Tell Us How You Got In The Business and How Long You’ve Been In It

[Leslie Judson Jones]

My story starts when I was very young. I was 7 years old when my Dad made the Astroturf cleaning machine. He started building portables in 1969. I can remember as a kid going to the manufacturing facility, but I did not work there obviously. In 1975 when I turned 15 years old, my Dad bought me a Mazda RX3 station wagon. We installed a fully automatic DC1 portable. The system also had an LP heater that was called Paloma. These heaters were made to heat water in homes in Europe.

The problem was at 15, I only had a learner’s permit. So I hired some of my friends who were older than I was who had a driver’s license. When I was a freshman in high school, all of my friends who I grew up with were seniors. My first cleaning customers were my high school teachers. I ended up cleaning most all of the teacher’s carpets who taught at my high school.

I’m not sure if any of you remember back in 1975 that most all carpet was full of shampoo. There were several systems people would buy to keep in their homes. One of these systems was Blue Luster, and another was Argo Sheen. It was absolutely miserable to extract in those days. The carpets had years and years of shampoo built up in them. You had to use mass quantities of defoamer. This is just a little short story of how I got started. October 19th of this year will be 38 years that I’ve been in the industry. Please tell us your story.

Thanks,
Les

 

[Kipp]

http://mikeysboard.com/forum/showthread.php?t=261364

 

[hogjowl]

In 1979, pork futures hit rock bottom. So I bought me a Blue Luster machine and it made me the cleaner I am today.

 

[Mikey P]

it was 1987 when I knocked up my wife for the 1st time. My dishwasher salary would no longer cut the mustard so I replied to an ad in the local newspaper promising $1000 + a week if I had a clean dmv report and my own vehicle.


Five weeks later I was Miller Carpet Care's most experienced technician.


a year later I moved from SoCal to NorCal to work for Coit.


13 years later (2001) I started my own biz.


and in 2006 I started this hell hole.

 

[Giorgio]

in 1981 i was 14 years old and sitting in sunday school when they announced they needed a janitor. So i applied and got the job. My first day was bonnet cleaning about 750s/f of commercial glue down. worked 20+ hours per week for 4 years until the day i graduated HS, then moved from northern california back to Albuquerque.

cleaned alot of carpets, then in 88 moved back to northern California and started another carpet cleaning business.

cleaned alot of carpets, then in 1997 sold and moved back to albuquerque.

Went into Information Technology. did well but computers were a headache.

2004 went back into carpet cleaning.

a country boy can survive
http://youtu.be/I4s0nzsU1Wg

 

[Becker]

in 1981 i was 14 years old and sitting in sunday school when they announced they needed a janitor. So i applied and got the job. My first day was bonnet cleaning about 750s/f of commercial glue down. worked 20+ hours per week for 4 years until the day i graduated HS, then moved from northern california back to Albuquerque.

cleaned alot of carpets, then in 88 moved back to northern California and started another carpet cleaning business.

cleaned alot of carpets, then in 1997 sold and moved back to albuquerque.

Went into Information Technology. did well but computers were a headache.

2004 went back into carpet cleaning.

a country boy can survive
http://youtu.be/I4s0nzsU1Wg

Why are you wearing 2 pairs of sock?

 

[cu]

In 1994 i got off the plane in Ft Lauderdale
No one could understand a word id say except other Irish people

I answeared an ad in the paper..ended up at a 5.95 a room company. got fired by day 3, then went to a apt hack company for 2 years, then started a company with a biz partner, that went south in Jan 2000
I lost everything..he got everything..

05 i started back up on my own in cali with a Ninja in the trunk of my wife,s 300c

in 06 i was going to start Cu,sboard but some fooker started this shithole

 

[bob vawter]

actually i had an epiphany while under the influence of some great window pane back in 1970......

 

[Giorgio]

think it was a 80's thing.

bell bottoms were the rage back in the 70's.

 

[Becker]

Just screwing with ya, just think in another 20-30 years we will look back on today and laugh at ourselves, oh wait.. no we won't we will want our youth back.

 

[Giorgio]

Let's here it becker...

