Starting Over From Scratch - Marketing Approaches

[Jeff Madsen]

We're thinking about starting a rug cleaning business in a new place. We won't have the advantage of thousands of past clients and a database to mail out of. We also won't be able to let it grow sloooooowly like we have in the past because there won't be any carpet or upholstery cleaning to help with cash flow. What would your marketing plan look like for this? In the past we've gotten very good results with direct mail, we've avoided the yellow pages and co-op mailings like the plague (for a variety of reasons, the biggest one being capacity), we've visited referral sources, sent a newsletter - the normal stuff. How would or should this look different for a rug cleaning only operation? I'm giving some thought to getting a peddlers license and going door to door for several hours per day to introduce myself and our service to potential clients. For those of you who have done this, or even if you haven't, I'd love to hear your thoughts. How would you ramp it up?

 

[Ken Snow]

Lots of questions before.

What is your sales goal for years 1, 2 & 3? This will help determine a start up adv budget.
Is your rug cleaning capacity going to fit that sales goal?
Do you have the financial resources to lose money for a year or 2 i.e. does it need to be self sustaining from the get go, or can you look more long term? Sounds like from what you wrote you need the cashflow to iummediately sustain it. In this case I agree direct mail with an extremely compelling offer and follow that up with referral rewards so that your first customers help you get more quickly.
Door to door seems like a very time intensive way to try to get customers.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Jeff
That's a scary thought, you're scaring me.

Have you worked the numbers for this venture? Equipment, rent, phones, someone to answer the phones and process the work, insurance, utilities, vehicles, marketing budget.

So with all that plus, how many rugs will you need to clean a month to cover that? Does your market have the capacity to do that?

Direct mail targeted to affluent homeowners would be a good way to make the announcement you're now there. Be sure to include an intro offer.

I think I'd would work your referral sources hard, interior decorators, drycleaners, fine furnishing stores, carpet retailers, OTHER cleaners-have a program for them, finders fee or discount if the bring them to you. Remind them you are not in direct competition with them you only do rugs.


Develope relationships with those referral sources you need them, they should be your best friends.

Where do these rug owners shop, eat, sleep, work, relax? Think unconventional marketing.

Maybe visit a Country Club or two and see if you can trade out cleaning their rugs for a sign that says "These rugs are maintained by:_______ and your cards. ???

Make sure all you literature looks the part for high end work. Full color, heavy weight, well designed pieces, this not the area to scrimp.

After the brief splash with the media, I'd spent more of your marketing effort face to face with those centers of influence. It will only cost you your time and not break a shoe string budget.


Of course I'm no Guru, I just slept at a Holiday Inn!

 

[Jeff Madsen]

Lots of questions before.

What is your sales goal for years 1, 2 & 3? This will help determine a start up adv budget.
Year 1 - $47960 Year 2 - $100,000 Year 3 - $124704
Is your rug cleaning capacity going to fit that sales goal?
We'd be bursting at the seams by year 3, but additional investment in space and equipment can be made.
Do you have the financial resources to lose money for a year or 2 i.e. does it need to be self sustaining from the get go, or can you look more long term? Sounds like from what you wrote you need the cashflow to iummediately sustain it. In this case I agree direct mail with an extremely compelling offer and follow that up with referral rewards so that your first customers help you get more quickly.
We could lose money for the first year, after that we'd need to be break even or very close.
Door to door seems like a very time intensive way to try to get customers.

It is - but in a new community it would get you some face time with the right folks. I'd do it in conjunction with a mailer of some kind.

 

[mirf]

I would spend time talking to carpet and upholstery cleaners. Many do not do as much as they could and may welcome a partnetship with a specialist.

 

[Ken Snow]

Would you knock on doors evenings and weekends when people are home? Personally i have always viewed door to door as desperation sales. If others feel that way it may do more harm than good as well as take up your eves and weekends.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[Mikey P]

Is there a rug shop (or two) in the proposed town already?

