Just topped 1 million dollars for the first time!

[dday]

there's nothing saying you have to duplicate it "exactly", why not $300 house packages, could make 600 in a day easy, that's well over 100K a year without working too hard

I have been working on something along those lines. Its easy to make the lower prices work if you are just spotting, spraying, and extracting. However, I'd be loath to cut the GLS pre-scrub completely. I am working on a whole house special with pricing that would allow me to use the GLS on traffic lanes, stairs, and difficult stains. Currently I GLS every inch of area that I am cleaning. By having the customer pre-vac, and only GLS'ing those areas that won't clean as well without it, this could work.

Also,I spoke with Big Mike, and if the customer fails to pre-vac, or has not pre-vac'ed well enough when his techs arrive, his company will pre-vac and they do charge extra for that service. But he makes sure to mention that on the phone when customers call to schedule.

 

[Tom King]

They run 2 trucks as of 2010.

Mike how is your competitive position with the Wm. F Bane Company in Indianapolis?

They've run a very clean multi-truck operation there for over 40 years. I know at one time they advertised that they cleaned more carpet than any cleaner in the state, and once ran over ten trucks.

 

[BigMike]

Like I say.... I really only go there if I'm in need of chemical that I can't get at my usual supplier. I think mainly they sell cleaning supplies, equipment and hold classes now? They do have cleaners throughout the city that use Bane-Clene Equipment I personally am not a fan of their product but that's just my opinion. Everyone has their likes and dislikes. It's not a shot at them personally. They run a good business.

They run 2 trucks as of 2010.

[quote="Lee Stockwell":c74n3mf6]Mike how is your competitive position with the Wm. F Bane Company in Indianapolis?

They've run a very clean multi-truck operation there for over 40 years. I know at one time they advertised that they cleaned more carpet than any cleaner in the state, and once ran over ten trucks.

[/quote:c74n3mf6]

 

[BigMike]

It is very rare that they don't vacuum but we do get a few from time to time. Most are happy to prevac if they know it's going to save them a few bucks. Besides..... our charge for that is very miniscule. Even with the charge we are almost always far better priced than most competitor's in the area.

there's nothing saying you have to duplicate it "exactly", why not $300 house packages, could make 600 in a day easy, that's well over 100K a year without working too hard

I have been working on something along those lines. Its easy to make the lower prices work if you are just spotting, spraying, and extracting. However, I'd be loath to cut the GLS pre-scrub completely. I am working on a whole house special with pricing that would allow me to use the GLS on traffic lanes, stairs, and difficult stains. Currently I GLS every inch of area that I am cleaning. By having the customer pre-vac, and only GLS'ing those areas that won't clean as well without it, this could work.

Also,I spoke with Big Mike, and if the customer fails to pre-vac, or has not pre-vac'ed well enough when his techs arrive, his company will pre-vac and they do charge extra for that service. But he makes sure to mention that on the phone when customers call to schedule.

 

[BigMike]

No problem. As I have said many many times before....the way I do things with my company is not the only way to do things. There are lots of other ways. I know what works for me and should work reasonably well for most any other cleaner if that's the way they wanted to go. Price is always a factor for almost everyone who calls to have the work done. Even the rich customers shop for price. I'm not saying you can't charge a higher price.... lots of cleaners do...and that's fine but in an economy such as we have now (and will continue to have for the next foreseeable future) price is king for most people looking for the service. You don't have to be the cheapest cleaner in the city to make money....you also don't have to be the most expensive either. It's a great way to "recession proof" your business for the most part. Again... God has blessed me and my business so I must give him all the credit. When the economy was good...our business was strong. When the economy was bad....our business was STRONGER. I've seen quite a few high priced cleaners close their doors over the last few years. The main reason they folded was not soley because they were more expensive but mainly because they refused to change with the times as time dictated. What amazes me is they will stay up to date on all the latest, greatest equipment, they will fall prey to the latest greatest "guru" selling them secrets only disclosed in their DVD package in an effort to stay on top of marketing/sales... but they fail to listen to THE CUSTOMER. It's the 97% of the other carpet cleaning consuming public who CAN'T afford a $600 (example price) price tag that drive the pricing in a certain direction. And they WILL seek out and FIND what they are looking for. Again... you don't have to be the cheapest cleaner. I think it is safe to say that most of the high priced cleaners in this area really struggled, are struggling or have closed their doors because they didn't listen to what the customer wanted and needed. When cleaners STOP listening to the customer and following their needs.... it's only a matter of time before their business starts to suffer. Just my 2 cents.

Good thread. I usually do a $99 Special in the winter (whole house up to 5 areas), and I have often thought of doing something along the lines of what the OP has done - one price for one story house, another price for two story.

Thanks for sharing, Big Mike.

David

 

[BigMike]

We use Ninja and Speedster. Both very durable products, easy to work on and parts are very easy to find if you ever need one. Maintaince is very low. But there are lots of other very good portables out there. Just because we use a certain brand doesn't mean I completely endorse using just their product. Now if Ninja/Speedster would like to contact me and use me as a spokesperson that's a different story. :mrgreen:

Any particular brand portable loyalty you have? It would be a great testimonial, to know what you have been using and abusing, and still buying more.

