Opening a carpet cleaning business is a great way to earn money as your own boss. This is a relatively simple business to start, with low overhead, and little experience required. Start up costs can be minimal, if you shop around. Additionally, there is a steady market for quality work.

Most carpet cleaning equipment can be purchased for around two thousand dollars. If you already own a vehicle that will carry your equipment, then you are on your way. Researching shampoo machines and other equipment can be done easily on the Internet, as there are many web sites dedicated to carpet cleaning supplies.

Carpet cleaning equipment is getting revolutionized, much like other industries. Newer and more powerful shampooing machines are available online. There are also better shampoos and better drying systems that will leave the carpet cleaner longer. Customers will pay for quality, not for someone to have to come back two or three weeks later. You can even get machines that mount to a truck and are more powerful than the portable kind.

As with any small business, you will need to research licenses for your area for your carpet cleaning business. Check state and local governments to make sure you will not need permits or licenses. Some areas require that companies who do interior work be bonded as well. You will need to make sure you have all of your legal requirements met when you start your business.

Now you will need to choose which type of carpet cleaning services you are going to offer. Typically, households will not have their carpets cleaned more than three or four times a year, if that often. You will have to grow a large residential clientele list if this is the sole direction you wish to go.

Also there are the retail and commercial businesses that require cleaning more frequently. The equipment needed to clean both residential and commercial locations are not much different and most carpet cleaning services will routinely take care of both types of clients.

Advertising will be an expense worth spending some money on. Word of mouth can be counted on locally, but if you want to cover a wider area than your own neighborhood, you will need to invest in some advertising. Yellow pages business prints and local billboards will be a great place to start. Both of these options will let you be known to a great many people and will not be initially expensive.

Going to businesses with carpets and inquiring the manager about the carpet cleaning service he employs is also a good start. Remember not to undersell yourself. Always dress professionally on these occasions and conduct yourself in a professional manner. Most managers are continually looking for ways to decrease their expenses and if your services are less expensive than someone else's, you may indeed get the job.

While researching the web for supplies and equipment, do a little research on Internet advertising too. More and more people are looking local services and businesses up on the Internet and it is beneficial to be listed in local directories. There are also the yellow pages online, which is a useful resource to be listed in as well.

One thing about starting a carpet cleaning business that you will have to remember is that it is not a glamorous one. Anytime you clean something; you usually end up getting dirty. However, if you don't mind the dirt, you will see a career of fulfillment. Rooms will literally transform just by cleaning the carpet. That fact in it self is a selling point to gleam over.

Randy Wilson

Randy is owner of Planning a Baby Shower where you will find further tips on baby showers and baby shower games. Also owner of Profitable Home Businesses where you will find tips and articles on how to start a home based business.

Owned and operated Randy's Sportscards as a storefront and also as a worldwide mailorder business. Opened the business in 1987 and sold the business the end of 2003.

Currently working full-time on my two websites and as a published author.