How'd you get started in the biz

btw, back then we all thought the world was going to end in 1999. If i knew we still be around in 2012 i might have made different choices

http://youtu.be/tA41sib_HSQ

 

[Desk Jockey]

Indentured servant (second generation cleaner), forced to work for room and board since age 12.

My dad paid me a $1.00 an hour and I thought that was great. Bought a bike, then a minibike, then a motorcycle, then a car, as a teen working after school, weekends and summers.

We started out using the dry compound method, my father kept searching for something better. He moved on to shampoo, eventually HWE portables (Ed York's 200lbs Vapor Vac's) then our first TM in the mid 70's and now full circle....back to shampoo (encap) .

 

[Jim Martin]

9 years and still have no flipping clue what made me get into this...

 

[Desk Jockey]

Jim how did you go from an electrician to cleaning carpets? Do you still prefer it to being an electrician?

 

[Greg Cole]

I have no flipping clue why reading these stories are interesting but they are!

 

[Jim Martin]

Jim how did you go from an electrician to cleaning carpets? Do you still prefer it to being an electrician?

electrician was only a part of what I use to do....I use to work in large plants in different states and rebuild motors....gear boxes...repair machines...install robotic systems...things like that..most things would need wiring or what ever...that kinda turned me towards electrician....because I enjoyed trouble shooting the equipment and keeping it running...went off on my own for a bit and then got hooked up in another plant in Texas training people to wire homes and some commercial work....place closed its doors....sold my land in OK...moved back to Tucson....worked a few jobs here and there...wired a few homes......and next thing I knew I was sucking dog pee out of carpets....living the American dream....

the worst thing about being an electrician.....is that you cant build a client base....unless someone wants something else added...that's it...you are always searching for work....
carpet cleaning kinda starts out that way...but after awhile.....work finds you....I miss working in big plants repairing and keeping things running most....those are the most challenging...but..the money is just not as good as it use to be........

 

[Willy P]

77 - the Glen brothers from Glasgow were in need of some "brute strength and ignorance" to help with giant rolls of axminster. These boys were busy as hell as few people in Vancouver knew how to sew seams and install it properly. Worked at it hard, started on my own in 79 knee surgery after a year or so. Saw an ad for "cleaners" 13 inch scrubber, 5 gallon 45 PSI extractor. worked there for 6 months. Worked for a few different companies, but I wasn't cut out for having a boss.Started off with a partner, split up after 6 months and went off on my own. Built it up to 3 crews, sold it all off. Started a car wash/detailing shop and lost 50 k first year. Shop was scheduled for demo , right after resigning a 2 year lease. Got back my losses by negotiations with the developer, went to college for a year and bought a machine to help supplement my continuing education. Got too busy to go to school, new child born. Struggled a bit at first, but now it's all good.

 

[Ken Snow]

http://www.originalhagopian.com/pages/History

 

[Mikey P]

I have no flipping clue why reading these stories are interesting but they are!

remind us of your rags to franchises story Greg..

 

[Ron Werner]

was in the navy, moved back to the west coast in 91 when I was released. Got tired of night janitorial, started working for dept store cleaning company using a Ninja. Got REALLY tired with that, esp that I wasn't making enough. Borrowed money from my dad the end of 93, bought a Cheyenne with tools and chems, wasted a lot of money on "advertising" that first year. Kept working at it and kept going. Bought a used Big Red in 96; also had my first marketing session with Mike West. Came across Piranha Marketing in 97. Took Steve Marsh's course in 05, just kept moving and growing.

 

[lust1kiddo]

