Jon-Don's Strategies for Success- Marketing, Pricing and Management for Carpet Cleaning, Restoration, and Janitorial » owner/operator http://sfs.jondon.com Starting Carpet Cleaning? Marketing, Pricing and Management for Cleaning and Restoration Businesses Thu, 17 May 2012 15:20:18 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 Carpet Cleaning Inspections That Sell! http://sfs.jondon.com/1829/resources/special-reports/carpet-cleaning-inspections-that-sell http://sfs.jondon.com/1829/resources/special-reports/carpet-cleaning-inspections-that-sell#comments Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:46:11 +0000 Steve Toburen http://sfs.jondon.com/?p=1829

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customer-interviewGetting your foot in the door can be tough.  Making the sale can be even tougher.  Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a step by step guide on how to inspect your customer’s home and sell your services efficiently on a regular basis.  We present the latest SFS Special Report: Carpet Cleaning Inspections That Sell!

In this Special Report from Jon-Don’s Strategies for Success Program you’ll:

  • Examine the long term costs of poor inspection skills.
  • Learn how to break the destructive cycle of “price-only” estimates.
  • Benefit from an understanding of the “emotional chemistry” found in customer’s homes.
  • Receive a five-step inspection outline that will dramatically increase your carpet cleaning bookings.
  • Discover how to ferret out the customers “unspoken objections” and how to answer them in a positive, non-threatening manner.

Click the download below!

To your Success,

Steve

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]]> http://sfs.jondon.com/1829/resources/special-reports/carpet-cleaning-inspections-that-sell/feed 3 Steve’s “Bleeding Hearts” Advice Column Directory http://sfs.jondon.com/3708/bhc/steve-toburen-bleeding-hearts-club http://sfs.jondon.com/3708/bhc/steve-toburen-bleeding-hearts-club#comments Fri, 01 Jan 2010 19:47:39 +0000 Steve Toburen http://sfs.jondon.com/?p=3708 All of Steve’s Bleeding Hearts Club responses at a glance.
Steve Toburen

Steve Toburen

We’ve all been there … Your best employee quits without notice at the worst moment possible!  And our latest job includes a “customer from hell”.  And now you’re afraid to even open that official looking and ominous letter from the IRS!  Don’t feel like the Lone Ranger!  All these nightmares (and worse) have happened to all of us at some point or another.

Wouldn’t it be great if expert help was available at the click of a mouse? So review all the sob stories found here first.  Then give us a chance to help your own unique problem …

]]> http://sfs.jondon.com/3708/bhc/steve-toburen-bleeding-hearts-club/feed 3 A “Beauty Makeover” check list for your cleaning business http://sfs.jondon.com/6339/resources/special-reports/cleaning-business-beauty-and-infrastructure-checklist http://sfs.jondon.com/6339/resources/special-reports/cleaning-business-beauty-and-infrastructure-checklist#comments Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:19:46 +0000 Steve Toburen http://sfs.jondon.com/?p=6339

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Whether we admit it or not, all of us are influenced emotionally in our buying decisions.

This applies twofold for a prospective buyer of your business as they mull over his or her options. So you must make your company “beautiful” if you ever hope to cash out for big bucks!

Don’t want to sell out and retire just yet?  No problem!  The “Triple Win” here is a) your customers, b) your employees and c) the future buyer of your business will all love a company that is “beautiful”.  Follow the steps detailed in Steve Toburen’s “Beauty Makeover Check List” and you will make more money, keep quality employees longer AND build an “appreciating asset” out of your business!

