Ross Buettner
Member
Many of you have known me awhile. Hi again, and great to be back. The people who I've not talked with, I'm looking forward to it.
My life has gone through the wringer over the last two years. Some on my own physical health, and the rest on the franchised business I own.
I've lived through a major surgery that had a 85% mortality rate. Recovery was bad. I was financially ruined, and my credit was destroyed. At the moment I am in process of filing bankruptcy for 1.2 million in health care collections. (I'd rather not have this post go in the direction of Obamacare, please...)
There are two entities of my business. One is a janitorial franchise I own. The other, obviously, a carpet cleaning service. The purpose of getting the truck was from a close friend of mine who was in the same franchise as I. He left, and closed down. In order for myself to avoid paying another carpet cleaner for contracts that has a built in price of floor work, I had to get a truck and hard floor equipment to do it myself and save a lot of money. My freind mentored me well, and within a 100 hours or so (with the help of some seminars, and help from here) I had it down.
The franchise is the primary source of income for me. In the last few years, other franchises who did not have a truckmount were faced with having an outside source coming in and doing it for them. I was that person. Aside of that for the last 8 years I've had several accounts for cleaning and still do. The last two years have been a drop of over 15K a year in income from the franchise for carpet cleaning. They bought four portables, and let them use them for nothing. While it's doing so-so work, apprarently it's enough to keep their customer happy.
So, I have contracts for janitorial services. Some expire and they don't renew. Some rebid and get it cheaper. Some are so fricken miserable you get tossed out (and they go through a handful of companies a year). A large goverment account was lost to another bidder. The blow dealt a 3800.00 per month loss to me. The franchise company claims they try to get you more business. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don't. When they do, there's a 300% finder's fee stacked with the normal 20% commission. That being said, your ROI is 50% on the first year. You need to pray you can keep them aboard to make a 80% profit the next year.
After all that explanation... I am seeking a goal.
I want to stay with the janitorial franchise. If anything they can float me through the winter months.
I want to expand my carpet cleaning into residential. I live in a metro with roughly a million people within a 15 mile radius.
Together, I want to bring my son on full time. If things get busier, I can always hire more.
Getting there however, seems to be the challenge.
I did have an hour long conversation with Mr. Snow a few months before he passed. There was lots to talk about, but not enough time to really go over it. By the time I planned to visit him, his health was bad.
Right before heart surgery Yoakum told me getting in the Yellow Pages was a stupid mistake. I am here now, two plus years later to say he is dead right. All I got was calls from telemarketers, pissed off tenants and landlords looking for "advice", and a few real calls, which produced less than 1200.00 in one year.
I listed myself on Google. That produced about 6 jobs in one year.
There are several carpet cleaning companies here. 1/2 of them are rug spinners. A few run Beneclean units. And a about a dozen run a normal truck mount. My next door neighbors insist on getting 3 rug spins for 69.95 a year, and won't even let me do a freebie for them to show them what the real difference would be.
I'm getting close to the end here....
I run a Prochem Bruin II. 500ft of hose. I use matrix and prochem chemicals, and the truck runs well. The van is a 2009 1 ton Chevy with 39K miles on it. Bottom line, I am equipped with just about everything from footies to corner guards, and even a turbo tile scrubber.
I need to know HOW to get in this market. My credit is shot, once again.
Any input would be greatly appreciated. I want to be the guy that's "eating out of the other dog's bowl". With 14 years of management and sales, I can verbaly do that job. Getting TO them is the issue.
Thanks!
Ross - Titletown Carpet Cleaning
Green Bay, WI
My life has gone through the wringer over the last two years. Some on my own physical health, and the rest on the franchised business I own.
I've lived through a major surgery that had a 85% mortality rate. Recovery was bad. I was financially ruined, and my credit was destroyed. At the moment I am in process of filing bankruptcy for 1.2 million in health care collections. (I'd rather not have this post go in the direction of Obamacare, please...)
There are two entities of my business. One is a janitorial franchise I own. The other, obviously, a carpet cleaning service. The purpose of getting the truck was from a close friend of mine who was in the same franchise as I. He left, and closed down. In order for myself to avoid paying another carpet cleaner for contracts that has a built in price of floor work, I had to get a truck and hard floor equipment to do it myself and save a lot of money. My freind mentored me well, and within a 100 hours or so (with the help of some seminars, and help from here) I had it down.
The franchise is the primary source of income for me. In the last few years, other franchises who did not have a truckmount were faced with having an outside source coming in and doing it for them. I was that person. Aside of that for the last 8 years I've had several accounts for cleaning and still do. The last two years have been a drop of over 15K a year in income from the franchise for carpet cleaning. They bought four portables, and let them use them for nothing. While it's doing so-so work, apprarently it's enough to keep their customer happy.
So, I have contracts for janitorial services. Some expire and they don't renew. Some rebid and get it cheaper. Some are so fricken miserable you get tossed out (and they go through a handful of companies a year). A large goverment account was lost to another bidder. The blow dealt a 3800.00 per month loss to me. The franchise company claims they try to get you more business. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don't. When they do, there's a 300% finder's fee stacked with the normal 20% commission. That being said, your ROI is 50% on the first year. You need to pray you can keep them aboard to make a 80% profit the next year.
After all that explanation... I am seeking a goal.
I want to stay with the janitorial franchise. If anything they can float me through the winter months.
I want to expand my carpet cleaning into residential. I live in a metro with roughly a million people within a 15 mile radius.
Together, I want to bring my son on full time. If things get busier, I can always hire more.
Getting there however, seems to be the challenge.
I did have an hour long conversation with Mr. Snow a few months before he passed. There was lots to talk about, but not enough time to really go over it. By the time I planned to visit him, his health was bad.
Right before heart surgery Yoakum told me getting in the Yellow Pages was a stupid mistake. I am here now, two plus years later to say he is dead right. All I got was calls from telemarketers, pissed off tenants and landlords looking for "advice", and a few real calls, which produced less than 1200.00 in one year.
I listed myself on Google. That produced about 6 jobs in one year.
There are several carpet cleaning companies here. 1/2 of them are rug spinners. A few run Beneclean units. And a about a dozen run a normal truck mount. My next door neighbors insist on getting 3 rug spins for 69.95 a year, and won't even let me do a freebie for them to show them what the real difference would be.
I'm getting close to the end here....
I run a Prochem Bruin II. 500ft of hose. I use matrix and prochem chemicals, and the truck runs well. The van is a 2009 1 ton Chevy with 39K miles on it. Bottom line, I am equipped with just about everything from footies to corner guards, and even a turbo tile scrubber.
I need to know HOW to get in this market. My credit is shot, once again.
Any input would be greatly appreciated. I want to be the guy that's "eating out of the other dog's bowl". With 14 years of management and sales, I can verbaly do that job. Getting TO them is the issue.
Thanks!
Ross - Titletown Carpet Cleaning
Green Bay, WI
