Lets Help Greg Cole

[XTREME1]

It's not all about making money. It's a legacy to your life. What do you want to be rememebered for? Integrity and ethics and compassion rate far higher in my business model than making money.

are you out of your mind?

 

[Doug Cox]

So, apparently the 2 Gregs work off the same business model.

 

[joe harper]

So, apparently the 2 Gregs work off the same business model.

Doug...

I ABSOLUTLY...do NOT use Greg's business MODEL.... :!:

My referance to being like GREG...is that , when I was his AGE...I was chasing to DOLLAR..
with every breath I took.. I thought that the MONEY would solve any problem in front
of ME.! The money only facil-"I"-tated my EGO to lead me into a FALSE sense of security.

My FAMILY..suffered the brunt of my SUCCESS...I had the MONEY to do whatever I want to do. Instead of giving my "TIME"....which is what they needed....I bought them off with
expensive GIFTS...

I RAN "with the best"...alcohal was my FREIND...I BLEW through more CASH than I am willing to discuss... I was just sharing.."A POINT OF AWARENESS" ...with Ryan & Greg....!

I am certainly have NO RIGHT TO JUDGE EITHER... :wink:

 

[truckmount girl]

It's not all about making money. It's a legacy to your life. What do you want to be rememebered for? Integrity and ethics and compassion rate far higher in my business model than making money.

are you out of your mind?

Maybe. But I like where I am, who I am and where my life is going. Some people assume there will always be time later, then before they know it, life passed them by.

There are things I want to be remembered for and financial success is not one of them.

Take care,
Lisa

 

[FB7777]

So, apparently the 2 Gregs work off the same business model.

Doug...

I ABSOLUTLY...do NOT use Greg's business MODEL.... :!:

My referance to being like GREG...is that , when I was his AGE...I was chasing to DOLLAR..
with every breath I took.. I thought that the MONEY would solve any problem in front
of ME.! The money only facil-"I"-tated my EGO to lead me into a FALSE sense of security.

My FAMILY..suffered the brunt of my SUCCESS...I had the MONEY to do whatever I want to do. Instead of giving my "TIME"....which is what they needed....I bought them off with
expensive GIFTS...



I RAN "with the best"...alcohal was my FREIND...I BLEW through more CASH than I am willing to discuss... I was just sharing.."A POINT OF AWARENESS" ...with Ryan & Greg....!

I am certainly have NO RIGHT TO JUDGE EITHER... :wink:

Doug was referring to Greg Crowley as the other Greg

you need to focus ole man :shock:

 

[joe harper]

Thanks PHrEd...

It must be my "MANapause"...acting-up.... :shock:


I was just pUrGinG..a little GUILT.... :wink:

I think I will leave this post -up on the screen when I leave the office... :idea:

Maybe my SON ...will read it & gleen some insite from his father's MisTaKeS... :!:

 

[Doug Cox]

LOL- Joe and Marty keep me chuckling.

 

[XTREME1]

So, apparently the 2 Gregs work off the same business model.

are you in business to lose money?

 

[Doug Cox]

It's not all about making money. It's a legacy to your life. What do you want to be rememebered for? Integrity and ethics and compassion rate far higher in my business model than making money.

are you out of your mind?

So Greg- Let me get this straight. The only way to make money is to have no ethics, morals, and to provide an inferior product, because according to your post, thats the way it sounds.

 

[truckmount girl]

So, apparently the 2 Gregs work off the same business model.

are you in business to lose money?

No, but my focus isn't on making it, or growing it. I'm not in it for the money, I'm in it to make a difference.

Take care,
Lisa

 

[XTREME1]

I can guarantee you I clean carpet better than you day in and day out Douglas and believe it or not I am in business to make money. I am not a charitable organization. The other Gregs model doesn't suit me but more power to him. All I replied to was the crack lisa made about it isn't about the money and I say it is about the money that is why we are in business

 

[Ken Snow]

LOL- this is really funny. People who won't go do a job for less than the price most people pay for their mortgage are accusing someone, who provides an affordable service to a segment of the population that would be unserved without, of being unethical or money hungry?

I get dizzy trying to reconcile that one in my feeble brain.

 

[Doug Cox]

I can guarantee you I clean carpet better than you day in and day out Douglas

Please enlighten me as to why you think this Greg, with your 6 years of experience compared to my 27? I'm not arguing your statement, I'm just questioning how you come to this conclusion. And, by the way, I make a pretty good living.

 

[truckmount girl]

LOL- this is really funny. People who won't go do a job for less than the price most people pay for their mortgage are accusing someone, who provides an affordable service to a segment of the population that would be unserved without, of being unethical or money hungry?

