Looking to start a Encap business and would love some advice.

[ausmaca]

First up I think all who post here are a credit to your industry. Lots of good advise.

I currently run an antenna business and have had resonable success, buy tired of getting in roofs, under houses etc and have been researching carpet cleaning. I have a good reporte with my customers but if you do a good job they won't need me for another ten years or so. I won't bore you with the details.. not a lot of repeat business mostly referal

I like the idea of having repeat business and flexability with time. I was thinking of residential to start with but after reading a post that Shorty (If you could start again?) gave some good advise on, got me re-thinking. I do like the look of Rick's CMS and more profitability.

Some thoughts on below would be well appreciated...

Starting out, I could probably invest $10000 to start but would prefer less $5-6000.

Would a CRB be the first investment and start from there or go the whole hog and do Cimex as well? Maybe CRB and OP Nautalis 1515C $1500 plus pads approx

Duplex or CRB?
CRB have seen one online here in oz Pro45 by Masterclean $3500
Ive seen a Floormac - 33cm 13" maybe for stairs, tight areas (Swiss by Cleanfix)has brush I think for tiles $1000 plus bonnets

Cheap car buffer modified for chairs $ $100???
Releasit products of course.
Rick's CMS a given
Website $250 (same as my Antenna one www.antennafix.com.au)
Flyers, cards etc
Training in Melbourne ???

These are some thoughts for now, I hope it makes a bit of sense.

Shorty I see your from Cairns go the Cowboys...

I grew up in Rockhampton now living in Tasmania (part of the attraction of VLM)

Thank you all in advance

Tony

[encapman]

We don't yet have our Vario machines in Australia. That leaves you only with the Orbot machines as an orbital option. We will have a 230 volt version ready soon though, so a lower priced OP machine will eventually be available Down Under. At any rate, I would highly recommend considering an orbital for someone just starting out. It covers the widest spectrum. Welcome to your new venture - I hope you make a big success out of it!

[Lounge Lizards]

Rick, have shot you an email.

The spammer thinks I'm a spammer again.

Shortwunbrain.

[Act One Cleaning]

Ausmaca, welcome aboard from Alabama USA. May I suggest that you add a small spotting machine to your initial purchase? It will enable you to do stairs and extract troublesome spots as well as do upholstery.

Good luck!

[ausmaca]

Thanks Rick, I appreciate the advice. Still trying to absorb all the information available, I'll keep a watch on the Vario.

Thanks Act One, definitely something on the list.

[Lounge Lizards]

Hi Tony, I tried to post info here but the spammer knocked me back.

Pm me your email addy & I'll seeif I can give you the info you're after in Oz.

Cheers,

[AussieOrbotman]

Hi another Aussie on here just wanting to start out, that's really cool !!

I (aussieorbotman) only started about 2 months ago.I am from Bathurst, NSW.
I purchased a Orbot machine and also a small mytee Lite HWE unit for upholstery, spots and stains also use it on small rooms with a wand.I have been amazed at the results both machines can bring and used together if I get stuck bring wonderful results.Power Clean in Noosa Heads has been such a support to me and is where I purchased all the equipment and they gave me a bit of theory and training.The Orbot was $5000, Mytee lite about $1700, spot and stain kit which you will need - $250 to $300 i think, a lot of vacaway products and powerclean stuff in there. Covering virtually every sort of stain and spot. fibre plus pads are about $75 for five pads. Super Zorb pads - $30 each I think. The wand was about $500-$600.Releassit encamp chemical - $111.00 for 5litres,
you will need anti foam its $47 for 5 litres if buying a small HWE unit, Fibre pro - $30-40.

All up I spent about $8500, Iam very happy and really impressed of what the Orbot can accomplish not just doing carpets but tile and grout, buffing up sealed floors, stripping floors and heaps more. i don't want to sway you but the Orbot is such a versatile piece of equipment and you will not be disappointed in encapping with it.
Cheers

[ausmaca]

Thanks AussieOrbotman, I read with interest your comments, sorry for the late reply, I have been surfing and reading post after post trying to devolp a model that suits what I want to acheive. The MyTee did catch my eye as good value and have read lots of good things re the Orbot. I really hope things are working well for you.

I have changed tact a bit lately and if I do go ahead and get into carpet care I'll probably start with residential first. A couple of kids (11 &13) after hours and weekends probably won't suit going after commercial onl at this stage.

I like the idea of CRB, encap and dry sponges as a method I could manage and I liked the no moisture angle as a sales method. Trying to stand out from the norm TM process is something I would like to achieve. I came across this system whilst "Reasearching" different approaches.

http://www.kerrick.com.au/products/shamp...n-brush-2/

It sprays, agitates and vacs in one process. Made in Italy by Santoemma they claim fast extraction and 1 hour dry times which fits my thoughts at this stage. Not big numbers in spray pressue vac lift etc but I particularly like the brush/agitation & LM

I was hoping for some suggestions on what chems to use if I go down this path. Would I
1 Dry vac with Sebo X5, use a traffic type prespray and then a HWE detergent to extract.
2 Dry vac with Sebo X5, prespray with encap and extract with the same encap product.
3 Dry vac with Sebo X5, prespray with encap and extract with plain water (not sure if this would dilute to much of the encap prespray.

It's a bit late here and im a bit tired to edit the post so I trust it makes sense.

any advice welcome.

cheers
Tony

[AussieOrbotman]

Hi Tony, sorry mate been very busy with cleaning and carpet cleaning.
I have found that the the HWE unit (Mytee Lite) and Orbot machine work really well together on the hard jobs.

I dry vac with a Colombus xp sensor ( i think that's what it is called?) great vac for residential the power brush automatically adjusts to suit carpet. If carpet hasn't been cleaned for a long time (2 or more years) and is heavily soiled i use Punch releassit for synthetic carpets- prespray and agitate. Leave for 4-5minutes dwell time. Use HWE unit and go over. Then finish off with Orbot with cleaning cloth pad - dries and also cleans any access dirt, may spray occasionally to stop wicking process. Use air blower to finish off, groom carpet with carpet rake. This way I have had great results but is very time consuming and is a lot of work. Later down the track will buy a floor master mytee. Mytee lite is great but i think it's a lot of work for a little machine.

Hope that helps a bit, I am only learning myself.
Cheers, Shane