Question Mike Draper

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I think a lot depends on who you market to.. Its rare that i get a job that I would consider "nasty". So I wouldnt want to set up a confusing price package for those rare jobs. If I have a nasty job, I just put whatever resources into it to get it clean and move on to the next job.

With that being said... I am changing my prices here when my website gets finished. There will be a set price per room, but each room is defined as 200 sq ft. If they go over the room size then there is an extra cost. But I would never charge someone extra because their carpet is dirty. I even had a couple of customers say to charge them extra and I still wouldnt do it, because I believe in consistency. Kinda like McDonalds, no matter what you get the same quality job no matter how dirty your carpets are. I think if you get to many "nasty" jobs then look at your marketing.
 
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meAt said:
Dan'l, didn't you recently mention you raised your prices, went to in-home estimates and SF pricing and are now making more money and busier then ever??

if so, I'm curious, why would you consider a different biz model with lower standards of "clean" since yours is working so well for you??

You planing to put more trucks on the road??

Thanks


..l.T.A.

Larry I am stuck kind of. I forced my help out. I got tired of hearing we need to stop for the day at 3 or 4 when I needed to do one or two more jobs or just not wanting to apply himself to learn. He never really got trained to the point I felt comfortable sending him on jobs solo. That was my fault. I was just trying to make sure all the work got done. He did some work solo, but for the most part we were dual wanding most of the jobs except the smaller ones.

I have been putting off the inevitable of hiring one or two more people. I have been telling myself if I start earlier which I have been starting around 6:30 or 7 before it gets too hot and work later I will get caught up.

I try to take at least one day off per week to go fishing with my father or do just whatever. The past three weeks I say I am taking Thursday off NO MATTER WHAT. Wednesday rolls along and still no jobs, but the weekend and following week are booked with jobs and estimates, but somehow I end up doing three or four jobs on the day I wanted off. You know how it is. You have to take care of your good clients and put business first. I just want to get a little fishing in now and then.

It gets hard when you are booked as busy as you would like to be then come home and see on email you have a dozen jobs that need done in a week on top of what you have booked.

I'm not complaining. I am handling things at this point, but eventually I will need to get this other truck going so I can knock heavier workload out faster.

And yes I have raised my prices to the point that I will give customers the best job I can or at least try to sell a better job. Some just want a basic cleaning, but I am not doing three room 89 dollar specials. MY job averages have gone up, but I do so many rentals and empties at a great price for me but still the same as about a year ago that my real job averages have not gone up too much. Still at the end of the day I am putting good money in the bank and that is what is important.

Cheers!

I have three more jobs today.
 
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Dan, im curious... you sound well established. What are your future plans, are you interested in a multi truck high flow operation or just a 1-2 truck operation. I personally have gone back and forth on that question.. I first wanted to take over the world like Steemer, but I am now at the point were I would like to be a 2 truck operation doing approx 1000 jobs a year, with slightly higher average prices. While having time like Harper going around chasing kickballs with my free time. Still have some more hair to lose and grow my customer base till im there... but i gots a plan. shiteatinggrin
 

steve g

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if you are using a 175 or a CRB machine, then why also rotary extract?? I think the wand does just as good a job if you are using the CRB or 175 because the wand is just a rinsing tool at that point.
 

Mike Draper

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steve g said:
if you are using a 175 or a CRB machine, then why also rotary extract?? I think the wand does just as good a job if you are using the CRB or 175 because the wand is just a rinsing tool at that point.

I dont, my crappy website guy put that pic in and I'm waiting on my new site for that to change soon. If we CRB we follow up with a wand then dry. Or we vac, 360 and dry.
 

Mike Draper

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Your right brent, you definitely dont want to confuse your custys. thats why our packages are so simple to understand that even a first grader wouldn't be confused. !gotcha! I've never had a custy ask me to explain in more detail, never a single time.
 

joe harper

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Caduceus said:
Dan, im curious... you sound well established. What are your future plans, are you interested in a multi truck high flow operation or just a 1-2 truck operation. I personally have gone back and forth on that question.. I first wanted to take over the world like Steemer, but I am now at the point were I would like to be a 2 truck operation doing approx 1000 jobs a year, with slightly higher average prices. While having time like Harper going around chasing kickballs with my free time. Still have some more hair to lose and grow my customer base till im there... but i gots a plan. shiteatinggrin


I goTs HaiR........BeOitCh..... :shock:

boatsandhoes023.jpg


ps...WHERE the F---.......is bAwB..... :?:
 
