Any cleaners here that do commercial only?

[hogjowl]

My church took all the carpet out of the nursery 4 or 5 years ago. They put in vinyl plank because they hired some idiot consultant to redo the children’s dept. They’re now waxing it.
I told them so.

 

[Kenny Hayes]

Some of mine did that and some didn’t. At my schools pre K they did that, but not in the churches. Go figure. But we’re not #waxing. Vct yes.

 

[encapman]

From the start, back in the early 80's - we were "commercial only". Then in the late 90's we tested the water for a couple of years marketing our services to mid to high-end residential. Even though we made considerably more per square foot cleaning residential / I actually hated it. As mentioned above - way too much windshield time! At the end of the day, we were making less doing residential than we were doing commercial. And since I was working to build relationships with higher end clents they were coming to expect "ME" to clean their carpet. Frankly, I never wanted to build a business that was reliant on "ME" to show up and clean. I know I could've eventually developed the business to have techs out in the field doing work for the Mrs Piffleton's of the world, but I really had no love for that business model. So I dumped it, referred my accounts to other cleaners, and went back to what we loved doing = COMMERCIAL ONLY. I was much more keen on the idea of building up a strong suit of commercial carpet cleaning and floor care.

 

[hogjowl]

Wait
What?
I thought you just mined the miners?

 

[Cleanworks]

From the start, back in the early 80's - we were "commercial only". Then in the late 90's we tested the water for a couple of years marketing our services to mid to high-end residential. Even though we made considerably more per square foot cleaning residential / I actually hated it. As mentioned above - way too much windshield time! At the end of the day, we were making less doing residential than we were doing commercial. And since I was working to build relationships with higher end clents they were coming to expect "ME" to clean their carpet. Frankly, I never wanted to build a business that was reliant on "ME" to show up and clean. I know I could've eventually developed the business to have techs out in the field doing work for the Mrs Piffleton's of the world, but I really had no love for that business model. So I dumped it, referred my accounts to other cleaners, and went back to what we loved doing = COMMERCIAL ONLY. I was much more keen on the idea of building up a strong suit of commercial carpet cleaning and floor care.

I have a colleague who is commercial only. Specializes in 30,000-50,000 sqft office jobs. Covid almost wiped him out because many offices closed down.

 

[Kenny Hayes]

Damn niche can kill you. I was concerned, for 3 weeks last year Almost made me draw my SS before 70

 

[Dolly Llama]

From the start, back in the early 80's - we were "commercial only".

did you start out as a CC'er primarily, or janitorial primarily that offered CCing to your jansan accounts?


evenings/nights and weekend work never appealed to me .
That's when the majority of com work happens , Woody.
If that's for you, have at it

It's certainly less pressure/more relaxed atmosphere when no home owner is looking over your shoulder .
But the hours suck...

...L.T.A

 

[FB19087]

Wait
What?
I thought you just mined the miners?

KLEENSTEP Commercial Carpet Cleaning - Tampa Bay Location

 

[encapman]

did you start out as a CC'er primarily, or janitorial primarily that offered CCing to your jansan accounts?


evenings/nights and weekend work never appealed to me .
That's when the majority of com work happens , Woody.
If that's for you, have at it

It's certainly less pressure/more relaxed atmosphere when no home owner is looking over your shoulder .
But the hours suck...

...L.T.A

I started an office cleaning business in 1982. Then in 1983 a friend in south Florida approached me about subbing some of his commercial carpet cleaning accounts in the Tampa Bay area. That's when my commercial carpet cleaning launched. I also got heavily into commercial floor care in the mid 80's. By the end of the 80's I had moved away from office cleaning and was just doing commercial floor and carpet care.

 

[Kenny Hayes]

It all sucks most days

 

[encapman]

evenings/nights and weekend work never appealed to me .
That's when the majority of com work happens , Woody.
If that's for you, have at it

We've always employed good people and paid them well... so that I could spend less actual time in the trenches.

