[mark_draper]

If you were to start your business all over again, at this moment in time (2008), would you start off with a portable machine or go straight for a truck mount?  (Assuming you had the money of course)

[Mr Dvae]

staight for a truck!!!!  would'nt do any cleaning myself, tat's my biggest mistake!

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

yep i would go stright too truckmount for sure

[Mike Osbourne]

Are we talking about a truckmounter who gets ill or goes broke and had to get rid, starting up again or are we talking going back in time to when they first started?

[Darren O]

More than happy with my porty.

[David_Annable]

Hi

Assuming someone starting again would

1 Know how to clean to a very high standard

2. Have a good idea how to market themselves

3. Charge resonably high prices

Then Truckmount

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I'd go window cleaning :

Shaun

[Mr Dvae]

on second thoughts i'm with you shaun

[martin19842]

hi there

i would have a truckmount and a high power porty, there are still a lot of places in this country where you cant a van.

van totally wrapped for marketing, literature all done from day one, and all relevant training done prior to day one.

and a 6 month plan to have that vehicle staffed.

but there arent many opportunities to do that.

at that same time, there is awhole lot to be said for business experience, you cant buy it, they dont teach it anywhere, so im more than happy where we are right now.

regards

martin

regards

m

[Fintan_Coll]

It's all very fine talking about a truckmount from day one, but if I were to go back to day one  I had no money to buy a truck mount and if I were to have borrowed the money I would not have had enough cash flow to make my repayments.
Now years later I could easily buy a truckmount if I want to , but I have no desire to do so as I am quite happy with my high powered portables for the mainly domestic work which I do.

[martin19842]

hi there,

incidentally welcome to the foru mark

as a matter of interest what set up have you got.

or are you indeed fishing to see , what the split is between truckmount and portable operators.

call me sceptical!!

if you look at the split in the uk and europe to america, i think you will find that truckmount are more common place in america.

regards

martin

[mark_draper]

Hi Martin

Carpet cleaning is'nt my business but I must admit to having learned a lot about marketing in the time I have been reading this forum. I've been lurking since 2004. My main business is in the on site repair of bathroom suites. Fixing chips and other damaged either caused by the householder or builders, tilers etc. But I must admit that from time to time I have thought about starting as a CC. The toxic fumes from the stuff I use gets to my lungs & wearing a mask & full bodysuit in the summer is a killer.
What I was realy trying to find out is if thoes of you that have made the move from a portable to a truckmount wished that you had done it from day one & gone straight in.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

The 'toys' are the easy bit finding the right clientelle is the harder bit.

Shaun

[Damian]

Personally, i suppose if you are going to join this career sort of mid life then it maybe harder to get "your" name 'bandied' around. My families name has always been synonimous with the flooring trade and therefore it has always been quite easy as the phone always rings. I have been very fortunate in being blessed with my parents  skills! lol

However, to change career's sort of mid life may take more marketing?

Good luck if you plan to go for it fella.

Damian.

[carpetworx]

PROWLER would be my choice..

[maxcarpets]

Straight in with TM, to save my back if nothing else!

Cheers


Justin

[paul wright]

id go and look at someone whos using a porty from thier van 

[liahona]

but that someone if he or she had any sense would have a truckmount.  Best, Dave.

[paul wright]

lol whys that dave :

[Neil Grainger]

Avoid Yellowpages and Thomson.  If you've never had a truckmount you would not miss it, Portables only become horrible once you have owned a truckmount.

I like my portable but want a truckmount now.  No point having a truckmount unless you have the work, £10-£20000 is a lot to spend out on one item when you are first starting, Walk before you can run.

Cheers

Neil