I hope by writing this I don't come across in anyway as bragging,think that I know it all, or have illusions to be a marketing Guru. but I have a couple of situations occur that I thought I'd pass along.
When I started in this biz I read several boards and came to the conclusion that I wasn't going to take the road of a lot of CC'rs. Which is do anything for 3 rooms and a hall. Rat out other cleaners, put down other cleaners call people hacks ,etc. I would present my case to the customer and let them decide. I also decided to be as helpful as possible to other people in the profession and do what I could to help them out. Well one guy and I spent sometime on the phone and one day (4 years ago) I get a call from him telling me to call this guy for some commercial biz. It ended up being a $300 job, 1hr without traffic one away. This account to this day is my largest account spending in the high 5 figures with me yearly, in carpet, UPH and T&G.
Tues I get a call from a guy who wanted to talk to me about some advertising I had done. We talked about 1/2 hour and when we were finishing up I told him I'd pretty much got out of everything but commercial carpet. He ask would I be interested in some large commercial cleanings if he had some. I said sure, really thinking yeah right. He called back yesterday and wanted to know if I would be interested in doing 18,000 sq ft at $.20. We met at the account this morning and I'm thinking I got to sell them I pullout my brochure start going through my spiel and they go oh that's alright if John says your ok were just here to decide start times. I didn't realize I already had the job and we were just touring the facility so I would know where to clean. This guy basically is there one stop shop for everything they have done in the building. Now the kicker there are 4 other of these facilities scattered about Atl suburbs and we might have them all. This one is going on a maint plan after the intial cleaning.
So there is a lot to be gained by networking with others in the industry which can put dollars in everyones pockets, or we can make the $125 for the 3 rooms and a hall.

I'm finding a lot of carpet cleaners don't want to work for chicken feed (

Your da man Rick. great going bud

Ades Gros
Carpet Magic clean carpet

Rick, I'm not so sure you should be telling everyone things like this lest others decide to do the same, then we'll be lumped back in there with "Joe Average" chasing low prices.

Networking can be great for an honest group.

Trust and confidence in the group is paramount.

I'm probably my own worst enemy by telling and showing people what I do.

But, that's my trait, if I can help someone I will, I only get agro when these same people come back into my area chasing my customers.

Some go for a short while, then come back, I never ask why nor say bad things about their "misadventure", and I think they appreciate it.

With better standards and morals in our industry, I still feel we can do well with the higher prices we charge than the "cowboys" out there.

Would like to meet you when I'm in Vegas for Connections, as I would like to meet a lot of other "Encappers" while I'm there.

Ooroo,

Shortestwun

I've seen the light, and changed my wicked ways.
www.get.shorty.com.au

Not sure if George and Shorty are implying that I'm working for peanuts here but this is straight Encap they vac everyday, getting to the area is all hard surface (a whole floor) so it isn't real dirty and they will have all obstacles moved out of the ares we'll be cleaning so this is max a 9 hr job. Which works out to $400 per hr and I'll work all day everyday for that if it's cheap then so be it.
It works for me but I guess not everyone.

When I started doing encaping, I posted on here about my first job. A small eye glass shop. I also made a mistake of posting the price of the job. The replys I received were everything from good for you to "My truck dont move for less then 200.00".

Well I look at it this way, I know my area and I know what people are willing to pay and I also know what I need to do to keep my family in food. That's how I look at it and that's what I do. Do what you need to do to eat and pay the bills. Not everyone lives in a perfect world. I know I don't.

I am getting laid off at the end of June and guess what, 3 jobs at 99.00 each a week is better then no jobs. Sure it would be great to get the 5,000 sq ft job at .10 but until that job is booked, I will take the 3 rooms for 99.00 anyday.

Nah Rick, it's my down-underism that a lot of people don't understand.

What I was trying to put across is that whenever I have posted prices, others have undercut me in an attempt to gain the work.

Then you find other cheapies trying to get that work.

Stick to your principles of high quality and maintain the price.

On the flip side, as Joe said, if you got no work, then getting 3 jobs at $99 bucks puts you about $300 ahead of nothing.

When the work is hard, one must do what one must do to make ends meet, but when you are "up there", you maintain your quality price.

I myself have restructured my business so that now I have three.

Next financial year I shall be selling one of these and slowing down a bit.

The two that I keep may not be the busiest, but the work will be so much easier and still raising good $$$

In a few more years, I will sell of another one, keeping the easiest 'til last.

I don't want to be the richest bloke in boot hill, but I don't want to fall off my perch watching "days of our drearies" either.

This is my "exit plan".

Thanks,

Shortestwun.

I've seen the light, and changed my wicked ways.
www.get.shorty.com.au

somehow, everything after the parentheses was dropped.

Let's try this again.

I know a lot of carpet cleaners that won't work for chicken feed (less than $0.25-$0.40 a sqft). So, they won't do commercial jobs. I'll do all those they don't want and toss them a residential job I don't want to do.

If they don't like $200+ an hour working for chicken feed, who am I to argue about them making the real money working for $100-$125 an hour.


Make more sense?

Now I got it George I was ready to pack up and start saubbing for you and shorty (always liked those pics of his) if this was chicken feed lol!!