I was an equity trader..and took some bad bets on Gold. ( it failed breaking 1000 like 4 times..so I kept short and then it blew through the roof) Then the firm I was working for sat me down to talk about the loses. I decided to just turn my brain off by getting a regular job so I saw an ad on craigslist for CC's no experience necessary 1000 a week. I got suckered. It was a 2 rm hall and stair for 60.00 co and I got 12 and prayed for a tip. My gas/my vehicle. I fell in love with the business of dealing with new people everyday and all that..so after 3 months and almost going broke, I borrowed 600.00 bucks to buy a used power flite and made up some fliers and had 1 small tub of Formula 90. Almost 3 yrs later now..and much education and experience..I'm having a life filled with profits and freedom. Someone recommended me this board and it and its members saved my business from ruin..and I am completely grateful. I happenned to see the guy who owned that cheapo company like a month ago for the first time. And I remember when I quit his brother told me I should " try something else because this wasnt for me" SO i was truely grateful and thankful to him for hiring me in the first place and giving me a shot. He wasnt so happy to se me with all my gear and uniforms etc..lol. But I shook his hand like a man anyway..
I love this business and dont want to do anything else..and thanks again Mikey's Board..I remember using that formula 90 and turning a sage colored couch pink..and asking for help and here I am. Also shout out to Jim Pemberton, Lisa Wagner, and Randy Pierce...Randy is aces in my book, and I cant say enough about the three of them. And Fred C, who took my website from walking to driving..( Im ready to run now Fred)

Jarred

 

[Desk Jockey]

Cool story Jarred. Glad this industry is working out for you!

 

[SamIam]

Dad and his brothers started a business in 1974 I was 11. After a few years I went to my dads shop and started working Saturdays stocking 250 gal of Rtu chemicals from concentrate and labeling.

High School my dad would bring home broke porty's and I would fiberglass cracks replace vacs and pumps and attempt to replace fans in vacs.

After HS went to work full time working for my Dad then in 2000 started my own Business.

From 1990 to 91 I ran a shop in Oxnard I was buying but eventually went back to work for my dad and he sold it to someone else. Not a failed attempt just a better move for both of us.

 

[steve_64]

as soon as i turned 16 i had a job as a janitor at a school waiting for me. i had been lying about my age for two years and working at the mall. my dad use to get me and my brothers work in the factories too but i was the only one who would keep working after a couple weeks. the first time we cleaned carpets at the school i fell in love with it. at the mall i was cleaning stores doing vacuuming and windows and stuff just like as a janitor but there was something about cleaning carpets and stripping and waxing vct too. i started taking the machine home and doing friends homes. i knew i could make a living at carpet cleaning if things didnt work out down the road.
once i graduated highschool i went in the army as a helicopter mechanic. i wanted to fly but couldnt pass a flight physical. found out i had a heart disease i was born with which explained a lot.i got outr of the army in 86 and went back to being a janitor then selling filter queen vacuums and then a couple chem drys between factory work and construction jobs. i never could keep a job too long. ended up running folding carton machines for about 10 years. then got into running cnc lathes mills screw machines centerless grinders hones and a whole lot of other stuff.
when the economy started to crumble i told the ex i was starting my own business. she wasnt happy and said she would divorce me. well here i am 6 years later a divorced carpet cleaner.

 

[Loren Egland]

Started my own steam carpet cleaning business in 1970 with a Steam Way 400 portable. Big heavy thing with a positive displacment blower and an electric heater. Blew a lot of fuses.

Moved up to a Steam Way Turbo-Matic truck mount in 1978. Number 5 blower, auto dump, and fuel oil burner.

Sold the business in 1984. Moved from Minnesota to California and started over with a Steam Way Powermatic.

Never had an employee and now do all residential.

 

[spotman123]

After my mental breakdown in 1987 I answered an add and started at $4/hr. after 4 yrs working for the guy with no pay increases, I quit and went into biz myself. Started with used stuff and built it up. Now my ex-boss is no longer in biz and I am doing well

 

[steve frasier]

Why are you wearing 2 pairs of sock?

that photo brings back a lot of memories

What did they call the wife beater back then?

 

[juniorc82]

I worked for a cc er in omaha nebraska for a couple years in my late teens. I was an assistant manager for a crappy rent to own company in the early 2000s after getting tired of knocking on peoples doors because they failed to make their payment on their george foreman grill I decided I needed to find somthing new. I started with a porty and bought a piece of equipment at a time and did jobs after work and on weekends . After a couple years of part time cleaning I became confident enough to tell rent a center to piss off and now work for my self full time with a 30 hour a week helper. The irony of the whole story is that I was bitter against rent a center during the time I was employed there , however now that I am a business owner they are one of my best customers ( we clean the used furniture as well as carpet and windows in 5 stores!). I guess I also learned a valuble lesson on not burning bridges. My goal for next year is to have a second close to full time truck on the road.