Steve

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]]> http://sfs.jondon.com/6339/resources/special-reports/cleaning-business-beauty-and-infrastructure-checklist/feed 0 What to do with the tables and chairs in restaurant carpet cleaning? http://sfs.jondon.com/5819/bhc/what-to-do-with-tables-and-chairs-in-restaurant-carpet-cleaning http://sfs.jondon.com/5819/bhc/what-to-do-with-tables-and-chairs-in-restaurant-carpet-cleaning#comments Thu, 23 Sep 2010 14:53:15 +0000 Steve Toburen http://sfs.jondon.com/?p=5819 Hi Steve,move-furniture-restaurant-cleaning

I only do one restaurant now and they move all the furniture off the carpet into the kitchen and back in the morning. Now I am working on getting a small restaurant chain here in Orlando and there are lots of tables and chairs in each one and nowhere to put all of them. So I was wondering what you did with the tables and chairs during the cleaning?  I think we can find a place for chairs but not the tables. Also did you charge extra for moving the furniture in commercial work? Any positive suggestions would be appreciated as I am trying to get the commercial end of the business up, as the residential can be soft at times. Thank you very much,

Looking At My Options in Orlando

Well, Looking, I did things a “little differently”.  If a restaurant account wanted all the furniture moved (on some of them we just did the open areas on an every other time basis) we moved it AND replaced it. Why? I’m glad you asked:

A.  Less hassle for management. To be honest, I’m amazed you still have the one restaurant account where they stack the table and chairs in the kitchen.  I found that when my service became an “irritation” to the customer we weren’t going to be around long.  And I can’t think of anything more “irritating” for a restaurant manager than coming in early and finding a kitchen full of furniture!

B.  Faster production for us. If you are using two people anyway (which you probably should on commercial work for production, physical exhaustion and mental burnout reasons) one of them is just going to be standing (or sitting) around a lot of the time if there is no furniture.  Why not use the second person to keep moving furniture and replacing it?  After all, if the furniture is being moved faster than the wand (or Cimex) can move, then moving tables and chairs isn’t really costing you anything!

NOTE:  We normally would only move the tables and chairs enough to let us clean under them and then replace them immediately.  With most restaurant furniture and good extraction (or even better encapsulation cleaning!) I found that blocking and tabbing wasn’t needed. With a good system and two people working together smoothly the wand never stopped which was great because our mantra on commercial work was, “If the wand isn’t moving we’re not making money!” (And we made a LOT of money as my company cleaned over 50 restaurants and bars every month on a contract basis!  How did I get all those accounts?  Because I personally followed my weekly Dedicated Sales Morning concept! Download my free Special Report on “Selling Commercial Work” with all the details!)

C.  Not being able to “blend into the woodwork”. I found the commercial accounts we kept the longest were the ones where we didn’t get “noticed”.  We went in, did the work, sent the bill, they paid us.  Just like clockwork!  But if I had to call the manager or owner to remind them each month to move the tables and chairs it was too easy for him or her to say, “Let’s skip it this month.”  The kiss of death in commercial!

So to cut to the chase, Looking, I would strongly suggest you factor moving and replacing the furniture into your proposal for the restaurant chain.  (By the way, a great way to get all the information you need for your proposal and to “structure” your first visit with the Decision Maker is to use my Commercial Carpet Analysis form.)

More soon,

Steve

P.S. Commercial work is one area that the owner normally should excuse them self from ASAP. The problem is that these late hours will suck the life out of you.  I seriously question for most entrepreneurs if their “highest and best use” in their business is pushing a wand around some greasy spoon at 2 o’clock in the morning!

]]> http://sfs.jondon.com/5819/bhc/what-to-do-with-tables-and-chairs-in-restaurant-carpet-cleaning/feed 0 Larry Holder- Regency Carpet & Floor http://sfs.jondon.com/51/reviews/success-stories/the-holders-regency-carpet-floor http://sfs.jondon.com/51/reviews/success-stories/the-holders-regency-carpet-floor#comments Sat, 09 May 2009 17:03:46 +0000 sfs http://www.independentcleaner.com/?p=51 Larry and Elissa Holder

Larry and Elissa Holder

I thought that I would share a business success that we recently experienced. Please feel free to use this if it will help make the point about value added service. It all happened through industry networking.

Our business is located about 30 miles south of Atlanta, about 45 minutes south of the Atlanta airport. We service the 3 counties in our area, Fayette, Coweta and Henry. We also service other areas of metro Atlanta when referrals call. We have serviced homes in the northern suburbs but we don’t market there.