I get dizzy trying to reconcile that one in my feeble brain.

I put my money where my mouth is. I give product away to those over 60 and who have injuries or illnesses which cause them to have physical difficulties performing their work. I've also been known to arrange interest free or deferred payment plans to those who are low on the funds.

Take care,
Lisa

 

[Doug Cox]

[quote="Matt Murdock":1sshc65t]

It's not all about making money. It's a legacy to your life. What do you want to be rememebered for? Integrity and ethics and compassion rate far higher in my business model than making money.

are you out of your mind?

So Greg- Let me get this straight. The only way to make money is to have no ethics, morals, and to provide an inferior product, because according to your post, thats the way it sounds.[/quote:1sshc65t]
Sorry Ken, but Greg replied to Lisa's post as written, he didn't take out any parts, so I assume he disagreed with it as a whole.

 

[Greg Cole]

[quote="Matt Murdock":3ovd5sd7]

So, apparently the 2 Gregs work off the same business model.

are you in business to lose money?

No, but my focus isn't on making it, or growing it. I'm not in it for the money, I'm in it to make a difference.

Take care,
Lisa[/quote:3ovd5sd7]

Lisa, Sorry but I must call Bull S... on that one. If you weren't in it for the money you would do it completely for free. EVERYONE here does it for the money. Things like legacy (ego driven) making a difference (also ego driven) and self satisfaction (also ego driven) are by-products.

 

[Greg Cole]

LOL- this is really funny. People who won't go do a job for less than the price most people pay for their mortgage are accusing someone, who provides an affordable service to a segment of the population that would be unserved without, of being unethical or money hungry?

I get dizzy trying to reconcile that one in my feeble brain.

LOL! Thanks Ken. I too am having a hard time understanding their thought process. I am also quite amused about the title of thread! I have not asked for help on how to clean berber, nor do I require it.
As you stated- most of the people that are speaking out the most won't go clean the homes of the people that my contractors service and they are judging me? lol

 

[Greg Cole]

To Whom it may Concern...

As I read my previous post ..to Ryan..concerning Greg Cole...I reads as a personal ATTACK on Greg.."This was not my intention".."my intention was to CAUTION Ryan as to the aspiring to
this type of business modle."

"All that GLITTERS is NOT gold"..My point is..That to run an operation the size of Greg's...
REQUIRES a tremendous amount of CAPITAL and dedication..! Unless you are willing to "Roll the Dice" everyday...You will crumble under the PRESSURE..!

Many HERE will percieve Greg's business as a "Low end"..b&s biz..Yet we ALL have Low end
cleints that WE refuse to service..! Most of us here equate this biz as a SERVICE biz..& have
PERSONAL relationships with our CLEINTS.

Greg,on the other hand...veiws the biz as a COMMODITY...His vision requires that he maintain
a volume of customers to generate "X" amount of CASH FLOW...To pay "X" amount of expense.
Once the "NUT" is covered...his PROFIT margins can be QUITE rewarding...!!!!!

It is "INVESTMENT".."101"...RISK/REWARD...! or for us SoUtHerNer'S...."Is the fooking you are
going to GET"??? ...worth the fooking you are going to TAKE".??? As many of us here percieve
Greg's post as ARROGANT..."Which they are"...He MUST maintain that kind of BRAVADO to
survive in HIS world...!

I would guess that he is a GOOD guy in person...However his must feed his EGO if he is to
suceed in his VENTURE..! If you are a 1 man operation & your pricing is toward the lower-end
of the market..."20.00 per rm."..HE will CRUSH your market share..

If you are middle to high ... In your pricing..he really will NOT have much affect on you..!
ACTUALLY...His advertizing dollars will increase your VOLUME...by reminding people to CLEAN..
When "SS" run their national ad's...OUR phone traffic INCREASES...

SO THERE... :!:
In "FULL DISCLOSURE"...I must say that "I" was GREG COLE at his age..." :shock:
I wish him WELL...and HOPE that he will take the "TIME"..to look at his FAMILY'S
NEED'S at NOT his OWN... :idea: "I was NOT mature enough realize "...that NO
amount of MONEY...can BUY BACK the "TIME"...I cheated my children OUT OF.. :!:

Harper

The more I read of Harpers postings - the more I begin to wonder about him! The first post certainly reads and felt like a personal attack. One that I certainly didn't deserve. Nonetheless, he makes alot of sense and resonates what I have been saying for years. A single, double or even a triple truck outfit will go out of business trying to slug it out price wise with me or a company similar to mine. They should focus on quality work and build a referal base. The minute you start buying ads you have to become competetive.

