luck!
I agree!
TomKing
Supportive Member
I just responded to your June 4 post in the business section.
If I had it to do all over again I would go out and buy a brand new unit.
Jon Don can get you in a pimped out unit for $1,000 month. My last 2 units I got 3% terms for 7 years.
Here is why I would go brand new
1. No down time if you maintain it right.
2. No limits on what you can clean and sell.
3. You're not focused on equipment you can focus on building your business.
Do you want to be a business owner or NASCAR mechanic? A lot of guys get geeked out working on their machines after hours. Is that what you really want to be doing? Not me! Get a jeep, a Harley, some go karts if you want to be wrenching on something.
The question is not who has started on less and succeeded.
The question is what is the fastest way to your life goals? What do you want your life to look like?
We started with a used Bane Clean unit a $2500 van and some tools $8500 all in. It was an up hill battle from the word go. I had the money to make monthly payments on a brand new truck. I wish I had. The early days would have been less stress and hours.
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Dolly Llama
Number 5
is your avatar a pic of you?
if so, get rid of those goofyazz kid glasses and maybe you have 8-10 custys a week ....
buying used....
direct drives are for mindless nincompoop techs that can't figure much more than flipping a switch
They're pretty simple and reliable as far as TMs go, but harder on the van
(vans aren't made/engineered to run all day sitting in a drive)
and WAY overkill to drive a blower and pump
The TM will far out last the van too...and they're not easy to swap out into a new van like a slide-in
(don't believe Bob)
I wouldn't touch a used one unless it was low hour
$10-$12K for a used van w/slide in 'n gear ready to roll....you better be mechanical
TM in a trailer..you'll hate it.
borrow or rent a trailer and drive around for a week and you'll know why
.L.T.A.
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I dont wear the goofy glasses...lol that when i had to do MRI experiment for University when they tested my deafness. I had to a wear non-magnetic glass to see. Easy money.. Ask mikey, i aint goofy when it come with dealing with customers.. As far as mechanical go...i am very mechanical...piece cake, i can fix or swap any engine anytime. Just get me replacment part book and a manual... Im good to go...how hard is it to replace a spark plug anyways?
Cleanworks
Moderator
The problem when you are new in the business, is you really don't know when your equipment is running right or not. I have been on large commercial jobs and as we have slack hose, we will disconnect a 50 ft length at a time. Some times, even though we have warned the tech that we are doing this, while the hose is disconnected, he is still trying to clean, not noticing the difference in the sound of the wand or that he is not picking up the cleaning solution. It's good to get some experience on different machines and if you make mistakes, it's better on someone else's dime. Having said that, there are often great deals out there for used equipment. Expect to have to work on it. If your handy with a wrench, go for it.
Lol yeah, i am learning. I have accidently unplug one cord for my portable and i was was only utilizing one vacuum motor instead of two. It be nice to have a arduino or rasberry pi board with sensors to tell you the update of the machine to your phone app while in operation to make sure that you are fully optimal. Maybe a cfm sensor light indicator at wand to detect loss to inspect immediately. I think about this because i absolutely can not tell because of my hearing loss.
Yeah i can tell by touching vac hose. Even then, i still need to have a system that will work for me to make sure that i do job the right way. Fortunately, i do well with electronic sensors and micro boards. Theres a lot air sensors out there that i can utilize to improve my functionality. Blue tooth and a phone holder for my phone with operational app screen within my view collecting data from machine and hoses.
You missing a leg?
hogjowl
Idiot™
HWE only?
You've got common sense
You've got common sense
Dolly Llama
Number 5
there are guys that have been cleaning for years that are still clueless mOOks
Can't tell the difference when a hose is full of foam, can't tell the difference in 200 ft of hose piled in a jumbled clusterfook* out side the door compared to 75ft
*too clueless to also realize why piling it in a jumbled clusterfook out side the door also makes their wrap up more difficult
can't tell when a jet is fouled streaking the carpet
some won't even realize there's no solution AT ALL going thru the wand
Derrek, you might not be a clueless mOOk after all , but you'll be at a disadvantage if your hearing impairment is severe/profound
the sharp guys get to know the "sounds" of the machine(s) and wand/tools.
Many can tell when there's a single popcorn kernel stuck in the wand lips (if I can, I'm sure others do as well)
same for solution pressure going up or down by sound the jets make
if your hearing lose is severe/profound, you'll have to rely more on the other senses.
Mostly touch/feel and sight to avoid being a clueless mOOk once you get past the "rookie" stage
..L.T.A.
