Carpet & Upholstery Dry Cleaning

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. My most common type of job is you typical 3 bedroom, living room, dining room, and usually some kind of a hall. About 50% of my customers request upholstery cleaning as well.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. I'm the sole owner/operator of the company and own outright all of my equipment and vehicle. This helps keep costs down and provides more one-on-one service to my customers. The bigger the company the more overhead and higher costs assosiated with that. Not to mention there might end up being five people hands in the mix by the time the job is completed.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. The dry-cleaning competition really puts a price on offering the carpet and upholstery dry-cleaning service. The cost of chemical and supplies really doesn't call for such a mark-up. You can still lower the price for your dry-cleaning service and still make a huge profit. Customer's think the dry-cleaning service "has" to be expensive, but not so.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. I like to know the number of carpeted rooms to be cleaned and if they're empty or furnished. I also like to know if there's indoor pets and small children because these tend to leave added spots/stains and odors. I don't charge extra for spot and odor removal, I just like to know what I'm getting into in order to provide the most efficient, timely service. For instance, a 2-story 5 bedroom house with 3 young kids and 2 large dogs would be something to schedule for earlier in the day, to make sure I have enough time to clean and allow for added drying time on some of the tougher spots..

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. I offer a low-moisture soil encapsulation (dry cleaning) system that leaves your carpets clean and dry in 30 minutes or less, not the one to two days like the competition. You can carry one with your normal activities just as soon as I leave the job.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I like offering the best possible carpet cleaning for a great price. The satisfaction of knowing I made someone's day (I always do!) is what I strive to accomplish each and every day.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. I rarely get a lot of questions. The equipment I use speaks for itself with it's amazing results. The most common question would be "Will that spot/stain return?". The answer is "No", because the dry-cleaning system eliminates that possibility.

Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?

A. I don't really have a favorite story, but all my cleaning jobs have had a happy ending. They're all my favorite stories!

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. I wish the customers were more familiar with the dry-cleaning service. Most customers know the traditional steam cleaning method, which truly shrinks the carpet fibers and backing, fades the color of the carpet fibers, and pushes dirty water down deep into the pad, causing mold and bacteria to generate. My system is carpet mill recommended, and sometimes extends new carpet warranties.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. I had a job at a local major flooring store cleaning carpets exactly the same way I clean for myself, but with the economy eventually put me out of a job. I loved the job so much that I took the opportunity to work for myself. I cashed in an old 401K to buy the equipment and traded a vehicle for a van and now I'm on the road to success!

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. I just did a huge 3 bedroom house with a formal living room and a huge family room as well as two halls. Also cleaned 3 couches, 2 loveseats, and 2 chairs. All this after the 3 grandkids left from a 6 month or so stay. The white carpet cleaned up flawlessly, as well as the furniture. I have a customer for life!

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. There really isn't any continuing education, just advancements in the chemical and equipment, which I stay in the loop. Practice makes perfect!

Q. What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?

A. My equipment is the latest in dry-cleaning technology. It really can't get much better than this so it's going to be a while before any serious changes occur.

Q. Describe your most recent project, what it involved, how much it cost, and how long it took.

A. The most recent job was the 3 bedroom with all the furniture. May have cost me 20 or 30 dollars in chemical and I charged 300 dollars, with a profit of 280 for a 6 hour job.

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. I charge 30 cents per square foot of carpet and a flat rate per piece of upholstery. If a customer wants to keep the costs under a certain price I am very flexible with that. I cater to each customer's individual needs, without compromising the quality of the work I provide.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. Starting the business and aquiring all the necessary equipment to perform the job is the easy part. The hard part really is building clientel. I would suggest talking to everyone you know and get your word out so you can start building clientel. Also do your very best at every job, no matter what the situation becomes. Word of mouth is your best advertising tool.

Q. Write your own question and answer it.

A. If I knew now what I knew back when I first got started in my own business would I still go through with it?

My answer is yes! I think I would be a little more aggressive in advertising for my business. I love working for myself and for me thats my pay-off!