Regarding time with my family. I spend 2 out of the four waking hours (7-9pm) with my son. It is spent in the "Man-Cave" and it is quality time playing gchess, checkers, watching tv, pin-ball, ping-pong, puzzles, army men, wii, and everything else he wants to do. Our latest gpassion has been doing geocaching! I rarely miss a soccer game,attend all the wrestling matches, cheer the loudest, and sponsor every single one of the teams he joins. I learned long ago that time with my family is quite important. Having been in the multi-truck game for 17 years- I have learned to balance things rather well. I am truly sorry to hear that you had problems early on in your life- but judging by the fact that your son works for you - it appears that it worked out ok in the end. NRegardless- do not assign your "guilt" on me and assume that because you made mistake that I am destined to follow your example. 1/2 of every dollar I make is saved. My goal is simple- work like hell, build my business as large as it can be while still being manageable, and bank enough money so that my son will work out of desire rather than necessity.

 

[Pmatte]

Greg,

The photo in question is the one where one guy is one pretending to clean upholstery and the other is standing with a wand.My wife was hired by the "photographer" that you hired(Kelly),since she didn't have her own gear,but wasn't paid. I don't care if you have the rights ....BIG flippin deal. None of that was point duh.

Just pointing out that with all the money you rip,one would think you could spring for something taken in this century

OH - and FYI - the reason people are asking if you dry clean berber is because -- wait for it.... MARKETING WORKS! Oddly enough my prices for dry cleaning 3 rooms of carpet is still FAR LESS than the $125 you charge for 3 rooms ($124.95 according to your website).


Sorry to say that you are wrong regarding the questions to dry cleaning;they(your one time customers) experienced your "only" way of cleaning a loop pile and they( my now repeat paying clients) didn't like the results.They were hoping for and subsequently received the proper clean they wanted from your sub-contractors but didn't get.

The ads on the site are old and need updating.

I understand Greg's direction/attitude/ for his company,to each his own.I met an employee or two when he attempted to run a supply house,I knew more about the products in question than his employees did.Not bragging,just the truth.


Far be it form me to tell a man how to run his business.
Greg has a market segment that works for him.I'm not trying to get to change and actually provide real cleaning,real clean carpets.He won't,neither will his SUBZ.

What I don't care for is someone getting on the boards,jumping onto a soap box and then getting on the cross.

 

[Ken Snow]

Lisa~ I was not referring to you, sorry that was not clear. Also I want to make it clear that I don't really care that someone chooses to charge $600-$1000 to clean a couple thousand sq ft of carpet. To each his own and isn;t it great we have the choice to choose and are not yet completely a socialist/dictatorship country. By the end of Obummers term we may all be told how much we can charge for everything.

 

[Art Kelley]

[ My goal is simple- work like hell, build my business as large as it can be while still being manageable, and bank enough money so that my son will work out of desire rather than necessity.

And the hell with the black mark it leaves on the industry.

 

[XTREME1]

Well Doug I don't need 27 years to learn carpet cleaning sorry. The reason I can make a statement such as what I said is simple I overclean because my mental make up is so frail that I never want a complaint. My whole life I have been obsessed with being the best at everything I do so when I clean I prescrub with a 175 almost 100% of the time then clean with a either a wand or rotovac and then do extra dry passes and then airpath. I am so good I dropped my ad budget from 26g's in 2008 to less tha 2g's last year all referrals. I have an APEX and an EVEREST because I felt they are the best on the market for what I do. Luckily I don't lose money, I am in it to make it

 

[Greg Cole]

[ My goal is simple- work like hell, build my business as large as it can be while still being manageable, and bank enough money so that my son will work out of desire rather than necessity.

And the hell with the black mark it leaves on the industry.

Odd Statement but I will answer- This industry has way too many problems for you putting all the blame on me. The fact is that all the O&O's are taught that the only way they can market their company is by making the other guy look bad. Screaming to the public that they need to pay high prices as to prevent a discounter from charging you more is moronic at best. However many on these forums thump their chests (FYI most don’t clear $50k a year) and tell these new guys that by attacking the couponers- they too can succeed. The blind is leading the blind.
HARPER appears to get it. While we don’t agree on much – I have to give him props- He is a smart guy.

