CCing seems to have one of the lowest startup costs.

[DevilThomas]

Just for fun I decided to look at how inexpensively a guy could buy all "new", light, equipment and clean a carpet as well as a TM owner.

Now...he won't be as fast.....it could take him twice as long...but to "clean" carpets as well as a TM owner actually costs surprisingly little....and if that TM owner does not prescrub...the guy will be able to beat him on appearance.

Rotovac 360 $2200
Rotovac cfx $1600
unipro 175 Mikeys deal $ 700
Rescue Box 150psi $ 350
Mytee Turbo Hot $ 400

Total $5250

Now throw in a cheap glided wand, some pads/bonnets of various kinds, stair tool, etc call it $6000. Throw in a complete OP set up...Orbitec Defender, all the pads you would need...say
$2000...that brings it to $8000...lets add another $2000 for misc...vac booster, Chemicals, hoses, edge tools, UhP tools, spare parts...etc.

That brings us to $10,000 ....which is dirt cheap...:shock:

In this day and age ...a $10,000 equipment startup that can be hauled around with a high MPG mini-van, or a PT Cruiser, or even the family SUV...and can potentially deliver an easy $50,000 - $100,000+ per year in income is a pretty deal. Repair costs are measured in $10 - $100's of dollars instead of $1000's. He has no waste water issues, no high rise issues, no lock down problems, uses on site resources, can be sold as the most "Green"...he does have a big customer perception problem, especially in residental...but if you let him in due to quality issues... by word of mouth and referral he will take your business.

Does this threaten TM owners? Well if they are not pre-vacing, pre spotting, pre-scrubbing....this guys work will beat theirs in appearance....and they allow a guy that buys this package an "in".

An established Carpet Cleaners only real defense against this guy is to do the best work possible ...do not let him into your market through quality of work issues....that means pre-vac, presrub, whatever.... to deliver the best product possible. Do not lower prices to compete...that guy will eat you alive with quality and a lower price. His opportunity cost is very low indeed.

Whats even more interesting is that, with an eye to a bargain, the entry cost can be $1000's lower .. :shock:

In this economy and every economy...quality of work should be the best possible...it would seem ....your customer base is yours to lose.

Anyway...thought it would be interesting to take a look at this "RotoVac" future..makes one wonder if Rotovac is publically traded?

Got the idea from Mikeys great buy on a 175....it really is a great buy!!!

 

[KevinL]

So keep it quiet will ya. Lets not advertise this. It seems to me that in any area we will have dedicated customers who will use a decent cc over and over. Other people will just call a cc every 10 years or so. That's why we all need to keep finding new customers to keep alive or growing.

 

[GRHeacock]

You can get started in this business with used equipment, and a used truck- I did- which is a lot less than starting most any other business, say a restaurant, or any kind of store.

So, I certainly agree with the proposition that it has the lowest start up costs.

When I started, I had 2 friends starting their business at the same time.

One was a lawyer. The other was a dentist.

After a year, we had lunch and compared overhead, and profit.

I had the lowest overhead, and the highest profit.

After 5 years, I still had the lowest overhead, but both the lawyer and the dentist had a bigger profit.

And of course, their gross income was greater.

The last I heard from them was about 15 years ago now.

The lawyer inherited a mansion and a lot of money from his father and stopped practicing law.

The dentist was on his 4th wife, paying alimony to 3 wives, and child support for 6 kids from the 3 wives, and living in an efficiency apartment.

Oh well.

Carpet cleaning was good for me.

Gary

 

[Brian R]

I cleaned a guys house who was complaining to his wife about me.
He said
"I went to school for 4 years and this guys makes more money per hour than I do."

I would be lying if I said it didn't feel pretty good.

 

[XTREME1]

if that is the type of cleaner you want to be. My investment was upwards of $100,000 and I plan on being in business for a while. A PT cruiser $25,000, insurance, advertising, time, software, accounting etc etc. this is the problem with fools they don't understand doing it right costs less.

After factoring in all the costs I don't understand why the walking jokes like you think $20,000 is alot of money. You can get a great machine but being a broke dick you think 20gs is alot. I spent more fixing my dogs allergies

 

[rhyde]

depends on who gets ahold of a guy first :roll:

 

[diamond brian]

There's lots of guys running around with a 175 and a tuway. Safe and natural...

 

[Todd Anthony]

Depending on how well a high flow wand would work with the CFX , You could get rid of the 360 and buy a Whittaker or Cimex to prescrub with , but you probably wouldn't need to if you had a Defender . I would rather have the Water Otter then the Cleancraft pump box but I dont know if the CFX will recover that amount of water , They are also making a CFX w/ 2-3 stage vacs.

 

[DevilThomas]

if that is the type of cleaner you want to be. My investment was upwards of $100,000 and I plan on being in business for a while. A PT cruiser $25,000, insurance, advertising, time, software, accounting etc etc. this is the problem with fools they don't understand doing it right costs less.

Ya know...you are starting to sound bitter Murdock...lets see...you spent $100,000 and according to your rather lame website http://www.xtremecarpetcare.us/ you are doing whole houses for $125...or about 12.5 cents a square foot? Is that and your website...(nothing works) what you call doing things right???

After factoring in all the costs I don't understand why the walking jokes like you think $20,000 is alot of money. You can get a great machine but being a broke dick you think 20gs is alot. I spent more fixing my dogs allergies

It would seem that a fool and his money are welcome just about everywhere....especially at the veteranarians.... :wink:

 

[XTREME1]

I love my dog and it cost so much to do tests but I am not a broke dick like you, I have the 20 g's to make sure my little family member experiences a good life. I am anything but bitter, I have a better life than I ever imagined and I could buy your business, my business and a few others without even touching my retirement. So you are terrible at analysis

 

[rick imby]

I love my dog and it cost so much to do tests but I am not a broke dick like you, I have the 20 g's to make sure my little family member experiences a good life. I am anything but bitter, I have a better life than I ever imagined and I could buy your business, my business and a few others without even touching my retirement. So you are terrible at analysis

But who built your website???



http://www.missoulagreencarpetcleaning.com/

 

[XTREME1]

my website is 25dollarsaroom.com

 

[Guest]

I just upgraded from the PowerFlite to a new 10K Truckmount and a 05 used 3500 express($8900)
3 weeks ago and my first payment is not due till Sept 3rd at $397 amonth! And I did 7k last week
at the college