 

[Kenny Hayes]

Well, while we’re sitting here blathering about commercial carpet cleaning, I should’ve kept a better handle on my 70 yr. old partner. Low and behold she goes out and sells another mega church carpet cleaning. Now my ass will have to make good on that check she wrote

 

[Jimmy L]

KENNY I AM WATCHING YOU!

MOFO!

 

[hogjowl]

Well, while we’re sitting here blathering about commercial carpet cleaning, I should’ve kept a better handle on my 70 yr. old partner. Low and behold she goes out and sells another mega church carpet cleaning. Now my ass will have to make good on that check she wrote

Potty mouthed people shouldn’t be cleaning churches

 

[Kenny Hayes]

You haven’t heard Catholics talk have you?

 

[Kenny Hayes]

KENNY I AM WATCHING YOU!

MOFO!

You weren’t gone long!

 

[BIG WOOD]

clearly you aren’t charging enough for residential.

If your that successful, have a good rep and repeat….raise your prices. Lose some customers, but make more doing less of the dog and pony show.

Or if your making more, you may learn to like/tolerate the extra shit cause your making so much it’s worth the hassle….

I've thought about this comment for a while now, and the best answer I can give you is I'm making plenty of money on my residential jobs.

Example:
$600 in 3hrs of cleaning upholstery on one job last week.

$500 on cleaning carpet and upholstery before lunch yesterday

$800 today on cleaning 4 apt. and 3 tiny house jobs (less than an hour each job)

So charging not enough isn't a problem. I'm super busy and as @Kenny Hayes says, "having the right commercial job is better than going through the circus of some of these people's homes". Maybe he didn't say exactly that statement, but that's what he meant.

Dodging little animals after they're told to put them away. Moving around elderly parents after they're told to please stay out of cleaning area. Doing 2 different 200' hose setups on these giant lake houses and sometimes parking in a stupid steep driveway. Having a 30min conversation while dripping in sweat after the job, hoping they'll shut up so you can get to the next job. Laying 10-20 blankets all over their stupid rich floors so you don't scratch or drip anything on it to get to the carpet. So many other factors that make commercial jobs less stressful and more dummy proof so I can train an idiot employee on without worrying myself sick.

So don't tell me I'm not making enough on these jobs. I might not be making California money, or New York money. But I'm happy with what I charge. Just not too happy when I'm flooded with these dog and pony show jobs that could be more on autopilot with commercial jobs

 

[Kenny Hayes]

Don’t forget that thermostat setting at 90.

 

[BIG WOOD]

So many others like the one above

 

[Nomad74]

I had a crazy cat lady today and left with a $600 check.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I've thought about this comment for a while now, and the best answer I can give you is I'm making plenty of money on my residential jobs.

Example:
$600 in 3hrs of cleaning upholstery on one job last week.

$500 on cleaning carpet and upholstery before lunch yesterday

$800 today on cleaning 4 apt. and 3 tiny house jobs (less than an hour each job)

So charging not enough isn't a problem. I'm super busy and as @Kenny Hayes says, "having the right commercial job is better than going through the circus of some of these people's homes". Maybe he didn't say exactly that statement, but that's what he meant.

Dodging little animals after they're told to put them away. Moving around elderly parents after they're told to please stay out of cleaning area. Doing 2 different 200' hose setups on these giant lake houses and sometimes parking in a stupid steep driveway. Having a 30min conversation while dripping in sweat after the job, hoping they'll shut up so you can get to the next job. Laying 10-20 blankets all over their stupid rich floors so you don't scratch or drip anything on it to get to the carpet. So many other factors that make commercial jobs less stressful and more dummy proof so I can train an idiot employee on without worrying myself sick.

So don't tell me I'm not making enough on these jobs. I might not be making California money, or New York money. But I'm happy with what I charge. Just not too happy when I'm flooded with these dog and pony show jobs that could be more on autopilot with commercial jobs

Sooo basically you're just an unhappy fella.