Let's be clear- I LOVE THIS INDUSTRY! However, I don't love alot of the politics. I believe that with some modification - the IICRC could easily bring alot of order. To do this- they must first put aside their personal agendas. I miss the days of sitting on a truck, riding from job to job, the rush you get when you pull a stain out that no-one else could remove, your heart pounding in your chest after having cleaned 15 rooms without a break, the high of a customer handing you a huge check, and the caring customers that offer (although I never accepted) cookies, lunch, etc.
The part I don't like is watching a lot of O&O's (at the supply houses) thump their chest about how well they are doing- only to see them get their credit cards declined. Listening to them whine and complain that they have to buy a $8 rebuild kit for their wand and their wondering how they are going to pay for it. I hate seeing O&O’s make rookie mistakes like putting religious material on their ads, using big Stop Signs on their ads, using photos of their wives or children, or approving ads that clearly don’t flow and couldn’t pass the 3 second rule if they tried.
This industry has missed the boat in training people how to advertise and how to run businesses. SFS is working on the running part, but the advertising part should be made into a week long program by itself!
Let’s be honest – I’m not about to shut down a multi-million dollar operation that paid out over $2 million is contractor disbursements and over $400k in salaries, last year just because you don’t like how I advertise. It’s cute that some here think I am that naive – rest assured I am not. Too many people rely on me to feed their families and I am not about to let them down.
Well, it’s back to the salt mines, gotta get things ready for Florida. Good luck and God Bless

 

[Greg Cole]

Well Doug I don't need 27 years to learn carpet cleaning sorry. The reason I can make a statement such as what I said is simple I overclean because my mental make up is so frail that I never want a complaint. My whole life I have been obsessed with being the best at everything I do so when I clean I prescrub with a 175 almost 100% of the time then clean with a either a wand or rotovac and then do extra dry passes and then airpath. I am so good I dropped my ad budget from 26g's in 2008 to less tha 2g's last year all referrals. I have an APEX and an EVEREST because I felt they are the best on the market for what I do. Luckily I don't lose money, I am in it to make it

I have never seen Crowley clean carpet, but he appeared to be a smart guy when I met him at SFS. Do I see a cleaning competition at this years Mikey'sfest? That would be worth me attending!

 

[Mikey P]

Sure Greg!



Who do you want to compete against?

We'll have plenty of dirty carpet there.

 

[Greg Cole]

Sure Greg!

Who do you want to compete against?

We'll have plenty of dirty carpet there.

Crowley vs Doug! Give em both a portable and let's see who cleans better! Any old hack can clean with a vortex and clean the crap out of carpet. It takes a pro to get carpet cleaned with a portable! Are they up to the challenge.

I'll put up $100 cash to the winner. I just want a video of it!

 

[XTREME1]

wow A $100 I don't make that in a good month

 

[Rambo]

The Carpet Cleaning Business is a cruel and shallow money trench,a long plastic hallway where theives and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There is also a negative side.

 

[truckmount girl]

Greg,

I would LOVE to do this for free, however it costs money to buy material and have the machining done, to ship and package product, if I had no income, I couldn't do what I do. And of course, I must support myself and my children. Am I concerned that I make enough so my kids work because they want to, not need to, as someone stated above, HELL no. Will I pay for their college or trade school, no. Will I pay for their weddings, no. I believe that kids should understand that they need to work for everything, nothing in life is free, and giving them too much growing up cripples them.

Call it ego-driven if you like, I know you cannot fathom my philosophy when it comes to business and life.

The point of the thread, if i am understanding it correctly, is that you leave the impression with customers via your marketing material, that dry cleaning is the only or at least the preferred method for cleaning berber carpet. The industry is telling you that you are wrong and is a bit irked you are diseminating false information. Berber carpet is one of the easiest carpets to clean via HWE because, being solution dyed, it does not hold stains and being olefin, it does not retain moisture, so it is much easier to remove the solutions applied. It's only issue is an affinity for oily soil, which with the proper chemistry, is easily remedied. it is virtually the easiest carpet to clean.

Your business model is not so much the subject as the misinformation you are broadcasting. It would be like Hostess proclaiming that Twinkies are healthy and nutritious, and you wondering why the rest of the food industry is upset at you. You can say, "but my marketing works!" but it doesn't matter, because the information being marketed is false and misleading, no wonder those who bother to compound truly healthy, nutritious foods have a problem with it.

This is integrity in advertising. It often runs against the biggest and easiest dollar, but truth in advertising is a foundation of a good and trustworthy business. This is one area I see differences in the marketing of Mr. Cole, vs. the marketing of Mr. Snow. I've not seen Mr. Snow advertise anything untrue.

Aside from the berber issue I have also seen marketing pieces where you advertise something to the effect of disinfecting the carpet (upsell), possibly I am wrong on your terminology, but in order to advertise disinfecting you must kill 99.999% of bacteria, impossible on a carpeted surface. The most you can advertise is sanitizing, which means to kill some objectionable bacteria.

Take care,
Lisa

 

[Doug Cox]

We'll just let Greg believe he's the best because he says so. I also spend virtually nothing on advertising, never have. I also have the same type of equipment as you Greg. And if I wanted to get into a carpet cleaning challlenge at MF, I would just stay home and clean carpet here.