Steve Toburen answers pleas for help from carpet cleaners, mold remediation and fire and water damage restoration professionals. If you are starting a carpet cleaning business or an experienced small business person you will surely find practical advice here. More about Steve.
An experienced Omaha area carpet cleaner is in danger of letting his quest for “time efficiency” threaten the all important personal relationship with his cleaning customers he has worked so hard to develop. Steve searches for the productive middle ground …
It makes a lot of sense to start your cleaning or restoration business out of your house. However, sooner or later you will be faced with the question of “when should I stop storing all these cleaning chemicals and equipment in my garage?” Steve waxes nostalgic …
One veteran professional carpet cleaner in California has been debating the pros and cons of offering the credit card payment option to his clients. Steve helps him realize he has already sub-consciously decided …
True or false- “Every penny counts when you are a brand new carpet cleaner.” Steve’s answer to a neophyte North Carolina, new to carpet cleaning, may surprise you. Here’s a hint: the cleaning chemical supplies you buy are not the most important factor …
A prospective Denver carpet cleaner has caught the “entrepreneurial cleaning bug” but his wife just isn’t excited about this new development. Steve timidly ventures into the “family counseling” field with some hard-learned wisdom from his own experience in cleaning up …
In a perfect world your first clients would all be clamoring for clean carpets BEFORE you even open your doors for business. Surprise! It doesn’t work that way, as one slightly disillusioned Kansas City carpet cleaner is finding out …
A premium Georgia carpet cleaner looks to expand into the budget cleaning market with a “parallel operation” operated with his existing staff and building. Steve isn’t real positive but would like other cleaner’s thoughts. Read and chime in …
All of us brag about our “imagined percentages” of repeat clients. Comments like this are common at every SFS seminar: “Yeah, over 90% of my clients are repeat business.” But honestly, have you ever put a magnifying glass on this claim? (Steve confesses he was guilty of this empty bragging too!) One very capable SFS member did and here is what they found out …
A harried Florida cleaner is battling an upholstery cleaning problem. Steve explains that sometimes the best thing to do is “throw in your cards” but do so with honor and dignity …
When entering a new industry it can be an oh-so-very-overwhelming journey. So it is tempting to go the pre-packaged equipment route, especially if the company offers you a “protected territory” for your carpet cleaning business. But Steve says to be very, very careful. After all, you are putting one more link in the “supplier chain” …
One wanna-be entrepreneur asks Steve what to watch out for in buying a carpet cleaning business. Steve’s answers may surprise and shock you. If so, they may be just the wake up call you need to successfully sell your company in the future …
Read about the pros and cons of structural rebuilding in fire and water damage restoration as Steve answers the question above …
One perplexed cleaning newbie confesses that pricing is just one big confusing mess. Steve shares a few quick principles on setting prices and gives a “charge more” pep talk at the same time …
Who doesn’t love the profits available in emergency water damage restoration? Now its time to get more water damage restoration jobs.
Everyone wants carpet retailers to refer them and yet very few do. Steve explains why plus gives the “big picture” on how you can get retailers to enthusiastically promote your company. Plus Steve also puts out a call for help to all SFS members …