The facts are in- your customers will buy more when they can pay with a credit card. Plus you get virtually instant payment instead of having to bill the client. But how can you process credit cards without a fixed terminal? Steve borrows some great resources from an old friend …
Everyone is talking about Groupon. Is it a great new marketing tool for our industry or just “Val Pak on steroids”? Bill Yeadon says “It all depends”!
Bill Yeadon finds insights into the entrepreneurial psyche by focusing on this parable of a talented Baker’s path to financial success and personal fulfillment.
Should you say you are sorry even when it is not your fault? Southwest Airlines’ “recovery system” is just one of the many reasons why they are king of customer service AND make money as their competitors go broke. What does your company do when “it” hits the fan?
A Little Rock carpet cleaner has FINALLY gathered up his courage to raise prices. But how to do it and when to tell his repeat customers has him stumped. Steve shares his patented 5 step system to raising prices …
We all want to increase profit per job. But Steve warns against getting distracted peddling product for pennies when you could be making Cheerleaders (aka. word of mouth referral machines). How?? GIVE AWAY a bottle of “Free Lifetime Spotter” to every customer …
Is massive discounting the answer for your carpet cleaning company in this challenging economy? Isn’t it better to take in cheap work than to have no work at all? Let’s take a lesson from the Border’s book chain …
Regular cash flow, your very own production schedule, a steadily appreciating asset and best of all … less interaction with an at times difficult and demanding residential customer. So what’s not to like? Will this carpet cleaner’s dreams of profit in commercial maintenance work be fulfilled? Steve Toburen gives his prognosis …
Bill Yeadon starts each marketing class at SFS by asking “How do you ‘differentiate’ yourself from the competition?” This is one of the hardest questions you as a carpet cleaner will ever answer. A recent post by Steve Yastrow not only explains why this “differentiation process” is important but also explores a unique way of how to do it …
Big Billy Yeadon weighs in with what may be the most profitable way to price your carpet cleaning services as an owner-operator. In the final analysis it will be up to you. But first check out Bill’s musings …
Outside of arguing about the best truck mount (which invariably is owned by the person talking) there is nothing that causes more disagreement among carpet cleaners than “how to price” the job. My take? They all work! Let me explain why …
Are you enjoying the lifestyle benefits of living in the countryside? GREAT! This small town carpet cleaner asks, “Can I build a ‘real business’ in a market base of only 30,000 people?” Steve shares how he did it …
Before you get the answers let me explain the purpose of the quiz. It ultimately comes down to the term “anchoring”. What is “anchoring” and how does it affect the structure of your cleaning prices? Read on …
Here is a simple 3 question quiz that will help you understand how people buy your carpet cleaning services. Please contribute your answers and then we’ll analyze this pricing/buying topic on a deeper level …
Carpet cleaning business owners can do well by taking a lesson from small children. Kids are by nature inquisitive and take in enormous amounts of information (also called “learning”) by asking questions. Sadly, as we grow older we lose this essential “growth trait”. Chuck Violand weighs in on why and how you should rekindle your curiosity and start asking some so-called “stupid questions” …