When I started, I had a black cargo van, and a portable. The only "advertising" I had was business cards and a free listing in the phone book.
Carpet Cleaners are never thought of until you need one. I don't think of where I will get my car repaired until it breaks down, then I look.
Within a year I was so busy that I didn't want more business. My philosophy was to offer the best carpet cleaning available at a competitive price, always emphasizing value. I always want a customer to feel like they got much more than what they paid for.
I didn't even have signage on my van the first 6 years, and never paid for a listing in the local business directory for the first 5 years. I built it all on reputation and referrals, and to this day I am still over 90% referral. You want to get rich? Then aim for a multi-truck system and the pain of managing employees. I do not claim that my path will get you rich.
I differentiate between PR and Advertising. I wear my work shirt or jacket while I am out on public most of the time. Carpet Cleaners have a terrible reputation of jacking up the price after they bid a job, and people are leery of letting an unvetted stranger onto their homes. People buy from people they know and trust, and that is where I market myself. When they realize they need their carpets cleaned, they remember me. The only advantage of being in the business directory is that my ugly mug is in there, and if they don't remember the name they remember the face. Several times a year I get comments that my picture was how they knew who to call.
I am a smalltime operator that started way too late in life to do carpet cleaning. I started at age 49, and am now 64 and my health went downhill this past year, so, I am not sure how much longer I will be doing this.
Having said that, my advice is to realize that that you are not as important to people until they need you. Hard selling will only give temporary gains. Have a good-looking card and a friendly smile. I think that wraps are awesome! You can make that old van look new! It is eye-catching and you advertise everywhere you go! But resist listing all fifty services you provide. People do not have time to read it on the move! If you list too many things, you will look like a dabbler in all trades and a master of none in many people's eyes. I emphasize value, and odor issues. People assume that you have to clean well if you are going to be successful at the bad jobs. I have used free spotter with my residential customers. They perceive value, and about the time they use it up, they have my name right in front of them. In the end, it is doing an outstanding job every single time that will build your reputation and get you referrals. Big Companies have their gimmicks... magic water, chemical-dry, or whatever they are trying to sell, but it always pleases me to get the challenge of "Don't worry, you won't get that spot out, the "Big Name" Company has cleaned it three times and they say it is permanent." Their jaws hit the floor when they realize they did not get the premium carpet cleaning that they thought they paid for from the "Big Name." I cannot count how many customers I have for the life of my business that see me as their carpet cleaning hero!