There is a commercial floor care company on the north side of Atlanta called Floor Care Specialists. The 2 owners are former co-workers of mine from when I was with DuPont. They only service commercial accounts and do no residential work. Whenever they receive calls for residential cleaning they always have the prospect call us, even if it is one of their own commercial clients. They send us about 2 or 3 jobs per month. These jobs are on the north side of the Atlanta area.

When gas prices rose so high Elissa and I decided that we would have to stop traveling so far north. We would simply focus on our 3 county area. The cost of fuel made it unprofitable to go too far north. We began referring northern prospects to Steve Cameron or Tom Cermak whom Elissa met at SFS.

About 6 weeks ago we received a call from a new prospect. The lady on the phone told Elissa that Floor Care Specialists had referred her to us. She lived in the northern section of the downtown area. This was not all the way to the northern burbs but still on the north side. This is an older neighborhood where all of the homes had been refurbished by “yuppies” and prices started at about $1,000,000.00! As we discussed it we decided to take the job. Remember, this was just before gas prices began to fall.

On the day of the job I drove for just under an hour. When I arrived the customer decided that she only wanted to do 2 bedrooms and a hallway. This was hardly a gold mine. To make it a bit more interesting, the areas were on the top floor on the opposite end of the home! Sigh!

Though the job was small I committed myself to do the job right with the same commitment as if it were a huge job. I smiled and was cheerful as I dealt with the customer. The entire time I was there our exchange was very pleasant. I had never met the lady, but it was as if I were talking to a neighbor. I pre-vacuumed, pre-spotted, pre-conditioned, moved the furniture, extracted, groomed, and speed-dried all areas. (Sound familiar?)

I offered to “renew” her Scotchgard protection but she did not buy. She told me that she had been skeptical of carpet cleaners. She had used carpet cleaners before but the results were mediocre. She was totally thrilled with her carpet. She said that it looked brand new. As I began to leave she told me that she was going to put a listing on her neighborhood homeowner’s association online bulletin board about our service. According to her there were 700 homeowners on the mailing list. I liked the prospect but I did not get too excited. We’ve all had people tell us things like that before with no follow through.

About a week later I received an email from the customer. She had copied me on the post that she had placed on the electronic bulletin board. That first afternoon we booked 4 jobs. The following week as I was finishing the 3rd job in that neighborhood the client told me that she was now going to post a recommendation on the neighborhood web page. This was different than the bulletin board. According to this customer you have to be recommended by at least 3 neighbors to be on the web site.

In the last 6 weeks we have done 7 jobs in that community at an average ticket of $350.00 or more. We have been cleaning carpets, rugs and furniture. This past Thursday I told one of those customers that I had been spending a great deal of time in their neighborhood. She said that it was no wonder, our name is all over their web site! Regency Carpet is practically a household name in this upscale area!

The purpose of this story is to drive home the point that no matter how small the job, you must do it with the same dedication and enthusiasm as if it were your largest. The Value Added Service concepts found in SFS really do work!

Larry Holder  SFS Class of September/2006
Elissa Holder  SFS Class of March/2008
Regency Carpet & Floor Care
Certified Master Textile Cleaner
IICRC Approved Instructor

PS (Added On 3-15-2010 to show the value of “electronic Cheerleaders!))  A new client calls the office today. My beautiful young wife talks to him and schedules the job. As she finishes the conversation she asked the question that we always ask, “How did you hear about us?”. He told her that he had recently moved to the area. He lives in one of the more upscale neighborhoods. He did not know who to call so he sent out an email to the homeowner’s group. He said that in a matter of minutes he was inundated with emails from people recommending us! Some just recommended us, others said that they would never use anyone else!

