Just topped 1 million dollars for the first time!

[Bill Soukoreff]

Bill, i have to disagree with you. As BM said...no upselling...but "ask". That's a great policy. But you're not even asking. Just because you're asking if they'd like additional rooms cleaned or upholstery cleaned doesn't mean you're a "liar, cheater or thief". Trust is still gained...it's how you treat their home; how you perform your job and how you carry yourself. If you're offering additional services that benefit your custy's, it's a win/win.

EVERYONE asks. Wherever I go, no matter what I do, SOMEONE is asking me for my money. I find it refreshing, when someone just gives me what I want without the veiled up-sell. It makes me take a second look at their company and what they do. It makes me want to get to know them. Never ask and immediately you are different from everyone else.

This will not work for most companies. But for those who can and dare, you will never have to advertise.

It's like these subscription newsletters that has has become a huge business. A friend and very smart business associate was telling me that I need to get one on these for my website. His wife just added one for her fitness website. She pays $30 per month for the privilege to annoy people. Of course she does not write the articles that get sent out, she does not even agree with some of the things said, but she has being coned into thinking that she NEEDS to pester her customers. The style of these newsletters are so lame and transparent. You are effectively yelling at the customer.

I asked him if he likes to receive such emails, and guess what? He hates them and would NEVER sign up for one. But he became a victim of marketers selling him their service to market to his customers.

My suggestion is, if you like being sold to, then sell that way. If you do not like being sold to and prefer to buy, then treat your customer the same way.

If you become a trusted advisor, then you will never have to ask or sell.

It reminds me of a music group that hated touring, they are a studio band with families. They were told for 20 years they have to tour. They bought into the system, and they hated it and their families hated it. They almost quit the music music business. So after 20 years they finally said no. They stopped touring. They got off the commercial roller coaster. It has not effected their music one bit. They sucked live anyway, so if anything it has helped there sales!

Again, this won't work for all people, but the point is it did for them and it does for me. You can't argue with that and can't argue with Ken Snow's awesome business who does huge upselling. But YOU have to happy with what your doing and remember your business is a reflection of yourself.

 

[Brian R]

and if your doubting my natural born talent at being able to give a correct assessment of a person's real personality by how they post, I would suggest you ask yourself, "Brian do I really want to doubt the king of all cleaning boards at this moment?"



Cuzz you know I always hit a bullseye.


dude!

Don't get all butt hurt over it...I just asked if you knew the guy before he posted.

 

[Guest]

I'd pee myself if i could top $25,000 in sales for a year. I do this part time and it is lucrative considering I never have put more than 20 hours in a week, but then again I never have broken $1,000 in sales in a week yet
I don't have the courage to leave my other job, though there are days I swear I'll never come back and go at this full time. I do believe that this can honestly make a good chunk of change, but $1,000,000 in sales seems unachievable in my mind, which is probably why I never will.

 

[Guest]

your pretty savy for just a newbee there sweet heart


http://fullmetalbullshiet.ytmnd.com/

 

[Greg Cole]

Yikes! I spend Monday working on 2010 business devlopment and I miss Mike Swinson getting the third degree! What were you thinking? Didn’t you learn from my mistake? Most on here hate any level of success and will crucify you if you don’t confrm to whatever warped morales they woke up with that day. Hang in there- they are going light on you. Perhaps you are telling them what they want to hear but they are definetly going light!....
I like your “ask but don’t sell” philosophy. I’m not sure how practical it is but it certainly is a great concept. Does the math work? Does the trade off for repeats offset the money you are losing? Are you sure they aren’t selling? Isn’t asking actually selling? Is the definition of selling not : “To bring about or encourage sales of; promote” ?? <http://www.thefreedictionary.com/selling > Isn’t simply saying “Would you like to renew your scotchgard” actually selling?
Wouldn’t a philosphy like “We don’t allow hard sales tactics of any sort” be a more accurate mandate? It certainly is more controlable.
I believe that additional sales can be achieved without compromising your integrity if you provide proper training and a well defined list of what is acceptable and unacceptable. As you don’t use contractors, I’m sure you could implement something like this pretty easyly and increase your bottom line tremendously.
You may be happy making $180k-$250k a year personally but wouldn’t you prefer to make $300k-$400k instead with the same overhead? Just my thoughts….. BTW: CONGRATS! Keep up the good work!

