Best TM?

[The Rougarou]

Hello All,
I am new to the forum and I am in the process of starting my own business. I have never done carpet/stone cleaning so I was hoping for some input on truckmounts. I am a member of another forum and have received great input there but wanted to get more thoughts/opinions. I am in the hunt for equipment so I figured the more advice, the better. What truckmount is best? I was looking at the Sapphire Rage and I was impressed with it (although I have never operated a TM). Is the Rage a good machine? Easy to work on for someone not mechanically inclined?

 

[Mikey P]

Welcome Dustin


What is you definition of BEST?

The RAGE is a entry level unit. A very well built entry level unit but not what most people would call the "best". Most veteran cleaners save that term for units that can clean tile at 1500 psi and get 220º or can run two wand set ups.

IMHO the Aerotech is The Best truckmount available. Are you ready for a $120 purchase? Will you be dual wanding most jobs?

Probably not so yest the RAGE may be the best for you at this time in your career.

 

[Bob Pruitt]

I would think a bump up to the Sapphire 370 would give you very good machine. If considering CDS... van motor powered I would think the Hydramaster CDS 4.8 might be a solid choice. Been around a long time and very reliable.
Never cleaned carpet? You should go spend some time with someone for awhile before you jump in. Make sure this is really something you want to do... Wish you the best of luck!

 

[The Rougarou]

Welcome Dustin


What is you definition of BEST?

The RAGE is a entry level unit. A very well built entry level unit but not what most people would call the "best". Most veteran cleaners save that term for units that can clean tile at 1500 psi and get 220º or can run two wand set ups.

IMHO the Aerotech is The Best truckmount available. Are you ready for a $120 purchase? Will you be dual wanding most jobs?

Probably not so yest the RAGE may be the best for you at this time in your career.

What I believe best would be relaibility and strong enough to tackle even the most difficult of jobs. I do want to dual wand at some point but I will be working by myself for a while until I grow my business. Thanks for the input.

 

[The Rougarou]

I would think a bump up to the Sapphire 370 would give you very good machine. If considering CDS... van motor powered I would think the Hydramaster CDS 4.8 might be a solid choice. Been around a long time and very reliable.
Never cleaned carpet? You should go spend some time with someone for awhile before you jump in. Make sure this is really something you want to do... Wish you the best of luck!

Thanks for the input. I thought about trying to get a part time job with someone but I work offshore so not sure who could accommodate my work schedule. I plan to do the carpet/tile cleaning part time until I get more established.

 

[Bob Pruitt]

I plan to do the carpet/tile cleaning part time until I get more established.

This is a big investment so maybe your local Carpet Cleaning Supplier has something used but working well for cheap. Mike is right... the investment of new van and equipment most of us here would be using is 70 to 120 thousand...depending on truck and equipment combination. If you do it and decide you don't like it you will be lucky to get half of your investment back and if you start with the rage... well that would be harder to sell. Volunteer with somebody in a town that you won't be competing in. Get the feel of it. Working off shore is hard work. Carpet Cleaning is a different kind of hard work and you have to look good and smile while you do it. Maybe you will love it...maybe not.

 

[Mikey P]

do yourself a favor and read this thread, twice...

http://mikeysboard.com/threads/the-greenest-greenhorn-i-hope-ill-ever-see.283334/

 

[The Rougarou]

This is a big investment so maybe your local Carpet Cleaning Supplier has something used but working well for cheap. Mike is right... the investment of new van and equipment most of us here would be using is 70 to 120 thousand...depending on truck and equipment combination. If you do it and decide you don't like it you will be lucky to get half of your investment back and if you start with the rage... well that would be harder to sell. Volunteer with somebody in a town that you won't be competing in. Get the feel of it. Working off shore is hard work. Carpet Cleaning is a different kind of hard work and you have to look good and smile while you do it. Maybe you will love it...maybe not.

Used definitely seems the route to go. I have been searching the internet for used vans/truckmounts and have come across what I believe to be decent deals. I will definitely buy used.

 

[The Rougarou]

do yourself a favor and read this thread, twice...

http://mikeysboard.com/threads/the-greenest-greenhorn-i-hope-ill-ever-see.283334/

Wow. Some harsh realities. I definitely wouldn't go 50k-100k debt starting out. That is not good business. Maybe 20-30k max?

