Look at the competiton in your area and see who and how big of a m,arketing
budget these companies have. Then if it does not seem like a good fit adjust
your business model to best suit your needs.

#1 - get a website #2 - get on craigslist #3 - get on yelp #4 - hire -- to build backlinks for your website! BAM (This comment was edited to remove a link. Please review our Community Best Practices for information about how to best engage in our online discussions. Thank you.)

hi Anthony, first of all you should understand if there is a huge demand for services you offer, also estimate the level of competitiveness. If there are a lot of companies offering the same service in this region it is better to perform additional research on pricing. Make sure that you are offering affordable price services. For this purpose you can launch a small website. Before to make search engine optimization I would advise you to try Pay-Per-Click advertizing. Once you begin obtain first clients you should concentrate on service quality to establish a good reputation among clients. At the beginning you will work to establish a good reputation, but afterwards reputation and excellent reviews will work for you!

Start with the end in mind. Why do you want to run a carpet cleaning company. Is it so you can make a living, or is it a hobby, or do you want to build something so you can sell it and retire in a few years? As an entrepenuer who has experienced all of the above (some not intentionally), and as a consultant with businesses all over the U.S. ranging from carpet cleaners, to law firms, the problem many businesses if not most businesses encounter is that they don't know the what, why, when, how, etc. about their venture. I recommend that you read a book by Michael Gerber called the E-myth. It was required reading for any client who wanted to engage my services. It gave us a common language and framework from where to start. I currently am a part owner in an Austin carpet cleaning company that has set clear goals. We try to get everyone aligned so we know why and what we are trying to do with every decision we make. ---This post was edited to remove a commercial link. Read our discussion policies for more Community best practices.

You should also try marketing your services on popular local business websites such as superpages.com.    

Yes as 21 year veteran in the carpet cleaning and water damage restoration business I would suggest you contact a company suplier called Jon Don. They have a program called Strategies For Success. Jeffrey Cohn SI Restoration 800-356-0484 ---This post was edited to remove a commercial link. Read our discussion policies for more Community best practices.

I recently completed research for a carpet cleaning business in my area that wants to expand. I learned that the carpet cleaning industry is experiencing a reduction in sales largely due to the economy (cleaning the carpet becomes a luxury when funds are tight) and the current trend toward the use of hardwood and other flooring alternatives in homes and businesses. The extreme downturn in the construction market is also making fewer homes and commercial properties available to need cleaning. There are also many, many franchise businesses in the industry and they can be hard to compete against. The trend is toward 'green' carpet cleaning processes and products, ones that don't leave an odor or leave the carpet damp, which can encourage the formation of mold or mildew. You might do a search of local carpet cleaning businesses and see how you can capitalize on something they are not doing, anything to set your business apart.

Hi Anthony,I would start with focusing on local search. Advertise with CraigsList and add your info to the local busincess center of Google, Yahoo, Bing and other internet yellowpages. These are all free resources. You can also try Angie's List, Yelp and bulletins of your neighborhood newsletters and businesses.Once you get more business, you can reinvest it into your venture (website, better equipment etc.) Good luck!

What would you like to know? You can check out our business resources by state for steps to start.

im new to the business world and would love to get one started...?very small nothing too big nor beyond my reach...any suggestions?