Desk Jockey
Member
LOL
Need advice on buying carpet cleaning equipment
- Thread starter Good start
- Start date
joeynbgky
Supportive Member
Vivers
Supportive Member
Used truck mount as far as equipment goes. The big trick is getting busy. How are you going to market your services? Have you done this before, how long and for who?
KevinL
Supportive Member
All good advice but if you've never done this before, get a job with Stanley or another busy company in your area and see if it's for you. Not too many guys want to work this hard these days. You won't get hired by anyone this time of year but if you have the time, offer to work for free with someone 50 miles from where you plan to operate and they may take you along. There are plenty of good truckmounts for sale all the time. More evidence that this work and biz isn't for everyone.
Soxpac
Supportive Member
Yeah it's a pain in the arse getting started, for sure. I love it though. I use a porty but am saving for a truckmount. Don't overthink it as I tend to do. I'm constantly learning. This forum unlike "the baddest truckmount forum on the planet" is very helpful and most of the guys here are willing to help out, minus a few ambassadors of themselves. Good luck buddy.
Sent from my LG-LS840 using Tapatalk 2
amygeorge
Supportive Member
Let me start by saying - I’ve only been in business 15 months and bought out an existing business. I live in a very rural area. The only real competitor I have is a guy with a portable 30 miles away. He moved here from Austin and has been in the business for many years. He serves more of the country west of me and when a homeowner is price shopping or can’t wait for an opening, I refer them to him. If a homeowner has used a company with HWE, they aren’t too keen when you roll in a portable. Has nothing to do with your knowledge or ability, they just don’t like them. I’m not saying portables aren’t any good or that you can’t start your business with one - it's just something to think about. One thing I didn’t come to this business with was experience - so take everyones advice and go work for someone else first.
Man Sox we started dang near the same time!
We took about 6 months or so to accumulate equip. and stuff. My wife runs and Apt Community so we did some rehab and restoration work for them in the spring/summer and are eating off of that now while it's slow.
The Guys here are right about one thing. Getting the Rig Rolling is the hardest part.
It has taken us approx 15 months and $45k atleast. Bought and Paid upfront NO Loans. borrowing a portable from time to time.
Don't have any plans to visit back home, but if we do I will surely look ya up Sox!
Chris
Soxpac
Supportive Member
Jonesborough TN
Desk Jockey
Member
You're over there by Chuck Dewald. I went to Morristown for a drying school several years back.
Yup, not far atall. Is Mr. Chuck still around? and did ya get a T-Shirt for it
Thanks
Chris
Desk Jockey
Member
Not sure I just see his son teaching. No it was the first class he held there. Kurt Bolden, Bob Bonwell, Claude Blackburn, Dan Poske were all there.
Yup, not far atall. Is Mr. Chuck still around? and did ya get a T-Shirt for it
Thanks
Chris
No - he stole a box of dumb ass thumbed coffee cups and painted his own company logo over them. He upsells them to his customers by claiming they have magic powers.
Desk Jockey
Member
Now Willam those mugs with a thumb spot are for people just like you, that need instruction as to where to put your thumb.
Yeah, but it makes my ass sore.that need instruction as to where to put your thumb.
Desk Jockey
Member
LOL
J Scott W
Member
Before you can decide what tools you need, you should define the job you are going to do.
If your potential market includes high rise condos / apartments and such, it will be easier to get a portable onto upper floors than to run hose up the side of a building. Will you have opportunity to clean buildings that want to lock you in for security - banks, big box stores, etc? If so, the portable is again the answer. Retail stores in a mall often require runs of several hundred feet of hose to reach from the parking lot. That can strain a used, entry level truck mount. So again a portable would do fine.
As Amy commented, middle income and upper income residential customers will likely expect a truckmounted unit if they have had their carpets cleaned with one before. A portable won't always convey the image you want for those clients.
If you would compete based on the lowest price, a portable could be a plus. You could market "No expensive overhead. We get your carpet clean for less."
Anyone who tells you what equipment to purchase without knowing about your business is really just saying what they prefer in their situation.
Look at your market. What areas have the stiffest competition? Which segments might be under-served? Also think about the schedule you want. Commercial work is usually nights and week-ends but it might repeat every month or every three months and be more steady year round.
If you have not thought about a business plan and a marketing strategy, start with that before deciding what equipment you need. What would you like your business to be like after 2 years? 5 years? 10 Years? Don't try to be everything to everyone. That does not get you toward whatever your goals may be.
