Sometimes it is the little stuff that adds up to super charge your profits. Or as Michelangelo is reputed to have said, “God is in the details.” For example:
Carry at least two funnels in your van. A narrow spout for liquids and the other with a much larger spout for pouring powdered products. Much faster chemical mixing/pouring and less waste. Use the “radiator funnels” as these are perfect for pouring powders… and at .99 everywhere you can’t go wrong!
So what other little tricks have you added to your business that have sped up your production and/or helped you do better work? I’ll “prime the pump” with this idea:
Years ago my employees and I started carrying “duckbill napping shears” on our belts. This way we could immediately trim a loose fiber, “dish out” a cigarette burn or do drastic surgery on a gum spot! We used leather pliers holsters available at any hardware store to safely carry the scissors.
Folks, this little TIP saved us countless trips to the truck and made for many, many positive Moments of Truth. I found home owners loved my immediate (and free!) “fussy attention” to fixing their simple carpet problems right there during my pre-inspection. (And doing so BEFORE I had the job! Just another example of the Law of Reciprocity!)
OK, now for the rest of you! What are YOU doing to speed up/do better work? Big idea/ little idea- I don’t care. Share them in our Strategies for Success: Growing Your Business Facebook Group. (You don’t need to be a SFS graduate to join us!)
Steve
I just got an email from a site reader and it is so impressive I just have to share it. As I always say, “We are all in this together”! So my personal thanks to Derek!
Steve
PS So lets hear from the rest of you slackers!
“My name is Derek Stutz, co-owner of Simply Clean Cleaning Company, LLC (not a franchise).
My QuickTIP is something that works for me.. time is money, and there are already enough trips made to and from the van on any given job. I try to make as few trips as possible by getting multiple things at once. One way I do this is my toting a relatively large back-pack with lots of pockets, my 4 walk off mats, in addition to my clipboard with our pre-inspection form, all to the front door on my first trip from the van.
Before the customer answers the door I set the mats on the ground next to the door so I am free to shake their hand and introduce myself before going in. In my backpack are many things that are used on every job. I can carry all of these in one trip and keep them together. The items are: all my furniture sliders, enough blocks for one job, plastic tabs, folders with new pre-ins, forms and completed ones, pens, a pencil box containing a lighter, pliers, duck bill shears and a small bottle of pre-spray (this is my fiber analysis kit), stair hook, hose straps, PH pen if needed.
By carrying all these items on the first trip I save about 2 or 3 trips getting things from the van. All of these smaller items stay organized and are easily toted to and from in a nice looking pack.”
Thanks!
Derek
Best Regards,
Derek and Keely Stutz
Simply Clean Cleaning Company, LLC
(812) 278-6538-Carpet, Upholstery, Tile
(812) 345-2021-Home and Office, Bloomington
(812) 278-0583-Home and Office, Bedford
http://www.simplycleanusa.com
No carpet cleaning van should ever be without a wire hanger. I don’t care what mommy dearest says. You can use it to clean glides, vacuums…you name it.
http://www.NetworkHomeServices.com
I carry a small Victorinox ‘classic’ Swiss army knife in my pocket at all times. Not the big one, just the very small one but it does have a fantastic set of scissors.
These tiny scissors are all I need to trim carpet, cut out gum and cigarette burns. Plus you have all the other feature of the knife to use.
These scissors in the knife last about a year then you just give it to your kids and buy a new one for nine dollars at Wal-Mart.
Thanks for all your help and advise.
Barry Click
Green Solutions Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning LLC
http://www.greensolutionscleaning.net