[edward coller]

Whatever you choose I really hope you do well! Good interesting thread, nice one boys and girls.

[Stoots]

is online not the way forward???

Not from my experience, carpet cleaning isnt bad, but pressure washing is terrible.

Ive tried.

[D Ingram]

When someone finds the money in cleaning do us all a favour and keep it to yourself.

Its like a lottery to me every week I could be a winner.
I use to tell my kids they was only one big job away from boarding school.
Needless to say they never saw the inside one.

Carpet cleaning is a funny business we all do it for different reasons.

I started it because I needed a job then it turned out I was single dad so the hours suited me.

Over my 35yrs of rubbing carpets I have met and made some lovely friends in this industry.
No millionaires yet!
Unless they are not letting on.

For years here on the board this question has been raised many times  and the answer in a nut shell is " Never believe all you read and free advice is worthless thats why its free"

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Bloody hell Dave you're still alive! 

Following on from what Dave has posted if you were to look across the pond you'll find that the market for cleaning is bigger but I'm not sure that there are many millionaire carpet cleaner Howard Partridge and Rob Allen are the ones that come to mind but in this country even the franchises with insurance work don't 'make' millions.

[Kev Martin]

I know SFA about carpet cleaning but what I do know for a fact, having trained at least 200 CC'ers to clean hard floors is, that there are quite a few out there that earn serious money doing it.  Now those guys are doing Hard Floors as well they are earning even more.  There are quite a few of them on here but they rarely post. 

My point is when I was a tiler there were tilers fixing for £15-£20 M2.  Where as I never fixed any tile for less than £30M2 and usually I was closer to £45 or even more depending on the complexity and M2 involved.   Some people I know clean and seal floors for peanuts and as most of you are aware there are CC'ers out there doing rooms for £20 so by definition I am sure it is the same in all trades.  There are those that are very good and those not quite so successful across all trades and walks of life.  It is ultimately only as good as you want to make it whatever you do.

Kevin

[Carpet Dawg]

Kev has pretty much hit the nail on the head.

The business is what you make it.

If your not busy on a weekly basis doing medium to high priced work, then this is down to YOU the business owner, not the industries fault. If you cannot achieve the higher prices or believe its not possible to get those prices and stay busy, then again this is your problem and a change of mindset is needed, unless you happy in your current position.

There is money out there guys waiting for someone to ask for it.

Spend your evening and free time making the phone ring. When quoting work, be full on reptile and give them your price without batting an eye lid.  Your older self will thank you.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Tony I've got my phone on auto dialer to your number only.

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

No millionaires yet!
Unless they are not letting on.

Sssh. I'm not saying anything. 😀😀

Rog

[Kev Martin]

A little addendum to my post above:

I have just been for my normal Saturday Morning Treat of a cooked breakfast.  The cafe (Greasy spoon) I go to was as usual this morning packed, every table full and a queue.  I watched them serving customer after customer whilst eating my breakfast , some of the orders had obviously been phoned through and those customers were walking out with bags full of breakfast rolls and trays of takeaway tea & coffee.  The takeaway orders ranged between £25-£40.

I finished my breakfast and wandered over to the Card Shop.  On the way I passed another cafe two doors down, the same size and if anything in a better position / location yet, there was only one customer in there?
 
If there is such a thing as a Cafe Forum I bet the second cafe owner is on there saying:

"There is no money in Cafes anymore"

[DB]

The answer  lies in my next question...

Why is it that 'you' go each week to that particular café for your breakfast?

[Kev Martin]

I have a bit of a routine on a Saturday morning.  I found that cafe a couple of years ago on my route.  Had a breakfast there, it was a very clean place, breakfast came fast, they have no problem meeting my requests of grilling my bacon or swapping the fried eggs for poached .  The breakfast is a high standard and good value.  Finally the staff are polite and friendly job done.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

How many times have I told you that I'm only a poor carpet cleaner.

[Mike Halliday]

The biggest problem  is the small, single room jobs, this is what limits the money (in carpet cleaning especially )

People want a single bedroom cleaned or just the small livingroom cleaned, you are never going to get really good money with these types of jobs no matter how quick you are. you need to allow 90 minutes to cover travel back & forth.

Unless you can book multiple room, full houses or a suite and a carpet you are limiting you maximum earning potential. If you are leaving people's homes with less than £100 then you are never going to earn good money.

I remember seeing a companies website they charged £85 for the first room then all other rooms were half price. I bet this guaranteed they never cleaned a job for less than £130, it's not a pricing strategy that I would follow but it's better than the........ 'any 3 rooms for £70' ........I've also seen

[DB]

Mike ..there's a van currently driving around my locality with sign writing that states... 'Three  rooms for £39.99'... I wonder whether he plans to replace his van in a few months ..so that he/she can advertise a price increase

[jasonl]

I know a few millionaire carpet cleaners, there is money to be made,  to the original poster, I would advise sticking with the windows and targeting commercial accounts were £300 a day is low, 5-10 days a month on £500-2000 commercial jobs will take you 2-3 days a month to sell but are very lucrative. 

I work the M1 and M62 corridor taking low hanging fruit that falls in my lap, I do very few £50 min fee jobs.

[Dennis]

Mike ..there's a van currently driving around my locality with sign writing that states... 'Three  rooms for £39.99'... I wonder whether he plans to replace his van in a few months ..so that he/she can advertise a price increase

They're  everywhere and have always been in  my nearly 30 years in this business.
20 miles from me.
SPECIAL OFFER ON CARPET CLEANING!

Your lounge, dining room, hall and stairs carpets professionally cleaned for only £34.99
regardless of size!

No extra charge within 25 miles of X
and no VAT charged.

[DB]

Your right Dennis

I find that 'Ignorance is Bliss'..... if I don't know what other cleaners charge I can't worry about it

Likewise I have been in the business for a great many years...they tend to come and go quite quickly