An interesting question might be: “Are there any good reasons to start a carpet cleaning business.” Another might be …
Why would anybody want to be in the carpet cleaning business by choice?
I mean, imagine if you were at a party and someone you didn’t know well asked you,
“So, what do you do for a living?”
It might feel a little awkward to say, “I’m a carpet cleaner.” You may prefer to say, “I operate a service business” instead … just to make you feel a little more comfortable.
But honestly there really isn’t any reason to feel awkward or uncomfortable about it at all. It is a GREAT business to be in for a lot of reasons. This post will share just a few of the reasons why the carpet and floor cleaning business is an awesome opportunity. So, let’s jump right in.
First, it is a much needed service!
Face it, dirt is everywhere. Everything and everyone gets dirty. Gravity is the carpet and floor cleaner’s best friend. Dirt is pulled by gravity down into carpets, upholstery, grout lines, and even embedded in the woodgrain of hardwood floors. Fewer truths should make you happier 🙂
Here’s another truth: Most people HATE cleaning carpets and floors. In fact, they hate it so much that they neglect doing it for months or even years. Many people are reminded of their dirty carpets when they shop at Walmart. They see those Rug Doctor machines available for rent at the customer service area. They think, “One of these days I’m going to rent one of those things.”
So, your task as a cleaner is to get their attention in some way as well. Walmart strategically places those machines where they can be seen as people are leaving the store. Wonder why?
Thousands of people across America rent those machines every day. They spend an entire day pushing and pulling the machine and swearing they’ll never do it again. It’s easy for them to spend around $100 and lose most of the day when they could have called YOU and had it done for just a little more. They would have saved many laborious hours because YOU showed up with the right offer.
Second, carpet and floor cleaning is an in-demand business
That’s right … floors are everywhere and they get dirty. Sometimes they get so dirty that only a professional can clean them. Every day people walk across the floors, carpets, and rugs of their homes and places of business and say to themselves, “Yeesh! These floors are disgusting.” They wonder how they could have allowed them to get so dirty.
Then they see an ad online or on social media and get inspired to contact the company running that ad. Perhaps they saw a carpet cleaning van at a neighbors house and they contact that neighbor and inquire about the service.
The reason that every city has quite a few carpet and floor cleaning businesses is because the demand is so high. There is plenty of work for each company so you never have to worry about your city or town being too saturated with carpet cleaning companies. You can put that concern to rest and go ahead a dive right in.
I have conducted business in two major cities with lots of so-called “competition.” Getting regular and steady business hasn’t been an issue for me.
Third, it is a personally satisfying business
One of the best reasons to start a carpet cleaning business is because you can usually see great results that make your customers very happy. This will be quite satisfying for you.
I have walked into many houses in which the carpets were what we call in the industry “rat-nasty” and made them look virtually brand new. Of course there are those rare times when not much can be done with a nasty carpet, but usually I can clean them very nicely.
These results always make your customers so happy that they tell their friends and you’ll get even more business. It is very satisfying to know that you have done a great job and made a customer a raving fan! You just feel great about yourself and what you do.
Fourth, a carpet cleaning business can be quite lucrative
When you decide to start your own carpet and floor cleaning business you will typically have an idea of what you want to earn each year. The first two years are challenging only because your company isn’t well known. But this business affords you an opportunity to do quite well even during the first two years.
Many owner-operators exist in this industry. These men (or women) want to keep the business simple. They are a one-man-show so to speak. They have one van and all the equipment they need. These folks do all the marketing, administration, bookkeeping and cleaning themselves. This is the way they want it. This is what I do. It’s they way I want it.
It is very possible to make well over $150,000 a year as an owner-operator and some owner-operators I know make well over that.
However, some people want to build a multi-truck operation. They start out as an owner-operator but decide that they don’t want to be on the van much longer. So they work to build such a large customer base and recognizable brand that they need to purchase more vans and equipment and hire technicians to carry out the workload.
These multi-van operations often surpass the 1 million dollar mark in just a few short years. I have friends in the industry who earn well over 2 million a year. These men are motivated and driven so they work hard to build their brand and reputation. They are nicely rewarded for their efforts.
Finally, you can control your work schedule
For me personally the best part of being in business for myself is that I control my schedule. I work when I want to without having to ask a “boss” for the day off. I can look at my calendar weeks in advance and decide when or why I will work or not.
If I want to play golf on a cool fall morning, I simply don’t book jobs in the morning. I can have a relaxing round of golf and then do a job or two in the afternoon. If I want to only work in the mornings and be finished by noon, I can do so.
I have always hated the proverbial “punching the clock.” I cannot stand having to have someone else’s permission to have some time off. I decided years ago that I will never be a slave to a work schedule.
There are weeks when I go at it 6 to 8 hours every day. But that is MY choice. There are other weeks when I only work 3 days. My schedule is completely under my control.
For me, the best part of being in business for myself is the freedom I have to control my schedule.
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So, as you can see, there are some great reasons to start a carpet cleaning business. There are others as well but I think these I have shared are the Big 5!
If you are ready to get started, let’s begin by setting up a free 20-minute consultation. Let me answer your initial questions and help you determine if you are ready to jump into this amazing industry.
To book your free consultation CLICK HERE.
Thanks for reading this,
Tony Guthrie