]]> http://sfs.jondon.com/51/reviews/success-stories/the-holders-regency-carpet-floor/feed 0 Sick of being “on-call” 24-7 for water damage losses? http://sfs.jondon.com/5826/bhc/sick-of-being-on-call-24-7-for-water-damage-losses http://sfs.jondon.com/5826/bhc/sick-of-being-on-call-24-7-for-water-damage-losses#comments Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:46:03 +0000 Steve Toburen http://sfs.jondon.com/?p=5826 Hey Steve,

tired-of-after-hours-emergency-cleaningCan I vent on you? So I finally get a day off, I’m going to “veg out” in front of my new 56” liquid plasma wide screen, watch a game or two, eat myself fat and toss off a few Coronas and bang!  The phone rings and I get to drive 58 miles one way to start extracting a flooded hotel!  Didn’t you ever get sick of being on call 24-7?

Ticked Off in Nebraska

Dear Ticked,

Did I get tired of being on call 24-7? Absolutely! After several years of invariably missing my kid’s school plays/ ball games/ family picnics and far too many “date nights” with my wife- I finally did something about it!  I suggest you do the same.

I finally discovered a fascinating concept called “employees”.  I even learned that I could field a water damage call without ever getting my lazy butt up from the sofa!  Yep, I could calm the homeowner down, get the essential information, dispatch a crew and all without missing more than three downs of the football game.  Imagine that!

It is called “delegation” and yes, I realize the above process is a bit more complicated than I just described!  But not really.  Here is what I did:

  1. Develop a formal “on-call” program- We trained all our employees both technically and in the Emotional Dynamics of dealing with a traumatized property owner after a water loss. I paid employees who volunteered $50.00 per week (they worked rotating weeks) just to be a) available and b) sober!
  2. Then when a call comes in you just follow your “on-call” program, call the one assigned on it and say, “It’s your lucky day!” Then pay your on-call tech double time and a 50.00 trip bonus too. (After 10:00 PM and on weekends we paid triple time with a three hour minimum.)
  3. Work it into your billing. Everyone will be happy.

So some tough love here, Ticked.  Suck it up, make the hard decisions about employees and stop being a slave to your business. Get to work!  (Or if you just don’t want to “go big” see my note below.)

Steve

P.S. Remember your on-call employee (or in the worst case scenario- YOU)  doesn’t have to DO the entire job on the Emergency Call-out. Do just enough “Damage Containment” to spike the loss and hit it with a big crew the next day.  (When everyone is on normal pay instead of double or triple time!)

NOTE:  If in your heart of hearts  you want to be a Lone Wolf owner-operator forever (nothing wrong with that but you really need to implement my Lone Wolf Special Report) just develop some “Strategic Partnerships”- capable and honest competitors  (if you have any!) that will cover for you and you for them.

]]> http://sfs.jondon.com/5826/bhc/sick-of-being-on-call-24-7-for-water-damage-losses/feed 0 “Information age” to the “conceptual age”- where do I fit in? http://sfs.jondon.com/3872/billys-book-reviews/information-age-to-the-conceptual-age-where-does-the-professional-carpet-cleaner-fit-in http://sfs.jondon.com/3872/billys-book-reviews/information-age-to-the-conceptual-age-where-does-the-professional-carpet-cleaner-fit-in#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:29:25 +0000 Bill Yeadon http://sfs.jondon.com/?p=3872 In “A Whole New Mind”, Daniel Pink explains that business has been dominated since World War II by “left-brain thinkers”. These individual’s thought process focuses on logical or sequential thinking. Management consultant Peter Drucker coined the term “knowledge workers” to describe lawyers, accountants, software developers, engineers and doctors who have been the architects of the Information Age.

whole-new-mindTo over simplify brain structure, the left hemisphere handles what is said; the right hemisphere focuses on how it is said – the nonverbal, often emotional cues delivered through facial expression and voice tone. Pink states that there is an ongoing transition from left-brain dominance to right brain or whole brain thinking. He gives three causes: Abundance, Asia, and Automation.

Abundance-  These two examples prove the depth (some would say sickness!) of “abundance” in our consumer society:

  • Self-storage – a business devoted to providing people with a place to stash their ‘abundance” (extra stuff) is a 17 billion dollar annual industry.
  • The United States spends more on trash bags than ninety other countries spend on everything!

Asia – In the 60’s and 70’s many factory jobs were lost to Mexico and other nations. However, since then the loss has been “white collar” jobs such as software development, accounting, legal and even the interpretation of x-rays. These jobs have been going to India, Pakistan, China and other countries where the same job is done for a fraction of the costs in this country.

