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Mike Halliday

  • Posts: 11581
The future of carpet cleaning
« on: May 18, 2013, 09:02:32 am »
Do you think we will be working just the  same in 20yrs?

My wife and I are just sorting out our retirement options, my wife has a brilliant pension that she has paid into from leaving school, but it still will only pay out what I earn In just one and a half days a week. I don't have a pension but believe I can earn a good income just from working very part time.

My son is planning on taking over from me,so even if I just sit in an office and just do quotes I can earn a god income.

Will carpet cleaning change that much in the next 20 yrs, will carpets be self cleaning? Or not even exist 

Mike Halliday.  www.henryhalliday.co.uk

Simon@arenaclean

  • Posts: 1054
Re: The future of carpet cleaning
« Reply #1 on: May 18, 2013, 10:49:07 am »
The mechanics might change, machines, heat, chemicals. It's changed a lot in the 20 odd years i've been cleaning, but i'm 45 and we still use a sink to wash up, a shower to wash and a washing machine to clean laundry. Machines and detergents are better but the process has not really changed much. Maybe advances in dry cleaning powders and encaping?

Shaun_Ashmore

  • Posts: 11382
Re: The future of carpet cleaning
« Reply #2 on: May 18, 2013, 02:26:26 pm »
In the 25 years I've been cleaning carpets all that has really changed is that we leave them drier, when I cleaned carpets all those years ago I believed that I was doing the best job taking a lot longer though to remove soiling but still leaving a cleaner carpet, products and machinery have made things easier but not too sure on better.

Shaun

Mike Halliday

  • Posts: 11581
Re: The future of carpet cleaning
« Reply #3 on: May 18, 2013, 06:52:27 pm »
I was talking to mark at dp ensign last week and he's adamant that carpet cleaning is a dieing  market, literally!!

Our core customers are older people who believe in cleaning rather than buying new, as these people die they are being replaced with people of 'the throw away society' who just throw it  out  and buy a new one.

Unless we look for emerging markets there will not be enough of the people who use carpet cleaners to sustain the amount of companies in our industry.... More companies fighting over a diminishing market.

We're all dooooomed I tell yea!!

Mike Halliday.  www.henryhalliday.co.uk

gwrightson

  • Posts: 3617
Re: The future of carpet cleaning
« Reply #4 on: May 18, 2013, 07:00:02 pm »


............. ahhh but Mike , more and more younger people are getting patio,s and block paving so you will kept busy.


Geoff
who ever said dont knock before u try ,i never tried dog crap but i know i wouldnt like  haha

Carpet Dawg

  • Posts: 2968
Re: The future of carpet cleaning
« Reply #5 on: May 18, 2013, 07:43:10 pm »
lots of my customers are younger  :-\

Mike, did you not make a post not long ago but not being a negative thinking person?  ;D

Mike Halliday

  • Posts: 11581
Re: The future of carpet cleaning
« Reply #6 on: May 18, 2013, 08:26:46 pm »
Dawg....

I'm actually incredibly positive, I see the downturn in our industry as a positive thing, I'm comforted by the fact that most carpet cleaners are lazy and will happily watch themselves fail rather than put some effort into becoming successful. ( look at CIU you can see them here...... pitifully moaning they have no work)

The beginning of this year is a perfect example, with a prolonged winter it made 3 of my local competitors call it a day. They spewed out negativity about how all marketing was wasted because no one wanted ther carpets cleaned in the bad weather. While Every day i was walking the streets putting out leaflets and earning good money

A smaller market will make more of them give up.....until I'm the only one left :D :D
Mike Halliday.  www.henryhalliday.co.uk

Shaun_Ashmore

  • Posts: 11382
Re: The future of carpet cleaning
« Reply #7 on: May 18, 2013, 08:27:33 pm »
But Mark is always like that, hes a great lad but it's all doom and gloom he needs to have a week with John Hunter that'll sort him out ;D

Shaun

Mike Halliday

  • Posts: 11581
Re: The future of carpet cleaning
« Reply #8 on: May 18, 2013, 08:34:39 pm »
Did you know johns in hospital?

