Global warming and the environment are on everyone’s mind these days. The concerns have sparked a ‘green’ revolution where every business, big or small, is getting scrutinized for how environmentally safe their business practices and products are.
Carpet cleaning is no exception. The most successful companies will be the ones who can navigate thru the maze of good, but sometimes misguided, intentions and separate hype from reality. Lets take a look at how you can use ‘green’ to protect the environment and improve your business at the same time.
Why should you be concerned about being green? If approached from a realistic perspective, it can be a win-win for all parties involved. The environment benefits from safer chemicals and proper treatment of waste water. Your employees benefit from not having to breathe or handle harmful chemicals and solvents. Your business benefits as you market your ‘green’ focus while still providing the best [more]
How you manage your carpet cleaning business is just as important as how well you clean carpets. Many new start-ups tend to skip over business management in their zeal to get started and find those first customers. Others view it as burdensome paperwork or feel that setting up a separate checking account is all that’s needed.
The truth be told, managing the business side is actually more important because you are the only one that can do it. You can hire people to clean carpets but you alone are responsible for running the business.
Here are 5 important and sometimes overlooked management tasks that can help your business succeed and prosper.
1. Get Quicken Home & Business or some other small business accounting software
Every business needs to track income and expenses to figure out if the business is working or not. Trying to run a business without this information is like flying blind [more]
The introduction of truck mount carpet cleaning equipment dramatically changed the dynamics of running a carpet cleaning business. With these tools, a small or start-up business can offer ‘steam extraction’ or carpet steam cleaning services on par with the big boys. The focus now shifts back to the customer and who can provide the best service for the best price from the initial phone call to the completion of a job well done. These truck mount carpet cleaners (although most are mounted into carpet cleaning vans) come in two distinct configurations…slide-ins and van powered or direct drive. Let’s take a look at the differences between these two types and the advantages and disadvantages of each.
SLIDE_IN TRUCK MOUNTS
Slide-in truck mounts are so called due to their ability to ‘slide’ into a regular cargo van or box truck and bolt to the floor of the vehicle. They come with their own power [more]
A carpet cleaning service is one of easiest ways to start working for yourself. Start-up costs can be minimal with lots of upside potential. The simplest way to start is to take out an ad in a local newspaper or Craigslist.com. Your ad should specify what type of cleaning you provide and a contact number. You can use your local rental shop to get all the equipment you need. As long as you’re getting paid more than what your equipment rental cost + your advertising cost + your time costs then you’re in business. This is a very bare-bones example but points out what can be done with minimal capital and a willingness to work.
A better approach is to build a business plan that outlines the various areas you need to manage to build a successful business. Business plan software is readily available to help with this process. Some even [more]
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