To Mike, Dave Rampage, and all that make $thousands a day...

[R W]

Does every job you do a full house? Do you ever get just a "I need a living room cleaned" call?? Or maybe just 2 rooms, small, for regular customers?? I just don't get whole house cleaning every day. I have custys that just want small stuff done, and of course, I also have the big ones.....like tomorrow. But to make that kinda dough, you gotta be booking whole house cleanings every day, I would expect...

 

[Mikey P]

I did 3 one roomers today Bob.



I get em all the time.

But because I do 4 to 5 a day and have at least one full house, we can average over one thousand no problem.

 

[Jose Smith]

I did one room for my first job, but they had upholstery cleaned as well. Second job was a whole house. I then gave my client's neighbor an estimate who originally wanted the Family Room done, but when she heard my Minimum Charge, she decided to get the entire house done. I'll be doing it next month.

I usually average one entire house in the morning, and a smaller job in the afternoon (today was the opposite). Very rarely do I do two entire houses the same day.

Jose Smith

 

[adamh]

To get over a thousand a day you only need 4 $250 jobs. Thats not that hard to do. We do over a thousand a day ( most of the time, today we will not) Everyday is different. Yesterday we did a $320 house. 2 living room only jobs. $89 each a $500 Firehouse and a $200 small commercial building.

What sucks is when you only have 4 living room only jobs and you have to run all over the valley to get them. That is when you spend more money then you make. Those days are not as often as they used to be but they do happen it sucks.

I had a guy tell me once that if he was having a slow day he would start cutting deals on upholstery to get extra work. " I am a little slow today so I will give you 25% off your couch and loveseat if you add that in."

He said it works very well and makes him tons extra.

I never sold much protector until going solvent based. ( the dry times made me not want to sell water based) Now with solvent based protectors we sell alot more. That makes the 1k a day come easier.

 

[diamond brian]

Hi Robert. No offense intended, but after 29 years in business, I don't see how you're NOT doing $1k/day.

Like I said, I'm not trying to put you down, but you're in a big enough market to have lots of repeats and referrals after that long in biz.

 

[Guest]

Hi RW,

I clean mostly for average hard working people that probabally can't afford to have me clean the whole house. My average ticket to this point this year is 336.87. That means I probabally average 3 rooms and a set of steps. I do a lot of 1 room jobs.

Today I did $1,661.60. My first job was Living rm, Dining Rm, Hall, Bathroom and 3 bedrooms and protector. My second job was a bedroom and 14 Steps My 3rd job was Family room, area rug on location, sofa and love seat My 4th job was 2 sofa's, 5 dining room chairs, 14 steps and a cheap synthetic 3x6 area rug.

It was a long day I left the shop at 8:45 am and returned at 7:00 pm that's 10.25 hrs and 162.10/hour from when I left the shop until I returned.

Dave

 

[diamond brian]

Dave: At those rates, I couldn't afford to have you clean the whole house either.

Don't make members of the greatest generation reduce their head-stone size to pay for your carpet cleaning.

 

[Jim Williams]

I'm like odin. If I can hit $300 a day I am shickled titless. If I happen to do $450 or so that's just extra cash for Momma to spend.

 

[diamond brian]

Odin makes more than he lets on.

 

[Doug Cox]

Let's be fair, It's easy to say it's not a problem to knock out a grand a day when you do it but when you're starting out its a whole different ballgame. Up until a few years ago, 1000 dollar days were very seldom, but now its very easy to achieve.

 

[Guest]

It's all in the marketing. If you consistently go out and look for work, it won't take that long.

Dave

 

[Tony Neville]

How much of that 10 hours was windshield time?

Here it takes max 20 minutes to get from one side of town to the other.

Tony

 

[Mikey P]

Well you might shyt your drawers over my day then.



First job was a big ol house on the right side of the tracks. 1500 sf and two stairwells, clean and teflon for $1275.
Next was a small home, 3 brs and a lr for $280 then the grand finally was a slate sealing job where we enhanced 1200 or so feet for a buck a foot..


Thank you Loren, Howard and Steve!

 

[Vincent Feehan]

Money

Its not what you make a day, Its what's left at the end of the day. Dont look up to people with big Dollar claims, Lets bring out the real data...

Funds available, Debt??, Net worth , the real story

Vince

 

[R W]

To DiamondBrain....yes, I have been in the business for 29 years. 24 of that was working a full time job at GM, and cleaning in my off hours. I have done $1000 days, but they don't come that often. I service a working class people, many whom have either lost there jobs, or were forced to take big paycuts. Alot of my customers were Delphi workers, who either took a buyout, or stayed on and have had their pay reduced to about $15 hour, but still carry debt loads of a $29 hour job.

