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 in a snowstorm. This task may sound time consuming but there are simple tricks to make it easier.
One of the best is to use a separate credit card for ALL your expenses and tie it into Quicken Home & Business
You can even setup the software to allocate the expenses to different categories. This is especially useful at tax time. You still have to manually enter the payments from customers but watching the money come in is the fun part!
2. Get a good tax person
It’s tempting to do your own taxes and save money, particularly with the many easy-to-use tax software packages out there. Resist this temptation! A good tax person, one who knows about small business accounting and taxes, is worth their weight in gold. They can help identify all the business deductions available to you and remove a heavy burden at tax time. Questions like:
- How to organize your business e.g. LLC corp., partnership, sole proprietorship?
- How do I depreciate my carpet cleaning van and truck mount carpet cleaning equipment?
- What about deductions for a home office?
- How much can I deduct for mileage?
- If I vacation in Florida and attend a business related conference, how much of the trip can I deduct?
They can also help setup the appropriate categories for your Quicken Home & Business so at tax time, all you have to do is print out a report and you’re done!
3. Get a website
The first thing most people do when looking for home service companies is to talk with friends and acquaintances to get a referral. The second thing they do is look online!
Type in ‘carpet cleaning’ in Google and you get a map of your area with all the local carpet cleaners listed. You want to be on this list! If people click on your company name you’ll want to have a website that describes your business and lets them call or setup an appointment.
You don’t have to get real fancy and spend thousands of dollars. Sites like Wordpress.com can get you up and running with a free site in minutes…yes minutes.
These are blog type websites but don’t be concerned about that. Most people can’t tell the difference between a blog and a website and all you really need is a place to tell them who you are, what you can do and how to get in touch to make an appointment.
If you want something a little more professional you can Get everything you need for a great web site with Yahoo! Web Hosting – 25% off. Web hosting is a competitive business so providers bend over backwards to provide ideas, tools and support for small businesses.
Another option is to buy a pre-built site specifically for your business. Here’s a great deal on a Carpet Cleaning Business Method that includes a free website and free hosting! (this feature alone is worth the cost of the package.)
Getting an online presence is mandatory these days and it’s getting easier all the time. Don’t be left out!
4. Build and maintain a customer list
Every customer is a valuable asset with the potential for repeat business. It’s a simple process to keep a list but many small businesses don’t bother. Keep track of their name and address, the type of services you provided and the date. Getting their e-mail is also very useful. Now you can do some high impact marketing like:
- Send them a reminder on the year anniversary that it’s time to get their carpet cleaned again
- Send them a discount offer around the holidays to help them get ready for company or relatives
- Send them a discount coupon just for being a good customer
Another good use of this list is to send out a newsletter. It doesn’t have to be fancy or very often. Start with 4 times a year to correspond with the seasons and talk about carpet cleaning and carpet care for the up coming season.
This is a good way for a spouse or older child to help with the business. A local college student is another good option as they’re usually pretty good with computers.
It takes 3 to 4 times more effort to find a new customer vs. selling to an existing one. Don’t let this valuable resource go to waste!
5. Always be open to expanding your services
You’re already at the customer’s home, you’ve gained their trust, what else can you help them with while you’re there? This is called up selling and is what all good businessmen do. Be careful not to be too pushy but offer them other things to consider while you’re cleaning their carpet. Some ideas are:
- Upholstery cleaning
- Carpet repair
- Spot removing and removal of pet odors
- Tile or grout cleaning
- Area rug cleaning
How about helping to clean that corner in her bathroom with a vapor steam cleaner? Every homemaker has certain spots that they just can’t get clean. Find out where these are and see if you can help? Those kinds of little things can make a lasting impression.
Finally, make sure you have room in your carpet cleaning vans for the proper equipment these extra services require.
There you have it. 5 simple strategies that will make you a better manager and, most important, make a big difference in your bottom line. Remember, you can hire people to clean the carpets but only you can run the business.
Create a blog and become an expert in your area. This will attract more customers looking for solutions like carpet cleaning.