I am developing a new marketing program for my second truck

[XTREME1]

call me a Bait and switch. Call me what you want but it is options cleaning. Different packages at different prices but the first option is
1. Prespray and rake (cobbs powermax or Prochem Axiom)
2. Prochem Everest steam clean while rinsing with prochem all-fiber or JJ o2 all fiber

in and out $25.00 a room add protector $9.95 add deodorizer (JJ D12) for $5.95 a room

I just bought up the names
25dollarsaroom.com and .net
twentyfivedollarsaroom.com and .net
bought some nifty signage for the plain white van and some valpak and an 877-number

I figure with this economy people saying affordable doesn't work people want the numbers before they call and if they call 25dollarsaroom.com they already know how much and the website will tell them their price before someone even shows up and will have all the info for them. I am very excited about my 3rd and 4th vas next spring

 

[hogjowl]

No one has ever thought of that before.

 

[XTREME1]

I know people have that is why I was looking for the web address of the guy who was doing $20 a room. There are no new ideas since the wheel pigman.

I would love a copy of your business plan because I am bettin you do it right and made a ton of mistakes. Me I keep spending spending spending I would love to put a little pork in the pocket

 

[Royal Man]

should be great untill 24.99aroom.com comes into your town.

Is this a set-up?

 

[XTREME1]

I understand you get the most money for the least marketing Dave. I on the otherhand do a ton of marketing and added a van that only works 24 hrs a week so I am starting a business based on $25 it isn't the price it is the fact that the customer doesn't even have to ask they know already. They know what they get, they know what they will pay etc etc.

My Father inlaw(fulbright scholar, Up for the Nobel in economics last year) thinks it is the perfect position for such a company but no real longterm market maybe 2 -5 years and that is all I want out of it

 

[alazo1]

Great idea. Search "carpet cleaning san jose" in yahoo. There's a dude that's always #1 in the search and has 19 positive reviews. I'd bet they do well. I believe they wand for that price and rx for a deep scrub. What are you gonna do when you know you can get it cleaner with an extra step?.

Albert

 

[Wayne Miller]

If it's not based on price, why not be the $100 cleaner and improve your numbers by 4:1?

 

[ErikG]

So with your new company your not going to charge 7 Dollar a rm for power scrub?

 

[Royal Man]

There are much better ways to position your company than to have a USP based on low price.

Brain storm to discover some of the thousands of USPs for a service company.

When price becomes the main determining factor for a client to choose your company. Your company will be cleaning less rooms per job and clients will be much less likely to up-sell.

Client don't always see a low price as a good thing. How often has a client chosen a lower price for a product or service and they were at the end dissatisfied.

With $25.00 in your name be prepared to drive one end of town to the other doing $25.00 jobs.

Also, clients that are price driven are less likely to be loyal customers. They will leave readily to a lower price company.

I believe Ken Snow has a $100. minimum and he is able to use economy of scale to clean at a lower price and still be profitable.

With a smaller operation and starting @ $25.00 your expenses will eat you up.


Dave-

 

[Out of Character - 0]

As a small company I prefer not to have fixed prices until we grow to the point where it becomes to complicated. By being flexible and knowing my numbers I'm able to keep the trucks very busy. I can't seem to keep busy enough over $.30 per foot so we quote based on our availability and the customers budget.

As an example, today I have 2 jobs that spec out to be identical. One was booked in advance by a customer who seems to value quality, the other buy a guy who called yesterday and just wants a cleaning. They will both get the same cleaning with the only difference being that the quality customer will pay .33 and the other guy .22

 

[hogjowl]

I think you may want to take the word "Character" out of your name.

 

[Out of Character - 0]

Out of = none left

I'm the new, new model.

 

[XTREME1]

If it's not based on price, why not be the $100 cleaner and improve your numbers by 4:1?

I want to keep 2 guys and a van busy

So with your new company your not going to charge 7 Dollar a rm for power scrub?
So with your new company your not going to charge 7 Dollar a rm for power scrub?

They won't be prescrubbing, they will be using rotovac 360

With $25.00 in your name be prepared to drive one end of town to the other doing $25.00 jobs.

the minimum is $95.00 and the first room is $45.00

There are much better ways to position your company than to have a USP based on low price.

I like that USP, it has worked so far for me plus it is to play on the current economic state of the country. I do not see a better time to take advantage of that

 

[Royal Man]

Lets see if I have this right.

Your first room is $45.00

And Your minimum charge is $95.00

Because your new name to draw in clients is $25dollarsaroom.com

I see a lot of disgruntled and confused potential clients.


Seems to me you might want to change the name to;

$25dollarsaroomexceptfirstroom45dollarsnottomention95dollarminnimumcharge.com

 

[XTREME1]

why would they be disgruntled? They will know the charges when they go to my website. Who doesn't have a minimum charge? the minimum is 3 rooms or $95.00 I have never had anyone complain about a minimum charge. Most people don't confuse as easily as you. You want confused people do it by sq ft, I used to . I am sure even sutley can figure out what 4 rooms would cost pretty easily

 

[Able 1]

If it's not based on price, why not be the $100 cleaner and improve your numbers by 4:1?