 

[Greg Cole]

Debra,

hang in there. You would be surprised how easily you can achieve $50k in sales working part time. (please don't pee yourself!)
A simple $20 referral card system coupled with a repeat customer post card system can easily provide $50k a year in sales in a town with a demographic of at least 50 thousand homes. You would need to put in about 20 hours of cleaning a week but easily do-able!

 

[Steve Lawrence]

Big Mike,
It sounds like you have a great business but I would be willing to bet that all of your employees would trade those holidays and birthdays off and name being thrown in a hat for a chance at $1000 for some real solid health insurance. Can't you afford it?

Steve

PS--This is how badly we need health care reform. Successful businesses won't even provide it for employees.

 

[BigMike]

If you think you can or if you think you can't... you're right either way!

I'd pee myself if i could top $25,000 in sales for a year. I do this part time and it is lucrative considering I never have put more than 20 hours in a week, but then again I never have broken $1,000 in sales in a week yet
I don't have the courage to leave my other job, though there are days I swear I'll never come back and go at this full time. I do believe that this can honestly make a good chunk of change, but $1,000,000 in sales seems unachievable in my mind, which is probably why I never will.

 

[BigMike]

I plan to offer it next year but up until now it has not really been all that feasable. Besides... I'm not sure if you have priced group health insurance or not but it ain't cheap by ANY stretch of the imagination for any size company. One reason a lot of companies either will not provide it or have dropped it is because employees were not using it as health care insurance... they were/are abusing it. They run to the hospital or emergency room if they get the sniffles simply because they have health insurance. I'm not saying that everyone does that but there are a lot of people who do and it really strains the company, hospitals and insurance providers. I'm not going to get into politics because thats not what Im here for. I do think there is a definate need for health care reform... am I in favor of ObamaCare? No. I am not in favor of a national health care policy. With that said we do plan to offer private insurance next year.

Big Mike,
It sounds like you have a great business but I would be willing to bet that all of your employees would trade those holidays and birthdays off and name being thrown in a hat for a chance at $1000 for some real solid health insurance. Can't you afford it?

Steve

PS--This is how badly we need health care reform. Successful businesses won't even provide it for employees.

 

[BigMike]

They may ask if there is any other things they would like done such as furniture. That's it. Same thing with carpet protectant. After the first inital question thats as far as its allowed to go. I'm sure the more I'm on here the more everyone will see that I think waaaaay outside the box in virtually every area of running my business. Everything from marketing, customer service, ordering supplies...I do almost everything a lot different than most common carpet cleaners. And believe me... I've heard it all. I was told when I first started what I should and shouldn't be doing...this cleaner literally called me an idiot right in front of everyone at the supply house. He told me I would never last and would be out of business in less than a year with the way I was running things. He literally laughed in my face. But as of May 13th, 2009 he filed for bankruptcy and went out of business. Good thing I didnt listen to him huh? I immediately snatched his phone number and then 45 days later paid PENNIES on the dollar for a lot for his stuff. I made SURE he knew who the purchaser was too. He was in business for almost 16yrs. I wish him well but will not and have not EVER listend to my competition in a 75 mile radius of me. Now matter how good their intentions may seem they are not in the business to see you succeed.

Yikes! I spend Monday working on 2010 business devlopment and I miss Mike Swinson getting the third degree! What were you thinking? Didn’t you learn from my mistake? Most on here hate any level of success and will crucify you if you don’t confrm to whatever warped morales they woke up with that day. Hang in there- they are going light on you. Perhaps you are telling them what they want to hear but they are definetly going light!....
I like your “ask but don’t sell” philosophy. I’m not sure how practical it is but it certainly is a great concept. Does the math work? Does the trade off for repeats offset the money you are losing? Are you sure they aren’t selling? Isn’t asking actually selling? Is the definition of selling not : “To bring about or encourage sales of; promote” ?? <http://www.thefreedictionary.com/selling > Isn’t simply saying “Would you like to renew your scotchgard” actually selling?
Wouldn’t a philosphy like “We don’t allow hard sales tactics of any sort” be a more accurate mandate? It certainly is more controlable.
I believe that additional sales can be achieved without compromising your integrity if you provide proper training and a well defined list of what is acceptable and unacceptable. As you don’t use contractors, I’m sure you could implement something like this pretty easyly and increase your bottom line tremendously.
You may be happy making $180k-$250k a year personally but wouldn’t you prefer to make $300k-$400k instead with the same overhead? Just my thoughts….. BTW: CONGRATS! Keep up the good work!