I'm not complaining.......I'm glad the business can generate that kind of income. I also don't start working till after 9:30 or so, and don't work all day. I got rid of the after hours work (most of it). I'm also not an "upseller"....I will mention protector, but not pressure any of my custys to buy.

I have a nice pension coming in, and my medicals paid, so I guess the incentive to "bust ass" just isn't there.

 

[Mikey P]

I own my two dogs outright.

 

[Mikey P]

Vince is right though.

 

[Guest]

Tony,

I would say total driving time was 3 hours.

Mike,

The numbers you did were great. Remember I just do carpet and upholstery and work solo. I'm very happy with my numbers.

Vince,

I am not bragging. I would bet you I am in the top of profitable 1 truck owner operators. I have only had this business 6 years and am amazed in how far we came in such a short time. 6 years ago this month I did my first job, had no money to my name and just purchased a Ninja Portable with borrowed money from my dad. Now I am looking to purchase my own shop instead of renting one. We have plenty of cash in the bank.

Dave

 

[Mikey P]

And he paid for his slot car track with cash!

 

[Guest]

That's right Mike. We own a race track called Rampage Raceway. How many cleaners own a racetrack.

Dave

 

[The Magician]

There are alot of $200,000-$300,000 cleaners here. Who needs the red board. Diamond Brian proves who needs a V or At.
RW is correct its what the area will bring in.

 

[Mikey P]

Funny how that works.

 

[Jose Smith]

Here is how my Wednesday went.

Left my house at 8:30AM.

Removed 4 water stains from linen drapes. ($520)

Cleaned traffic areas in 4 BR's. ($280)

Home by 3.

Got home and touched up some fringe on a rug I'm delivering tomorrow (but that doesn't really count as work).

I did not make $1000, but that is okay. In fact, there are MANY days I don't make $1000. The Gross Revenue means very little to me.


Jose Smith

 

[Vincent Feehan]

Dave , You posted you have 20K saved up awhile back, If you think 20 K is alot in the bank, then I guess your rich.

Vince

 

[Guest]

Vincent,

I am the farthest thing from rich. I now have around $40,000 and most of that will be gone if we buy a building. Looks like it starts all over. I know as a single truck operator I am doing real good for someone that has been in business for 6 years and started with nothing.

Dave

 

[Cameron1]

Jose,
Please tell us your procedure for removing the water stains?????

As far as owner operators, I am always amazed at what I can make in a day, but I like you, am the best at what I do. I get so pumped at the excellence that I have achieved. I wish I could transfer that feeling to my employees.......... But, you can,t. That is the catch 22. You can make big bucks as an owner operator, but you will never duplicate that as a multi truck company unless you can make it up in volume.

So, all the big heads about what you make or can make don't mean squat, because someone else is or can do the same or better.......big truck or not. I would like to see the multi truck company that does the same totals consistently as an owner operator.

Now, its o.k. to show the newbies what is possible, but let's be honest. With the right knowledge, market, and marketing know-how, we all could make a grand a day and be home by 4

 

[Ron Werner]

I talked with Dave the other morning and I understand how he gets through the work so quick. I guess I'm still stuck in that "perfection" rut.
Cleaned a rental today, in at 10, measure up and get working by 1030, vacuumed till 1:15, finished at 4. One job and I'm done for the day. I'll be charging him $607 for everything.

3 small jobs on Sat, trailer carpet and recliner, then 1bdrm, hall and stairs, then a small commercial job. It will take me all day by the time I'm done, 9AM to 430-5, doesn't include driving to the first one and driving home after the last. Each one will be about $150, no protectant on any of them.

I sure like that $1000 days are possible, just don't see me getting through enough in one day, esp 3-4 jobs with in 7 hours!

 

[Out of Character - 0]

Ron, it sounds like you vacuumed more than anything. Is that the norm for you or was there special circumstances?

 

[Guest]

Steve,

You are right. I have always said if I can do it anyone else can. I post my numbers so people can believe it is possible. The next step after believing is learning how to market your services to the right people.

Most people can do it if they just apply themselves and have a written goal.

Dave

 

[Ron Werner]

On some places, yes, it seems I vacuum more than steam clean.
The biggest comment I get is: I've never seen any one vacuum before!
Sometimes it is well worth the time to prevacuum, other times I get a significant amount but not that much that it would have caused wicking. The one on Thurs was a berber and I would have needed a 30 flow to flush the soil out that was in there. Cleaned one today, more time vacuuming than HWEing. BUT I am really glad I didn't get that soil wet.

It will take a lot for me to change, to give up the prevacuuming, or to take it less seriously.