Pricing, your pricing and the cost of doing business

[Mark Saiger]

I did this video today on Facebook after a number of phone calls this past week on how to price your cleaning,

During the busy holiday and Spring Break Seasons VRBO and hotel pricing is in prime and not given away...and almost doubles in price.

Don't give away your services, and try to figure out your cost of doing business, especially hourly cost.

Hope this rambling in the video might be of some help for some out there...Yes Marty....I'm talking....a lot

 

[hogjowl]

Surprise

 

[Cleanworks]

I find a lot of carpet cleaners don't know what their costs are. They also don't include wages for themselves and are content with the leftovers after expenses. When it comes to costs, think about the amount of gas you use to get to the job, as well as the wages you are or should be paying the tech or techs. The amount of gas and wages it costs to perform the job, then factor in all the rest of your overhead, such as insurance, shop rent, chemistry, etc. If you don't know what your overhead is, you don't know if you are making money. I have been raising my prices where I can and just refusing jobs that do the make me enough. My minimum is $150 and that gets you a 1 bedroom apt, maybe. Price is the same if you only have 1 room. I'm not really interested in doing $150 jobs but sometimes you have to provide a service for your good customers. I bid high on commercial work and when I get it, it's like an unexpected bonus. I have lost customers to lower priced cleaners and just say good riddance. I have also had some come back after experiencing what those low priced cleaners do, or don't do. Profit is not a dirty word. Without a healthy profit, you're out of business.

 

[hogjowl]

A whole new crop of experts is being born

 

[Lee Stockwell]

A whole new crop of experts is being born

That's FB...

 

[icleancarpetz]

As of lately, price shoppers concerned with quality second are no longer cheap bastarts, I call them garbage. They are like the chaff in the wind...they blow towards whoever is the cheapest. Their loyalty to you is next to nothing.
That being said...
It all depends on the area and it’s income,per capita. If the income per capita is 20k barley hitting 30k and your a high priced cleaner, I highly doubt your making any money in that area yet alone working. If the income per capita is let’s say 70-80-90k and up, then yes your pricing should reflect $150 and up minimum.

Take for example Howard Partridge and his oil rich Texas or Washington DC government federal incomes with its unlimited bank. Your $150-$250 minimum will be tolerated. In others parts of the country where the income per capita is much much less, your minimum will reflect 20k Income per capita or you ain’t working much.

In my immediate area the price shopping garbage ain’t biting on my highest minimum. I have to sniff out the higher income cliental in other areas.
I good indication of what prices you might want to charge is Stanley Steemer. Go on their website and see what they are charging in your back yard. Then adjust according up or down.

Most but not all, lots of people are broke jokes living on the edge with car payments they can’t afford, living in homes that are sucking them dry with the mortgage, monthly payments on electronics they think they can’t do without, dining out instead of learning to at the least boil an egg...etc etc.

I monitor FB for my area....broke jokes always asking for services they need around their homes and talking in code with words like...I need a lawn guy, roofer etc...that is Does good work and...(here’s the key words) —> “reasonable” “affordable”

In others words what they are really saying is....I am broke and choking cause I am too stupid to realize I am living way beyond my means BUT I still need services to maintain what I really can’t afford. Laughable
Most in my immediate area are what I call garbage. So I hunt for cliental that don’t mind opening up their purses who’s cups runneth over.

 

[Desk Jockey]

As of lately, price shoppers concerned with quality second are no longer cheap bastarts, I call them garbage. They are like the chaff in the wind...they blow towards whoever is the cheapest. Their loyalty to you is next to nothing.
That being said...
It all depends on the area and it’s income,per capita. If the income per capita is 20k barley hitting 30k and your a high priced cleaner, I highly doubt your making any money in that area yet alone working. If the income per capita is let’s say 70-80-90k and up, then yes your pricing should reflect $150 and up minimum.

Take for example Howard Partridge and his oil rich Texas or Washington DC government federal incomes with its unlimited bank. Your $150-$250 minimum will be tolerated. In others parts of the country where the income per capita is much much less, your minimum will reflect 20k Income per capita or you ain’t working much.

In my immediate area the price shopping garbage ain’t biting on my highest minimum. I have to sniff out the higher income cliental in other areas.
I good indication of what prices you might want to charge is Stanley Steemer. Go on their website and see what they are charging in your back yard. Then adjust according up or down.

Most but not all, lots of people are broke jokes living on the edge with car payments they can’t afford, living in homes that are sucking them dry with the mortgage, monthly payments on electronics they think they can’t do without, dining out instead of learning to at the least boil an egg...etc etc.