Automation – This means much more than high-speed tufting machines making carpet at unbelievable rates. Computerization is the primary driver in businesses today, large or small. Any job that depends on routines – that can be reduced to a set of rules, or broken down into a set of repeatable steps – is at risk. A good example would be accountants. Turbo Tax and Quick Books have made their skills less necessary.

Drawing on research from around the world, Pink reveals the six essential aptitudes—Design, Story, Symphony , Empathy, Play and Meaning—on which professional success and personal fulfillment depend. Study these six and see how they interact with small businesses such as cleaning and restoration companies and of course, your company.

Design – Today it is no longer enough to create a product, service or experience that is merely functional. Because of the abundance of choices available consumers want more for their money. Products are easy to differentiate. We discover in Jon-Don’s Strategies for Success seminar that any service is more of a feeling. In the service business creating the experience and adding emotional tie-ins are critical. For example, in the customer’s mind just getting the carpets “clean” is assumed and will not set you apart. So how are you going to set your service apart? Value Added Service as taught at SFS is a great beginning.

Note:  Steve Toburen explains in SFS that there are only two things people want from any service.  A) Solutions to their problems AND B) good feelings!  Consistently provide both and you will retire wealthy from the cleaning industry!

History – Does your company have a story to tell? Don’t just throw more facts and figures at an already overwhelmed consumer. Instead, tell the story of how you saved the day for the Jackson family when you were able to remove that horrible spot or pet odor. Or tell the story of how you worked your way through college to attain that MBA degree only to realize after graduation what you really love is making customers happy by beautifying their home. People are like kids. They love stories, not just a dry recitation of facts.

Symphony – As a small business owner you are like a conductor of a symphony. You need to take disparate ideas and people and bring them together to create “beautiful experiences” for your customer. (Steve calls this the “Home Front Stage Play” in Strategies for Success.)  So you must be able to think holistically.

Empathy – This one is critical for restorers. Empathy is the ability to imagine yourself in your customer’s very wet shoes as she watches her valuables and irreplaceable items float by. Then you must walk the delicate line between the home owner and the adjuster!  These are skills that even the most advanced computer cannot duplicate. This is the skill your technicians need when they talk to customers. People’s emotions are rarely put into words; far more often they are expressed through other cues. It probably comes as no surprise that women are far superior in empathetic skills. In addition to technical classes all of your people should take classes in communication skills and dealing with conflict. Jon-Don’s Value Added Service for Technicians- Restoration seminar is essential for any restoration company.  (Even better, Jon-Don will bring the VAST seminar on-site to your company.)

Play – This doesn’t mean you must spend your life on the golf course. (Although studies have proven that playing video games can improve visual perception by 30%!) As you might imagine, humor comes from the right side of your brain. Humor reduces hostility, deflects criticism, relieves tension, improves morale and helps communicate difficult messages. The most effective managers use humor twice as often as average managers. This doesn’t mean you have to be a comedian, just be an observer of the foibles of everyday life. Humor comes from inside. Children laugh hundreds of times a day where adults are pressed to laugh a dozen times a day. Lighten up!

Meaning – What gives you happiness? According to Martin Seligman, author of Learned Optimism, things that contribute to happiness are: “engaging in satisfying work, being married and having a rich social network”. Also important are gratitude, forgiveness and optimism. What doesn’t seem to create happiness are making more money, getting lots of education, or living in a pleasant climate. (Of course, this is easy to say for a man who doesn’t have to spend winters in Chicago!) Remember that life is too short to spend it doing something you don’t like.

So what does all this brain stuff really mean to a person pushing a scrub wand for eight hours a day? A study of employment data over the last decade has shown that the largest gains have been in jobs that require people skills and emotional intelligence as well as imagination and creativity. In other words, as a carpet cleaner or restoration contractor you already are in a business that has a great future. Your job can never be done by a computer, a robot or outsourced to Bangladesh!