 

[Mikey P]

Have you thought about how you will drum up work?

Do you have a budget for marketing? How about a marketing plan? How will you set yourself apart from all the rest of the cleaners in town?

 

[Mikey P]

you have plenty of competition there..

https://www.google.com/#q=Covington...67012,-90088772,1560&tbm=lcl&tbs=lf:1,lf_ui:2

 

[Jim Pemberton]

I know you are looking for equipment advice, but have you made a business plan yet? Have you looked at the market place and decided what segment that you want to serve?

One of the surprising things about this business is that the worst approach is to say "I will go after everything". You need to find what segment of the market that you are most comfortable serving. No matter what marketing advice you get, if you don't like cleaning for wealthy people, or conversely, if you can't stand cleaning apartments or university dorms, whichever one you don't like, you won't put your heart into.

So decide what you can see yourself doing day in, day out. Decide who you want to deal with, what type of people you'll welcome to have call you on the weekend or in the evening.

Then decide what services you'll want to offer. Again, don't just say you will do it all. If you don't know how you feel about carpet cleaning, hard surface cleaning, upholstery cleaning, odor control, duct cleaning, etc, learn about those services and go do some of those things before you buy the equipment to do it. That's why Mike wanted you to read that thread twice. It wasn't just the money he spent, but it was how little he understood what it was like to do the things he needed to do with those things he bought.

Take some of the money you want to put into your equipment, and go visit one or two of the good guys on this board and do the things you think you want to do. It will be worth 10x what you pay.

 

[The Rougarou]

Have you thought about how you will drum up work?

Do you have a budget for marketing? How about a marketing plan? How will you set yourself apart from all the rest of the cleaners in town?

I actually have thought of those things. I have friends who are realtors who offered to help me out with other real estate agents. I also plan to go door to door with prospective homeowners and business owners to market myself. Internet marketing, post cards, facebook, yelp and others are useful marketing tools. I plan to use every marketing tool I can afford. My monthly budget for advertising will be $500/month starting out until my business expands. Setting myself apart from other cleaners in my area is something that I have thought about a lot but haven't quite been able to answer that question yet. I have been in contact with Rob Allen and plan to take his training that he offers. I certainly don't want to touch a customers carpet without having some training first. I realize there is lots to learn so I have been doing a lot of research the last two months. Jondon and interlink have some great videos on youtube that have been very educational for me.

 

[The Rougarou]

you have plenty of competition there..

https://www.google.com/#q=Covington, LA carpet cleaning&rflfq=1&rlha=0&rllag=30467012,-90088772,1560&tbm=lcl&tbs=lf:1,lf_ui:2

I do. That is the scary part of it all. I have noticed though that most of the cleaners in my area don't advertise. I can't remember the last time I saw an advertisement for a local company. Only advertising I see from them is an occasional Facebook post.

 

[Zee]

I would honestly say that your problem in this business won't be about "the machine". In other words: "the machine" is a rather small part of being able to make it and call yourself successful.

And of course a lot of times you will need a ton of other equipment and tools to compliment "the machine" .

Saying, that you want it to tackle the toughest jobs, means absolutely nothing. A $120k Aerotech means nothing if you don't know what you're doing and don't have the right tools to compliment the truckmount.
And on the other hand a small porty could tackle the toughest jobs with the right knowledge.

If you have any way to tag along with an established pro, go work with them for 5-6 months and see if you really want to drop that $20-30k into this.

 

[The Rougarou]

I know you are looking for equipment advice, but have you made a business plan yet? Have you looked at the market place and decided what segment that you want to serve?

One of the surprising things about this business is that the worst approach is to say "I will go after everything". You need to find what segment of the market that you are most comfortable serving. No matter what marketing advice you get, if you don't like cleaning for wealthy people, or conversely, if you can't stand cleaning apartments or university dorms, whichever one you don't like, you won't put your heart into.

So decide what you can see yourself doing day in, day out. Decide who you want to deal with, what type of people you'll welcome to have call you on the weekend or in the evening.