I want to keep 2 guys and a van busy

[quote:7pjxx66r]So with your new company your not going to charge 7 Dollar a rm for power scrub?
So with your new company your not going to charge 7 Dollar a rm for power scrub?

[/quote:7pjxx66r]
They won't be prescrubbing, they will be using rotovac 360

Have you used your new 360? You like it?

 

[XTREME1]

I have only demo'd one. I am waiting for one I bought last week. I currently have 2 originals Rotovacs.

Prespray, Spot treat, Rake and Extract with 360, Groom and deal with all the disgruntled customers who got ripped off because they got great service at a great price and they knew all the pricing upfront because they either received a postcard with all the info or went to the website where it was clearly posted.

 

[Able 1]

I have only demo'd one. I am waiting for one I bought last week. I currently have 2 originals Rotovacs.

Prespray, Spot treat, Rake and Extract with 360, Groom and deal with all the disgruntled customers who got ripped off because they got great service at a great price and they knew all the pricing upfront because they either received a postcard with all the info or went to the website where it was clearly posted.

What will you run the psi at on the 360? Just curious...

Keith

 

[XTREME1]

400 psi I should notch it down to 360

 

[Able 1]

400 psi I should notch it down to 360

at least :shock:

 

[XTREME1]

the other end of the hose is hooked to a prochem everest I have never had a problem with the suction and heat in my machines to run less than that. With the original rotovacs hooked to my APEX I run in the 400-450 range and the carpet is nice and dry to the touch

 

[Able 1]

the other end of the hose is hooked to a prochem everest I have never had a problem with the suction and heat in my machines to run less than that. With the original rotovacs hooked to my APEX I run in the 400-450 range and the carpet is nice and dry to the touch

Point taken!

 

[renegade_cowboy]

Why the sudden change in your business plan? You mentioned before that if your not prescrubbin every job with the 175 than its not getting clean? You mentioned your only doing this for the next few years, the business or pricing?

Just curious.

 

[Scott]

Greg -

Instead of changing your company name, which is a 2-yr brand and appears to already be successful, why not just add a branding element or extension? I.E. your USP could be:

Xtreme Carpet Care - Where You get $25 Per Room Xtreme Value!

or

Xtreme Carpet Care - Home of the $25 Per Room Xtreme Value!

These are just off the top of my head and I'm sure can be tweaked w/o diluting what's already working for you.

Scott

 

[XTREME1]

I am sorry for the confusion. I am not changing my business I am starting a different one in a different area. I will continue with Xtreme on the South Shore of Massachusetts but I have a truck that runs out of my house on Cape Cod and has only done commercial and I have gotten alot of requests for home service in that area. With the economics being the focal point of everything going on today I decided to take this aproach.

I am going to check on XTREMEvalue.com right now though banana. Send me an invoice

Green one: My Father inlaw said the current problems will only be for a few years and that the viability of a business based on economics could only be sustained for a few years and I would be happy getting 5 years out of the company and opting to rotovac 360 residential instead of prescrubbing since I won't be on the truck

 

[Becker]

Get the tramp stamp yet?

 

[XTREME1]

nope

 

[XTREME1]

I have never had a problem with frieze. Frieze is heat set at a much higher temp than 240 degrees in which I clean. My guys are certified and Greg Crowley trained so they no when and when not to take a chance.

I think I can make it last longer but I look towards my Father inlaw for alot of answers. If you had an advisor with the wisdom in which I have you would look to him also. How many of us can call a fulbright scholar and a nobel candidate on a day to day basis for advice

 

[renegade_cowboy]

why would they be disgruntled? They will know the charges when they go to my website. Who doesn't have a minimum charge? the minimum is 3 rooms or $95.00 I have never had anyone complain about a minimum charge. Most people don't confuse as easily as you. You want confused people do it by sq ft, I used to . I am sure even sutley can figure out what 4 rooms would cost pretty easily

What I think he is talking about you are basing your business off the $25 a room but for the first 3 rooms you dont do that, so you are a $25 per room after the minimum charge. If I lived there I would assume that the 3 rooms would be $75, since you are $25aroom.com or whatever it is. It just doesnt fit. So you are starting a business that by your standards is sub standard, thats kinda weird.
Maybe you should extend your business there and charge what you normally do so you can invest in your business, instead of starting it and then giving up on it in 3-5 years. I know your "nobel prize nominee" friend is saying to go cheap, but people are willing to pay a *good* price for a *good* service, I see it all over the country. I know your smarter than me and have more money than most people here you said, but I just see the point of what your doing, unless its a big joke. Why have 2 business like that? Just my opinion, I am assuming that is why you posted the topic to get feed back.

 

[ScottM]

I think this is the website you were looking for

$20 per room cleaners

They are the $20 per room after the first room cleaners.