A Newbie Getting Started

soundguy7440

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SoundGuy
LISTEN to Matt Wood......
Then do exactly the opposite.....

An you'll be jus fine !
Why would you disagree? just curious. Is it because the machine and van cant be separated? or for other reasons? The ability to shut the door to help prevent freezing does seem nice.
 

bob vawter

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bob vawter
Look here Mr 7440 ...I'm a firm believer in using the best equipment there is.....
OTHER WISE it's a compromise on your part...that and the proper attitude while cleaning are the two most important pieces of the pie.....the 3rd being the chemicals you use.....

Are you a trailer sorta guy.....
Will you buy your chems at Walmart's?
 

soundguy7440

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SoundGuy

Great Video Mikey! That was a lot of good info!

A big thing that may be stopping me is insurance... I really need to stay part-time right now, but I'm not sure I'll be able to do that and afford my insurance... being 18 is going to hurt me pretty bad, I have a feeling. Does anyone have any idea how much I should expect to pay and what coverage I should look at aside from General Liability and Commercial Vehicle?
 
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Fat Mike

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Great Video Mikey! That was a lot of good info!

A big thing that may be stopping me is insurance... I really need to stay part-time right now, but I'm not sure I'll be able to do that and afford my insurance... being 18 is going to hurt me pretty bad, I have a feeling. Does anyone have any idea how much I should expect to pay and what coverage I should look at aside from General Liability and Commercial Vehicle?

Marty said it you’ll need to talk to a lot of insurance companies cuz your age will put you at a high pay bracket.

Below 25 is always higher.

I have employees that aren’t allowed to drive my trucks because they’d kill my premiums.

Other thing is you could add your parents as drivers.

My buddy added me since he’s younger and my record is clean I brought his insurance down by $500/year
 

bob vawter

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Ohh.....and by the way ....
Ya gotta find a windowed church van...
That way you won't be knockin mrs phiffs mail box down...
 
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Nomad74

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Marty said it you’ll need to talk to a lot of insurance companies cuz your age will put you at a high pay bracket.

Below 25 is always higher.

I have employees that aren’t allowed to drive my trucks because they’d kill my premiums.

Other thing is you could add your parents as drivers.

My buddy added me since he’s younger and my record is clean I brought his insurance down by $500/year
This is where @Ron K comes in and tells him to give up.
 
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Lee Stockwell
Great video Mike,

To that 1.5hp 17" 175 you should add a 4 gallon solution tank ~$80-100, and an additional driver ($50) for 20" pads.

That 20" will make it more productive on bigger jobs and actually easier to handle.

The solution tank is great for encapping carpets, adding weight when needed, and helping to keep pads from loading up with debris on vct.

...but that would have added 4 minutes that Marty couldn't spare.
 

Fat Mike

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This is where @Ron K comes in and tells him to give up.

I wish I had started at 18 but I was doing good at a construction Company at that age. Started when I was 16.

I think he’s got the right drive to do very well and I wouldn’t let insurance get in the way just make more money and go full time
 

Fat Mike

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I had a hard time believing he was 18, having raised boys...

I was working fulltime 16yrs old and I know other young guys that were very mature and they were also homeschooled. I was a knucklehead even though I worked
 
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I was working fulltime 16yrs old and I know other young guys that were very mature and they were also homeschooled. I was a knucklehead even though I worked
Mine were all great workers by 16, the foster kid-not so much. Not sure what made me immediately think our new poster was perhaps pulling our chain?
 

bob vawter

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bob vawter
OK....let's say you do six jobs a day and work six days a week.....prolly
36 to 40 jobs a week......jus the easy factor
Makes a window van so much smarter.....
AND A TRAILER......A NITEMARE!
 

soundguy7440

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May 23, 2020
Messages
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Michigan
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SoundGuy
For sure! I am going to call insurance agents tomorrow. I'll see about adding my parents as drivers as well. I am definitely not going to get a trailer! I'm only doing this part-time, because before Covid I was offered a great entry-level position in another industry that has been my dream for about as long as I've been into carpet cleaning! but because of that full time isn't an option. The flexible nature of carpet cleaning might let me have both though!
 

bob vawter

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bob vawter
OHH NO....either yor in or yor out......
We don allow no haf-assed CC's on
THIS board.

Although there ARE an increasing amount of retired lazy boy jockeys lately....
They're the worst....think they know everything
 
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Fat Mike

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For sure! I am going to call insurance agents tomorrow. I'll see about adding my parents as drivers as well. I am definitely not going to get a trailer! I'm only doing this part-time, because before Covid I was offered a great entry-level position in another industry that has been my dream for about as long as I've been into carpet cleaning! but because of that full time isn't an option. The flexible nature of carpet cleaning might let me have both though!

So you have a dream and a fascination, now you’re sounding 18. No problem but you’ll need to determine which direction you want to go. Takes a lot to start a business and keep it going seems like doing it part time would be a greater challenge and a larger expense than running full time.

You’ll have to look at the cost of having a vehicle and equipment that’s not being used to it’s full potential.

The cost of insurance for you may prohibit the part time side unless it’s all in your parents name or do an LLC with them and run a partnership but that could get sticky too imo
 

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