Then decide what services you'll want to offer. Again, don't just say you will do it all. If you don't know how you feel about carpet cleaning, hard surface cleaning, upholstery cleaning, odor control, duct cleaning, etc, learn about those services and go do some of those things before you buy the equipment to do it. That's why Mike wanted you to read that thread twice. It wasn't just the money he spent, but it was how little he understood what it was like to do the things he needed to do with those things he bought.

Take some of the money you want to put into your equipment, and go visit one or two of the good guys on this board and do the things you think you want to do. It will be worth 10x what you pay.

Great advice. My goal is to start with real estate agents and commercial. I am plan to start offering carpet & tile and grout cleaning at first. I do want to take carpet repair, duct cleaning and other classes from IIRC. Once I take those classes and feel comfortable with my level of knowledge, I will add those services. I don't expect this to be an instant success. I do realize it takes a lot of work to build a successful business and I am thankful to have resources at my disposal (like this forum).

 

[The Rougarou]

I would honestly say that your problem in this business won't be about "the machine". In other words: "the machine" is a rather small part of being able to make it and call yourself successful.

And of course a lot of times you will need a ton of other equipment and tools to compliment "the machine" .

Saying that you want it to tackle the toughest jobs means absolutely nothing. A $120k Aerotech means nothing if you don't know what you're doing and don't have the right tools to compliment the truckmount.
And on the other hand a small porty could tackle the toughest jobs with the right knowledge.

If you have any way to tag along with an established pro, go work with them for 5-6 months and see if you really want to drop that $20-30k into this.

You bring up some really good points. I would love to be able to ride along with someone. Anyone close to me wanna volunteer?

 

[Zee]

On a side note: dropping rob allen's name around here might cause a decreased willingness to help you (to put it nicely lol)

 

[The Rougarou]

On a side note: dropping rob allen's name around here might cause a decreased willingness to help you (to put it nicely lol)

Sorry. Didn't know. Wasn't trying to name drop. Just came across his training.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

You bring up some really good points. I would love to be able to ride along with someone. Anyone close to me wanna volunteer?

Another advantage of working with a cleaner who volunteers to help you (expect more than a few offers here...there are some very good guys on this board) is that the help is likely to be fairly unbiased.

As an example, I'm a supplier in the Middle Atlantic states. If you came to me for advice and assistance, it would be in my interests to recommend the brands I sell, and to do all I can within bounds of courtesy and professionalism to talk you into making decisions that benefit my company. There is nothing wrong with that, just as you would advise people about cleaning in such a way as to get them to hire you, not your competitor.

But when you are learning the craft from a non-aligned cleaner, you are going to get something free of that "burden of sales need" that any good supplier who is responsible to his business must have.

Ultimately, you'll work with someone who will supply you with your equipment and products, but by then you will be a very informed buyer, which no confident supplier would mind at all.

 

[JS41035]

I think a 2011 Ford e350 with 63k and a Prochem Apex is the only acceptable rig for a new cleaner.

 

[The Rougarou]

Another advantage of working with a cleaner who volunteers to help you (expect more than a few offers here...there are some very good guys on this board) is that the help is likely to be fairly unbiased.

As an example, I'm a supplier in the Middle Atlantic states. If you came to me for advice and assistance, it would be in my interests to recommend the brands I sell, and to do all I can within bounds of courtesy and professionalism to talk you into making decisions that benefit my company. There is nothing wrong with that, just as you would advise people about cleaning in such a way as to get them to hire you, not your competitor.

But when you are learning the craft from a non-aligned cleaner, you are going to get something free of that "burden of sales need" that any good supplier who is responsible to his business must have.

Ultimately, you'll work with someone who will supply you with your equipment and products, but by then you will be a very informed buyer, which no confident supplier would mind at all.

Valid points. Thanks for the input.

 

[The Rougarou]

I think a 2011 Ford e350 with 63k and a Prochem Apex is the only acceptable rig for a new cleaner.

Lol. How much? How many hours on the machine?

 

[Mikey P]

I have friends who are realtors who offered to help me out with other real estate agents

Don't count on that to produce anything more than a few free cleaning for new realtors who are not already in a relationship with an established cleaner.

Most realtors never get involved in carpet cleaning for their clients.

When you here "Come clean my home for free and if you do a good job I'll tell the world", run. Same with property management. Long time scam.