 

[Doug Cox]

Well you sure blew Ken Snow's employee perk package out of Lake Eireee.

If his chimps show up all 364 days in one year they get to take their pick of his left over Fabio romance novels.

Some Funny Shit!!

 

[Doug Cox]

So, how many people are generating this 1 million dollars? The amount means nothing to me without knowing how many people are making it or what your net is for that matter.

 

[hogjowl]

They're picking you apart with questions looking for something to find wrong about you and/or your business.

Have you noticed?

 

[Curtis Pennington]

Congrats...... I would never boast what I do BTW, southerners have more class than that..lol...Posting what you make sends red flags everwhere, tip of day.



anyway this is not just CC, this gentleman does janitoral, VCT etc also...so that does adds alot to your bottom line. A Joe polish guy here won a car for his buisness being # 1....... but they failed to mention his buisness is 70% janitoral!


Congrats on your buiz, nice name.

 

[Doug Cox]

Kiss off Martin. I asked a valid question. Now all I need is an answer. Good for him for making a mil.

 

[Bjorn]

wow

hard thing is keeping the million bucks

yous now on Obermers hit list

steve is already hitting you up for health insurance

 

[minuteman]

Hi Mike welcome to the board.

Sounds to me your ready to franchise the whole thing.

Hope it works out for you.

Greg

 

[Cameron1]

They're picking you apart with questions looking for something to find wrong about you and/or your business.

Have you noticed?

What ever you do....DO NOT MENTION HOW MANY TRUCKS YOU HAVE.

And do not.... LET ME REPEAT......DO NOT...... DO A HOT SEAT INTERVIEW!

 

[Brian R]

A Million dollars a year is what I strive for...of course keeping as much as I can is what I really strive for.
Thinking outside the box is the only way to go....but most people hate that and will give you hell...you've gotten a bit already, Mike...whether you know it or not.

I am sure you will handle the hell just fine.

Usually when someone gets on here and talks about how much money they have made in their first few threads they get a shit pot full of hate posts. That's why I asked if Mikey knew you before you got on here.
You didn't get the usual "Who the hell is this guy" posts. Congrats.
I love to hear when guys are successful so keep it up.
I will listen to any advice from any competition because I think I can sift through all the BS.

I am looking forward to more of you posts..


You should be posting in the marketing room.

 

[tmdry]

Mikey knows BM from PCN, so does some of us that have spoken to him on and off.

Big Mike - Have you spoken to Roger lately?

 

[joeynbgky]

I am so happy for you and everything you have achieved. I really like some of your practices... except...............


You refer your customers to someone else? If I want my carpet cleaned by my carpet cleaner its within 1-4 days. Thats very bad business practice to not take care of your own customers. Get more trucks! If each of your trucks are only bringing in 700 bucks a day, its because they dont have a truckmount... It takes to long to set up portys. Not efficient at all.

NEXT THING..... your before an after carpet cleaning pictures. are not good! why can I still see some of the spots in the after pictures? I still see dirt. If my techs did a job like that, they would be at the unemployment office. I'm sorry but those pictures are not good, either your not using the right chemicals, or you need a powerfull truckmount.

Stop blowing smoke to everyone and work on your quality of work, really

 

[Mikey P]

Yes, I heard BM speak on PCN a few times.


The reason I went "lite" on him is because he runs a sound, HONEST business.

He does not need to deceive his new customers to get into their homes like Cole does with his micro print exclusions and half truths.



More power to him and his crews.

 

[-JB-]

Most on here hate any level of success and will crucify you if you don’t confrm to whatever warped morales they woke up with that day. Hang in there- they are going light on you. Perhaps you are telling them what they want to hear but they are definetly going light!....
I like your “ask but don’t sell” philosophy. I’m not sure how practical it is but it certainly is a great concept. Does the math work? Does the trade off for repeats offset the money you are losing? Are you sure they aren’t selling? Isn’t asking actually selling? Is the definition of selling not : “To bring about or encourage sales of; promote” ?? <http://www.thefreedictionary.com/selling > Isn’t simply saying “Would you like to renew your scotchgard” actually selling?

