Is it my fault?

[B&BGaryC]

In a 24 month period, we sent out 750 postcards ONCE, did 300 door hangers ONCE, did 2 months of TV ads, Ran 2 - 3 month sets of radio, and one 1 month radio ad. We cut our yellow pages to a bold type listing that said, "B&B Carpet Cleaning 555-8124"

That's it. I've doubled business* since I was hired, but we really don't have much coming in right now. Try as I might I can't shmooze and network any more accounts. Should I be able to build a company to 20-30k a month with no advertising or professional print to leave behind or cool gimmes or magnets or whatever?

I just feel like I go around everywhere handing out business cards asking people to throw them in the trash for me.

I know I've been a prick to a lot of you, but I really don't know if I could handle any of you coming down on me right now after seeing my year end totals. I'm about ready to call it quits and sell knives door to door.


*"I've doubled business" --- Alrighty, get out yer calculator. Enter a zero. No multiply that by any number and see how impressive it is. That will give you an idea of what me doubling business has done to our bottom line and my net income.

I can't wait for SFS.

 

[Art Kelley]

Hey, it's slow right now. It's not your fault. It's the way it's always been. For the most part, people just don't like the thought of cleaning carpets in the winter. Stop beating your brains. Take a vacation. Get your body, your equipment, your plans ready for the spring when you can start to make some real money. Just like teachers who take a long break in the summer (man I wish it was the summer that was slow, the girls wear too many clothes on the beach right now.)

 

[Farenheit251]

How does your boss feel about it? I know when I was into restoration I didn't give a rats ass about cleaning. I was just happy if they covered their expenses and were available when the big restoration jobs came. Carpet cleaning was just a way to have more trained people on the payroll when we needed them. I haven't really seen many restoration companies where cleaning was a profit center. Maybe you are doing just fine.

 

[bob vawter]

You don still walk around wit that paper towel roll....in yor pants...

do ya?

 

[Out of Character - 0]

Maybe I'm not good at running a carpet cleaning business, but I found it really really difficult to make a profit on carpet cleaning when I had 1 tech, 1 truck, didn't clean myself, and had other business obligations consuming my time. Because we have a successful janitorial service I was able to lose money cleaning carpets while I slowly figured it out in my spare time. It sounds like your boss is in that position.

Are you handling all of the carpet cleaning divisions obligations from cleaning to marketing? If that's true and your boss isn't putting in any effort, or paying someone else to do it for him, then he shouldn't expect a great return in my opinion. He might need to take a chance and put more money into advertising to generate enough work to gain momentum. 1 busy truck with 2 techs working independently most of the time can generate lots of profit, but it has to be cleaning.

Put your current price, performance, capacity, and desired profit on paper and see if it's even possible for your current situation to work.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Dude it's a cycle, you don't always catch them at the right time in that cycle.

It doesn't matter how much you need the work, or how much you want the work, you just can't force someone to purchase when it's not time.

At best you hope to remind them you're there and so when the time does come when cleaning is what 's important, your name is top of the mind.

You're planting seeds, you've got to plant them, continually water them and eventually they will grow into work.

Hang in there and keep plugging away, the work will come as long as you stay at it.

 

[Doug D]

You need to start your own business!! Micah can set you up with a nice van and machine that would work for you! Just don't lease from Interlink!! :roll:

 

[davegillfishing]

if you can grow the business to 20-30k a month you need to start your own business..you make yourself sound stupid sometimes..stop crying. yea yea uea i am being a dick again..
you should really look at your posts before you hit the submit button..winners dont wine they find a way to win, if you cant find a fix to whatever the problem is you should take one of those knives you are going to sell door to door and stick it in your ass and turn it side to side so the wound wont close..unless you are too the point that your ass wont close up on its own??

on a more serious note..remember, winners don't wine they find a way to win. everyone has slow times..figure out why you are slow and make the changes..and dont say it is the economy because i just raised my prices and (knock on wood) we are booked out 2 weeks..look at the problem and change who you target if needed..just dont whimper and make excuses, make it happen

 

[B&BGaryC]

The problem is I've been given the right equipment, a stack of business cards and been told, "Go do it."

