I was asked this question

[Guest]

Anything that begins with "down here in Alabama...." makes me hear the banjos.

OMG, THat was good.

I don't know what he can buy for $1000.00, but here are my suggestions.


Get a GOOD well designed door hanger. Hang them like mad.

Buy a Compact disc directory of your city(one that you can print labels from) and then pick your target markets for mailers/door hangers. Hit them every other week. I use Polk County Directories.

Go commercial and work your ass off. Find a good property management company. Also Wendy's restaurants have carpeting that has to be cleaned monthly.
Magnets.
Realtors.
BNI.
Go to a fast food restaurant like hardee's where alot of old people eat and start up conversations with them.
When you go to restaurants put you business cards in the little boxes that hold sugar and sweetNlow.

Be seen in your NICELY leTTered TRuCk during morning rush hour. drive under the speed limit and let people pass you. Be sure that your truck shines.
Join a MEGA church and be seen in the company truck and park your truck way out in the parking lot so that more people will see it.

Old people are good at referrals.

 

[Mountain View Carpet Care]

Network meetings.

 

[Stanley]

The first thing he should do is hit every restaurant in town that has carpet. Also along the way hit business that there is a possibility that might need regular carpet cleaning. Get in a direct mail like val pak. I have a Friend that years ago spent $2000 a month with val pak, advertised a $45 per room with 2nd room free. There were other prices on the package too, such as 5 room specials, etc. He had more work than he knew what to do with, but this has to be a large populated metropolis to spend that much money with that low of a price. After he starts getting calls, referrals and business gathered up, he can go up on his prices. He should expect to make a meager living until the business gets built up.

 

[Jeff Madsen]

We have got to be the stupidest group of "professionals" in the world. Why does this happen over and over and over. Odin was right. Scott was right. Ken was right. Get a job. Sell yourself like a cheap whore in the night. This is the bed you have made.

This guys distributor did him a disservice by selling him every damn thing under the sun he could. This guy did himself a disservice by thinking he was on a spending spree at the local hardware store.

$1000 will not even allow him to get set up on a regular direct mail program. He is in trouble and he hasn't yet begun. How sad.

 

[bob vawter]

I see it all the time......

 

[Art Kelley]

We have got to be the stupidest group of "professionals" in the world. Why does this happen over and over and over. Odin was right. Scott was right. Ken was right. Get a job. Sell yourself like a cheap whore in the night. This is the bed you have made.

This guys distributor did him a disservice by selling him every damn thing under the sun he could. This guy did himself a disservice by thinking he was on a spending spree at the local hardware store.

$1000 will not even allow him to get set up on a regular direct mail program. He is in trouble and he hasn't yet begun. How sad.

Oh, for God's sake. you're right. The guy may as well file bankruptcy now. He'll never make it. All he has is the necessary technical knowledge and the necessary equipment. And the desire to succeed. And the advice from people here who have been in that same position when they started. How foolish of him. And the rest of us who have made a good living in this business through good times and bad.

 

[bob vawter]

well i'm glad THAT'S settled...........

 

[hogjowl]

Chris:
I realize that you are just a carpet cleaner, and I don't expect much from you, but let me draw you a simple picture and maybe you'll understand it.

My advice was not intended for everybody on this thread. It was an option that this particular individual might find profitable for his particular situation if, and only if, as Ken suggested, he is too risk averse to incur the debt that capitalizing off his equipment entails.

You do understand the meaning of the word averse, don't you?

 

[Guest]

Pimpin' ain't easy.

 

[adamh]

A little more info.

He moved away from his old boss, blew his savings on all nice but used equipment from a guy retiring, moved into his Mom and Dads house. No wife no kids.

I told him to get a night job ( stock shelves at Wal-Mart or be a waiter at Outback ) and hang door hangers in the day. With every check buy a few more hangers and work referrals.

I never thought to tell him to get a loan off the equipment, he was so proud of being debt free. Not too proud of living with Mom and Dad.

 

[Royal Man]

A full page YP ad can be several grand a month in most markets.
He'll likely to have to make almost double that just to pay off the ad.

He could choosing shotgunning direct mail. But,that is likely to be a losing proposition.


Why market with all the other carpet cleaners anyway?

He needs low priced marketing that can pay huge ROI.

Network marketing to local groups can fill this void.

One call 2 minute call can produce a lifetime of new clients each and every month forever!!

Beats walking hours with flyers. Use your precious time wisely!!

Target groups in your are such as: Health Club membership Directors. Specialty Store Owners. Golf Course Membership directors. Human Resource Directors. Civic Organizations. Union Membership Committees. Recreational Clubs. Church Membership Committees or whatever groups you have in your area etc...

Soon you'll be stealthily marketing your whole community for FREE!


Visit my website for more information.

 

[breathe72]

Marty,

Sorry if you got your feelings got crushed a little when I said your 'drive-a-bus' idea was stupid. lol

You are too sensitive to be a hillbilly.

So much for that theory.

If I went by your posts, I'd say you are an ego-maniac with low self-esteem?

And as far as me being "just a carpet cleaner"....

I respect your time in the business. Sort of.

Just remember, when you choose to wear it like a medal around your neck, you will get held to a higher standard of offering advice than "go git a job drivin skool buses." "Its a smart thing to do...."

Wait...

Maybe I was wrong...

Do you hear it?

There it is...

Listen...






THEM BANJOS ARE A'PLAYIN!!!!!

 

[Kevin B]

NUMBER ONE RULE for a carpet cleaner is:

Marry a gal that has a good job.....see, that was easy!

My wife has the most important job in the world, taking care of our kids.