When you have that nailed down, looked for a supplier who can show you several brands of new and used truckmounts and portables rather than someone who just wants to sell you whatever they happen to have. With 72 stores around the country, there is probably an Interlink Supply distributor somewhere close by.
If your potential market includes high rise condos / apartments and such, it will be easier to get a portable onto upper floors than to run hose up the side of a building. Will you have opportunity to clean buildings that want to lock you in for security - banks, big box stores, etc? If so, the portable is again the answer. Retail stores in a mall often require runs of several hundred feet of hose to reach from the parking lot. That can strain a used, entry level truck mount. So again a portable would do fine.
As Amy commented, middle income and upper income residential customers will likely expect a truckmounted unit if they have had their carpets cleaned with one before. A portable won't always convey the image you want for those clients.
If you would compete based on the lowest price, a portable could be a plus. You could market "No expensive overhead. We get your carpet clean for less."
Anyone who tells you what equipment to purchase without knowing about your business is really just saying what they prefer in their situation.
Look at your market. What areas have the stiffest competition? Which segments might be under-served? Also think about the schedule you want. Commercial work is usually nights and week-ends but it might repeat every month or every three months and be more steady year round.
If you have not thought about a business plan and a marketing strategy, start with that before deciding what equipment you need. What would you like your business to be like after 2 years? 5 years? 10 Years? Don't try to be everything to everyone. That does not get you toward whatever your goals may be.
When you have that nailed down, looked for a supplier who can show you several brands of new and used truckmounts and portables rather than someone who just wants to sell you whatever they happen to have. With 72 stores around the country, there is probably an Interlink Supply distributor somewhere close by.
Soxpac
Supportive Member
Very Nice!
$265 earned at this job, under 2 hours from door knock to drive away- no upsells, just cleaning. Some of the advice here is pretty sage, some not so much, some outright messed up because of either ignorance or personal bias. For 6 to 7 grand , you can be set up with some fine extraction equipment, a good scrubber and have lots of money to market your new business with. I would suggest and echo a few here by saying wait until spring to dip your toes in the water.
Hacks don't do this.....
Goomer
Member
$265 earned at this job, under 2 hours from door knock to drive away- no upsells, just cleaning. Some of the advice here is pretty sage, some not so much, some outright messed up because of either ignorance or personal bias. For 6 to 7 grand , you can be set up with some fine extraction equipment, a good scrubber and have lots of money to market your new business with. I would suggest and echo a few here by saying wait until spring to dip your toes in the water.
Hacks don't do this.....
Those spots look lightened.
Is that just from an oxidizing prespray or did you pretreat the spots with something else??
Jet black greasy type stains. I put some oil flo on them to loosen them up.My prespray of choice is Ultrachem Clean.
I would spend the next 3-4 months working for a carpet cleaning business even if it is for minimum wage, you will gain extensive experience. During this time plan like crazy, get a website and google maps listing up, write a business plan ( a few pages hand written is fine) and take a carpet cleaning course.
Forget the Steamin demon (i had six of them) and the portable. Buy a quality truck mounted unit that you get checked out by a mechanic first or low moisture equipment. Plenty of guys start with a HRUBY op unit, a quality electric sprayer and chemical package and start for $3,500. Many never buy a truckmount and do fine as a low moisture business. With 15k start up I would probably go low moisture, fly out to Mikeys fest in February for some hands on research and information and take a class. Definitely get some experience cleaning.
Forget the Steamin demon (i had six of them) and the portable. Buy a quality truck mounted unit that you get checked out by a mechanic first or low moisture equipment. Plenty of guys start with a HRUBY op unit, a quality electric sprayer and chemical package and start for $3,500. Many never buy a truckmount and do fine as a low moisture business. With 15k start up I would probably go low moisture, fly out to Mikeys fest in February for some hands on research and information and take a class. Definitely get some experience cleaning.
Mardie
Member
I would sggest that a Low moisture is your best option and a T/M would be your last option as a start up.With LM you will not have to turn down cc jobs due to the restrictions of the ambilical unless you have a ton of work from the get go to support the cost of owning and opperating a TM. You should position yourself to be able to accept all cc jobs and LM will allow you to do this.With LM you will also be able to provide a unique service that every one likes.As a steam cleaner you will be just another cc and realy not be able to offer anything unique that the market is not already flooded with. You should know that this board is primaily a steam cleaner board and for you to get the propper insight as to what is best for you you should also visit the LM boards.
Good Luck
Good Luck