We do advertising like it's some sort of science experiment instead of something we do regularly. Quite frankly at this point I hate coming to work. I would much rather be cutting the insides out of chickens at a slaughter house if it paid my bills better than this place does. Every time I have an idea it gets shot down, I ask for a wrench and I'm given a hammer, then when I ask for a screwdriver I'm told I was already given a hammer and it didn't make him any money. I'm pissed at myself because I haven't been assertive enough to stand up list what I need to get the job done right.

Any time I tell him I we need to do something to get more customers I am told to lower the prices. I'm just venting. Sorry if only losers whine. Looking at my bottom line is pretty much evidence that I am loser, so I'm gonna complain about it a little bit. I am going to go to SFS, and I am going to come back with a new attitude and implement what I've learned. If I am not allowed to implement what I need to be successful, you will find me over on Erniesboard. It's a chicken slaughtering forum.

 

[B&BGaryC]

Dude it's a cycle, you don't always catch them at the right time in that cycle.

It doesn't matter how much you need the work, or how much you want the work, you just can't force someone to purchase when it's not time.

At best you hope to remind them you're there and so when the time does come when cleaning is what 's important, your name is top of the mind.

You're planting seeds, you've got to plant them, continually water them and eventually they will grow into work.

Hang in there and keep plugging away, the work will come as long as you stay at it.

I learned that. A little over a year ago I made sure to do ultra low pressure cold call marketing. Just introduce myself and let them know to talk to me when the time comes. Usually a year and a few months after I drop my card they give me a call.

 

[The Preacher]

i don't see Mt as being a carpet cleaning capital???

 

[Greenie]

You aren't by chance doing estimates in that "ride" r u?

 

[B&BGaryC]

3 times total out of necessity. I land the great majority of my estimates anyway.

 

[B&BGaryC]

i don't see Mt as being a carpet cleaning capital???

Pulled 20k a month, close to 30k a month in the summer at another company. That company no longer cleans carpets. That business is somewhere, it's just not here.

 

[briankthomas]

Dude! Take it easy this is the slow season.
The owner has a good point, consider creating some specials and packages to entice the customer, it is a far less dramatic way to lower prices. The word free gets people going.

Buy 3 rooms of Carpet Cleaning get 1 room of Protectant FREE!
or Upholstery Cleaning Sofa & Loveseat Special $ xx.xx

Perhaps you are focusing on the residential side too heavily consider potential commercial customers

Owner of Services by Fleet Carpet Cleaning in Dallas, Texas
http://www.customcarpetcleaningdallas.com

 

[B&BGaryC]

Thank you. I was looking around on your site...

A few things caught my eye, but the only one I really have a question about is this: How do you measure the square footage of sectionals and chase lounges?

Other than that, maybe you want somebody to proof read a few things. I am somewhat dyslexic so maybe I am just switching some things around because it's late.

 

[Chris A]

Gary for large sectionals or chase lounges I would charge by linear foot. Measure the back of the piece in feet. Then charge per linear foot. I think $15-20 bucks a linear foot for standard care is a fair price. $25-30 a linear foot for special care fabrics.

You can even charge the special care rate for heavy staining and urine contamination, for a standard care fabric. It covers your costs of specialty products(deodorizers/enzyme/red out ect), extra labor/time.

Steven I better not hear about you charging $15 a LF on a nylon sectional, don't make me come over there!!!

 

[Desk Jockey]

Gary do you really only leave a card, or are you over simplifying it.

You can easily put together a company profile sheet, who you are what services you offer, big jobs, certifications, referrals from past customers, something more to have in your hand to give them (more trash).

You might also consider a promotional offer of some sorts, could be a demo of so many sq/ft, could be a low introductory special, Winter Special, something to get your foot in the door.

All the cool specialty stuff really doesn't motivate someone to make a purchase. It keeps your name and number near by, but having the specialties won't make them purchase.

I have a drawer full of stuff people leave me.

 

[B&BGaryC]

Sometimes I leave a brochure.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Not harassing you, just thinking about what could help.

Our marketing people like to have something in hand to leave them.

 

[Scott]

[quote="Steven Hoodlebrink":1vjv5psz]


Gary for large sectionals or chase lounges I would charge by linear foot. Measure the back of the piece in feet. Then charge per linear foot. I think $15-20 bucks a linear foot for standard care is a fair price. $25-30 a linear foot for special care fabrics.