I monitor FB for my area....broke jokes always asking for services they need around their homes and talking in code with words like...I need a lawn guy, roofer etc...that is Does good work and...(here’s the key words) —> “reasonable” “affordable”

In others words what they are really saying is....I am broke and choking cause I am too stupid to realize I am living way beyond my means BUT I still need services to maintain what I really can’t afford. Laughable
Most in my immediate area are what I call garbage. So I hunt for cliental that don’t mind opening up their purses who’s cups runneth over.

Excuse me while I slash my wrists. Man I hope it's really not that bad for you. That's depressing.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

I'm staying too busy.

 

[hogjowl]

You never told how to figure it, moron

 

[Jimmy L]

Mobile homes all parked next to each other. Do four at a time with the truck parked and drag a hose from one to the next. $49.95 a piece.
That's 50 cents a sq ft. Premium pricing and only takes 15-20 minutes.
No prespray just emulsifier. Work smarter not harder!

 

[BIG WOOD]

Mobile homes all parked next to each other. Do four at a time with the truck parked and drag a hose from one to the next. $49.95 a piece.
That's 50 cents a sq ft. Premium pricing and only takes 15-20 minutes.
No prespray just emulsifier. Work smarter not harder!

Jimmy wins

morons

 

[Jim Williams]

Mobile homes all parked next to each other. Do four at a time with the truck parked and drag a hose from one to the next. $49.95 a piece.
That's 50 cents a sq ft. Premium pricing and only takes 15-20 minutes.
No prespray just emulsifier. Work smarter not harder!

What brand emulsifier would you recommend on them trailer houses? Asking for a friend.

 

[icleancarpetz]

Excuse me while I slash my wrists. Man I hope it's really not that bad for you. That's depressing.

Its reality that often not discussed. Most, Not all, Maketing gurus sell their wares often leaving out the reality of your backyard nor do they tell you to run the numbers in your area

 

[Cleanworks]

Its reality that often not discussed. Most, Not all, Maketing gurus sell their wares often leaving out the reality of your backyard nor do they tell you to run the numbers in your area

Doesn't matter where you live. It still has to be based on your cost of doing business and what profit margin makes sense.

 

[Doug Cox]

I'm staying too busy.

So I'm not the only one with this problem.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Its reality that often not discussed. Most, Not all, Maketing gurus sell their wares often leaving out the reality of your backyard nor do they tell you to run the numbers in your area

Too true. If your demographics are similar then by all means listen to those that have already been there. However those are rarely t hte ones buying in.

Often the ones that need the help the most can't afford it. Those that can afford it don't need the help.

 

[Desk Jockey]

So I'm not the only one with this problem.

How hard can that be running one truck? Oh wait it's you Douglas...and you're a ginormous a-hole. You're right I for one am impressed.

 

[Doug Cox]

How hard can that be running one truck? Oh wait it's you Douglas...and you're a ginormous a-hole. You're right I for one am impressed.

Thanks..... I guess.

 

[Desk Jockey]

J/K

 

[Doug Cox]

Yeah, I know.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Yeah, I know.

I meant about being impressed.

The asshole part...ALL TRUE!

 

[Doug Cox]

I meant about being impressed.

The asshole part...ALL TRUE!

Ouch!

 

[Desk Jockey]

J/K

 

[DAT]

No you're not.

 

[Desk Jockey]

 

[Doug Cox]

No you're not.

Xactly.

 

[Desk Jockey]

lol

 

[Mikey P]

Mobile homes all parked next to each other. Do four at a time with the truck parked and drag a hose from one to the next. $49.95 a piece.
That's 50 cents a sq ft. Premium pricing and only takes 15-20 minutes.
No prespray just emulsifier. Work smarter not harder!

I bets he's done that once, if at all.

 

[icleancarpetz]

I bets he's done that once, if at all.

And you get to drag your hoses across dead mud grass with dog poo and over muddy stone parking spaces. And he has a nerve to leave a JonDon call me back spotter bottle! Nerve of him.

 

[Hack Attack]

Mobile homes all parked next to each other. Do four at a time with the truck parked and drag a hose from one to the next. $49.95 a piece.
That's 50 cents a sq ft. Premium pricing and only takes 15-20 minutes.
No prespray just emulsifier. Work smarter not harder!

I tried offering a similar "deal" at a retirement village, they gave me the stiff arm from hades