The six senses discussed above are fundamental human attributes. They reside in all of us and only need to be nurtured. Pink assists in that by creating a portfolio at the end of each chapter which provides tools, tips, books, websites and hands-on exercises to enhance your six senses. This doesn’t mean that logic and left-brain thinking is going out the window. It just means that blue-sky people will finally be given equal status. Finally emotional intelligence (EQ) will take its place alongside those smug people who had killer SAT scores in high school!

]]> http://sfs.jondon.com/3872/billys-book-reviews/information-age-to-the-conceptual-age-where-does-the-professional-carpet-cleaner-fit-in/feed 0 Why won’t my wife get on board with my new carpet cleaning venture? http://sfs.jondon.com/3899/bhc/why-wont-my-wife-get-on-board-with-my-new-carpet-cleaning-venture http://sfs.jondon.com/3899/bhc/why-wont-my-wife-get-on-board-with-my-new-carpet-cleaning-venture#comments Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:08:39 +0000 Steve Toburen http://sfs.jondon.com/?p=3899 Hi Steve,

I’m soon to be starting my owner / operator carpet cleaning business. I know what carpet cleaning chemicals I need, have my funds available, my list of equipment I’ll be purchasing and my logo developed. I also have read through all your “Bleeding Hearts” stories as well as the other columns here on this great Strategies for Success website.  (thank you!)  I have also acquired a banker and accountant too.  Things seem to be progressing towards my new career in floor care.  I have done my homework and have my cleaning solutions in place.

couple disagrees on starting carpet cleaning company

But my biggest obstacle to date is getting my wife on my side! I work full time at a utility company, 22 years so far, but want something “of my own” when I (hopefully) retire in 8-10 years that I can run full time. I’m  hoping that my business will be big by then. My wife is supportive and helps me out with the computer stuff and is super-organized and assists me in that area also. But I really want (almost need) her “positive” support. Not the “yeah I can help you but I don’t see how this will work” attitude.

Tell me what to do here, Steve, or at the very least what I am doing wrong.

Puzzled in Denver

Dear Puzzled,

Wow, what a great question and yes, what you are describing IS a challenge.  Any small business both affects (for good or bad) the family unit AND depends on everyone “on the team” for their synergistic contributions.  It sounds like your wife still has her reservations and of course that is her right. She is likely less excited by industrial cleaning supplies and equipment than you. (It’s not for everybody.)

I may be straying out of my self-assigned cleaning industry question role here, Puzzled, to tentatively push into family counseling but remember that the key to success in any family is COMMUNICATION.  I’m assuming this “entrepreneurial urge” you woke up with one day has been yours alone up till now.  Remember that often wives as the “keeper of the hearth” are resistant to change.  (Even when it is “good change”.)  She likely knows you even better than you do.

NOTE:  I see one word a LOT in your letter above and another word doesn’t appear at all.  If my math is correct I see the word “I” as in “me” nine times and the word “we” as in “my wife and I” doesn’t appear at all.  Hmmm …

My guess, Puzzled, is that up till now you have been focusing on YOUR new venture from a business/ financial/ marketing/ equipment standpoint.  All of these are essential (Far too many new carpet cleaners don’t do the planning you are wisely engaged in!) BUT they are NOT the most important things in your life.  (Or at least they shouldn’t be!)

Think for a minute on what I call the “Four F’s of Life”- your Faith, your Family, your Friends and simply having Fun every day!  Could it be that you have submerged these things in your enthusiasm for your new company?  Or could it be that your wife (knowing you as she does) is correctly worried that you will neglect at least “some of the above” as your business grows?

So maybe it is time for “Steve’s 6 Step Approach to Regaining the Favor and/Ear of Your Spouse”!

1) Apologize sincerely- Something on the order of, “I’m sorry, dear.  I’m afraid in my enthusiasm for this new ‘toy” I have overlooked you.  Tell me, what do you think?”  Then shut up.

2) Gently interview your spouse-  “I see.  So where do you see us in 8-10 years?  What would you like to do?  What fears do you have about me starting this business?”  Then shut up!