 

[John Buxton]

I think I met you at a class at a Bane Clean class, tile and wood floors. Your in Mars Hill, right? You topped a million dollars??? Really??

John

Door 2 Door

 

[BigMike]

I have only been to one Bane class and that was several years ago. Mars hill area is several miles from where I'm at but in the general location. Yes... my company topped 1 million last year. We are on track to surpass that again this year. Of course... that is not all from carpet cleaning. We do janitorial work as well. With God's grace we never even experienced a slow down. In fact...when most people were closing up shop, laying people off and cutting back... we were hiring. It's been a blessing for sure.

I think I met you at a class at a Bane Clean class, tile and wood floors. Your in Mars Hill, right? You topped a million dollars??? Really??

John

Door 2 Door

 

[joe harper]

I have only been to one Bane class and that was several years ago. Mars hill area is several miles from where I'm at but in the general location. Yes... my company topped 1 million last year. We are on track to surpass that again this year. Of course... that is not all from carpet cleaning. We do janitorial work as well. With God's grace we never even experienced a slow down. In fact...when most people were closing up shop, laying people off and cutting back... we were hiring. It's been a blessing for sure.

I think I met you at a class at a Bane Clean class, tile and wood floors. Your in Mars Hill, right? You topped a million dollars??? Really??

John

Door 2 Door

I am Very Proud of you.... :!:

I will follow this thead....& read the PrEvIouS post...When you post you have "NET" a million $$

 

[steve r]

hey bigmike i dont know if you remember me but i still have your magnet at my exes house on the fridge.

we met on procleaners when there were just about 5 of us there.

glad to hear things are going so well for ya.

im still hanging around myself .

 

[BigMike]

Great... that's what I like to hear! I haven't been in ProCleaners Clubhouse is quite some time. Ever since they changed the format its been quite hard for me to log in. Takes forever it seems like. I only stop in from time to time there now. It's much different than it use to be.

hey bigmike i dont know if you remember me but i still have your magnet at my exes house on the fridge.

we met on procleaners when there were just about 5 of us there.

glad to hear things are going so well for ya.

im still hanging around myself .

 

[Phoenix Phil]

Haven't seen Big Mike around lately. Wonder if the job situation has generated more price chopper competition for him in Indiana?

 

[Mikey P]

he has been lurking.

 

[BigMike]

Phoenix Phil" data-source="" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch">

Haven't seen Big Mike around lately. Wonder if the job situation has generated more price chopper competition for him in Indiana?

Sorry Phil.... I don't get on here much. Maybe every couple weeks. Things are going well here in Indy. God has blessed us for sure. July is all but completely booked with everyday but Sundays. The first 10 days of August are pretty booked too. We are running a new "school" campaign that has taken a lot of our attention trying to get it up and running before the new school year starts. I do want to say this.... we have almost switched exclusively to Judson lab products. We are phasing out almost all our old stock and replacing it with his stuff. Everything I have tried/used has been out of this world. If you havent tried it...do yourself a favor. We are starting to offer more and more tile/grout cleaning. Market research for cleaners in this area is almost done and I believe we will also be able to offer a fixed price for that as well once we get the numbers finalized. Should be interesting!

 

[Brian R]

Big Mike, what are you charging for Tile and Grout cleaning now?

Do you have a ballpark of what your set price will be?

Can you go into detail of your school promotion please?

Good to hear things are good.


I'm still considering your business model....I've talked a bunch of guys thinking the same thing.

I would only do it in my Dallas area....but I'm not sure I would do the whole house thing....maybe room thing and include halls, baths, closets for "free".


Thanks for your insight...yer a cool dude.

 

[BigMike]

Big Mike, what are you charging for Tile and Grout cleaning now?

Do you have a ballpark of what your set price will be?

Can you go into detail of your school promotion please?

Good to hear things are good.


I'm still considering your business model....I've talked a bunch of guys thinking the same thing.

I would only do it in my Dallas area....but I'm not sure I would do the whole house thing....maybe room thing and include halls, baths, closets for "free".


Thanks for your insight...yer a cool dude.