You can even charge the special care rate for heavy staining and urine contamination, for a standard care fabric. It covers your costs of specialty products(deodorizers/enzyme/red out ect), extra labor/time.

Steven I better not hear about you charging $15 a LF on a nylon sectional, don't make me come over there!!![/quote:1vjv5psz]

Xactimate pays just under $20/lf for a standard sofa in our area - and we're def. not a 90210 zip code.

 

[Chris A]

wow, just seems awful high for the amount of time involved in cleaning.

 

[Jimmy L]

Montana is the problem.

Too many buffaloes and not enough people.

 

[packfancjh]

My minimum for a standard couch is $100.00. Not worth my time for less.

 

[Chris A]

[quote="c_adkins":sxo9q2wl]wow, just seems awful high for the amount of time involved in cleaning.

Average length of a 3 cushion couch is 6-7 ft. 15x6= $90.

I use to get even more than that not including protector.[/quote:sxo9q2wl]

I'm not talking about standard size sofa Steven, but for a sectional, I use a discounted rate, reason being, less time cleaning once your set up. My standard sofa rate is between yours and Chris', take that for what its worth.

 

[davegillfishing]

gary i never said you were a loser..kind of goofy and weird but not a loser..what i said was to be a problem solver, at what point you can not solve the problem it is time to move on.
you know what the problem is now put together a game plan to fix the problem..one of the problems is your boss..every problem has a solution you just need to throw several things at the wall and see what sticks and run with it.
the only people that are losers are the people that dont try..
so what i said was to stop complaining and start fixing..or move on if it is not fixable. what it sounds like to me is that once it is fixed and up and running you still wont have or get what you want so your future is kind of gloomy in my eyes. you can get mad at that statement or take it as someone that is looking from the outside and telling the truth about what is seen.
i want you mentally strong so when i screw with you, you fight back (it is more fun that way)
if you want to call me and i will hook you up with my referral program, it will only cost you 1k business cards and some time. but it is a huge part of my continual growth and sucess and i am sure without it i would not have over 2k customers in just 3 years of being in business.
904-483-7307 dave..i am in fla so we are in eastern time

 

[hogjowl]

You seem to me like the buttwad type of guy (like most of us here) who is not fit to work for somebody else. Add to that the fact that it seems like your boss might not be the best dude around, and I sympathize with you. However, look on the bright side.

You could be working for Harold, and then you'd have all your current bosses BS to put up with, AND you'd be stuck with a POMPOUS ASS, to boot!

 

[B&BGaryC]

They do have the only certified restorer in the Billings area (scary).

And I see some scary things happen to people's houses when we get called in to fix it.

Exactimate gives us 24 or 28 a linear foot here. I forget which. There is a local boob who advertises Sofa Love Chair Otto for 99 bucks, and some others who do sofas for 40, so I don't do much upholstery unless it's an insurance claim.

 

[B&BGaryC]

Sorry guys. I'm just PMSing. Things will be better after I get back from SFS. My boss and I got to work some things out, and we both know where we stand. I'm ready to quit and he's ready to fire me. Or he's bluffing. I said I could have made more at a coffee shop, he said I might have to work at a coffee shop. I said I can't build a business without advertising, he said some people are natural salesman and they can, but I've proven I can't build a business without advertising.

 

[B&BGaryC]

gary i never said you were a loser..kind of goofy and weird but not a loser..what i said was to be a problem solver, at what point you can not solve the problem it is time to move on.
you know what the problem is now put together a game plan to fix the problem..one of the problems is your boss..every problem has a solution you just need to throw several things at the wall and see what sticks and run with it.
the only people that are losers are the people that dont try..
so what i said was to stop complaining and start fixing..or move on if it is not fixable. what it sounds like to me is that once it is fixed and up and running you still wont have or get what you want so your future is kind of gloomy in my eyes. you can get mad at that statement or take it as someone that is looking from the outside and telling the truth about what is seen.
i want you mentally strong so when i screw with you, you fight back (it is more fun that way)
if you want to call me and i will hook you up with my referral program, it will only cost you 1k business cards and some time. but it is a huge part of my continual growth and sucess and i am sure without it i would not have over 2k customers in just 3 years of being in business.
904-483-7307 dave..i am in fla so we are in eastern time

Forgive me if I'm suspicious.... Weren't you telling me to rape a cantaloupe a few months ago?