You don't want to be the cheapest guy in town. No better way to work your way into bankruptcy.

Read this forum front to back. Take every class you can find, even that dickhead Rob Allen can teach you something of value but if he wants $3000 from you so he can sell you his chemicals, pass on it. Just watch his ride along video. Find a cleaner who has a buiness that you want to emulate and offer to fly out and be their helper for as long as possible.


And get yourself to Mikey's Fest next week...

 

[The Rougarou]

Don't count on that to produce anything more than a few free cleaning for new realtors who are not already in a relationship with an established cleaner.

Most realtors never get involved in carpet cleaning for their clients.

When you here "Come clean my home for free and if you do a good job I'll tell the world", run. Same with property management. Long time scam.

You don't want to be the cheapest guy in town. No better way to work your way into bankruptcy.

Read this forum front to back. Take every class you can find, even that dickhead Rob Allen can teach you something of value but if he wants $3000 from you so he can sell you his chemicals, pass on it. Just watch his ride along video. Find a cleaner who has a buiness that you want to emulate and offer to fly out and be their helper for as long as possible.


And get yourself to Mikey's Fest next week...

View attachment 16022 View attachment 16023

Mikey's fest looks awesome. I wish I wasn't going to be offshore for it I don't personally know Rob Allen or his history but I did find his training class online so I had a brief convo with him about his training. I certainly am willing to be someone's helper for free. I want to take in as much knowledge as I can. I must admit that when I first started looking in to this industry a couple months ago, I thought it would be easy. I certainly have learned differently over the last two months of research. It will be challenging but I am not one to shy away from a challenge

 

[Mikey P]

No real business is easy in any way shape or form.

Even the low cost of entry businesses like auto detailing, pool or window cleaning or tile setting take far far more than you'd ever think to run successfully.

"Build it and they will come" only applies to store fronts selling hot commodities like jumbo fruit smoothies, designer coffee drinks, public storage closets and strip clubs..

 

[The Rougarou]

No real business is easy in any way shape or form.

Even the low cost of entry businesses like auto detailing, pool or window cleaning or tile setting take far far more than you'd ever think to run successfully.

"Build it and they will come" only applies to store fronts selling hot commodities like jumbo fruit smoothies, designer coffee drinks, public storage closets and strip clubs..

Owning a strip club would be awesome. Then again, the wifey would kick my ass.. Lol

 

[BIG WOOD]

Can someone tell us who that dude is that sells the owner/operator business advice? He's got that picture of that old ass van on the cover of his videos. @Mikey P @Mark Saiger @Desk Jockey @Kellie

He's the one I'd go to if I were going to pay for business advice. I've talked to Rob off and on for several years, and he doesn't have any advice that you can't find on these forums. Don't pay for that. If you're gonna pay for advice, go for the video I suggested with the old van, lol. I"m not joking.

As for your truck mount, look at your local dealers and see who's the most reputable. Then start trading with them. You'll be glad you did

 

[Mikey P]

http://www.becompetitionfree.com

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Mikey's fest looks awesome. I wish I wasn't going to be offshore for it I don't personally know Rob Allen or his history but I did find his training class online so I had a brief convo with him about his training. I certainly am willing to be someone's helper for free. I want to take in as much knowledge as I can. I must admit that when I first started looking in to this industry a couple months ago, I thought it would be easy. I certainly have learned differently over the last two months of research. It will be challenging but I am not one to shy away from a challenge

Like many good things (a good marriage, being a parent, etc) the job is harder than you'd expect, and more rewarding than you can imagine.

You might like to know this: In 40+ years in the supply side of this business, I've met many, MANY guys who came into the business, then left for one of several reasons, then came back to it again. They said that once the combination of rewarding work (you see things get better every moment you work) and the diversity of experiences you'll have, and the way you conquer challenges of technical issues (stains, strange odors, etc) and people issues (making crazy people happy no one else can tolerate) gets into you like a drug, you can never kick the habit.

If a business is that rewarding, not just financially but at every other level, how could you not love it?

And if you look at all the people on these forums: If they didn't love it, why would they spend their free time "hanging out" talking about it when they aren't doing it?

You'll love this business. Just follow the great advice your adopted uncles are giving you here.