He is one of the 3 I mentioned, he's sold up to mike toomy  and is using the money to live in Thailand and is going to work as a teacher of English


..... That was until he fell off a roof and broke half the bones in his body ::)roll ::)roll
Mike Halliday.  www.henryhalliday.co.uk

Shaun_Ashmore

  • Posts: 11382
Re: The future of carpet cleaning
« Reply #9 on: May 18, 2013, 08:34:53 pm »
I can't work it out I'm doing the same amount of work financially as last year but I'm home earlier in the day.

Shaun

Shaun_Ashmore

  • Posts: 11382
Re: The future of carpet cleaning
« Reply #10 on: May 18, 2013, 08:35:48 pm »
Oh no is he in hospital in Thailand?

Shaun

wynne jones

  • Posts: 2918
Re: The future of carpet cleaning
« Reply #11 on: May 18, 2013, 08:39:19 pm »
Twenty years is a looong time to second guess anything. By then your wife might have to wear a berka or you will be in a Chinese labour camp for 'speaking your mind'.

On an optimistic note  :) is there something you would do anyway, even if retired, that you could find a way to make an income from?    

It's not expensive, you just can't afford it.

Mike Halliday

  • Posts: 11581
Re: The future of carpet cleaning
« Reply #12 on: May 18, 2013, 08:40:29 pm »
Shaun, No he did it here a week before he was due to fly out.

I think he had paid for for the teaching course and flights. Not a bad idea he had really, £1500 for a 6 week course including accommodation and they guarentee  you a job on completion of the course.
Mike Halliday.  www.henryhalliday.co.uk

Neil Jones

  • Posts: 1592
Re: The future of carpet cleaning
« Reply #13 on: May 18, 2013, 09:02:28 pm »
I don't know, my turnover has increased year on year for the last five years, i've slowly offloaded valeting and now mainly do carpets etc as well as adding domestic and commercial cleaning with two people doing that for me. I'm on a hard floor course in two week and i'm actually going to start leather cleaning which I have always just dismissed. I've always done pressure washing but recently really pushed it and bought all new gear. I'm hoping that I will just do one or two days a week max valeting by the end of the year, which will be my bread and butter and are just high end customers. That would be my perfect scenario.
Even considering the step up to a truck mount but i'm worried about the step. This week has been my highest ever earning week, I have worked like a trooper though, could of done with an 8th day.

Shaun_Ashmore

  • Posts: 11382
Re: The future of carpet cleaning
« Reply #14 on: May 18, 2013, 09:03:40 pm »
I'm glad he has had the accident here at least he'll get looked after properly, £1500 for a course may only give him £1500 for the year over there  :o

Shaun

Carpet Dawg

  • Posts: 2968
Re: The future of carpet cleaning
« Reply #15 on: May 18, 2013, 09:11:59 pm »
Ladyboys on tap though Shaun!   ;)

Shaun_Ashmore

  • Posts: 11382
Re: The future of carpet cleaning
« Reply #16 on: May 18, 2013, 10:34:13 pm »
What ever rocks your boat, they'd be alright trying to get money out of my wallet I can peel and orange in their by telepathy.

Shaun

John Kelly

  • Posts: 4461
Re: The future of carpet cleaning
« Reply #17 on: May 19, 2013, 12:03:13 am »
I can't work it out I'm doing the same amount of work financially as last year but I'm home earlier in the day.

Shaun

Thats just because you eventually paid to have your watch fixed.

Shaun_Ashmore

  • Posts: 11382
Re: The future of carpet cleaning
« Reply #18 on: May 19, 2013, 10:58:32 am »
I took the watch aperture I found the hands trying to get in my pockets.

Anybody would think I'm tight reading this I'm not of course just thrifty.

Shaun

Paul Clapham

  • Posts: 250
Re: The future of carpet cleaning
« Reply #19 on: May 19, 2013, 03:09:47 pm »
Mike I don't understand , If you are running your own business why has your accountant not advised you to start a private pension , and use the tax advantages ???

If you are paying tax each year you can afford to pay into a pension pot, the fact that you are not doing seems like really bad accounting advice !!! :o
This is the season for fine wine, and drunken friends, enjoy this moment, for this moment is your life.