3) After listening (possibly for a looong time) tentatively suggest “acceptable alternatives” by building on what your spouse has said-  “Hmmm, I hadn’t looked at my personality in that way before but now I understand why you are concerned.  What would you think if I …”  Then shut up.

4) Appeal to your wife-  “Honey, this is something I’ve been dreaming of for a long time.  You know, I’ve always wanted more for us.  Plus I really, really need your active support.  For example …”  Women want the best for their men AND their families.  It is just that “best” needs to be “mutually defined”.  You get to talk here and then shut up and listen.

5) Agree on specific goals and a course of action for the two of you with clearly defined expectations for both sides-  One of my favorite SFS saying is, “Clearly defined expectations are the basis for all successful relationships.”  And so they are.

6) Thank your spouse for sharing her thoughts.  Take her out to dinner. :)   Do what you and your wife agree on.

Now I know this is over-simplified, Perplexed.  It is much more fun to concentrate on the tools. (Jon-Don sells quality truck mounts, cleaning chemicals and other cleaning equipment.) But simply put as men we can be wild bulls due to our Entrepreneurial Excitement, rampaging through the carefully ordered family life our wife has created over the years.  All this creative ferment can create havoc in your family and seriously strain your relationship with your spouse.  (Don’t ask me how I know this!)

Let me know how your “chat” with your wife goes.  Life really is about much more than business, a fact I have sadly often forgotten over the years.

Steve

P.S:  IF the BOTH of you decide to pursue this new venture (and I’m not sure you should!) then it is very important to get started off right.  So here’s some more homework.  I want you (and your wife) to carefully read this  Special Report which certainly could be titled “Getting Off on the Right Foot in the Carpet Cleaning Business” but isn’t!  Then I also want you both to seriously consider attending TOGETHER one of our Strategies for Success seminars.  The couples who attend together invariably implement more from the class and more importantly leave with a shared vision, which is exactly what you and your wife need!

]]> http://sfs.jondon.com/3899/bhc/why-wont-my-wife-get-on-board-with-my-new-carpet-cleaning-venture/feed 2 “Meg’s Story” (Part 1)- Real world dispatches from a “front lines” professional carpet cleaner. http://sfs.jondon.com/4004/blog/carpet-and-upholstery-cleaning-service-starts-search-engine-optimization-campaign http://sfs.jondon.com/4004/blog/carpet-and-upholstery-cleaning-service-starts-search-engine-optimization-campaign#comments Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:57:43 +0000 sfs http://sfs.jondon.com/?p=4004

A note from Steve:

Everyone gains from attending our Strategies for Success seminar.  Some excel and a few actually change their lives for the better with the vision they take away from SFS.  (Many of you are in this process right now and that is why Jon-Don provides this web-site.)

burdick_logoMeg Burdick attended our Langhorne, PA SFS seminar back in September of 2009.  In just a few months the Burdicks have made some tremendous changes in what was already a good business.  Even better for all of us, Meg has been kind enough to keep us up to date on her progress.  I’ve asked Meg to periodically up-date us on how she and John are doing “down in the trenches” of the professional carpet cleaning industry.  I think you will find her comments engrossing reading.  Thanks in advance, Meg!

Steve

PS  Wanna stay up-to-date with “Meg’s Story”?  Click HERE to subscribe to an RSS feed that will let you know when we post the next “installment” of “Meg’s Story” and other fresh content.

Hi Chuck, Bill and Steve,

burdickfamilypicAfter attending SFS, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and talking with my husband John about what things we should change and roll out.  While to a point I’m anal in tracking certain things, there are other things I know we should be doing and aren’t.  (I should say things I know we should have done a long time ago, but haven’t!)

Strategies for Success was a fantastic seminar, but I’m sure many SFS graduates go home energized and then the momentum wears off (failure to implement) over time.  If only Steve, Chuck and Bill could come home with us and be there to push us forward everyday to help us stay accountable!  That way we wouldn’t get caught up in daily tasks that take us away from (as Steve says) “working on the business instead of in it.”

