Desk Jockey
Member
I liked Al's coupon book, thought that was a pretty cool piece he did with each of his services having a special seasonal special. 
Dark Day
- Thread starter Soxpac
- Start date
Shane Deubell
Supportive Member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2011
- Messages
- 4,052
Tom is right on with small offices and independent retailers. Most will make quick decisions and pay either after the job or within 2 weeks.
Whenever possible i would add small vct, less then 3k sqr ft. Plenty of work out there and you only need a used floor buffer/cheap wet vac.
Whenever possible i would add small vct, less then 3k sqr ft. Plenty of work out there and you only need a used floor buffer/cheap wet vac.
TomKing
Supportive Member
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2012
- Messages
- 1,126
- Location
- Indianapolis
- Name
- Tom
- Years of Experience
- 20
- Role
- Business Owner
You are right on the vtc Shane but I would rather shovel horse crap than do vtc. We do it but we also make sure we get paid. I get close to $1sf and it makes me happy. We are doing 3900sf next week. Lots of happy.
Shane Deubell
Supportive Member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2011
- Messages
- 4,052
Like any service you need the production equipment/tools to make the job go easier.
End of the day encap is whole lot more profitable then stripping a floor but we want to provide multiple services.
Most of our jobs are combos anyway.
End of the day encap is whole lot more profitable then stripping a floor but we want to provide multiple services.
Most of our jobs are combos anyway.
hogjowl
Idiot™
I don't enjoy doing vct either, and I price it to match my annoyance of having to do it. I am at prices that are very high for my market, and would be considered high even in Mikey's market. Because, I have to be to be profitable. I can price a vct job at $1.50 a s.f. and still net less per hour than I will a carpet job prices at a quarter of that.
Charlie Lyman
Supportive Member
Awesome. Keep it up. Keep looking forward.
Dolly Llama
Number 5
Soxpac
Supportive Member
Also I gotta say I was blown away by all of the positivity on this thread. I half expected to be torn to shreds. MB rocks!
Mikey P
Administrator
Established/participating members are treated like gold here Dan.
You wouldn't believe the help that goes on off line as well.
You wouldn't believe the help that goes on off line as well.
Mikey P
Administrator
So what things have helped to bring in work if you don't mind me asking?
Soxpac
Supportive Member
Sure! All of the above. Flyers, brochures, b2b sales, cold calls and so on but I'd have to say mainly b2b. I landed a tear out job because this guy I was trying to earn the business of (com park mgr) asked me if I knew anybody and before I could answer him I just blurted out " we do " and after that he gave me all his cleaning business and said he'd suggest me via brochure to all his tenants. Not that a tear out is a big deal but I felt the urge to be everything to my clients. Sounds corny but I need to be their "guy". By no means am I out of the woods but the confidence this thread alone gave me was insane. Who thought a bunch of cleaners could actually help one another like this.
Claim your business account at the review site yelp.com - http://www.yelp.com/biz/ozarks-carpet-care-springfield
Enter photos, describe your business, post your hours, etc. (no charge for any of that, though it may generate a phone call or two from Yelp account representatives trying to get you to advertise there).
Then somehow convince one or more of your customers to write a 5 star review about your business. I think having even one or two reviews there might bring you a few new customers directly through Yelp, and would also raise your ranking when someone does a Google search like "carpet cleaning springfield mo".
Enter photos, describe your business, post your hours, etc. (no charge for any of that, though it may generate a phone call or two from Yelp account representatives trying to get you to advertise there).
Then somehow convince one or more of your customers to write a 5 star review about your business. I think having even one or two reviews there might bring you a few new customers directly through Yelp, and would also raise your ranking when someone does a Google search like "carpet cleaning springfield mo".
Mikey P
Administrator
Where you been Chris?
Wife put you on a MB diet?
as for Yelp, do like Mike follow Mike H's advice and be sure to not let your filtered reviews go to waste..
Wife put you on a MB diet?
as for Yelp, do like Mike follow Mike H's advice and be sure to not let your filtered reviews go to waste..
steve g
Member
I think most people that are in business have had times they wonder what the hell they are doing. I know I have, I have questioned everything, doubted myself, and thought can I really do this. I have been at all spectrums at one point or another with my business. I have had my back against the wall before. The problem is letting yourself get to that point because it limits your options so much. with no money you run out of options and have to chase work that pays rather than the more profitable stuff that really pays the bills. I agree and disagree with john O's comments. I agree he needs res work to pay the bills NOW. but I also think CERTAIN commercial work will be where the real money is made. I am not talking about restaurants although you might get lucky and find some that pay well, I am certainly not talking about apartments. I am talking schools, churches, large industrial type businesses etc. I will not clean anything for less than 11 cents a foot no matter how big or how wide open the job is. if you find a large commercial job its not hard at all to profit a $1000 a day. but you are going to need better equipment than a portable. I also think as time has passed your average home owner is keen on truckmounts being better. I think that is part of your problem. a $5000 truckmount would really open up alot of possibilities by giving more credibility to the average home owner and also being able to take on the big jobs where making $1k or more per day is the pay rate.