 

[hogjowl]

There are no hillbillies in South Alabama. Only rednecks.

If you're going to try to be funny, please have an intelligent person write for you.

 

[bob vawter]

YES John G is the hillbilly of the board...no doubt!

 

[cu]

taking money from the bank could be a great thing to get him on the highroad or the worse thing he ever did

if he is a great cleaner but cant sell worth a damm he will just owe the money and be in bad shape in a few weeks

if he can sell he may not need the loan from the bank just needs to get his name out there

if he needs to turn quick cash then he can get out into the industrial estates around him and knock out a few car interiors and make some easy cash in the morning put out flyer's in the late morning and get some restaurants in the evening till he gets the type of work he wants

he will be turning cash and not owe anybody anything ...if that's what he like's

 

[joey895]

Unless he is a very astute business person and has a very good marketing mind I would not borrow money against that equipment. Because he'll be likely to burn through that money on a bunch of advertising that does not work and then he'll be in the same boat he is now only he'll have to worry about making that payment or losing his business. It would probably be wise to get an overnight job to cover the bills and re-invest all or at least most of whatever he makes cleaning carpets into more marketing until he starts getting a steady flow of business. During this time he can try out different things and figure out what works and what doesn't work for his area without risking getting his equipment repoed if some particular advertising bombs and at least some of the advertising he spends his hard earned money on will bomb in the beginning.

 

[hogjowl]

Not bad for an Alabama panhandle redneck.

 

[steve frasier]

If I was debt free I would like to remain that way, other then a house payment

I agree cash is cheap right now and now is the time to use that to your advantage

I tend to agree with you Adam as well as Odin and Art, nothing wrong with doing a little hard work to appreciate where you need to get to, and tell him to read the E Myth revisited

I just finished reading it, I was doing some of the things mentioned in the book but didn't realize it but now have a better sense of direction

Thank You Scott for giving me the book

 

[gary mackay]

Take advantage of all the FREE internet marketing in your area, drive people to your site, get a part time job at a local taco stand

 

[Scott]

If I was debt free I would like to remain that way, other then a house payment

I agree cash is cheap right now and now is the time to use that to your advantage

I tend to agree with you Adam as well as Odin and Art, nothing wrong with doing a little hard work to appreciate where you need to get to, and tell him to read the E Myth revisited

I just finished reading it, I was doing some of the things mentioned in the book but didn't realize it but now have a better sense of direction

Thank You Scott for giving me the book

It is a great book, but it only exposes the problem and not the solution.

The solution is to sell your ass off and get to the point where you have to hire employees because you're too busy growing the business to do the physical labor.

Scott

 

[Ron Werner]

I remember starting out, porty in the back seat, no knowledge of marketing or busn, not even a certified tech, these boards were just a idea. I did a lot of praying and lot of walking. Blew a lot of money on ads that never brought in one job. Handed out 4000 busn cards, the cheap kind from Staples, $30 for a 1000.
Somehow I did 20000 the first year with about 200 jobs. That was more than twice what I made with the big store carpet cleaning company I had left with only 1/5th the work.

Now, looking back, I should have gotten a job.
I'd get better cards and matching flyers (a uniform look), hand out to every busn that had carpet,
have an offer,
Mike West's "20-40% OFF" worked well for him

OH, find some high end carpet cleaners and make yourself known. If they are like me they are turning jobs away left and right, the price shoppers/move-outs. I probably refer more jobs a year now than I cleaned my first year. I have a couple of guys that I know do pretty good work but at a much lower price and I feel safe referring them.

 

[breathe72]

Look, lets quit fooling ourselves with this one.

You go into business for yourself, you need money: not a part time job.

Who here agrees that your time is worth more than a few hundred bucks a week (which is what a part time job would net after taxes)???

Talk about spreading yourself thin.

How many of us wish we had the time to PROPERLY market our biz?

So we should get a part time job to help pay for advertising or pay bills?

Please. You know better and so do I.

Will someone please tell this guy there is MONEY to be made in this industry, but that he will need to spend a little to get a little, and folks thats perfectly ok.

Are carpet cleaners the only ones who aren't allowed to have working capital?

IMO, ten thousand would be a good number for him to borrow.

He could contact Mikey or any number of us who have had success with direct mail.

Why can't he do it? We do/did.

Someone point him towards jondon direct mail and let him grow his business.

Anyone care to take a stab at what $10,000 loan payment is at an average rate???

HINT: Not Much. One medium sized job will cover it.

He will still have to get out there and hustle, that part never changes.

But at least he wont be stocking shelves late at night at his local grocery, wishing he was a full-time owner operator.

Or driving the school bus with tears in his eyes, while his customers are using the competition.

 

[Ron Lippold]

He needs to do some good old fashioned White Knuckle Marketing. I say 5000 business cards 5000 door hangers and a good pair of shoes. It is spring and all you have to do is be there and be reasonable. Stay away from radio and any kind of bait and switch advertising. Get out there 8-10 hours a day talk to everyone you see and you will be fine.

Call Wayne Miller and have him fix you up a Yp ad, I know alot of seasoned vets out there dont like them, But a good ad will pull and that will get you in the door, after that it is up to you. Good Luck.

 

[Jeremy]

Adam have the guy gimme a ring. I'll help all I can.
812-754-1447

 

[Royal Man]

(Breath72 said : He could contact Mikey or any number of us who have had success with direct mail. Why can't he do it? We do/did. )


As far as I know Mikey direct mails to previous clients. Which is smart marketing to stay in contact them.

A new business doesn't have customers to mail to. Shotgun direct mail to cold prospects can be a costly proposition.