What keeps you in this business?

A lot of you guys have been at this racket for a long time. I just hit the seven year mark and I'm getting a little burned out. How do you guys stay motivated? Have you gotten close to switching gears and doing something else? If so what and how did it go?



I love this business and the freedom, independence, control, and money that you can make. Maybe Im just getting the seven year iitch Nothing like a mortgage to keep you motivated

A great motivator would be to shut down for a few months and go back to working for someone else. After they saddle you with 12 hour rotating shifts and treat you like crap.....then hand you a pitiful paycheck, you will find the motivation to get back on the wand.

I remember my first crappy job out of the military, after 3 months I quit and went back to school. Life is too short to waste it doing a job that doesn't make you happy.

Have to agree with Milspec6. Try working for someone else. I've been in the business thirty years and am most assuredly unemployable. No way I'd take the crap from an employer for the pitiful paycheck I'd get. Give me $200 an hour on my own schedule anytime.

I was self employed before getting into this business so there's no way I could go back to working a nine to fiver

Make that $200 and hour minimum. Sometimes it's a lot more.

So it's the money

Hell yes! Actually I do get a lot of satisfaction when I see the look of dis-belief on the customers face. That never gets old. I don't know of a better profession for a guy with just a high school diploma.

Rainbow Rider wrote:Hell yes! Actually I do get a lot of satisfaction when I see the look of dis-belief on the customers face. That never gets old. I don't know of a better profession for a guy with just a high school diploma.

I do enjoy being called the "the miracle worker" by my customers...it feels pretty good to get that affirmation.

As for that HS diploma, those of us who have a few years on the odometer received a better education in HS than these kids are getting in the Universities today. The most common degree out there is a Business degree....you O/O know more about that then they will understand in 10 years managing a shoe store.

Honestly I've had 2 different occasions of 2 different ladies stripped naked in front of me while I was cleaning, that's my motivation, waiting for the 3rd one

^^Geeezew what's the trick you Stud!?!

I'm still waiting on my first, so I can retire on it!!

LOL, what can I say ? I have a way with women, lol, not really, I don't know man, it's either luck or they just had a big fight with their spouse / bf, a few weeks ago a repeat customer of mine opened the door with her robe and she wears nothing behind it, immediately told me that her husband just left and that's why she scheduled it at that time ( around 10 am ), I had to keep my eyes on her face and that's a really hard task when there's another set of "eyes" staring at me, lol.

If we only did carpet cleaning I would prob burn out.  

The motivation for me is to one day have a business where carpet cleaning is just one of the services

I toss around the idea of water damage because its so big in my area,   but probably not something I will get into.    

4-5 vans doing carpets, tile, woodfloors, stone,  different types of pressure washing,  and possibly air ducts.      sounds like a great business for me.  

I want to be able to sell and install carpet when its too trashed,   were already removing it and treating floors then another guy comes and does the carpet for us.   Selling carpet and floors with built in maintenance plans.   

business is fun,   doing some carpet cleaning is fun...    but all day everyday carpet cleaning just isnt it for me.

some will disagree but the way I see it,   running a business with multiple vans is tough but fun and exciting...  o/o and doing hard labor for many years is MUCH tougher and burn out is common.      grow slow but grow... even if your 65 it only takes about 4 years to build up a solid business structure.      

I can manage employees and teach carpet cleaning until I am 80,   but I can only clean carpet until probably 60 until I start really slowing down.

If I start to get burnt out, I sell some old equipment and buy some new equipment. Works like a charm.

I like helping people.
I like making money.
I LOVE running my own business.

I drive myself to build my business into something that reflects myself, and provides me the income I desire.

Mo wrote:So it's the money

Yep.

dp1 wrote:Honestly I've had 2 different occasions of 2 different ladies stripped naked in front of me while I was cleaning, that's my motivation, waiting for the 3rd one

Had an elderly lady walk around the corner of a hall- in her depends.

My favorite seven words:

WILL THAT BE CASH CHECK OR CHARGE?

And, being in a different place every couple of hours, everyday.
And, the immediate gratification and satisfaction of seeing the results of my work.
And, the fact that Publishers Clearing House hasn't shown up at my door...