 

[rhyde]

I'd want to know more about the community.
We looked at expanding a few years back into another town central Oregon ultimately it didn't make sense one of the rug cleaners in that town has since folded and there's plenty of guys suck mopping rugs.
The other unique problem is we have clients with second homes in this market but they are vacation homes and they don't see the need to clean their rugs very often and when they do they pack them in their car
and bring them to us. This was the unique situation with this town.


-Your best marketing is from repeat clients.. a client referral system would be great but you don't have many/if any?
-I agree with Ken on door to door sales people it's also annoying to many to be bothered at home, if you go that route maybe door hangers?
-Direct mailers work Ok but.

 

[Mikey P]

folded and there's plenty of guys suck mopping rugs.

my dad should have gotten a copywrite on that phrase

 

[rhyde]

Sorry, does this help ....


Suck mop ©

 

[Jeff Madsen]

I think the door to door thing would have to be done very low-key. More of an introduction, here's some literature, have a great day type of deal. Definitely not high pressure, let me grab your rug and run! I think it would give you a bigger bang for the buck than just putting out fliers and it could be done in conjunction with a neighborhood mailing. I'm not wedded to the idea! Just tossing it out.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I think it might give the wrong impression of your company going door to door. Oriental rug cleaning is not carpet cleaning. If I were courting the idea of cleaning more rugs I would spend a little on the image I am trying to project.

Cards, flyers and brochures, full color with images of the rugs you want to be cleaning. I don't think flyers will instill the same confidence a high quality piece will.

What about a website dedicated to rug cleaning for the new town? Again images of the rugs you hope to clean, include text that details the experience, training and care you are going to show their family heirlooms . Check out Paul Shaper's website, he sells postcards, calendars, mouse pads with rug themes. You need to spend the money to get the money, it doesn't have be with Paul but his website might give you some ideas.

 

[Jeff Madsen]

What about the direct mail piece of the puzzle? Would you use stand alone pieces or would you utilize co-op mailers? Multi-piece long copy with lots of enticing pictures or postcards? Romance the stone or more name, rank, serial number?

 

[Desk Jockey]

Ken is always on me for too much copy so what I would suggest is enough copy to educate them as to why they should chose you.

I would not do the bundle thing right off but if you're positioned with the right vendors going to select targeted homes it might be worth trying several times to see if you get a response.

 

[The Great Oz]

OK, new town, so far away from old town that there's no connection. Rug cleaning only.

Going after retail should come after developing a wholesale base if you want to get started fast. Just like jump starting a carpet cleaning company, getting more square feet of rug cleaning as quickly as possible pays the bills.

Since you're going to be rug only you can market that to all of the carpet cleaners that might currently be taking chances on cleaning rugs. You're not going to compete with them, in fact you'll list the cleaners you work with on your website. You can sponsor a dinner of the local designer's association, or if too small of a town for that you can do some leg work and visit them. Show them your experience. Show all of them the wholesale rate if they pay, their cash and carry discount, and most importantly, what percentage you kick back to them from each retail referral. Go down the list of anyone that might be a referrral source and get them on your kickback program. (Call the kickback program something like - referral rewards.)

As represensible as buying referrals may be, as someone new to town you will need to do this if you want a quick start.

If you're going after retail send a nice postcard to select zip codes with your grand opening pricing. Get your retail customers on the referral program as well.

If your software doesn't make it easy to run a kickback program, get new software that does.​

 

[Jeff Madsen]

Bryan,

How do you really feel about referral rewards programs?

We've used one for years and years, our clients love it and until I read your post I really hadn't felt bad about it! Now you've given me a complex.

I'll try to shake it off!

 

[Joe Appleby]

Rent a buliding next to the busiest street, freeway, sidewalk, arena or airport. Put up the biggest sign you can on that building reading, "bring us your dirty rugs".
Just a thought.