Steve,
Many moons ago I owned my own carpet cleaning operation in a different part of the country but then sold it. Recently I had the opportunity to acquire a truck mount at a fire sale price which I took advantage of in a heart beat! I also have some savings to invest in other equipment. I remember well the difficulties I had years ago in getting a new carpet cleaning operation up off the ground. I wonder, would it be smarter for me to sub myself out to a big company here in Scottsdale?
Happy to be back in the Biz
Welcome back Happy,
When I speak to people in your situation I can’t help but come back to the simple saying, “it all depends on what you want in life.” Do you want to make money for yourself as you toil to build your business OR do you want to make the big money for somebody else AND enjoy the security of steady work? Or do you want to try the tricky route of mixing the two goals?
If you want to maintain your own freedom and control as you build a “real business” complacency and “getting comfortable” will be your biggest danger.(Assuming this is your dream.) So every day you spend working for another big carpet cleaning company is one more day you are putting off your dream.
Most likely, any good company you would work with (and you don’t want to work with a bad one!) will have you sign some sort of non-compete contract. Can’t blame them on this. Just good business.
Subcontracting is not a bad way to go, Happy, IF you “hitch your wagon” to a reputable company. You may find that subbing for them gives you the “best of both worlds”. To each his own.
Steve
P.S. As I think on it more Happy, don’t overestimate the challenges in getting started in the cleaning market. With the right target market and keeping your costs low you could just find your niche. It is something to at least give a try. As I like to say “start with the end in mind”.
I’ve done some sub work actually I had a pretty good set up doing sub work, I was making the money I would have normally charged the customer and getting paid a whole lot quicker. So it’s not always a bad deal.