Starting a Carpet Cleaning Business

By Suze Arthur

You can start a carpet cleaning business and become a small business entrepreneur. This is a relatively simple business to start, with low overhead and high growth potential. Start-up costs can be minimal if you are well-informed. Best of all, this is an industry in which you'll find a steady market for quality work. Carpet cleaning will always be in demand, and because of improvements in technology, it is a small business that can get more profitable each year.

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Startup Costs and Investment

Start-up costs to launch your carpet cleaning service will be $2,000 - $3,000, including up-front purchases of carpet cleaning equipment. Your start-up expenses depend largely on the direction you want your business to grow in. Are you interested in working in the residential sector only? If so, your costs will probably be closer to the low end of the spectrum, reflecting the smaller, less costly equipment needed. If you plan to do more extreme industrial cleaning jobs, truck-mounted machines are available that are more powerful and appropriate for that sort of work. As in other technical industries, carpet cleaning equipment is evolving. Newer and more powerful shampooing machines are available, as are improved cleaning and drying agents that leave the carpet cleaner for a longer time.

If you're already in business with another type of cleaning service, such as housecleaning, you can add in carpet cleaning for your customers. Carpet cleanings take place less frequently than house, window, and office cleanings, so you must cultivate a large list of clients who you can rotate in order to keep busy full-time. Retail and commercial businesses that require more frequent cleanings are good marketing targets.

Income and Growth Potential

Operating your own carpet cleaning business is a great recession-proof way to earn an excellent living. Considering that wall-to-wall carpeting has been installed in nearly all homes and office buildings since the 60s, you can rest assured that a reliable carpet cleaning service will be kept busy. Replacement costs can take a heavy toll on the average household and business budget. Your customers know that taking care of their original investment makes sound financial sense. In addition, keeping carpets clean is a health issue for many people, as allergens, dirt and bacteria are carried in on the bottoms of shoes. Clean carpet simply looks better and can greatly improve the appearance of a room. Shoddy-looking carpeting in a hotel or retail space, for example, doesn't serve to project a professional image. Sensitive carpet fibers made of natural materials are susceptible to wearing and breakage unless the dirt and sand that collects on them is regularly removed. In order to establish your cleaning service as cutting edge, you may also consider specializing in certain areas, such as green cleaning. People are increasingly concerned with toxins and off-gassing in their homes and offices. If you can solve or address these problems with your service, your business will flourish.

Marketing

Marketing is critically important in this service industry. Always deliver outstanding customer service, because word of mouth advertising is very powerful, and your customers will enthusiastically refer you to their friends and associates if they approve of your work. Employ a marketing plan that is sophisticated and current. Having a professional website is one good way to assure potential customers that you keep up with current trends. Utilize the web as well as other more traditional forms of advertising. Flyers, brochures and business cards should send customers to your website where they can learn about your business and easily find your contact information. Here's another reason you might consider starting a carpet cleaning business: You'll have the best boss in the world--yourself. Entrepreneurs know how important it is to be in charge of your own decision-making process. When you start a carpet cleaning business you can work as close to home as you desire, choose the folks you want to work with, and take charge of your financial future.

Suze Arthur is the author of Start Your Own Carpet Cleaning Business and several other e-courses, including Start Your Own Housecleaning Business, Start Your Own Window Cleaning Business and Start Your Own Office Cleaning Business. You can learn more at http://www.start-cleaning-business.com

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