A Simple Plan to Running a Successful Carpet Cleaning Business

A carpet cleaning business offers many opportunities to make a good living with very little business experience needed. I should know because I ran a profitable carpet cleaning business for 10 years before selling out for a huge profit. In this article I will present to you a simple plan to getting you started in your own carpet cleaning business.

Buying a Franchise or not?

Go a head and look into what a franchise can offer you and then weigh it against doing it yourself. The plus will be that many franchises will train you in marketing techniques and give you instruction on how to operate and maintain your equipment. They will also run some local advertising to get you started. The down side is that you will be paying a franchise fee up front and for the duration of your contract. Also, you will have to spend a certain percentage buying their cleaning chemicals. This can really put a damper on your profits. I recommend that you save your investment and go for it on your own.

Equipment:

Cleaning Equipment - Do some research on what is the newest technology for cleaning carpets, I'm sure you have seen many different types which include steam, dry chemical, portable units and truck mount. There are many equipment manufacturers online that will give you a better understanding of what works well. I recommend using a portable power head unit because many of your clients may be businesses in which a standard truck-mount hose will not reach. Plus the cost of portable units is more affordable. The price range of this type of equipment can range from $1,500 to $3,000 depending on the options.

Vehicle - Purchase a used cargo mini-van or small size pick-up truck with a bed liner and bed top. The costs will very depending on year and condition.
Tip! A Business Plan will help you get funding. One of the main reasons Banks turn down requests for loans is a lack of information to assist in making an informed decision.

Cleaning supplies - Again, do some research on the Internet to find a wholesaler of cleaning supplies, many of the equipment wholesalers will offer chemicals as well.

Advertising:

Vehicle Signs - At first buy the standard magnetic door signs to save money but eventually spend some money to get professional signs painted. This will give your business a professional look.

Word of mouth - Tell your friends and family that you are in business and I promise you will have several people up front as paying customers. Many times they will recommend you to their friends and family as well.

Door to Door - Canvas your neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods going door-to-door placing flyers on each door. You will be amazed at how affective this will be.
Tip! Before you send your business plan to anyone, proofread the executive summary carefully. You will probably not get the financing if you have typos in the executive summary.

Newspaper Inserts - For some reason this form of advertising really works well, maybe because these flyers can be saved and hung on the refrigerator or message board.

Business Cards - This is a must, you never know where you will be that will provide you an opportunity to sell your service.

Business Location - The great news about this type of business is that you can run a small business right from your home avoiding warehouse cost until you grow into it.
Tip! To ensure your success. Writing a business plan enables you to consider all aspects of your photography business.

Target Market - Your first priority is to service homes because you can accumulate several repeat customers relatively fast with little cost but your long-term profit will come from commercial establishments like restaurants and apartment buildings. If you do quality work at a fair price they will use your service every week or month.
Tip! 'Only qualified investors see your business plan.' Yeah, sure.

Pricing:

Use a flat rate approach. Advertise a whole house special for around $300, you will at times get that huge house where you will spend more time but you will get more small to medium size homes in the end. For commercial units use the square footage pricing, for example $.50 a sq. ft. If the business or apartment is 600 sq ft then the price should be $300. Do some research in your area to see what the going price currently is.
Tip! 'You approve anyone who sees your business plan.' Okay.

Investment:

Equipment and supplies = $4,000 Vehicle = $10,000 Up front advertising = $2,000 Office supplies = $300 Total = $16,300 give or take a few hundred

Monthly overhead (if you work from hone)

Advertising (flyers, newspaper inserts and business cards) = $1000 Chemicals = Depends on how many carpets you clean plus it's built into your pricing Vehicle Fuel = Depends on how many carpets you clean plus it's built into your pricing Total = $1,000 give or take a few hundred

Don't forget the tax write-offs for all of your overhead expenses.

As you can see it won't take very many cleanings to recover your overhead expenses and to make a profit.
Tip! To obtain funding. If you are planning on getting any sort of loan, you will definitely need a business plan in order for a bank to consider you.

In conclusion, this is not a get rich quick proposition. You will have to work hard at researching pricing and promoting your service but if you are priced right and get a reputation of high quality in short time your phone will be ringing off the hook with repeat and new clients. Good luck.

Dennis Watson has been helping others promote their products or services for years through his Free Classifieds website =>http://www.zeoh.com/

Thriving with a Business Plan

No business can thrive for long without a business plan. The entrepreneur will find it hard to pin down his successes if he has no identified goals to achieve. The business plan is his mission statement, his roadmap to success.

An evaluation of the commercial viability of the venture, complete with a comprehensive description and analysis of future prospects constitutes an ideal business plan.

Even if you managed to function so far with mental plans and clever ideas that sprouted on the spot, a written outline will help you zero in on the formula that worked. It will show you where you went wrong, and suggest corrective measures.

You will learn to focus on your objectives, as they will stare back at you in black and white.

Smart entrepreneurs often get the expertise of trade consultants, lawyers and bankers to draft an all-comprehensive business plan. While seeking loans, these plans are flaunted to impress banks and other lending agencies.

Make your business plan honest and realistic by including both long-term and short-ended goals. Often, future projections go awry due to the dynamism of a fast-changing economy. Modify the business plan as you go along, incorporating the needs of the changing times. Keep it in tune with the progress of your business; tweak it to take care of adversities.

Set a timeline, and plan the capital requirements in line with anticipated sales and profits. Go for conservative estimates. Over ambitious plans often get discarded midway.
Tip! Before you send your business plan to anyone, proofread the executive summary carefully. You will probably not get the financing if you have typos in the executive summary.

Constant review of strategy and consistency of goals will help you ward off competition. The line of customers will not shrink as you approach them in a systematic fashion. A coherent and dynamic business plan can be your best guide.
Tip! Myth: My business plan is in my head—that's good enough.

Since its inception, Growthink Business Plan Development has developed over 350 business plans. Growthink clients have collectively raised over $750 million in financing, launched numerous new product and service lines and gained competitive advantage and market share. Growthink has become the firm of choice for venture capital firms, angel investors, corporations and entrepreneurs in the know. For more information on this topic please visit http://www.growthink.com/businessplan/ or visit our venture capital placement site at Growthink Venture Capital.