Carpet cleaning businesses have become increasingly popular over the past few years. Many people are looking for ways to start their own business, and carpet cleaning is a great option.
Like any business where you're working with your hands, it's always smart to start with a little training. Luckily, there are so many training options these days to help you learn the carpet cleaning process!
You can take classes online or in-person. You can watch 10,000 hours of YouTube videos (kidding - mostly!). Or you can get a job at a local carpet cleaning operation and learn in the field while getting paid. This is a great option if you’re working with a low budget.
Once your training is taken care of… there are a few more things you need to know in order to start and grow a successful carpet cleaning business:
- First, you need to have the right equipment
- Second, you need to provide excellent customer service
- And third, you need to be able to market your business effectively
We'll talk about all 3 in this comprehensive article about how to grow a carpet cleaning business. Let’s dive in…
Investing In The Right Equipment For Your Carpet Cleaning Business
In order to start a carpet cleaning business, you will need some specialized equipment. You will need a powerful commercial vacuum cleaner that can remove deep-seated dirt and debris from carpets. You will need some supplies such as cleaning solutions, spotting solutions, specialty spot removers, terry clothes or towels, sprayers, carpet rakes, and maybe even a blacklight to help identify pet spots.
Additionally, you will also need a portable or truckmount machine to clean the carpets thoroughly. If you decide to go with a low moisture cleaning method, then your version of a "portable" might be a 17" floor buffer, a CRB, or some other type of machine.
If you are starting a carpet cleaning business on a shoestring budget, you may be able to get by with just a rented carpet cleaning machine (not from the supermarket, but from a reputable equipment rental facility in your area) and some basic supplies. However, if you want to be more professional and efficient, it is worth investing in your own equipment. A quality vacuum cleaner and the best extractor you can afford will make your job easier and help you provide better results for your clients.
You are also going to need a vehicle. Most carpet cleaners use a full size cargo van like a Ford Transit or Econoline, Chevrolet Express, Nissan NV2500, Ram ProMaster, etc. In recent years, smaller “city vans” have become popular, too. But if you plan to use a truckmount or a large portable carpet cleaner, you will almost always need a full-size van.
Reinvest your profits early on in your business so that you can grow in the future. It's hard to grow a business with starter gear and working out of the trunk of your car. You have to look and play the part to charge higher prices. A decent work van and the best carpet cleaning equipment you can afford will put you in the best position to profit.
Marketing Your Carpet Cleaning Business: Getting The Word Out
As a carpet cleaning business, it is important to market yourself in order to get the word out about your services. There are a few ways you can go about doing this.
One way to market your carpet cleaning business is through your website, which is another area where I recommend spending a little money. I'm not telling you to drop thousands of dollars and go into credit card debt on a website for your brand new carpet cleaning business. You should start with the best website you can afford - even if it is a free website. Reinvest later to get a better website
(Need help? My team at BookCleaningJobs.com builds websites for carpet cleaners every day)
You'll also need a Google Business Profile, social media profiles, and online directories. This will allow potential customers to find you when they are searching on Google and other search engines for carpet cleaners in their area.
Another way to market your carpet cleaning business is through word-of-mouth. This can be done by offering discounts to customers who refer you to their friends and family members. Postcards, business cards, flyers, and other "leave behind" or "direct mail" marketing tactics are a great way to encourage word of mouth from your customers. Social media and neighborhood groups are another excellent source of word of mouth referrals.
Finally, you can also place flyers and posters in local businesses and public areas (coffee shops, laundromats, and anywhere else that has a bulletin board for business cards). This will help people learn more about your company and what services you offer.
If you want to get more advanced, you can introduce some some software into your cleaning business. I highly recommend getting a customer relationship management (CRM) system to help you store your customer info, book appointments, take payments, and more. Housecall Pro is the best software for running your carpet cleaning business.
Pro Tip: You can save 50% off your first 3 months by requesting a demo through this link:
https://housecallpro.grsm.io/vvc4kp6jnubm
Tips For Successfully Scaling Your Carpet Cleaning Business
Sooner or later your marketing and customer service efforts are going to pay off. Your carpet cleaning business is growing... and it's time to scale up! But how? Here are some tips for growing your carpet cleaning business:
Hire reliable and trustworthy employees. You will need to hire if you ever want to grow your business. Hire the best people you can and pay them well! The last thing you want is for your customers' homes to be damaged or their belongings to be stolen. Make sure to conduct thorough background checks on all of your prospective employees.
Train your employees properly. A big part of providing quality services is making sure your employees are properly trained in the use of your equipment and cleaning solutions. Spend time training new hires so they can provide the same high level of service that your customers have come to expect from your business. Create checklists for your employees to follow and ask them to follow the checklists at every job.
Invest in quality equipment and marketing. I've talked about this before, but these are two areas where you really can't afford to cut corners.
I've heard nightmare stories about carpet cleaners with equipment that breaks on the job... I've also heard nightmare stories about carpet cleaners hiring the wrong marketing company and getting hit by a Google penalty. Don't let either of those things happen to you! It's not worth the headache and hassle (and expense to fix things!)
Now It’s Time To Grow YOUR Carpet Cleaning Business…
If you’ve read this far, congratulations! You now know what it takes to grow a carpet cleaning business. Actually, there is a lot more to it than what we’ve discussed here today. But this article was designed to help give you a comprehensive idea of what is involved.
Now it’s time to take this information and get to work! If you own a carpet cleaning business, implement some of these ideas into your own company. Write down some of these ideas as goals, and start to check them off over the next 12 months. You’ll be surprised at how much you can accomplish!
Want it done faster by a team of professionals that help carpet cleaners grow their business every day? Book a call with my team at
BookCleaningJobs.com.
Have a question about growing your carpet cleaning business? Leave a comment below.