We haven't yet figured out what our set price will be for tile and grout cleaning. We are still collecting data from other cleaners within our service area. Once we have had an opportunity to crunch the numbers and look at all existing data from our competitors we should be able to come up with a set price. Notice I used the words "should be." The numbers/data could show we may not be able to offer a fixed price for tile/grout cleaning. We take data compiled from all the "ligit" cleaners in the area and weed out all the splash and dash and fly by night guys. We do this because if we are able to offer a fixed price for our service, we need to know their average price point and what their threshold is for discounting their service. This way we have a blueprint as to what they can and can't do. Our data isn't simply compiled of just a price quote either. We take into consideration type of equipment they use, average number of employees, transportation, size of business, business location and several other things. We even gather information on their employees if possible... by using social media tools like Facebook and other like networks. Sounds crazy yes... but a company is only as good as it's employees and in the big picture this data can come in very helpful at times. Once data is gathered we again pick through it for revelance. I know this sounds like a lot of trouble (and it can be at times) but it pays off in spades in the long run. This information is needed in order to make sure we can continue to back our work and price guarantee. Our guarantee is this: If you find any other legit cleaner that advertises a better price for same service than we do...we will beat it...And if we can't beat their price we will pay for them to clean it for you. Of course they have to offer the same service and have ZERO restrictions on the customer... this means they can't charge by the square foot, they can't charge by "areas or rooms" and limit it to x amount of square feet, they can't charge extra for ANYTHING... not even pet stains and odor removal... because it's all included with us. They can't charge extra for steps, hallways, closets, bathrooms or any other carpeted areas no matter what size. We will adopt this into tile/grout cleaning if we can. And for those of you who think we have ever had to pay for another ligit cleaner to do the work... think again...because although we have price matched (and beat) the very best advertised price we have never NOT been able to beat our competitors ad or written quotes. And the whole kicker of it all is that the customer is getting the QUALITY, VALUE & SERVICE to go along with everything. They aren't getting a discount job at a discount price! This structure may or may not work in your area...do your homework. I can tell you this...and it applies to almost every area of the country.... consumers aren't stupid (..er...on average anyway) and they look for the best option for spending their dollar. Times are tough everywhere and although this model isn't the best for everyone...it works..and it works well. It's designed to be resession resistant and geared soley toward the consumer. They laughed at me here in Indy when I started but they aren't laughing anymore. In fact...of the ligit cleaners that have managed to stay in business...almost all of them are offering some type of fixed whole house pricing. Of course...they are still up to their old tricks with fine print and limits on the consumer but at least they are heading in a different direction. If nothing else it forces them to offer more for less and quit taking customers to the "cleaners." ...no pun intended. Even the rich folks look for the best deals! Again... this model may not work in your area but if you are looking for ways to fill your books a little more and to stay busy...what does it hurt to try right? Give it a couple months and some honest effort marketing and see where it takes you. If I can ever help with anything please do not hesitate to ask. I'm always happy to share with you what I can. Have a great 4th guys and gals!

 

[BigMike]

Big Mike, what are you charging for Tile and Grout cleaning now?

Do you have a ballpark of what your set price will be?

Can you go into detail of your school promotion please?

Good to hear things are good.


I'm still considering your business model....I've talked a bunch of guys thinking the same thing.

I would only do it in my Dallas area....but I'm not sure I would do the whole house thing....maybe room thing and include halls, baths, closets for "free".


Thanks for your insight...yer a cool dude.

Sorry.. I forgot to address our school promotion we have in the works. I will address it at a different time once we have had an opportunity to put things into play and work out any kinks. Once I get on more solid ground with it and I am able to give you good information about it I will be more than happy to share it with you.

 

[Brian R]

Cool. I was just curious

 

[Brian R]

Mike, why don't you advertise your prices on the front page of your website?

By the way....if I may say...it needs some work. It's kinda all over the place.

Nice reviews on Google though.

 

[dday]

Mike, why don't you advertise your prices on the front page of your website?

This is Mike's consumer website, I believe:

http://www.indycarpetcleaners.org/

 

[Brian R]

That's a little better

 

[daniel@procarpet]

I see a lot of homes with hardwood and tile down stairs with carpet in master bedroom. Upstairs has a few rooms of carpet. I say you are losing a lot of these customers. Maybe not.

 

[Brian R]

As many houses as I've seen lately, I've got a really good idea of what a "whole house" is in North Dallas, TX.

Most have wood and tile. Carpeted bd, Lr, Fr....And stairs if they have them. Halls upstairs are carpeted but not usually downstairs.

I think it would be hard to give a whole house price.

But I do know that Big Mike has a 3 room deal that most could fall back on if the whole house is mostly wood/tile.

Always something to think about.

 

[joeynbgky]

Whats his 3 room deal?

Sent from my g2 using tapatalk. Whofat

 

[Brian R]

I thought it was $89 or $99....Any size

 

[Brian R]

Mike, why don't you advertise your prices on the front page of your website?

This is Mike's consumer website, I believe:

http://www.indycarpetcleaners.org/

I don't know....Different phone number.


Hey Big Mike...Is this your consumer site? (Think he'll here me?)

 

[Ron Werner]

from the pics on that site, before to after, less than 30 min. Look at the sun on the carpet, left side. At those prices you've gotta move fast.

 

[Kipp]

I checked out the site and clicked on the reviews...wow was I impressed never seen so many 5 star reviews but then I noticed something.... If the company was established in 2001 why is the oldest review I can find 2008? Also why is EVERY review profile I clicked on created the same day the review was written and that is the ONLY review that profile has every written?

 

[Kipp]

Why does Manta report your annual sales at $200,000?

http://www.manta.com/ci/mmgc6dq/american-carpet-cleaners

Why was your BBB file opened June 29th, 2010 yet your website states you have been complaint free for over a decade?

Why is the copyright on both your websites 2010 and 2011?

 

[Brian R]

Why do you care and why are you posting such things here?