As happy as we are with our growth and the changes we’ve made over the past couple of years, I know it could have been even better.  So here are some things we have either started doing since attending Strategies for Success plus more that we are planning for 2010.  For example …

I just started working with someone to help us with our ratings on Google etc.  He said he’ll be making recommendations for the changes in the content to help out with the ratings (which includes copy writing and proofing) – so it’s on the radar.  However, we certainly are interested in hearing what else all of you have to say and will incorporate those ideas.

Meg Burdick
Burdick’s Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning

Steve’s comment:  You’ll be delighted to know, Meg, that Big Billy is rolling out a brand new one day seminar on March 23 at our Tampa Bay location called Dominate your Local Area on Google. Andres Tobar, a young SFS graduate will be teaching the class. Following the recent St. Pete SFS Andres wowed Big Billy with his self-taught knowledge of the web and especially SEO. We immediately asked him to do a workshop on these sorely needed subjects. Andres is willing to share this knowledge and show people how they can do optimize their sites themselves without having to hire an outside firm.

See the full listing of “Meg’s Story” bulletins from the field.

]]> http://sfs.jondon.com/4004/blog/carpet-and-upholstery-cleaning-service-starts-search-engine-optimization-campaign/feed 7 Get expert “local” marketing help http://sfs.jondon.com/9100/resources/quicktips/get-expert-local-marketing-help http://sfs.jondon.com/9100/resources/quicktips/get-expert-local-marketing-help#comments Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:48:05 +0000 Steve Toburen http://sfs.jondon.com/?p=9100 local-business-help-for-cleaners-and-restorersAs a small business owner it is all too easy to get overwhelmed.  Above all else you have to keep that cleaning wand moving to keep that cash flow coming in!  But far too often the “management side” of your business flounders.  Sure, you deposit the checks and pay the bills.  (Usually!)  BUT what happens to your marketing, your strategic planning and your long range vision?  I thought so – it just doesn’t happen!  You need cost-effective consultants that bring fresh ideas to the table.  For example  …

Most colleges have Marketing Clubs (or classes) that will accept your company as a “group project”. This is a “Win-Win” proposition. The club members can practice what they are learning in the real world. (Much more fun that some dry text book!)  You win because you will have some bright and energetic people “thinking outside the box” for you- for FREE! Plus you’ll gain exposure to new potential customers through out the college as the class/club works on your project.

There are many outside groups that offer little or no-cost business resources. Now of course I think this free industry “resource portal”, SFS.JonDon.com, has the very best TARGETED information available.  And of course I love our life-changing five day Strategies for Success seminar.  (Which you can also attend for FREE!)

But don’t fret about getting support from non-cleaning industry sources.  Sometimes outside help will let you see the “forest for the trees.”  So check into your local SCORE program which is a group of retired executives that will focus on your business … for free!  Many times your local Chamber of Commerce or community college will sponsor business programs and seminars.  At the end of the day it is up to YOU which means …

While your SFS team is “at your service” sometimes someone locally “holding your feet to the fire” can be a good thing. So develop a close relationship with your banker, (and not just to get money), your accountant, your graphic artist and yes, even your attorney. Friends not only buy from friends.  Friends also work harder for their friends! Not to mention that life is too short to not work with people you enjoy. After all, that’s why I’m still with Jon-Don after all these years!

Steve

P.S:  So what other “expert but free” help have you used in your business? And have you paid for any support that was absolutely life-changing?

Note: Every week we share a timely, practical tip like the above. So if you’re not already signed up for these weekly QuickTIPS, do so now.

This week’s FOCUS: Pet problems = pet profits

Home owners love carpet cleaners who love kids and pets!

Mark troublesome pet odor spots before cleaning the carpet

Dog puke and Spot Out- a volatile combination?

“The entire carpet is one big urine spot! What next?”

A nice leather chair that reeks of cat urine… peew!

What products should I use for anti-allergy cleanings?

Keeping it all together: The Customer Information Kit

The question every customer wants to ask!

Download: Pet Problems: I Smell Money!

Download: Procedure- Initial Value Added Service Pre-Training

Also new this week:

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