Listen to you bitch about making $200.00 an hour, makes me want to kick your whippersnapper azz! Xcept I too old to do it.
lol

Seriously you have to separate your emotions from what you are stating. Residential can be a pain but how many other professions can make $200.00 an hour with so little investment or overhead.

Most people would be envious of what you make. Try to remember that when your clients ask you to do more than you want to give them.



Oh and don't fool yourself. I'd kick the shit out of you if you weren't a friend! I ain't that old!

 

[hogjowl]

Matt:
If you’re tired of making good money,
You might be a moron.

 

[Sierra Clean Care]

Sooo basically you're just an unhappy fella.

Listen to you bitch about making $200.00 an hour, makes me want to kick your whippersnapper azz! Xcept I too old to do it.
lol

Seriously you have to separate your emotions from what you are stating. Residential can be a pain but how many other professions can make $200.00 an hour with so little investment or overhead.

Most people would be envious of what you make. Try to remember that when your clients ask you to do more than you want to give them.



Oh and don't fool yourself. I'd kick the shit out of you if you weren't a friend! I ain't that old!

Well played Rich, well played…

 

[Sierra Clean Care]

Yes Matt, there’s very good money in commercial, IF YOU LAND THE RIGHT CONTRACTS…
BUT, is that a hat trick you can pull off on a daily basis? Will you’re market support it?
I for one LOVE making good to great money…. I chase the money jobs EVERYDAY…
BUT, most of them are after hrs, or on weekends…
Food for thought.
Today was an exception, we did 3400 in 8.5 hrs. One BIG commercial, and a small resi…

 

[BIG WOOD]

Yes Matt, there’s very good money in commercial, IF YOU LAND THE RIGHT CONTRACTS…
BUT, is that a hat trick you can pull off on a daily basis? Will you’re market support it?
I for one LOVE making good to great money…. I chase the money jobs EVERYDAY…
BUT, most of them are after hrs, or on weekends…
Food for thought.
Today was an exception, we did 3400 in 8.5 hrs. One BIG commercial, and a small resi…

That was my point when I started this thread. I was stating the fact that I would have to move to an area that supported only those kind of jobs.

 

[BIG WOOD]

Matt:
If you’re tired of making good money,
You might be a moron.

I never said I wasn't a moron

 

[Cleanworks]

That was my point when I started this thread. I was stating the fact that I would have to move to an area that supported only those kind of jobs.

You have move to a city large enough to have underground parkades

 

[Dolly Llama]

So many other factors that make commercial jobs less stressful and more dummy proof so I can train an idiot employee on without worrying myself sick.

are you sure of that?
or just "thinking" the grass is greener over some other septic tank?



as far "idiot employees"
do you think you'll stress when he calls and says he's too sick to do that 10ksf bank job tonight?

Or they never moved the 100 tables and 500 chairs in that 6k sf banquet room like they said they would.

Or the water hook up is 300ft away from the entrance (if it's even on or works)

Or you're on a 7th floor office with porty, cimex/shake 'n shine machine running and trip breaker and can't find the breaker box to reset


or are you just getting burnt out after another long hot busy summer busting your azz as a one man show?


..L.T.A.

 

[BIG WOOD]

are you sure of that?
or just "thinking" the grass is greener over some other septic tank?



as far "idiot employees"
do you think you'll stress when he calls and says he's too sick to do that 10ksf bank job tonight?

Or they never moved the 100 tables and 500 chairs in that 6k sf banquet room like they said they would.

Or the water hook up is 300ft away from the entrance (if it's even on or works)

Or you're on a 7th floor office with porty, cimex/shake 'n shine machine running and trip breaker and can't find the breaker box to reset


or are you just getting burnt out after another long hot busy summer busting your azz as a one man show?


..L.T.A.

True

 

[Kenny Hayes]

Best case scenario is to get doer’s and helpers with whatever you do to help take the load off.
I know that’s not easy, but it’s a must in trade work.