What have you done with your cleaning business since 2009 that allows you to be on MB so much during the day?
I mostly visit MB during downtime, bathroom breaks, lunch, on the phone, etc., originally via TT and now browser on my Samsung Note 3.
No Website?
No, and that’s on purpose – see below.
Tell us about the current size and scope of Dan's Carpet Care..
After the economic crisis of 2007-08, layoffs were rampant at my corporate employer. The technical team I was on literally went from more than a dozen to two people. I spent most of 2009 helping out at our Las Vegas branch because
Phoenix had no work. I feared that if things didn’t improve I would soon be shown the door. I decided if I was laid off I wanted to try something completely different, and decided to look into carpet cleaning.
I found a couple boards online including this one, and with what I learned I started accumulating some equipment and chems. I did a few jobs for free for folks I knew to get my feet wet, and gradually (by word of mouth) built up a few paying clients, some resi and a couple commercial accounts, including a place of worship.
Well, I was never laid off. I like my day job for now. I keep my current loyal CC clientel – it allows me to continue to learn and try new stuff. I am keeping my options open – a luxury I have at this point. If/when I get tired of my day gig or management ticks me off one too many times I will be well positioned to go CC full time – thanks in no small way to what I continue to learn here!
On a technical note, almost everything I do at my day job has a parallel in the CC world. It’s almost spooky. I do process controls. I measure liquid flows, air/gas flows, temperature, humidity - I control pumps, blowers, chillers, heating equipment, generators – I size ducts for airflow, pipes for waterflow, only on a very large scale (my solution pump might be driven by a 450 hp motor, for instance). I build, program and troubleshoot electronic controls. It’s why I am so drawn to the technical side – It’s what I do!
Phoenix is a highly competitive area for this racket. What are you top five new customer generators?
I don’t have any! At this point I am refusing new customers – and won’t accept any until I am in a position to properly serve them.
Still on the other forum?
Haven’t logged in over there for 2 or 3 years.
Favorite vacation spot?
Lake Powell baby! We have a little 20’ vee hull we fill up with camping gear and find a secluded cove to camp in. Some of the most beautiful country there is, along with good fishing and the usual watersports.
How does MB help you?
The only thing I could use in addition to MB learning-wise would be a ride-along with a great cleaner or two. Everything else is here. The technical knowledge here is immense, and I learn about new tools/chems/etc. just about instantly, sometimes even before they are released to the masses.
Typically before I can even order something two or three folks here have tried it and reported back – I know whether I should even bother trying it. I have learned that if Marty hates it I should immediately order 2! I can safely put that part in because I know he won’t read this far down…..
There is also tremendous info here on marketing/business. While I don’t use much of it now, believe me I am soaking it up for the future.
Why the MSDS interest?
That’s a funny story. I recently had to sit through a four(!) hour class on the GHS conversion, where MSDS’s will become SDS’s, and I regularly have to coordinate with various industrial (day job) site safety officers before my team can come on their site, so MSDS’s are almost a daily thing for me.
Here, it started out as me posting a couple of sites (OK – 3 or 4) to show a certain chem manufacturer that posts here that it was OK to reveal his MSDS’s to the world like everyone else does. Apparently he is convinced that if he puts his MSDS info online we will all steal his formulas and start making our own pixie juice.
Once I did that it seemed like a cool thing to have it all in one place, so I quickly found a few more. Someone suggested that it was beneficial, so I spent a little more time and found all the ones I could think of. Now, when someone mentions a chem I was not familiar with in a thread, I just go see if they have an MSDS site, and if they do I add it to the list. No longer trying to make a point – just trying to be helpful and give something back. Okay – I may be a tiny bit OCD about it – I think I got that from Bawb…
What ten songs do you want played at your funeral?
You know what? Whatever gives my family some comfort or makes them laugh. I don’t care – I’ll be dead.
Cars, bikes?
Over the years I have been a big off-roader – dirt bikes, ATC’s, a V-dub sandrail (taught the kids how to drive in that one before they were 12). I have supported an offroad race team (Baja, Mint 400, that kind of thing) for a short stint back in the late 80’s.
Worked as a mechanic for a while a long time ago, kept all my tools (mostly Snap-On), continue to do all my own stuff. I love fabrication - own every kind of welder there is just about - stick, MIG, TIG, Oxy/acetylene. Lathe, mill etc. etc.
We currently just have a Jeep Grand Cherokee and do a little trail running, but all the cycle talk here and pictures of Mikey’s trips have given me the bug again – currently shopping for a nice KTM. Oh boy….
Death Row meal...?
A shot of a fine Kentucky Bourbon and let’s git this over with…..
Wife? Kids? Pets?
One – Two – Two
Been married (to the same woman) for going on 37 years, Jerri deserves some sort of award for putting up with me for so long.
Two boys, we lost David a little over three years ago to complications following a brain tumor. Think about him every day. The reason for my absence here for a couple years. The oldest has been a process engineer at Intel for around 10 years, followed in his dad’s techy footsteps
We currently have a beagle and a mix breed that is a pup of a dog we rescued.
JW or Mormon?
I am one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The little acronyms you come up with continue to crack me up!
If anyone actually read this far you deserve an award!
It is a pleasure to be part of MB, Thanks!