[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

This is happening more and more every year . Even more so over the past 12 months.

I saw this coming a few years ago and I foresee the industry being devalued greatly in the next two years.

For this reason myself and others no longer post help on this type of forum as it is gleamed by far too many of this type of operator.

so does this include me paul  as something changed in your life ?? as when we meet a few years ago I would of said you were one of the more swiched on guys seeing all side of the industry and your like myself and have forgot more then most will ever know its a shame you have been turned into a hater  

Susan , I'm not a hater at all .

People Like you, no,
 you like me and many others have worked your way up in the game by training, by experience, by investing, testing and by sharing with like minded cleaners for many years.

I am however against people who do none of the above, they just gleam information from these type of forums / internet and go hire a machine and then work for a fast buck,usually part time from their day job for holiday money or beer money and charge stupid prices to do so.
That I'm afraid is causing the serious guys more problems along the road, even more so now as times are getting harder.

ok thanks paul glad the switch on one is still 

 before the haters start I am talking to paul because he can have a good debate without banging his chest like an ape unlike most on here but feel free to add your views if there good ones

as the carpet cleaning industry gone the same way as the white good fixing industry but carpet cleaners are glinging  on to hope when theres no point because the good times are over ?, many years ago there were 1000s of washing mechine fixing people , they were ripping people off left right and center  , banging on about how well trained they were , and how there service was the best and let stick them the highest price  ect ect like many on here,  where have they all gone ? there on the dole that's where

customers got sick of paying to much so they went out and bought new  ones   , ok they brought the price of new units down which helped just like discount carpet places can you see where I am comeing from here

I am sure there were fourms like this one full of white goods tecs, saying " get the training " , get the new van , hit the top end markets but at the end of the day most of them went skint because the pubic said no to high prices and when this happens all the training,  all the top end customers in the world wont help pay your bills

and lets face it if you shrink a carpet nobody dies but wire a washer up the wrong way and your house goes on fire and you need your white good unlike your carpet cleaning and that trade is finshed baring a few which most of them are the cow boys

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I'd more or less agree with the last statement but some cleaners have learned how to market and sell their services, affiliations into insurance work and also different market places like high end fabrics means that's more risk so the price is linear to that.

Just like carpets can be cheaper washing machines can be but then you get the different ranges and prices so is it worth repairing or replacing? finding the repairing or even the customer that wants their high end item servicing is the challenge.

The main problem is that most cleaners advertise in the same places with varying prices and quality then complain that they are getting under cut, you have to keep evolving in any trade I mean who'd have thought the cash cow the big yellow book would have gone into the great library in the sky?!

You don't have to just work hard on cleaning carpets!

Shaun

[neil 47]

People have more choice than ever before ,the internet will list them tens of thousands of cc. 128,000 results for carpet cleaners cheshire .

You have to be more than a carpet cleaner, Marketing is the No1  thing without it you're naffed ,why do you think large companies have advertising manager ,.

you have to get the work in to pay the advertisers to get the work to pay the advertisers. then hopefully at the end of the year you will have more money than you need to pay out .

You have to be different 3 for 2, free scotch guard  smallest room free they have heard it all before .
sell Yourself gain trust .

This Guy has got it nailed http://www.artofclean.co.uk/ I  bet hes  the same as mike  known all over cambridge he creates a experiance . hes made it like a family , he comes across as if he cares  and hes got a team that can solve Your problems , so if its leather they will say is Marty available, he has created a connection .
  Im sure that when people call him they have already made their minds up that they are booking him.

Pierre is creating connections all the time over 2500 likes on face book   https://www.facebook.com/artofclean

Are they the customers who are looking to pay £20 yes the same ones but pierre isnt selling carpet cleaning hes selling Trust, experience, connections .

I do a blog and on it is a page how to start your own carpet cleaning business i get a least one a week emailing me or phoning asking what's the best way to do this or do that , what I have found is that They don't do anything and if they do they don't last  .


Carpet cleaning run as a full time job to make good profit is hard work , and most people don't like it, they would rather get £300 every week than £800 one week and £300 the week after people are after certainty .

I hear people say they are ruining the industry with their cheap prices no they are not they are providing a service to customers that 80% of the time wouldn't use you anyway , as for not helping people on here well thats just plain daft if people don't share experiences that they have gained what's the point in even coming on here.

I have been on here for over a decade and i can count on one hand any good relevant information that I have been given its more of a community .

Anything thats given as advice on here is always somewhere on youtube, the best information I have been given has always come from meet ups  where you create trust and people then open up.

Spread the love its the art of Reciprocity , look it up it works

"Dont Panic"   evolve

ps i know some great ways of getting working but im not telling you lot 

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

wow to great posts

what I cant understand is all l these people that go on these training corses get told the same things

so that 100s of new cleaners going after the top end markets ? every year

so what happens when they cant get no work ? they lower the prices or go bust how long can you go on until the money runs out and if the phones not ringing and the bills start pileing up what do you do ??

[Carpet Dawg]

Susan, why fight it? if someone people wants to sell at a higher price let them. I'm pretty sure if you where ABLE to get a higher price then you would charge a higher price. Otherwise you'd be pretty thick (which I'm sure your not) to carrying on working for less.

Neil, I'm sure I have asked you this already but why the heck did you create an article on starting your own carpet cleaning business? I mean this is the whole point of this thread. Why would you want people phoning every week asking for advice? on setting up a carpet cleaning business? it could be people in your own area starting up!

Paul is right, the market is saturated for an already small niche service. And even though it doesn't effect your business directly now, I do think it will have an effect at some point.

Just the other day I was cleaning a one bedroom flat, (hall, lounge and bedroom) for a young girl who's sofa's I cleaned before Christmas. When I got there she was telling me how excessive my price was as the person next door was charged £60 for the same sized flat, and they apparently did a good job. What could I say too her? "oh but look at the size of my machine madam!" she doesn't care. they got their carpets cleaned half price!
She didn't question the price of the sofa clean which IMO was a decent price.

It puts the seed in peoples head to what price they should be paying.

[neil 47]

Carpet dawg

How did you start    ?
where did you get your info  ?
what made you stick it out  ?


search    how to start your own carpet cleaning business you get 3.5 million results and your bothered what I do ?

alltec do it prochem do it. youtube vids abound and the ones who moan do the best vids strange that ,
these forums are the same .

I wanted to strip seal and polish a lino floor years ago where did i learn youtube ,it came up lovely .

ps im No 1 for that search result , maybe I should sell advertising 


remember they all come and go and always will deal with it

Susan

Your great , I could read your posts all day . but your business model is different from everyone elses .
yours relies on stupidity , in your employees creating your wealth excellent.


yours is a race to the bottom