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HARPER said:
Caduceus said:
Dan, im curious... you sound well established. What are your future plans, are you interested in a multi truck high flow operation or just a 1-2 truck operation. I personally have gone back and forth on that question.. I first wanted to take over the world like Steemer, but I am now at the point were I would like to be a 2 truck operation doing approx 1000 jobs a year, with slightly higher average prices. While having time like Harper going around chasing kickballs with my free time. Still have some more hair to lose and grow my customer base till im there... but i gots a plan. shiteatinggrin


I goTs HaiR........BeOitCh..... :shock:

boatsandhoes023.jpg


ps...WHERE the F---.......is bAwB..... :?:


Seems like you got hair in all the right places... shiteatinggrin
 
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Caduceus said:
Dan, im curious... you sound well established. What are your future plans, are you interested in a multi truck high flow operation or just a 1-2 truck operation. I personally have gone back and forth on that question.. I first wanted to take over the world like Steemer, but I am now at the point were I would like to be a 2 truck operation doing approx 1000 jobs a year, with slightly higher average prices. While having time like Harper going around chasing kickballs with my free time. Still have some more hair to lose and grow my customer base till im there... but i gots a plan. shiteatinggrin


Why own a restaurant with 50k in overhead every month when you own a hot dog stand and make 500 dollars or more per day profit, invest, and retire young with money in the bank? Then you can pursue other interests or keep investing.

Brent I read your posts about wanting to grow but not too large.

If you want to make money and still have time off like Harp, then follow in Robison's foot steps.

That's what I would do.
 

Hoody

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Utah is a very different market. It took me a good while to get use to, as I was use to charging high dollar. There is a lot of money in Utah but people are much more frugal when its comes to spending on home services. Not to mention the jan-san industry is crazy busy there, and those companies run their trucks hard and all day if they can which makes pricing very competitive. Its just cash flow to keep their guys busy and to help their jan-san causes, not that they make a lot of profit.

Mike was much more north than I was so I think he has the advantage or being able to charge a little more, and people still pay it and not complain.
 

floorguy

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naw hoody, they dont get that....its ALL the same around the country :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:
 

Greg Cole

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royalkid said:
Good point Brian. If you care so much about "quality" cleaning, why not give the "best" cleaning on every carpet? And you have an ad that says $89, to get in the door, upsell your quality/deep clean, and your average ticket is over $200+....hmmmm, sounds a little like bait-n-switch to me? You said the $89 deal gets the phone ringing, but you only did 2 last month...sounds a little Cole-ish to me?

I wish we only did 2 a month for the basic clean....
 

joe harper

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lance said:
That's a cool shirt Harp......cool for the late 90's. :lol:


Kinda...a game I like to play... :idea:

I like to match "sHirT-datE" ....with the.... "bIrtH-dAtE" of the ...female De-jure... !gotcha!

"Come to think of it....I think she was 21 " :shock: ...... shiteatinggrin
 
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sam miller

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floorguy said:
some times i get pissy dave....

more so if they ask a 2nd or 3rd time after i said NO....

Are You sure Mr Layton??? The fudge Brownies are extra fudgy tonight so delicious??

Perhaps You would like to take it home for later????
 

floorguy

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sam miller said:
floorguy said:
some times i get pissy dave....

more so if they ask a 2nd or 3rd time after i said NO....

Are You sure Mr Layton??? The fudge Brownies are extra fudgy tonight so delicious??

Perhaps You would like to take it home for later????


STFU :shock: :x :shock: :x

















































:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 

Greg Cole

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danielc said:
Caduceus said:
Dan, im curious... you sound well established. What are your future plans, are you interested in a multi truck high flow operation or just a 1-2 truck operation. I personally have gone back and forth on that question.. I first wanted to take over the world like Steemer, but I am now at the point were I would like to be a 2 truck operation doing approx 1000 jobs a year, with slightly higher average prices. While having time like Harper going around chasing kickballs with my free time. Still have some more hair to lose and grow my customer base till im there... but i gots a plan. shiteatinggrin


Why own a restaurant with 50k in overhead every month when you own a hot dog stand and make 500 dollars or more per day profit, invest, and retire young with money in the bank? Then you can pursue other interests or keep investing.

Brent I read your posts about wanting to grow but not too large.

If you want to make money and still have time off like Harp, then follow in Robison's foot steps.

That's what I would do.

There are many factors to consider. First, in a recession - the hot dog stand is the first to go
 

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