I would also urge you to evaluate yourself and your personality. my first impression that I leave naturally is that guy is an ass. I don't think naturally I leave that great of impression on those that I don't know very well. so I have to be unnatural I have to work at leaving a better impression. I am not the type that easily puts a smile on my face, but rather the type that puts my head down and gets the job done and just wants a check when the work is done. no matter how great of job I did it doesn't matter when I act like this to the customer. you have to treat them as a friend, fake it if you have to. talk to people, It still is not my first reaction when I am in a customers home. but trying to be more friendly with people has done more for the perception of the work done vs anything I could have done with equipment, chemicals or education. I would also say don't look like a freaking biker dude in the home. I see so many guys at my suppliers that are cleaners and think good hell I wouldn't let that guy in my house. some tan dickies are less than $20 bucks at walmart, buy some!!! a polyester dry fit polo shirt is $12 bucks at walmart sometimes less, buy some!!! look like a business man. The average cleaner looks like they might be a criminal. look sharp, shave the mullet if you have one. I would also recommend a BNI group the cleaner in my group I think does pretty well. I haven't made much money with my group but thats because I have been busy and haven't really tried to make relationships there like I should, but its got me around other business owners to see what they are doing. Its given me access to other professions and trades that I have used to offer more services to my customers and I have made money off being able to use them. being around other successful people is a big benefit.
I would also urge you to evaluate yourself and your personality. my first impression that I leave naturally is that guy is an ass. I don't think naturally I leave that great of impression on those that I don't know very well. so I have to be unnatural I have to work at leaving a better impression. I am not the type that easily puts a smile on my face, but rather the type that puts my head down and gets the job done and just wants a check when the work is done. no matter how great of job I did it doesn't matter when I act like this to the customer. you have to treat them as a friend, fake it if you have to. talk to people, It still is not my first reaction when I am in a customers home. but trying to be more friendly with people has done more for the perception of the work done vs anything I could have done with equipment, chemicals or education. I would also say don't look like a freaking biker dude in the home. I see so many guys at my suppliers that are cleaners and think good hell I wouldn't let that guy in my house. some tan dickies are less than $20 bucks at walmart, buy some!!! a polyester dry fit polo shirt is $12 bucks at walmart sometimes less, buy some!!! look like a business man. The average cleaner looks like they might be a criminal. look sharp, shave the mullet if you have one. I would also recommend a BNI group the cleaner in my group I think does pretty well. I haven't made much money with my group but thats because I have been busy and haven't really tried to make relationships there like I should, but its got me around other business owners to see what they are doing. Its given me access to other professions and trades that I have used to offer more services to my customers and I have made money off being able to use them. being around other successful people is a big benefit.
Shane Deubell
Supportive Member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2011
- Messages
- 4,052
Dan, not too many trust fund babies in this crowd...
Almost all of us had to make sacrifices and work hard to start our business and even more to keep it.
Keep hustling, keep learning a little bit everyday and SAVE MONEY!
This becomes a whole lot easier after you reach the other side and put some money to work for you.
hogjowl
Idiot™
I certainly hope I wasn't TOO positive. I have a reputation to maintain.
Soxpac
Supportive Member
So I hear
Will Reed
Member
Hey Dan I'll tell you what worked for me and maybe it will work for you. Every market is different obviously. I live in Montana in a city with about 70-80k population. There are about 20 carpet cleaning companies here.
For immediate business I suggest using Google Adwords but you need to be smart about it. Don't use the default best placement bidding option, that will just force you to pay top $ and blow your daily budget fast. I set my max bid at $5/click. It will be up to your website and your phone talk to convert. You need a top notch website when money allows. This month for example I've done 12 jobs from Google Adwords and have a balance of $140 so it is well worth it.
Next order of business is to hire a quality SEO company to get your business on the front page. If you do any type of search for carpet cleaning or cleaners in Missoula, MT you will see my business in Google Places at spot A (Green Clean Carpet Machine) I don't know anything about SEO, I outsource the important functions of my business to people that do. In April I've done 22 jobs as a result of my SEO.
-Start Google Adwords for immediate business. Talk to an actual Google rep to get hand held through the setup process of making and publishing your ads.
-With the profits generated from Adwords hire an SEO company. I use www.yodle.com SEO takes about 3-4 months before you will start making money off of this but once you are there you are there and the return on investment is the best around.
-Part time evening job is what worked best for me. I delivered pizza for about $15/hour with tips.
For immediate business I suggest using Google Adwords but you need to be smart about it. Don't use the default best placement bidding option, that will just force you to pay top $ and blow your daily budget fast. I set my max bid at $5/click. It will be up to your website and your phone talk to convert. You need a top notch website when money allows. This month for example I've done 12 jobs from Google Adwords and have a balance of $140 so it is well worth it.
Next order of business is to hire a quality SEO company to get your business on the front page. If you do any type of search for carpet cleaning or cleaners in Missoula, MT you will see my business in Google Places at spot A (Green Clean Carpet Machine) I don't know anything about SEO, I outsource the important functions of my business to people that do. In April I've done 22 jobs as a result of my SEO.
-Start Google Adwords for immediate business. Talk to an actual Google rep to get hand held through the setup process of making and publishing your ads.
-With the profits generated from Adwords hire an SEO company. I use www.yodle.com SEO takes about 3-4 months before you will start making money off of this but once you are there you are there and the return on investment is the best around.
-Part time evening job is what worked best for me. I delivered pizza for about $15/hour with tips.
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Do you find that being in the ”A" spot you still get some benefit using AdWords? How do you tell which jobs came from AdWords and which came from your places listing?
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Royal Man
Member
I'm in the A spot for places and I still use Adwords. I don't care which come from one or the other. Often one listing is above or beside the other.I believe that one re-enforces the other and adds to the visibility for your company. In some categories My company is listed 5 or more time on the front page of Google. The results from doing this can depend your service area. All areas are different depending on competition, population and other factors. Here we have 70 carpet cleaning companies and a population of 250K.
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Will Reed
Member
Yes I have found it to be beneficial to have both Adwords and Google places. I get more calls from the Google places listing then Adwords, but Adwords brings in much more then it costs. My SEO company has a call tracking number assigned to my Google places page and a dashboard that shows all leads generated by them for me. All other calls from internet based searches come from Adwords.