Sounds to me like it's YOU who are a lil jelous of HIS morals. Just sayin'.

 

[BigMike]

Not all of it is from carpet cleaning. Some of it is from janitorial contracts as well as other cleaning ventures. I have 6 trucks (and 2 added soon) with 2 ppl per truck. Each truck does an average of $600 daily. This of course varies but the average is $600. Most of the time all the trucks are out 6 days a week. Again this varies due to holidays, etc. I would like to say that carpet cleaning is the lions share of the business at this point. We do offer other services such as janitorial cleaning, tombstone cleaning and crime scene clean up but carpet cleaning is for now the lions share of the take.

You guys please forgive me if I don't answer all the post. I'm not the best at this kind of stuff and to be honest this board is a bit hard for me to navigate sometimes so please bear with me. I will do my best. Also, I am not on here every day like some probably are so please forgive any lapse in responding. I also want to say that I'm not hear to cause trouble, stir the pot, argue, fight or nitpick about things. I know how some cleaning boards can get... I'm just here to network with other cleaners. Again.. I am new to this board so please bear with me on responses. I hope all of you have a blessed day!

So, how many people are generating this 1 million dollars? The amount means nothing to me without knowing how many people are making it or what your net is for that matter.

 

[Doug Cox]

Mike- I do like your attitude towards not "high pressure selling". I work the same way and do very well without selling items people don't need.

 

[Greg Cole]

Over a week? time to start a new thread!
Sounds like you seriously need to add trucks and add capacity per truck. $600 per truck average with 2 techs is WAY low. WAY WAY WAY WAY Low. Running the math I'm not sure how you are turning profit.

 

[Ron Werner]

If I remember right, 2 man crews, $10 per hour, about 2hrs per house, 3 houses per day, $200 per house.

$600 day
-2x$80/man=-160=440 left over for all other expenses. Porties don't have a lot of overhead.

6trucks, x 440= $2640/day

Do your customers expect a perfect job for $200? I know you'll treat urine and other stains at no extra cost.

 

[BigMike]

You are correct. Average truck brings in $600 a day before expenses and averages $430+ after expense. My customers get as close to perfect job as anyone else would give them charging twice as much. Our overhead is very low and it cost us a fraction to clean compaired to van mounted units with virtually the same results each time..sometimes better. No offense to van units guys. I have nothing against them we just don't use them is all. Again.... not all of this came from carpet cleaning. We will put the other two vans in service full time next month. Hope everyone has a blessed day.

If I remember right, 2 man crews, $10 per hour, about 2hrs per house, 3 houses per day, $200 per house.

$600 day
-2x$80/man=-160=440 left over for all other expenses. Porties don't have a lot of overhead.

6trucks, x 440= $2640/day

Do your customers expect a perfect job for $200? I know you'll treat urine and other stains at no extra cost.

 

[BigMike]

I would also like to mention that my company is completely debt free. No payments of any kind on any thing. Other than normal operating expense there is zero debt.

You are correct. Average truck brings in $600 a day before expenses and averages $430+ after expense. My customers get as close to perfect job as anyone else would give them charging twice as much. Our overhead is very low and it cost us a fraction to clean compaired to van mounted units with virtually the same results each time..sometimes better. No offense to van units guys. I have nothing against them we just don't use them is all. Again.... not all of this came from carpet cleaning. We will put the other two vans in service full time next month. Hope everyone has a blessed day.

If I remember right, 2 man crews, $10 per hour, about 2hrs per house, 3 houses per day, $200 per house.

$600 day
-2x$80/man=-160=440 left over for all other expenses. Porties don't have a lot of overhead.

6trucks, x 440= $2640/day

Do your customers expect a perfect job for $200? I know you'll treat urine and other stains at no extra cost.

 

[Ron Werner]

This is where I look at my busn, how I clean, can I clean faster, can I do things faster than I'm doing, can I skip some steps to speed up. It seems to be all about time and getting through "enough" jobs in a day to ave $600+
I'd be more like the guy you knew that was in busn for 16yrs, though maybe I am more thorough than he.
I have my following because lots of people got tired of cleaners being in and out so fast, didn't vacuum, spots returned/weren't flushed out.
Its hard to go backward. or would it be forward.
You're guys don't prevac do they?